Category Archives: Photographs: Travel

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Travel

Cathedral and Dark Sky

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Cathedral and Dark Sky
“Cathedral and Dark Sky” — The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela on an evening of dramatic light and clouds.

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is a remarkable structure, with its intricate towers looming over Obradoiro Square. This is the end point for walkers “doing a camino” from locations in France, Spain, and Portugal. You can watch them arrive and imagine what it must be like to finally reach this point after weeks or more than a month of walking.

Every so often conditions produce some remarkable light — this was one of those times. It had been cloudy, and the sky was still dark with just a hint of sunset color. But far to the west the cloud shield ended and a beam of warm evening light fell on the cathedral, highlighting it against that dark and dramatic sky.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Travel

Stairs, Parque de la Alameda

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Stairs, Parque de la Alameda
“Stairs, Parque de la Alameda” — A person on stairs at th Parque de la Alameda, Santiago de Compostela

While visiting Santiago de Compostela this past spring we wandered a bit outside the confines of the central old town, including a visit to the Parque de la Alameda. The large park is easy to access and features everything from statues to groves of trees and (at least during our visit) a carnival. Its open spaces provided a pleasant break from the narrow and sometimes crowded streets of the old part of town.

Our walk began on a wide route passing beneath groves of large, old trees. Eventually we arrived at a sort of platform at the top of these old stairs, which lead to a lower terrace of gardens. While all of the forms in this scene would be quite “square” and angular if viewed from directly above, here the effects of a lower angle and looking downward distort that regularly in fascinating ways.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (If you are reading this on the home page, click the article title to see the full article and the comment form.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Croatia, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Travel

Lokrum Island, Adriatic Sea

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Lokrum Island, Adriatic Sea, Croatia
“Lokrum Island, Adriatic Sea” — Lokrum Island and the calm Adriatic Sea at Dubrovnik, evening.

We were in Croatia for a week and a half in the summer of 2023, at the end of a ten weeks of travel in (mostly Southern) Europe. Our visit to this country began with a few days in the remarkable old walled city of Dubrovnik. Late one day I decided it was time to circumnavigate the city on the walkways along the top of the old walls that surround it. The day came to an end as I walked, and I made this photograph right around dusk.

You have probably heard of the “rules of composition.” I’m pretty sure I violated most of them, if not all, in this photograph. “Rules” is the wrong context here — that word implies that there are specific right and wrong ways to approach composition. Instead the goal should be to understand the effects of compositional choices on the mood of a photograph. Here I wanted to express the stillness and lack of dynamism in this scene, its peacefulness and quiet. I think that the almost evenly divided vertical helps with that. And I wanted a bit of a sense of mystery — hence the bit of the island intruding into the frame from the far left.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Bubble Dancing

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Bubble Dancing
“Bubble Dancing” — Children dance and spread soap bubbles at the Praça do Comércio, Lisbon.

On our May visit to Lisbon (and a few other places) one of our first outings was to simply walk down the street to the Praça do Comércio square on the waterfront. It is a pretty obvious tourist thing to do, but it was the morning after a late arrival following about 20 hours of travel… so we were not up for anything too stressful.

Someone had a big bucket of soap and was making bubbles on the square, and a group of exuberant children was running and dancing around them, unconcerned about what anyone else might think.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

Join the discussion — you are welcome to leave a comment or question. (Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately.)

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(All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.)