Sunset at the Vatican
Stunning light + stunning location = happy photographer!
This was one of those sunsets that you just luck into. Well, since we can’t control the weather, I guess we luck into all of them. But you know, I didn’t expect the light to be so stunning, or The Vatican to be so deserted. But hey, no complaints from me! :-)
Afternoons at the Duomo
A long exposure taken one afternoon in front of the Duomo in Milan, Italy…
The Duomo in Milan, Italy is amazing!
I'm a fan of European cathedrals, because they are usually pretty gorgeous, large and architecturally interesting. The Duomo in Milan is no exception. The facade is stunning and you can of course take tours inside. You can also get on the roof which is a pretty amazing experience, and well worth it. We only spent a couple of days in Milan but it's a city that I would love to return to for further exploration.
This photo is a long exposure taken with my 10 stop filter, which is why the clouds appear to be streaking across the sky. It was about a 2 minute exposure. I love using the 10 stop filter for these sorts of scenes. You get that gorgeous sky and many of the people ghost out of the image. I think it makes for some interesting results. Edited and converted to monochrome in Luminar (or course).
Afternoon in Venice
St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, Italy...bathed in warm afternoon light.
I was wandering around in lovely Venice, Italy (with the camera, of course) and basically was waiting for the sunset to fully arrive. It was golden hour and there was some nice warm light out, and I was snapping away. I spent a good bit of time in St. Mark's Square, which is always crowded, and even though I couldn't get a clean shot of the place, I was still happy just to be there to see it.
30 minutes in Ramsau, Germany
The benefits of taking a detour can be substantial at times. In this case, a side trip that led to another side trip left me standing here, firing away.
Sometimes a detour is well worth it!
When we were in Salzburg, Austria earlier this year, we spent a day over in Berchtesgaden, Germany looking around and hanging out. It's just over the border a little ways and really not a far drive at all. As we wandered the shops there, I saw a postcard with a beautiful little church on it, right next to a river - and that was it. I had to go.
So I asked the shopowner where this was, and it turns out it was just a short drive away to the little town of Ramsau. I convinced my Mom and Sister, who were there with me, that it was a worthy detour, and off we went.
Of course, the roads were under construction and we had several detours, but eventually we did find this place and I was in heaven. I just love scenes like this one, and frankly I just never come across them here in the US. That's part of what makes Europe so special to me - finding these little gems in the middle of nowhere. So beautiful!
Sunset at The Marble Church
Sunset over the Marble Church in Copenhagen...
Ah, lovely Copenhagen - I miss you!
I dearly love the city of Copenhagen. The people are great, the scenery is fabulous and of course that means there are lots of things to photograph there, too. I've had the good fortune to visit 3 times and each trip there has been really enjoyable.
One thing I love to do when I visit foreign cities is to just wander with the camera. I always find something of interest. This is Frederik's Church, better known locally as The Marble Church, and it's fabulous. It's a stunning display of architecture and a site I try and shoot each time I visit.
I captured this one under a lovely sunset, after finishing shots at nearby Amalienborg Palace (home of the Royal Family, I think, and very beautiful too).
The Berliner Dom
Two photos from Berlin, of their lovely and impressive cathedral...
A magnificent cathedral in Berlin!
I love visiting and shooting the great cathedrals of Europe. They are just awe-inspiring and beautiful. When we were in Berlin, I made a point of stopping by the Berliner Dom a few times so I could capture several shots of it.
It's in the center of town and easily accessible on foot from other spots you would likely be visiting. There is a river behind it and a nice little bridge you can stand on to shoot it, too. I recommend also making a quick visit inside - it's impressive!
A nice view in Berlin
A view of the wonderful cathedral in Berlin..,
The Berliner Dom is an amazing cathedral!
While we were wandering in Berlin, I saw this little bridge that crossed the river right behind their big cathedral, the Berliner Dom. Being a fan of water, and always looking for another perspective, I walked over there to take a look.
I'm glad that I did, because it's a great spot to get an alternate view of this fabulous cathedral (as opposed to the view from the front, which I also got). It also gives you a little perspective on the scene, since you are slightly back from it.
It was late afternoon and there was some gorgeous light in the sky. Sadly I didn't have time to stick around for sunset but I'm happy with this one!
Notre Dame, textured
That lovely cathedral in Paris, all done up with a texture...
Do you ever use textures on your photos? I've been having some fun with them.
Up until about a year ago, I rarely ever used textures on my photos. I'm not sure why, but I didn't really care for them back then. But now I love them and have been collecting quite a few of my own textures.
So when I was editing this shot, I thought it might look good with a texture on it. I had already processing a few shots of this scene without a texture, so I figured why not? Even though it was an overcast morning, the texture and my edits afterward give it a nice golden, almost vintage look. I'm rather fond of it!
Part of the reason I use textures now is that with Luminar, it's just so easy to add them. If you want to learn about using Luminar, this is the page for you!
