Sunrise in Prague
Sunrise in Prague, and I am in their old Town Square which is nearly empty. So nice!
Gish, if Prague is not the most beautiful city in the world, I don’t know which one is. It really is quite stunning. On my visit there, I got up SOOOO EARLY one morning so I could get out and shoot the streets without all the massive tourist hoards. It worked out great, and I go a lot of great photos too. Here’s one from their Town Square that shows just how empty it really was that morning. Enjoy!
Blue Hour at the Tower of London
Blue hour at the Tower of London, with the Tower Bridge in the background...
A little something from this week here in London...
I am in the middle of a photo trip to London and thus far have been having a blast. So many photos and so many photo locations - I am all over this amazing city and it's been great! It's also great that sunset is at 4pm...yes 4pm! That is great because when I have been here in the summer, sunset is closer to 10pm, which makes for a very long day. So I can get nice light all afternoon (due to the cloud cover here) and then sunset/blue hour start at 4pm and last for a while. Needless to say I have been snapping away!
So today's shot is something from the Tower of London, where I spent a couple of hours shooting, a few days ago. There's just so much to see in this area (and this city, frankly) but I am doing my best to capture it all. More soon!
A look at Neuschwanstein Castle
The classic view of the most famous castle in the world...Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Germany.
It's just the most famous castle in the world...that's all. ;-)
I love castles, and when we were planning our Germany trip I knew I would get to see a few of them. My main target was this beauty, Neuschwanstein, which is just outside the little town of Fussen in southern Germany (Bavaria, to be precise).
I have been here twice before, but this was my first real visit as a photographer. When you finish the tour of the inside, you can go for a short hike up above the castle and out onto a suspension bridge (which is quite sturdy, so not to worry) for this amazing view.
It was a bright sunny day, so my photos from there reflect that fact. In other words, it wasn't exactly flattering light, but nonetheless it's an amazing place to visit. In this case I took the photo into Analog Efex Pro to give it a sort of textured, vintage treatment. Enjoy!
The Colosseum
A view overlooking the Colosseum in Rome, Italy...
What an amazing spot in Rome!
When we were in Rome last year, we took a private group tour of the Colosseum. While this isn't something I normally do, I loved it for this location. There's so much history that it's great to hear it all while soaking up the sights. I would do it again.
Part of the tour included a climb up to the topmost level, which is outside the reach of those not on these types of tours. That's another way of saying it wasn't crowded here, which was great. We got to wander a bit and of course the view was magnificent!
As you can imagine, I was firing away happily for a while up here, until the tour had to move on. I think I got plenty of shots done though, so I didn't complain about having to give up my spot! :-)
Arc de Triomphe
A sunset shot of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and some thoughts on shooting famous spots in a city...
A landmark in Paris - and a must see spot!
I know some photographers only want to shoot things that are "original". That is, they may avoid the common subjects in a city they visit because those things have been shot before, and literally millions of times. While I completely understand that line of thinking, I don't agree with it.
I like to go shoot the "famous" stuff, even though everyone else does too. I just like the stuff - it's famous for a reason. Usually it's beautiful, interesting or some combination of both. I see nothing wrong with capturing something that is well known. It's great to view these things.
So when I travel, I make sure and stop by and see as much of the well-known stuff as I can. To be clear, I also seek other the lesser-known spots, but I definitely don't avoid the big famous ones. I'm happy to be there and I want to return with photographs of it. It's fun right?
Sunset at the Griffith Observatory
Sunset at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles...
I've always wanted to see this spot and finally got a chance!
The Griffith Observatory is one of those well-known Los Angeles spots, and I have wanted to visit it for a very long time. On my recent trip to LA, my daughter and I headed up there for sunset one evening. It was VERY busy but that was ok. Luckily we had some nice light and I was able to get some shots like this one, as well as enjoy the incredible view over downtown LA from the back side of the building.
Since it was a fun trip for my daughter and I, I opted to leave most of the gear at home and travel light. This meant one camera and one prime lens attached to it (and no tripod). Luckily, I had just gotten the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.4 prime lens for my Sony camera, and decided to bring that one to test it out. I loved it! As I get more shots with it, I will share more details about the lens. But suffice it to say that it worked really well for me!
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!
Angels and demons
A pair of statues on the Bridge of Angels in Rome, Italy, photographed during sunset
A pair of statues on the Bridge of Angels in Rome
I just completed and published my list of the best places to take photos in Rome, and part of that list includes shooting on the Bridge of Angels. There are 10 statues of angels, all representing a part of the story of Jesus' crucifixion. It's really a gorgeous spot and one well worth making a visit to while there. (I walked over it several times, so I shot it a lot.)
I tend to photograph sculptures quite a bit for some reason. I'm not sure why, although of course I appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into their creation. These were made by Bernini, whose collection of work is pretty stunning, so that's attractive, too.
