How to take the perfect photo of the Sagrada Familia: professionals reveal their tricks

BarcelonaIf this is the Big Ben, we are in London. If this is the Eiffel Tower, we are in Paris. And, if this is the Sagrada Familia, we are in Barcelona. There are buildings with the capacity to represent an entire city just by appearing in a photograph, and the temple designed by Antoni Gaudí occupies a prominent position in this Instagram Olympus. L’ARA has spoken with photographers who have photographed the Sagrada Familia to explain what to do (and what not to do) when capturing this icon in a souvenir snapshot.

Obviously, there isn't a single good image possible. Pere Virgili, a photographer for this newspaper, reminds us that what we capture might want to speak about the architecture of the Sagrada Familia and the thousand and one details imagined by Gaudí and his followers, but we might also want to show the temple's place in the city, its construction process, the magnet it is for hordes of tourists, or its changing appearance depending on the weather. “I am lucky that, from my balcony at home, I can see it. This has allowed me to aim the camera precisely when I see a storm approaching from the south and wait for the exact moment when lightning strikes against its silhouette,” he explains, recalling one of the most impressive images he has of the Sagrada Familia on his Instagram profile. “However, I still don't have the photo of lightning striking the finished cross. I'm still waiting for that one”.

One of the first decisions to make is whether we want the Sagrada Familia “clean” or not. That is, whether we want to photograph it without people, to focus the gaze on its figure and eliminate possible distractions. This will require us to get up at ungodly hours or photograph it from afar. “Montjuïc or any of the three hills is a good option,” suggests Virgili. But the opposite approach is also valid: integrating the people who admire it, which is closer to the usual experience of passing by, making your way through the crowd. Then the trick is composition and making sure the human elements that appear have intention and express something specific. “The same happens with the cranes,” explains this photographer. “At first, it's easy to think they're a nuisance, but I thought: no, no, the human element is important. Without those people working at those heights, it couldn't have been built”.

The other key factor is the light. Midday should be avoided, with the sun directly overhead, leaving the Sagrada Família without shadows (which detracts from its volume). Depending on whether we choose morning or evening, we will find one facade better lit than the other. And, obviously, there is also the wonder of photographing the interior, although it is not easy to identify it in three seconds. "A security guard accompanied me one day to see it from the inside," reveals Virgili. "We saw a thousand details and, in the end, he told me: 'You never finish it.'"

Watch out for perspective

Another pitfall to avoid is vanishing lines. If we photograph it too close, from a very low angle looking up, we will start to create distortions that only make sense, again, if played with intentionally. The more centered we are, the easier it is to maintain symmetry and prevent the whole from becoming unbalanced. “Composition is what counts. And it's immediately noticeable when it's controlled or not. Sometimes, everything can be fixed by moving a couple of steps to the left, or to the right.”

Robert Ramos also has several striking photographs of the Sagrada Família, in which he plays with the sun. Taken from a great distance – some he shot from Sant Boi, with a 1000mm telephoto lens – the towers appear crowned by an immense fireball, due to the effect of perspective compression. Of course, you have to set up the camera in a very precise spot, and at the right moment. “I find it hideous, the Sagrada Família, and even more so now with the cross: it looks very disproportionate,” explains this professional. “But it's true that it has become a challenge among photographers, this idea of going out to find the most spectacular image.” Another of Ramos's prints is taken from Montgat, so that Gaudí's work is seen preceded by a good stretch of sea.

But even Sunday amateurs can try to create a visually attractive, yet little-seen image of the Sagrada Família. “At this time of year, when the sun sets more behind Collserola, you can get a good shot by going up the Arrabassada road,” details Ramos. “There's a point, before the gas station, where there's a bend with a dirt turn-off where you can stop for a while. The horizon is above you, but you can capture the Sagrada Família with the sea in the background and illuminated by the warm afternoon sun. And if you're lucky enough to have a small boat pass by... It's an accessible photo, because it doesn't force you to get up at an ungodly hour.”

However, it's important to realize that the more distance we put between us, the less definition we will achieve. “Of course, it's easy to pick up haze from afar or for the photo to be affected by atmospheric turbulence. I'm not one for excessive retouching. I don't like Disney: I try to be true to what is seen. If you come across a photo of the Sagrada Família taken from afar and perfectly sharp... be suspicious. The photograph might have been taken, but it's likely been heavily retouched or treated with AI,” warns Ramos.

Persistence, fundamental

To have a unique photograph, another essential ingredient is needed: time. Núria Puentes knows this well, as she spent six months preparing what ended up being a triple cover for National Geographic. She achieved one of the unprecedented perspectives by flying a 249-gram drone – one gram less than the legal limit – from inside the temple. This way, the permitted 120 meters of altitude started counting from that point, allowing for the spectacular almost-zenithal shot. “It was very difficult because there was too much wind,” recalls the photographer. “It had been postponed several times, and finally, they decided to finish the placement of the cross one Friday morning at seven. I only had ten minutes to get the precise photo, so I had zero margin for error. And all the pressure in the world, because I knew that photo would go to many international editions of the magazine”.

The other factor, obviously, is persistence. Not just getting up at five in the morning to go down from Lliçà de Vall and catch the sunrise in Barcelona. Also, clicking once and again. Puente took 4,800 photographs, of which he edited 664 to end up publishing 28. In total, 21 photography sessions. “I was drunk on images,” she explained to ARA.

For Sunday photographers, Puente recommends finding a high place. Her favorite is the Turó de la Rovira: “You can see the sea in the background and it’s one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Barcelona and it frames the 22@ and the towers of Badalona. But you can also capture it from the Macba and from Montjuïc. You don’t always have to want to take it all in,” she recalls.