The greatest church in the world
The Vatican in Rome is simply breath-taking!
Yes, I believe the Vatican deserves that title!
Wow, the Vatican in Rome is just magnificent. It is HUGE - yes, that is all caps - and it is simply stunningly gorgeous. I could go on but I would run out of superlatives before I felt like I really got my point across! It is that amazing.
When you take a tour of the place, I believe you will constantly be saying WOW and OMG and all that sort of stuff. It's a jaw-dropper, literally. Plus, there are a million parts of it and they are all photogenic. It's a good way to spend an entire day - and yes you could spend that much there.
This is a quick snap I took after our tour, down the main aisle. It's just cavernous in there!
Just another amazing Italian church
An amazing but little-known church in Venice, Italy...
The churches in Italy are just mind-blowing.
Everywhere we went in Italy resulted in me popping my head into a church. It seems there is something amazing on every street. It's really hard to get anywhere because of it. I just have to take a look at these things!
This one is a perfect example. We had a water taxi drop us at the train station as we were departing Venice (sad emoticon). We had a little time before the train, so I popped over to this church which is next door to the train station. I only had a few minutes to see it, but curiosity won out and I ran over here.
I expected it to be beautiful, but this little church, sitting next to the train station, was literally jaw-dropping. And this isn't even a well-known church! This is what awaits you in Italy my friends. Just get over there as soon as you can!
Vatican sunset
A stunning sunset over The Vatican in Rome...
It was a perfect evening for shooting The Vatican!
There are many sunsets that fizzle out and end up being less than ideal, but this was not one of them. I will admit that I lucked into some amazing light when I was in Rome. I had several sunsets like this one while there. No complaints! ;-)
I had been all over Rome with the family that day, and as sunset approached we were headed back to our rented apartment, which was sort of behind The Vatican. I had to stick around a little bit though because I could see the light was coming together, and of course I would hate it if I missed something this spectacular.
This sunset did come together quite nicely, as you can see, and I was frantically running around and shooting all sorts of comps from in front of the cathedral. An evening well spent!
Vintage Notre Dame
A vintage approach to Notre Dame in Paris...
Sometimes I just have to go a little old school on a photo!
If you have been here before, you know I love my colors. Big, bold colors are just lovely to me. So it's not often that I delve into Analog Efex Pro by Google/Nik Software, but when I do I am always glad that I did.
The vintage/film/analog looks you can get from this program are pretty awesome, and well since the software is free, you might as well get it, right? It does allow you some fun options when deciding to go for a slightly different look.
Yes, I still love all my Macphun goodies, esp Luminar and Aurora HDR, but sometimes I need to switch it up to get a very different look. I never use any of the other Google/Nik stuff anymore, just Analog Efex Pro. It's kind of got a special place in my heart.
Anyway, I was shooting sunrise at Notre Dame in Paris and the sunrise was well past by the time I took this one. I loved the scene though and the fact that it was a very different view of Notre Dame than you usually see. So I opted to treat it a bit differently in post, and here you go!
The only one out shooting
An early wakeup one morning in France gave me the opportunity to photography Notre Dame without another soul around...and it was perfect!
Early morning is the best time for travel photography.
I absolutely love to get up early and go shoot. Everything is quiet and still and you can enjoy a place without all the distraction and noise of crowds. It's just the perfect time of day for me, photography-wise.
When I travel, I always try to get up at least once so I can get out and shoot sunrise. I tend to be a morning person anyway, so it's pretty easy to do, although I will admit it can be hard to drag yourself out of bed at times. But, it is always worth it.
On our Paris trip at the end of last year, I got up really early one morning and walked over to Notre Dame. Literally, I was the only one there. I had this major tourist attraction to myself. I wandered all around and shot it from lots of different angles. It was great.
On your next trip, try doing this and see how it goes. You might need a little caffeine later, but you will be happy with the shots you get!
Night at The Pantheon
The lovely Pantheon in Rome, in monochrome...
An iconic structure in Rome that deserves a visit!
If you ever go to Rome, be sure and visit The Pantheon. This former pagan temple is now a Christian Church, and it's stunning. It has a huge oculus in the domed roof that is nearly 8 meters across, and is the only source of light in the structure. There are amazing frescoes and tombs inside, and it's free, too. Just show up and walk in (but don't forget the camera)!
I was there one evening and just loved the scene in front of the Pantheon, with the open courtyard, fountain with obelisk, and just the general look of the place. So beautiful! It's also a very busy place, so expect to see a lot of people there, at basically any hour of the day. But nonetheless, brave the crowds and get a taste of history.
Notre Dame in monochrome
A pair of old photos from a couple of years ago, while I was wandering around Notre Dame in the rain.
These are a couple of older shots from Paris that I converted to monochrome using the magic of Luminar by Macphun. Check out my Luminar tutorial here. It's an incredible product and I am spending all my time in it these days. Let me know if you have any questions!