Grand Place at oh-dark-thirty
Grand Place in Brussels Belgium at sunrise. The loveliest town square in the world without another soul around.
Man, this was an early morning!
If you read my ramblings here enough, you have probably seen me mention my love of shooting at sunrise when I travel. I just think it's the best time to be out shooting. Usually it is quiet and peaceful and all the tourists are still in bed. That's a win in my book.
But sometimes it's SO HARD to get up.
On my last trip to lovely Brussels (a couple of years ago), I forced myself to get up before dawn one morning so I could get out and shoot Grand Place alone. I think it's the most beautiful town square in the world, and I wanted it all to myself. It was just a little hard to do since I had spent a couple of hours the night before in a pub right behind that lovely building.
Oh well, it was worth the effort! Thank goodness for auto-focus. :-)
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.
The most photographed staircase in the world
Here is the famous spiral staircase inside the Vatican Museums in Rome - it's incredible.
It's inside The Vatican in Rome - and it's magnificent!
When we planned our visit to Rome, this staircase was on the top of my list. Sure, it's been shot millions of times by others, but I had to see it and shoot it for myself. It's just way too interesting to skip over it.
Many people call this the Bramante Staircase, but actually that is not it's name. It is patterned after the original Bramante Staircase, which is elsewhere in the Vatican Museum and is not viewable. This one is called the Momo Staircase, or simply the Spiral Staircase. It's sort of a double helix implementation, and it's incredible.
We took a Vatican Museum tour that started early one morning, and I was excited because the tour let us in prior to the opening time for the general public. This was by design, knowing that it would mean there would be less people in my shots. It worked out great! We wandered all over the Vatican Museums and I was able to take a lot of photos without too many people in them.
But it was nearing the end of the tour and I still had not seen this staircase, so I was getting nervous. I knew it was in the Vatican Museum, but where? Well, the tour group stopped for a bathroom break, and I took those few moments to wander a little bit. I had read that the staircase used to be a main exit, and since we were near the end of the tour, I figured we had to be close.
Luckily, it was only about 20 yards from where our group stopped. I found it in a minute or so, and fired away happily. All of my shots were from the top looking down (the same view you have likely seen before), and the staircase was closed, so I could not go walking down it, but nonetheless I was able to get some shots. It's a joy to find and photograph something like this that you have wanted to see for a long time.
A pair from Venice
A pair of random shots from Venice, Italy captured while wandering aimlessly...
These are two somewhat random photos that I took in Venice, Italy on our trip there last year. The truth is that I take these sorts of photos A LOT when I travel. I'm not sure why, really. There's not really a good reason for it, other than something about these little scenes always captures my eye. It's just a quick capture of something that catches my eye.
With digital photography being so quick and easy, I always feel it's better to take the photo than not to take it. It's not like it costs me extra or something. So that's why I often come home with many, many photos from a trip. Sure, I spend time planning for the "big shots" of any place I visit, but I get plenty of enjoyment out of these little shots, too. These often come up when I am wandering somewhere, which I highly recommend doing when you travel. Get off the beaten path and just go get lost for a little while. It's quite fun!
Dining in Rome
Inside a little cafe that we visited in Rome - great food, great people, and great photo opps too! :-)
We loved this little spot in Rome!
One afternoon while wandering in Rome, we passed this little cafe. It was interesting looking and the menu sounded great, so we made it a point to return for dinner. It's somewhere near Piazza Navona - and it seems all the streets there just go this way and that - so I am actually a little surprised that we actually found it that night when it was time to eat.
The people working there were super nice, the food was great and the whole place just seemed fun - so we ate dinner there again the next night! Hey, if the food is good and the atmosphere is good, too, why not? I also loved the look of the place, so I snapped a few. ;-)
Grabbing pizza in Sydney
An amazing-looking restaurant I found while wandering in Sydney. Well worth a quick stop for some HDR brackets!
Ok, I didn't actually eat here, but what a place!
I was wandering in Sydney one afternoon and passed by this amazing looking pizza restaurant. I had just finished my lunch - sadly, because I LOVE pizza - but when I saw this I had to stop. I was considering ordering something just so I could hang out in here a bit and take photos. I find places are more agreeable to photo-taking when you are spending money with them. Surprise.
But luckily they were kind enough to let me set up the tripod and shoot right here in the entryway - it was great! Plus, I was full so it would have been a bit gluttonous to eat again, just for a photo. Worth it, but gluttonous. ;-)
The Life Sciences Library
Sometimes you wander into buildings and find amazing things - and then you have to return with the camera. Don't you love happy accidents?
This is a hidden gem on the University of Texas at Austin campus. I happened upon it by accident one day, and vowed to return with the camera. I'm glad I did, because I absolutely love stuff like this. Luckily, it was late afternoon and the sun was in just the right spot!
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 streets of Copenhagen
Exploring some side streets in Copenhagen, which is always a good time. As the saying goes, not all who wander are lost. Though I will admit, I get lost now and then. ;-)
I love to wander aimlessly in Copenhagen...
