Notre Dame morning
Notre Dame in Paris is always crowded, so my solution was to get up and shoot it at sunrise. Turns out I had it all to myself!
There's just something about the early morning hours!
I have as much trouble as anyone else getting up in the morning, but it's always worth it when I am up and out shooting. On my travels, I try to do at least one or two sunrise shoots. All the famous landmarks are just so crowded during the daytime and around sunset. You often can't get a decent shot of them. So my solution has always been to get up early and do it.
Usually, it works out pretty well.
One morning on our recent trip to Paris, I got up early and made the 15 minute walk over here. I have seen and shot Notre Dame several times in my life, but never really loved the shots. There were just taken at the wrong time of day. So, sunrise was my answer.
Luckily, it was a misty, foggy sort of morning and the whole experience was just amazing. I had it to myself, and was able to shoot it from the front, the side and the back. I walked away with many images that I truly love - today's photo being one of them.
The painted church of Serbin
About an hour away from Austin, in a tiny little Texas town, there's this beauty. It's a painted church dating from the mid 1800's, and it's a real gem. Step inside and have a look.
Believe it or not, there are a BUNCH of these painted churches in Texas. Now I have to find the time to hunt them down and photograph them all. Add them to the list (which only seems to keep growing!).
These painted churches date from the 1800's and are scattered across parts of Central Texas. This one was built by German immigrants that came here in search of religious freedom and cheaper land. Thus far I have been to two of them (this one and one in Fredericksburg, TX) but there are several more "on the list".
While these aren't your typical big European cathedrals - which I absolutely LOVE (yes, that's an ALL CAPS kind of love) - something about the intricate design and look to them is quite beautiful and photogenic. I'll update you as I get to photograph more of them. :-)
And yes, that's the pulpit up on the 2nd floor, looking down on the congregation. Cool, right?
The first mission in Texas
Mission Espada is the oldest Mission in Texas, and in my opinion, the most beautiful one in San Antonio. I made a visit there recently and returned with some great shots of this historic structure. Have a look and let me know your thoughts!
I was on a mission - and I succeeded!
Ok, that was dumb...but it's hard to think of something to say a lot of times. Anyways, I went down to San Antonio a few weeks ago and part of the plan there was photographing the San Antonio Missions. No, not the Minor League baseball team. Instead, I was chasing down the historic Spanish missions there. There are four of them and collectively they are known as the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park - and it's pretty awesome.
I have shot the Missions before, but that was years ago and more importantly, a couple of cameras ago. You know, once you have new gear you start wanting to revisit some spots. I've done a bit of that lately now that I am toting around the Sony A7II. So...I hit up the Missions and of course re-photographed the Riverwalk again. It was a very productive 3 days there! It was also a bit overcast with the threat of rain, which I consider nearly perfect photo conditions.
The mission featured here today is Mission Espada, which in my opinion is the most beautiful of the four of them. It's the furthest from town, and I'm pretty sure it's the smallest, but I think it's just bursting with character. It was the first Mission I visited on this trip, and luckily the skies were very agreeable. That was the other thing I had hoped for on this trip - better skies. Last time, it was a bright blue day so this visit was much better. I do love some cloudy skies. So much more interesting.
So I spent about a half hour here (like I said above, it's pretty small), shooting a few angles and different compositions and trying out some things. I like to do that when I am somewhere, just to make sure I capture everything I could possibly want to capture. There's nothing worse than getting home and looking at your shots, only to realize you missed something. That sucks.
After this, it was off to the next one, and then the last two. It's quite easy to get to all of these on the same visit, as just a short drive separates them all. It takes a couple of hours depending on the length to which you explore each Mission. Well, it took me a couple of hours, but I was purely taking photographs and then moving on. It would take much longer if you spent the time to read about and absorb the history of each Mission, tour them completely, and take photographs. But...I was on a Mission, see? ;-)
If you start with Mission Espada (the furthest south of town), when you get to the last one you are almost to downtown San Antonio. So then you can head over to the Riverwalk and shoot there. It makes for a busy but great day of shooting, and a very satisfying one - especially if you get some dramatic clouds like I did.
Thanks for stopping by today. Let me know if you have any questions!