When I was editing these pics, for some reason I was led to edit one in a very tame manner, much as it appeared to me that evening on the bridge. However as you can see in the other photo, I went for a much more dramatic edit.
Of course, they are both angels and there is no demon in sight. This is Rome, after all! ;-)
I just liked the sound of naming it "angels and demons", and of course that is also a none-too-subtle nod to the book Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. It's the predecessor to The Da Vinci Code and is quite the thriller. I actually liked it better than The Da Vinci Code. Much of Angels & Demons takes place in Rome, so it seemed rather fitting, anyway.
Well, I am rambling now, and I doubt you came here for literary recommendations, but thanks for stopping by and if you read this far, then congrats! ;-)
A good morning in Paris
A lovely pre-dawn shot of Notre Dame in Paris, that most beautiful of cities...
Isn't every morning a good one to be in Paris? ;-)
I absolutely adore Paris. It's beautiful, photogenic, walkable and the food and people are just great. There, I said it. The French people are NICE. Honestly, in the US there are always comments about the French being rude, but over several trips to Paris I have yet to experience that. I think people just need something to complain about.
Anyhoo, the city is fabulous and while we were there, I headed out early one morning to get started. I had several shots in mind and the only way to really get it done was before most people got up. So, sunrise it is!
I walked to Notre Dame from our rented apartment and was quite happy to have a little haze in the air. I like that stuff, because I think it adds a little drama and interest to a scene. While the sunrise itself was somewhat non-existent, it was still wonderful to be up and out shooting in the pre-dawn hours. It feels like you have the entire city to yourself, and that is a great feeling.
The Roman Forum
A view over the Roman Forum and Colosseum in Rome, Italy...
When in Rome...
While we were in Rome last year, we took a historical walking tour that went through the Colosseum and meandered around over to the Roman Forum. It was fun, educational and interesting. I had never really done anything like that, so it was a nice surprise. Usually I prefer to travel at my own pace and guide myself, but this was an exception and it was a really excellent tour.
It was mid-afternoon so the sun was high and hot, but nonetheless I was able to take quite a few photos. With my travels in the Fall/Winter last year as well as other projects, I have spent very little time working on the photos from Rome. In fact, I want to create a list to add to the site of the best places to shoot there. So much to do!
The view from up here on Capitoline Hill is amazing. If you look in the distance to the right you can see the Colosseum at the end. Pretty fascinating stuff, considering the history here!
A different look at the Sydney Opera House
Today's photo is a non-traditional photo of the Sydney Opera House during a beautiful blue hour. I set up for the shot just as a boat passed by...
I'm still working on my Sydney photos, even though it's been a while!
As is typical with my workflow, when I return from a trip I process and share quite a few photos because they are new and fresh and honestly I am dying to get them out there. But I never process them all. There are always plenty more left in the library that just sit there and collect virtual dust.
After a while, I have a tendency to move on to other images (that is, I get distracted and a little burned out on that trip's images, even if I love them) and essentially forget about them while I work on something else.
That's exactly what happened with my photos from Down Under. I went there back in October 2014 and still have loads of photos to process and share. The photos that have been shared are in this album on Flickr, and it includes some iPhone shots, too. I often post those while I am in a place and save the processing of my "real" images for when I return.
So recently I dove back into that Lightroom folder to see what was waiting for me. Quite a lot, it turns out. I've had an absolute ball going back through these shots. I get to relive the trip, but more importantly I find many gems that I have initially overlooked.
Today's photo is one of those gems.
An added benefit of processing your photos later is that you have likely further refined your processing skills, or learned new ones, and you can apply those to your images that you waited on.
I consider this a non-traditional view of the Sydney Opera House. I had been shooting it and the Sydney Harbor Bridge through sunset, and during this blue hour I started walking back, knowing I had an early start the next day. I happened to turn around to see it again, and just loved this scene with the boardwalk, benches and lamp posts. So I set up and fired a set of brackets, just as a boat whizzed past.
Once I took a closer look at the photo, I decided that I would just process this single exposure, instead of creating an HDR. I liked it quite a bit and didn't feel the need to use all 3 photos from the bracket set. So this was brought into Aurora HDR for some adjustments and then some minor touch-up in Lightroom.
I'm quite proud of the result, and hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Thanks for stopping by!
The Pike Place fish counter
I love Seattle, and in particular I love to visit Pike Place Market. It's touristy but awesome. Here's a shot of the fish counter, plus a couple of extra creative edits. It's always good to experiment, right?
I love to wander at Pike Place Market in Seattle...
Having visited Seattle a few times in my life, it qualifies as one of those places that I love to photograph. There's plenty of the town that I haven't shot, so I guess that means it qualifies for a return trip!