Copenhagen is such a beautiful city. On my trips there, I have spent many hours just wandering around the historic city center, basically without a plan. There are a lot of little nooks and crannies to investigate, and I always come across a beautiful street scene...and I photograph it (surprise!).
I'm a huge fan of European street scenes, and when they look like this I am doubly excited.
I love the look of cobblestones, since it gives the scene a historic and timeless feel. The other great thing is the architecture here. I love the look of these buildings - all tall and narrow, sort of bunched together, but each distinctly colored in some pastel shade. It's just lovely.
Of course, it wouldn't be Copenhagen without all the bicycles. You probably noticed a few in the pics. Yes, Amsterdam is well known for all the bicyclists cruisin' around there, but having seen both cities several times, I have to say that Copenhagen may have just as many. No, I didn't take the time to count them, but trust me, there's a lot in both places. ;-)
The other thing you may notice about these pics is that they are a bit muted in style, as opposed to my more typical bold and expressive colors. I haven't turned my back on big colors - it's my first love, after all - but I continue to experiment and evolve as an artist, and I am having fun with it. Variety is the spice of life, after all. A recent example is this post about London done in black and white. I imagine I will do more like that, partly because it's fun to experiment, and partly because I just like them. Oh, and these were all single exposures, not HDR. And no, I'm definitely not giving up HDR! Again, just experimenting with new processing styles and techniques. It's all good fun.
An ode to Leadenhall Market
This is Leadenhall Market, and it's totally amazing. How's that for an intro? It's an awesome spot in London, but it's not a "big tourist" spot. Get off the beaten path a little and go see this. You can thank me later! (And it was used in the Harry Potter movies!)
What a fantastic place for photography in London!
Though I have had the good fortune to visit London several times, it wasn't until my 3rd visit or so that I discovered this amazing location. Whenever I plan a trip, I spend a fair bit of time beforehand doing research on the spot. I want to go and photograph the big stuff, but I also want to find the rest of it, too. I'm not satisfied just seeing the major landmarks. Everybody shoots that stuff. I find it more interesting and fun when I get off the beaten path a little and discover some less well-known spots.
While researching for one of my trips there, I came across some photos of Leadenhall Market and I was intrigued. It's an old Victorian market dating from the 14th century, and let's be honest - it's totally awesome looking, right? How could someone NOT want to go see this? It's right up my alley, so to speak, and I knew I had to see it.
So I did just that. I got up early on a weekend morning and headed over here. My guess was that it would be busy on weekdays, and that it would (hopefully) be empty on a Saturday morning. It turns out that it was nearly empty - lucky me. It helped that the location for the market is way off on the East side of London, basically in the financial district - which certainly helped ensure it's emptiness on a weekend morning. That puts it out of the way of most tourists, too. They stick close to Big Ben and all that stuff (which is fabulous, too!). But you pretty much have to be heading to this spot to see it.
The other cool thing about this market is that it has been used in the Harry Potter films to represent parts of Diagon Alley and The Leaky Cauldron pub that Harry visits. When I stood here and took it all in, I could imagine it being in the Harry Potter films. It fits perfectly, style-wise. You almost feel a little magic in the air. :-)
I have actually shared a couple of these images before, but now that I am using Aurora HDR Pro from Macphun, I decided to go back in and rework them, and to process the rest from that morning. While this isn't every shot I took, it's the majority and it's certainly the ones I liked best. So, enjoy the photos, and if you find yourself in London, try and find the time to get over here. It's well worth it! And if you can arrive on a Saturday morning like I did, you just might have it to yourself!
Thanks for stopping by and let me know if you have any questions!
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.
Hay's Galleria in London
I love architecture - a LOT! - and when I find something like this place, I'm pretty fired up. Here's a quick photo tour of Hay's Galleria in London. Just something I literally stumbled upon - and almost missed!
I just love when I stumble upon places like this!
I think London is a great city, and it's obviously a fantastic place to tote a camera around in. This is a perfect example. I was walking down along the South Bank of the Thames River in Central London, headed toward the area known as Southwark. That's pretty close to the Tower Bridge, if that's a better frame of reference for you.
When I wander, I am always scanning left and right, looking for things to shoot. In this case, on my left was the river, which is always interesting to me. But also when you are on the South Bank, you have some pretty incredible views of the the city. That means I was pretty distracted by all the awesomeness on my left.
So in other words, I likely miss a lot of things on my right. :-)
But, I was fortunate enough to catch sight of this place, and in I wandered. It didn't take me but a second or two to realize I needed to set up and fire some shots here - and I did (though I guess that's pretty obvious at this point). It's got a few offices, restaurants, and shops, along with a few stalls set that are selling this and that.
So here you go - a small collection of pics from Hay's Galleria in London. Check it out if you are nearby, and bring the camera!
Had to get a closeup of this fountain, b/c it was pretty strange!
