Category Archives: Photographs: Structures and Objects

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Detail, Atrium

January 12, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Architectural details of atrium of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

When I visit museums I often photograph them. I don’t usually photograph the displays, but I do photograph the architecture, people, and sometimes the structural abstractions I can locate. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a favorite museum — for its collection, its temporary installations (Right now go see William Kentridge’s “The Refusal of Time!”)

The museum was recently remodeled and expanded, with a new wing added to the original structure. The original centerpiece of the interior architecture was the atrium, a tall central open space topped by a “turret gallery” with a catwalk. The atrium remains following the remodel, and the light in this space is often spectacular, ranging from shade to bright sunshine. During this visit the light was softened by rainy conditions outside, and the colors ranged from the warmth of electrical lighting to the cool blues of the cloud-muted light coming in through the windows.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Structures and Objects

Broom Handle

January 10, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Broom handle leaning against walls meeting in a corner.

Yup. A broom handle. Leaning in a corner between two walls with interesting texture, and lit by soft light. It is one of those little things I see sometimes and just have to photograph.

We were visiting an art fair in Laguna Beach on this Thanksgiving Holiday. Often I just wander in such places with no particular goal and certainly not with photography in mind. But I had a small camera with me, and there it was… ;-)

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Florence Building

January 2, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A gritty looking Florence building

It was almost the end of our five weeks of American, British, and European travel this past August — from New York City in late July to the UK at the start of August, and then through Paris, Heidelberg, and several areas in Italy. The trip was winding down. Truth be told, we were at the point where we would have been happy to continue traveling, but it was time to return to the US and get back to the so-called real world.

We went out for a morning walk in Florence, heading away from the busiest areas in the opposite direction from our hotel. We wandered up narrow streets to a large, open square, and then simply “random walked” our way back. For an American, particularly a west coast American perhaps, central Florence is a remarkably different looking place. This is not just because of the very old streets and buildings but secondarily because of the state of their exteriors. In many places things are very similar colors, in a range between brown and tan, and most buildings don’t look all that fancy from the outside. There is a striking lack of advertising signs — a shop might typically have one sign and it probably isn’t lit much if at all. This building had a practical look about it, with pipes, wires, and conduit on the outside. The light was remarkable — an unusual combination of brilliance combined with a certain softness that the Italian atmosphere provided almost the entire time we were there.

Photographs: Structures and Objects

Broom Handle

December 3, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The handle of a broom rests against walls

What can I say? It is a broom handle! OK, maybe it isn’t just a broom handle. We briefly dropped in at the Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach while visiting Southern California over the Thanksgiving Holiday. This is a long-standing crafts fair that, as I understand it, is sort of a “big thing” in the area.

This photograph is a reminder that there is always something to see, especially if I happen to have a camera in my hands. It would have been easy to simply walk past this little vignette, except that carrying the camera gives me an incentive to look more closely at my surroundings. This little alcove was at the back of a booth — I think it may have been one where live ceramics demonstrations were taking place — and something about the colors, the alternating panels with their remnants of paint and clay dust, and the off-kilter broom handle caused me to stop and make a few exposures.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Category Archives: Photographs: Structures and Objects

Detail, Atrium

Broom Handle

Florence Building

Broom Handle

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.