Most of my time has been concentrated around the Pike Place Market, which definitely doesn't represent the whole of the city. I've seen other parts too, and several outside of Seattle, but something about Pike Place just draws me in each time I am there. It's touristy but I find it quite beautiful. I've gotten up at sunrise to shoot it, and been there at sunset too. I've shot it in the middle of the day (crowded!!) and just about everything in between.
We made a quick stop there last summer on our epic roadtrip, and I got out first thing that morning to shoot Pike Place (again). The first thing you see, assuming you come in the "main entrance", is this fish counter. It's famous for being the place where they are tossing the salmon around - it's quite fun.
But being interested in art, and just having fun mixing things up, I decided to create a couple of different versions of the above photo. The first one is a pretty traditional black and white, which I converted in Tonality by Macphun. It's a great product for making monochromes and if you want to read more, you can check my review here. While there's NO WAY I could ever abandon my love of color, I sure am becoming more interested in black and whites.
This next one is just pure fun, not a serious photo at all, but I like it. Here I used FX Photo Studio by Macphun (read my review here) to create this mirrored-symmetry look. Kind of cool, right? It's not a complicated thing to create either - this was a single click edit. Gotta love that about Macphun!
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!
5 Things I Love About Dublin
Some of my favorite things in that lovely Irish city...
Some thoughts (and photos!) about what to see in Dublin!
I’m a fan of Dublin, Ireland - in case you haven’t already guessed that from all my posts about that lovely city. It’s a real gem, and I really enjoy visiting there. I find the people to be super friendly, and the city is full of great things to photograph. Oh, and if you like to sit in a pub, well, this is your town.
Now I will readily admit that I am not an expert on Dublin (I live in Texas, after all!), but I’ve been there many times on business and at this point have a pretty good feel for the place, as well as having published here on the blog a list of the best things to shoot while you are there.
I am hoping to return again later this year, and have a few more spots to get to before I feel like my list is complete. Ok, that’s a lie. My lists are actually never complete. I’ll add more every chance I get. It’s something I love to do.
Anyways, I enjoyed writing my previous post about London (5 Things I Love about London) and thought I would do a similar post about Dublin. It’s a labor of love. So bear with me, k? This will be fun. I promise.
While there is quite a bit to see in Dublin, I have focused this list on 5 primary “things”, all pretty much in the central historic district (mostly): Temple Bar, Irish pubs, the Cathedrals, Trinity College, and the Guinness Brewery. This might be a “touristy” list to some, but I feel like seeing these places when in Dublin is a must. So, be a tourist if you have to - just bring the camera and be a photographer too!
And by the way, the city is very walkable. The only wildcard here is the Guinness Brewery. You can absolutely walk to it from the central historic district but it will take you a good 25-30 minutes. I took a cab out there, but the weather was so beautiful when I got out that I walked back along the River Liffey and took a bunch of photos along the way. So exploring on foot is a great thing to do here. Plus, you’ll need to stop and rehydrate - that’s what the pubs are for! :-)
So without further delay, here are the 5 things I love about Dublin, Ireland:
1) Temple Bar
Temple Bar is the name of two things: an awesome Irish pub, and the entire entertainment district surrounding the pub. The Temple Bar district is Dublin’s cultural headquarters and is an area full of great little pubs, shops, and restaurants. Everyone here is a tourist, and it’s totally ok. It’s a fun area, and at night it gets crowded and noisy, but that’s part of the fun.
The Temple Bar pub is the main hub of activity there, and it’s usually the first place I go to get a Guinness. It’s just cool. It was established in 1840 and, in my opinion, has a ton of character. It’s very photogenic. In fact, it’s a place I make a point of photographing on every visit. How can you resist, really? Charm factor 100.
The Temple Bar pub during a beautiful sunrise.
This is a street scene from the Temple Bar district - just so much character!
2) The Irish pubs
Irish pubs are just awesome. They are so fun, and the Irish people are so kind and welcoming. You immediately feel comfortable in one. Plus, they serve Guinness, which adds a lot to my enjoyment! But seriously, when people speak about visiting Ireland, it seems the idea of visiting an Irish pub comes up. (I think we like the accent, too.)
In Dublin, as you can imagine, you have a lot of choices. I’ve made it to several there in Dublin (ahem) and so far can conclude that I love them all. That’s not very conclusive, is it? Well, more research is required, I think. Did I mentioned how much character they have? Great spots for photography - just take the photos before you start on the Guinness. :-)
The Brazen Head - supposedly Ireland's oldest pub!
Another corner with another pub on it - ah, Dublin!
3) The beautiful cathedrals
As you may know from many of my previous posts, I have a serious thing for European churches. Aren’t they just awesome? I love few things more than wandering into an old European church and firing away. And here’s the good news, Dublin fans: there are some real gems in Dublin to visit!