The interior is very small - that's the whole thing!
I have a thing for doors, so I couldn't resist!
St Andrew's Cathedral in Glasgow
There is a gorgeous little cathedral in Glasgow, Scotland known as St Andrew's - and it's well worth a visit. Here are a few pics from my last trip there that show how pretty this place really is!
I just love to go to church - well, at least with a camera!
I'm not against religion or anything, but I don't go to church. I feel like I get my inspiration from the world around me, and that is sufficient for me. But, you didn't come here to listen to me talk about that, did you? I didn't think so.
One thing I do love to do while traveling is to check out the various churches, chapels and cathedrals, and especially when I am in Europe. Some are huge and amazing, and some not so much. This one sort of fits in the middle.
This is St. Andrew's Cathedral in Glasgow, Scotland. I have shot it several times, and personally I find it very beautiful. I was in Glasgow shooting with my friend Mike Murphy, and this was the first place we shot after meeting up that day. Luckily when we arrived it was mid-day and thus it was pretty empty - which is of course ideal.
Most people, when looking for a church to visit in Glasgow, end up at St. Mungo's, which is also known as Glasgow Cathedral. It's much larger than this one, and in my opinion is the "grande dame" of local cathedrals (and yes, we went there too).
But I have to admit I have a soft spot for this place. There's just something about it that I like. Perhaps it's the smaller size, or the ornate architectural details that make it stand out to me. Whatever it is, I love to make a quick visit (that's another nice thing - you can shoot it fairly quickly) each time I am there. I always leave feeling good!
And if you are interested, you can find my list of the best places to shoot in Glasgow here.
A visual tour of Grace Cathedral
Grace Cathedral in San Francisco is just incredible. Today's photo essay is a collection of 10 photos and 1 painting that summarize my visit there...and a little story about luck, perseverance, and why you should always tell the truth. Be sure to add this place to your list if you are planning a trip to San Fran!
This is one landmark in San Francisco that you don't want to miss! (oh, and perseverance is good)
If you visit here often enough, you have probably heard me say how much I love shooting the grand churches in Europe. I find them beautiful and fascinating - not to mention photogenic. I swear I must have been an architect in a former life, because I am just drawn to this stuff.
Your standard center-front shot of Grace Cathedral - doesn't this belong in Europe?
Anyways, whenever I visit a town for the first time, I always Google their churches, since they are often rather grand. But here in the US, I don't always strike it rich like I do there. We just don't do churches the way they used to do them in Europe.
So that's what makes Grace Cathedral in San Francisco so special - it really is reminiscent of a grand European church. It sits atop Nob Hill and it's hard to get in view of it without uttering at least one "Wow". It's beautiful.
So on one of my many trips to that lovely city by the bay, I made it a point to get up early and head over there for sunrise. I had checked their opening hours, and since it was a weekday morning I felt fairly confident that I could be the first one in when they opened, and I could shoot undisturbed for a bit. That was my plan.
So I shot the exterior for a while during sunrise, and continued to check the doors for signs of opening - but they never came. I started to think I had read it wrong online, and considered giving up and heading back to my hotel to start my work day. But I just HAD to keep trying. I had WALKED up to Nob Hill from down below - that's some serious hard work!
So I walked all the way around it, and finally came to a little entrance through their garage area that led into an underground passage. At this point, I was beyond curious. More like desperate. So I went in.
The labyrinth outside the front of the church
I found an elevator that said it went to the chapel, but it wasn't working (I assumed), since I hit the button several times and it never came. The light didn't even light up. So I wandered a little more and found a staircase that went up, and I climbed it - but alas, the door at the top was locked, so back down I went.
I finally figured it was all over, so I started to leave. As I passed the elevator, it opened and a maintenance man came out. I mentioned that I was trying to get in and take some photos, but he said it was closed. I figured it was worth a shot to ask again, in my nicest voice, because what did I have to lose?
The interior labyrinth, before you get to the main center aisle
So I did. I just told the truth. I told him I had been here a long time ago, and remembered how beautiful it was, and I was hoping to take a few pictures. That I loved the cathedral, and the architecture, and I found it inspirational. And that I would be quiet, and respectful, and leave when he told me I needed to leave.
It worked.
