Category Archives: Photographs: Travel

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Travel

Detail, Duomo of Orvieto

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Detail, Duomo of Orvieto
“Detail, Duomo of Orvieto” — Detail of a twisting column from the facade of the Duomo of Orvieto, Italy.

As per the common pattern, the hilltop town of Orvieto Italy has a large “duomo” on a central square. As is also typical, the facade of this church is packed with remarkable visual features — statuary, columns and arches, and fascinating details like this twisting column. Much of it is high enough that it can only be seen at a distance, but this bit is right for eye-level viewing.

You can read about these places and look at pictures of them for years (as I, a late-in-life traveler, did) and not really understand the effect of their physical reality. In particular, if you imagine them in the times when they were first created you start to understand how astonishing and even magical they must have been (and still are). It is remarkable that those who produced a structure that depends so much on massive scale for its effect also had the energy to attend to such tiny details with so much precision.

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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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

Couple at Windows, Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site

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Couple at Windows, Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site
“Couple at Windows, Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site” — A couple stands at the windows on an upper floor of the main building at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site, Barcelona.

I can be a somewhat naive traveler, though I think that embracing this can actually enhance the travel experience. Knowing too much ahead of time can lessen the impact of things and can even interfere with the possibility of spontaneous surprises that are some of the best travel moments. With that in mind, while we knew that we wanted to visit the Gaudi sites (Sagrada Família, etc.) in Barcelona, we were not as aware of other remarkable architectural sites, including several that also featured art nouveau design. This location, the former grounds of a hospital, was remarkable and surprising.

The grounds feature a large number of buildings in various states of restoration, ranging from some that are fully updated to a few where most of the work is yet to be done. But taken as a whole, the site is amazing. I’ll share more photos going forward. In this photograph, a couple looks through the windows on an upper floor of the main entry building, with a view toward the interior spaces of the property.

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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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

Piaggio Ape, Wall, Alley

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Piaggio Ape, Wall, Alley
“Piaggio Ape, Wall, Alley” — A Piaggio Ape utility vehicle parked against a wall in an alley, Orvieto.

We spent several days in the hill town of Orvieto, Italy last summer. We understand that many visitors arrive on day trips from Rome, but we were ready for a few days in a smaller, quieter place after visiting bigger cities like Milan and Florence. One of the fun things about staying overnight in the “day trip” cities is that they become much quieter in the evening and early morning after most visitors depart! We were out on a random walk, exploring the fringes of the town, when I saw this scene.

Working on the photograph sent me off into a world I did not know about. I had seen these little three-wheeled utility vehicles elsewhere in Italy — they are very practical on these narrow streets — but I didn’t know what to call them. A quick search turned up the name “Piaggio Ape,” where “Ape” refers to “bee.” Further reading led to the history of the things. As I understand it they essentially began as Vespa scooters with three wheels, and were then adapted into small trucks and vans.

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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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

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

Blue Column, Sagrada Familia

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Blue Column, Sagrada Familia
“Blue Column, Sagrada Familia” — A blue column lit by early evening light passing through colored glass windows, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona.

We visited the Gaudi-designed Sagrada Família in Barcelona last summer. The place was so visually striking that I honestly haven’t quite known what to do with the photographs, but I started digging into them recently. We are familiar with photographs of the remarkable exterior of the structure, but the interior is anrguably even more amazing. The amount of detail is nearly incomprehensible, and it is profoundly affected by the light coming through myriad stained glass windows and moving across its features.

We visited late in the afternoon, shortly before sunset — and I recommend this timing to others who may go. The sun was low in the sky when we entered, and colorful beams of light from the stained glass windows angled across the interior surfaces. Because it was late, the light was not static, instead changing constantly. Shafts of colored light moved slowly across the cathedral, striking various elements such as this column, illuminated by light coming through glue and yellow glass.

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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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