Christ Church Cathedral is my favorite, and is a short 5 minute walk from the Temple Bar, so it’s very central. There’s a lot to see here (and you will want to shoot the outside as well) so leave yourself plenty of time to get it all done.
The next one to see in my opinion is St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It’s a little bit more of a walk, but well worth it. It’s actually the largest church in Ireland (according to Wikipedia at least). You can’t go wrong with a visit to either of these incredible churches. Just remember the tripod so you can get some awesome interior shots!
The exterior of Christ Church Cathedral - so lovely!
4) Trinity College
I definitely recommend that you visit the campus of any large university when you go to a new town, because in my experience they have great architecture which is just begging to be photographed! Trinity College in Dublin is no exception, but note that they do not allow tripods in the central courtyard. Seems like a dumb rule (and for the record, I didn’t know and didn’t see any signs), and I fired all my shots before the security guard found me, but it was sunrise so it was really early. I was the only person around for about a half hour. I definitely recommend a sunrise visit here.
The other thing to see here is the Library, which houses the ancient Book of Kells. This place is incredible, but again it’s a no-tripod zone. That’s actually ok because it does get crowded and it’s a small space. And whether you are there with a camera or not, it’s well worth the time and money to tour the Library. It’s just a beautiful sight! Fans of architecture (and bibliophiles) will be drooling.
The main courtyard at Trinity College during an incredible sunrise.
The ceiling inside the Library - what a place!
5) The Guinness Storehouse and Brewery
Did I mention that I like Guinness? Oh, I didn’t? Ok, well, I do kinda like it. It’s tasty, and truthfully, it tastes better in Dublin than anywhere else. It must be the fresh water. But whatever. The Guinness Brewery is quite a fun thing to see, even if you don’t like the drink (I readily admit that it is an acquired taste). You have a huge indoor waterfall, several floors of restaurants and exhibits, and a skybar at the top with a 360 degree view! Plus, you get a Guinness when you arrive at the skybar. It’s a good deal people! Get on over there! I spent half a day there, but I can move slow when I am having fun taking a lot of photos.
See? Isn't this waterfall awesome?
This is near the entrance - just thought the scene looked cool!
Well, that’s a quick little tour of my favorite spots in Dublin. It really is a culturally rich city, steeped in history and offering up a ton of interesting things to see and do (and photograph, naturally). Check it out, and don’t forget the camera. Oh, and lest I forget - stay thirsty my friends! :-)
20 Minutes in the Ferry Building
When in San Francisco, be sure and see the Ferry Building!
The Ferry Building is one of my favorite spots in San Francisco, a town which is full of awesome spots. But I do just love this thing. It's a beautiful building, and being a fan of architecture, I just love all the lines. It's a great subject for us photo-addicted types.
The funny thing is that even though I shoot there on many of my San Francisco trips, I never really tire of it. It's just one of those places that has captured me in some way. It's sort of like The Temple Bar in Dublin, Ireland. I could shoot it every day and never really get bored.
So on my most recent trip to San Francisco, which was a couple of weeks ago, I got out to shoot at about 6pm one day. The trouble was that it was raining, and raining hard. So I figured if I could brave the 10 minute walk from my hotel, I would be fine, since I was going to be inside the thing.
So I walked down Market Street and made my way inside. By the way, the choice of 6pm was on purpose. I tend to try and shoot places like this when there are likely to be fewer tourists around. I have shot the Ferry Building at 7am before and found it mostly empty, and I was satisfied with the thin crowds at 6pm on this day as well.
However, I was not satisfied with the Security Guards. Like I said, I have shot here several times over the years, and never been hassled at all. That is, on the ground floor I have never been hassled. I have also ventured upstairs before and was immediately told by Security that I could only shoot handheld there.
But down on the ground floor, I have never once had an issue, until this visit. Literally as soon as I set up the tripod and started framing my first shot, I was approached by 2 security guards, coming at me from both directions. I knew how this was going to end.
They informed me that it was "dangerous" to have a tripod there, but it was ok to shoot without one. I asked if they were concerned about someone tripping over the tripod leg, and they said yes. I made a show of looking around for people, but only saw them, me, and a couple of folks further away. Seemed pretty low risk.
I played nice though, and told them I was from out of town, and would really enjoy shooting this place because it is so beautiful. I guess my charms worked, because they actually said I could take a few photos, as long as I was quick and was careful with the tripod.
So of course I fired that first one, moved on, fired again, moved on and fired again...until I got towards the other end of the grand hallway. At that point, they both circled back towards me and I knew it was time to leave. I told them I was packing up (while my last shot fired, LOL) and heading out.
Luckily, it only took that 20 or so minutes to get all the shots I wanted, and when I walked outside the rain had stopped. I spent the next two hours walking down the Embarcadero, all the way to Ghirardelli, firing away happily the whole time. And, I got lucky with some great skies and an amazing sunset and blue hour. I'll share those when they are ready!