Dining in the Musee d'Orsay (and musing about lovely Paris)
Paris is a beautiful city - that's basically an undisputed fact. But on my recent visit there, I found beauty in lots of unexpected places - including inside a cafe, inside the Musee d'Orsay museum. Here's a visual tour of the place, which is the home to many of the great works of the Impressionists. Enjoy!
Dear Paris - why is everything there so ridiculously beautiful??! It's almost unfair for all other cities!
As you may know from reading previous posts like this one or even this one or heck, even this iPhone summary (and hopefully enjoying the pics!), I spent over a week in Paris back in November with the family. It was a work trip that was combined with a family trip, and it was simply put, amazing.
Then again, this is Paris, and it's hard to not find it amazing.
The big wide view of the cavernous interior - just ridiculously awesome in my opinion! (Taken from the upper floor - there's a great landing there)
Sidebar: can you imagine working for the Tourism Board there? I imagine their meetings are very short. "Hey, how do we get tourists interested in visiting Paris?" "Oh yeah, we're already pretty much #1 on everyone's list, so let's get back to having coffee and croissants."
That's an easy day at work. :-)
another shot of the main hallway - off to each side are lots of galleries where you can find most of the art.
All kidding aside, it's not a "big reveal" to say that people want to go to Paris. We all want to go, even though we've already been. If we haven't been, we want to go because we read blog posts about how great it is. :-)
And here's the thing I noticed on this trip (my 2nd in 2 years, luckily) - EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL. I'm serious. It seemed like everything that I looked at was just beautiful. Even just random crap you see in every city: sidewalk cafes and coffee shops, retail stores, train stations - you name it. All beautiful.
i had to take a close-up of that clock - just too awesome to pass up!
Today's post is a perfect example. We were going to visit the Musee d'Orsay to enjoy all the fabulous work from the great Impressionist artists of years ago. I'm a big fan of that style of work, and frequently use Topaz Impression to create paintings from my pics in a similar style. You can read my Topaz Impression review here.
here's an example from topaz impression - seems almost funny to make an impressionist piece of a museum full of impressionist pieces!
We were aware of there being a cafe there, and thus planned to have lunch while at the museum. And when you walk in, well - it's beautiful. Big surprise. I had been to the Orsay a couple years ago but didn't see (or know about) the cafe, so this was a nice surprise. We sat down to eat, and of course after ordering I wandered here in the cafe and took lots of pics. It was too hard to resist!
And yes, I have a list of the best places to take photos in Paris, and of course the Musee d'Orsay is listed. Just be sure and stop in to see the cafe as well! You can thank me later!
a section of the ceiling in the cafe
A SLIGHTLY WIDER VIEW OF THE CEILING AND THE LIGHT FIXTURES - SEE WHAT I MEAN? IT'S JUST AWESOME.
CLICK TO ENLARGE!
MORE BEAUTY UP ABOVE...
LOOK UP PEOPLE!
If it isn't obvious yet, the Musee d'Orsay is actually housed in an old Beaux-Arts style train station, hence the large and wide main section you see in the photos today. There is actually a "no photography" rule in the museum, by the way. When I was here about 2 years ago, they seemed to be enforcing it, and thus I only got a shot or two of the place. However on my recent trip, while the "no photography" signs were still there, there was absolutely no enforcement of it, so folks were snapping away. It didn't take me but a couple of seconds to join them!
Glad I did!
Well, that's a quick tour folks. Make sure and stop here when you get to Paris - like everything else about the town, it's beautiful! Have a great day!
I ZOOMED IN A LITTLE HERE
I SHOT THIS ONE ON MY LAST TRIP 2 YRS AGO, WHILE ON A BOAT CRUISE ON THE RIVER SEINE AROUND SUNSET. PRETTY GRAND EXTERIOR, TOO!
WHILE ON THE BOAT, I JUST HAD TO GET A CLOSE-UP OF THAT FABULOUS CLOCK!
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.
After hours in the Leipzig Hauptbahnhof
Have I ever mentioned that I love train stations in Europe? Haha, well ok, maybe I have. So keeping with that theme, here are 6 photos from the grand interior of the train station in Leipzig, Germany!
Yep, I still have a thing for train stations. :-)
I've written here many times how much I love train stations. In fact, I devoted an entire blog post article to the subject. So if you missed that one, you can find it here. It's a good read, but then again I'm a little biased in the matter.
But I realize that not everyone loves them like I do, and while it's a lot of fun for me, you may come here to view photos of other things, like cityscapes or even graffiti. Come to think of it, what do you come here for? I always enjoy hearing from my readers.
Anyways, back on track (catch my pun there?). I was in Leipzig, Germany for a few days last year, and after hours one evening I decided to head over to the main train station and shoot it. That's a great time of day to go because most of the people are out of there, but the stations are still usually open. In other words, less people in my shots.
So here's a collection of photos from that evening. I just love that cavernous interior - so grand!