What a grand interior! There was an art installation in place, which is what all the ribbons are.
He took me upstairs in the elevator - the church was apparently still closed - and let me shoot to my hearts' content. So here are the pictures, Mr Maintenance Man - and thank you so much. It was an honor to meet you and photograph this magical place.
And perhaps telling the truth really is always the right choice - and doubly so when at church!
Viewing the front of the church, including the altar
A close-up of the section behind the altar
You just have to get that straight-up-the-center shot
A slightly different version of the center aisle shot
This may be my favorite - just loved this POV!
I couldn't resist turning that last pic into a painting in Topaz Impression - read my review of it under "Software Reviews" on the top drop-down menu.
St. Michael's Church, Vienna
I just don't get tired of shooting all the beautiful churches that I come across in Europe. I found this one in Vienna, Austria by accident - sometimes I get lucky! I'll take it!
Another beautiful church in Europe - seems all the best ones are over there!
When I go to a town in Europe, I plan our my photo targets in advance, so as to maximize my time there. It has helped me on numerous visits to different cities. If you don't plan ahead, you miss great stuff, or get bogged down somewhere and forget to move on to the next bit of awesomeness.
But, I haven't always been like that. I used to just show up and wander around without doing a whole lot of homework. I did some, but I wasn't thorough. In retrospect, I am sure I missed a lot of cool things. Guess that means I need to revisit some places - darn! :-)
Today's photos from Vienna, Austria are a perfect example of what I could have (and frankly, should have) missed when I was there well over 2 years ago. (Yes, I have a lot of photos from previous trips that I just haven't gotten to yet. I figure that gives me plenty to work on when I am NOT traveling).
This is St. Michael's Church in Vienna, Austria, and I only got the photos here by dumb luck, basically. I was actually walking over to another church that WAS on my list (St. Stephen's Cathedral - and it's a doozy!) and due to the location of my hotel, I walked right by here. I loved the scene, and snapped it.
I then made a mental note to return later (since it was basically sunrise when I shot the exterior) and try for the interior. As you can see, I was able to get in later that day, and it's rather beautiful. And so there's a lesson for ya - always do extensive research before arriving somewhere - because there's a lot of awesomeness out there folks!
St. Peter's Church, Copenhagen
A quick look at an old church I found while wandering in Copenhagen...
Old churches in Europe are just so awesome!
If there's one thing I love shooting as much as train stations, it would be churches. Especially in Europe, these churches are not just beautiful but they are really old and their architecture is just stunning. Going to these is just a visual feast!
Everyone visits all the "big churches" when going to Europe, and it's a great thing to do, though I admit I also look for the lesser-known spots like this one in Copenhagen. In fact, this one was on a little map I had but I had never heard of it. So after a little time with my friend Google, I knew I wanted to swing by here and check it out.
Sadly, it was closed when I arrived, but that never stops me from shooting the exterior. If I can't get in, I just can't allow myself to leave without any shots. So I wandered around back and was able to back up just enough to get that massively tall steeple in a photo, as well as find that little door (it was locked too - I checked!) and bench scene. The large door photo is from the front. When I arrived there was a portable sign there, indicating they were closed and some other stuff I couldn't read since it was in Danish. So I just picked it up and scooted it out of my way for the shot, then put it back. Quicker than Photoshop!
Inside Glasgow Cathedral
I love shooting in European churches. Have I said that before? ;-)
I feel like a broken record here on the blog sometimes. I feel like I am always saying something about sunrise, or churches, or street scenes - primarily in Europe. But the truth is I find that stuff interesting, and you shoot what you like, right? (Unless you are on assignment of course, but that's not what I do. I guess I would do it, but it doesn't ever come up. Speaking of which, if someone needs a photographer to shoot some cool churches in Europe, let me know!)
Anyways, I do love wandering into, around, underneath and sometimes on top of churches in Europe. They are just such compelling subjects. It's the architecture-lover in me coming through, I assume. I do love architecture, that's for sure.
So on one of my visits to sunny Glasgow last year (ok, it's not usually too sunny there, but it sounded good), I made sure to visit Glasgow Cathedral, which is quite fantastic. Incidentally, it also goes by the name St. Mungo's Cathedral - a name that I love - which always makes me think of a Harry Potter book. I think there was something by that name in one of those books, wasn't there?
The exterior is also pretty sweet, being a big cathedral and looking all cathedral-like, but when I was there I found a bunch of scaffolding around the outside, which is another way of saying that I didn't shoot the exterior. I guess it needed a good cleaning, or something. It is several hundred years old.
There also happens to be a local beer there in Glasgow called St. Mungo's and I must say it is rather delicious. I'm not sure if the church endorsed it, but it's pretty heavenly!
The Marble Church
Another trip to Europe...and more photos of churches! ;-)
It seems that every time I hop across the pond, I go and shoot a church or two somewhere. Or maybe three. Sometimes four. But in my defense, at least I'm going to church! Ok, really though, I just find them beautiful, especially in Europe where they oftentimes predate the birth of my own country. That just makes them more interesting and beautiful to me. They're monuments, and architectural masterpieces.
This one is no exception. This is The Marble Church and it sits just next to Amalienborg Palace in central Copenhagen, Denmark. I just returned from a trip over to Copenhagen about a week ago, and this is the first (and thus far, only!) photo that I have had time to process. You see, as soon as I returned from Copenhagen, I left with the family on a vacation to Oregon for a week.
So, it's been basically two weeks since I have been home. Yes, I'm tired. But I'm also thrilled to share so many photos that I took in both spots (and don't forget, I was just in Dublin and Glasgow about a month ago, and have barely started on those too). In other words, expect a lot of European photos in the coming weeks, along with some awesome stuff I shot in Oregon. I'm getting excited just thinking about it all!
The altar of Iglesia Catedral
You never know what you might find when you wander!
I'm a fan of wandering. Although I like to plan where I want to shoot in any particular city, I still leave wandering time for myself. It's a key part of getting things done, in my opinion. You never really know what you might find when you are milling about somewhat aimlessly. I have captured many a fine photo doing just that.
This is a great example. I was in Panama City, Panama and wandering in their Casco Viejo area, which is their historic old city center. It's a beautiful area full of buildings adorned in the old Spanish Colonial style. I really like it there.
I had this church on my list, because I had seen photos of the exterior, but was not at all familiar with what the inside would have to offer. There was some construction around the entrance that day, and a cleaning crew was taking care of business inside, but I stepped in anyways and just started making my way to the altar. I could see if was pretty interesting, and it was definitely worth the stop!
Here's a "behind the keyboard" view of the shot while I was processing it:
That's part of the awesomeness of Color Efex Pro. You can easily brighten areas that need it, increase the detail of specific areas, and make color saturation adjustments too. Powerful stuff!
The facade of Bayeux Cathedral
I just love all the cathedrals in Europe!
I really do. They all are so beautiful, and since they are usually hundreds of years old, I just find they possess a lot of character. Plus there is so much attention to detail and just pure awesomeness about them. You just don't find very many like this in the US. It's just not our thing, I guess.
When I was in France last summer, the first town that we stopped in was Bayeux, which is in Normandy and put us nearby the beaches that were used in World War II. It's a great little town and I really enjoyed wandering the streets there. Then again, I enjoy wandering the streets just about anywhere, actually, so that's not exactly breaking news. LOL
Whenever I am headed to a new town in Europe, I always look it up beforehand and find what look to be great photo spots for me to target. I also Google the churches in whichever town I am headed to, since they tend to be huge, beautiful historic things and I just love to shoot them. It also seems the towns are usually built around at least one of these beauties, do they are often nearby and easy to reach.
This one sits sort of at the top of a small hill and is impossible to miss, with those huge spires jutting into the sky. I got there one evening during blue hour (which is kind of obvious, I guess) and thank goodness for my wide angle lens! I was all the way back against a wall of another building when I took this shot. But that's why I love my wide angle lens...it gets so much in the shot!
The altar at Christ Church Cathedral
So many photos of Dublin...so little time. :-)
When I travel and get out to shoot, I tend to shoot a lot. I often come home with thousands of images across multiple memory cards, all waiting for me to get right into it and start processing. But, I tend to process a few and then decide to hit the pause button.
I think I do this because even though I love a place (like Dublin, in this case), I get bored rather quickly with too many images in a row from the same place. It wears me out, and I yearn for something "new", even if it's an old photo from a previous trip. Just the very idea of changing up the content makes me happy.
That probably explains why I like to travel. :-)
Anyways, I have so many photos from Dublin, and am about to add more to the family when I go back there soon. I don't mind revisiting a place, especially one as nice as Dublin. In fact, I enjoy getting to further explore a place and getting the chance to really know the place and have a feel for it. I just won't share too many photos right away.
Change is good, and I prefer to mix it up here on the blog. I feel like it keeps it more interesting for you. It certainly does for me. I don't know if you would get bored seeing a bunch of shots in a row from the same place. Would you? I'll probably never do it, but why not ask?
A couple of times I have devoted an entire week to a single trip. Maybe I will try that again. Anyways, I'm done here. I feel like I am having a conversation with myself, and it ain't going anywhere. :-)
The architecture of Paris
I love architecture. Have I ever said that here?
Ok, I probably have said that, and it's true. I love architecture. I took an architecture class back in my college days and absolutely loved studying and reading about all these famous buildings in far-flung countries...many that I wasn't sure I would ever visit. And many of them I still haven't visited. But, someday I hope!
Luckily, I have been able to get a lot of places though, and see a lot of great architecture in the process. It's just one of the things I am drawn to, photographically speaking. Actually, even without a camera in hand I find myself looking at architecture, lines, design...all that stuff. It's just interesting.
So you can imagine when I was walking around in Paris, how utterly difficult it was to get anywhere in a hurry, because literally at every turn there is something beautiful. That is a city full of amazing beauty. I know it's called the City of Light, but it could also be the City of Beauty. Everything is just awesome.
This is the top portion of the facade of a not-too-big-but-not-real-small church in the Marais district known as St. Paul St. Louis. I am not sure why it has two names - I could Google it of course, but I'm busy writing. Anyways, it was near the Metro stop we used from the apartment we were renting, so I literally walked past this every single day. I was ok with that, for the record.
My hope was to be able to get some nice shots of the exterior, which I finally did on my last day there. The skies were just right for me, and I love the contrast between the sharp details of the building and the smooth clouds passing by.
This is a 7 frame HDR, merged in Photomatix with adjustments in Color Efex Pro and Aperture...which is pretty much my usual recipe for my HDR photos. Hope you enjoy the shot today, and thanks for stopping by!
New Sweden Lutheran Church
Who knew the Swedes had a big presence in Central Texas? Not me.
But they do. You can read all about it on the interwebz if you want to. I had heard a couple of things over the years about the Swedish immigrants who settled in Austin back in the 1800's, but really didn't know anything about them (and honestly, still don't).
But I just find that really interesting, mostly because Austin and Sweden have got to be so completely different. It's amazing that back then, families would just pick up and move halfway around the world to someplace like Texas, sight unseen. It's not like they could look it up on the web and get a sense of it. Many people today wouldn't even pick up and move halfway around the world for something, despite everything they could learn from Googling it.
Anyways, outside of Austin is a little town called Manor, and outside of that sits this lovely church on a small road in the middle of a bunch of fields. It's clearly an agricultural area, and this church dominates the landscape. That 104 foot tall steeple is hard to miss!
I was there on a cloudy, overcast day and while editing the shot, I just felt like pushing it a little and going for a moody version, so that's what I got for ya today friends.
And since I am in the sharing mood, here's a "behind the keyboard" look at Color Efex Pro while I was editing the shot:
San Fernando Cathedral
Have you seen this lovely cathedral in San Antonio?
I was in San Antonio a few weeks back, and had a few extra minutes to kill before having to be somewhere (and I was downtown). Knowing I was only a couple of blocks away from San Fernando Cathedral, I strolled over there to take a few shots.
I first shot this cathedral about 3-4 years ago, and this was my first visit since then. It's beautiful and reminds me of Notre Dame in Paris. It's also the oldest cathedral in the United States. Ain't that something?
Being a big fan of church architecture, I just had to get over here and shoot it again. There was wonderful golden light since sunset was approaching, and all I had to do was wait a minute for the tourists to clear the scene, and fire my brackets. Easy living!