Tag Archives: architecture

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

Firenze Duomo, Evening

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Firenze Duomo, Evening
The Duomo of Firenze/Florence, Italy in evening light.

Firenze Duomo, Evening. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

The Duomo of Firenze/Florence, Italy in evening light.

Florence, or Firenze in Italian, is a remarkable city full of remarkable places and artifacts. And, yes, it is also really crowded with tourists during the peak travel season… which is when we were there this summer. But still… it is one of those places that is amazing enough that it is worth braving those crowds. And, on occasion, the crowd can even be part of the fun. That’s how it turned out on this evening.

We wanted a longer, elevated view of the city, so we headed to the Piazzale Michelango, a sort of park perched on a hillside overlooking the Arno River and the central city, with views extending into the far distance. To be honest, we were not looking forward to the crowds, but we really wanted to see and photograph this view. When we arrived, there were so many people that it was a challenge to even find a place to stand. But gradually we figured out that it was a sort of grand party. Vendor were selling refreshments (including adult beverages) and food, musicians were playing, some guy was doing essentially improv theater in front of the crowd, the light was increasingly magical, and people began to sing as they watched the sunset.

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: Europe, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Cargas Gate

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Cargas Gate
A red metal gate with ivy and a chain lock, Porto.

Cargas Gate. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A red metal gate with ivy and a chain lock, Porto.

When we travel and visit new cities we have an approach that might seem disorganized to some people. While we usually do have a short list of “must see” things, we don’t usually join tours and we have a lot of unscheduled time. We use that time to… just wander, get lost, follow hunches. There are some downsides to this, of course, but the upside is that we find a lot of obscure and smaller things that can get lost in a rush to “see all of the important things.”

This photograph might serve as an example. I really doubt that there is a tour guide anywhere that says, “Be sure to visit the gate inscribed with the word ‘cargas.’!” Heck, I’m not even sure that I could find it again if you set me down in Porto… and the lovely ivy leaves probably would not look the same anyway. We happened to pass this subject while out on a more or less random walk through areas of Porto in the Centro Historic and Ribeira districts.

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 to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

Balconies, Ribeira

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Balconies, Ribeira
Complex patterns of balconies, doors, windows and walls in the Ribeira District, Porto.

Balconies, Ribeira. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Complex patterns of balconies, doors, windows and walls in the Ribeira District, Porto.

This little scene comes from the Ribeira District of Porto, Portugal. This very old area is on the steep slopes leading down to the banks of the Duoro River, which passes through the city and has long been a route for shipping. Because it is in this steep area and because it is very old, the narrow and twisting streets can be difficult to navigate… but also extremely intriguing, despite the number of tourists who flock to the area these days.

This vignette includes the balconies of some buildings that I first spotted at the end of a (rare!) straight section of a narrow walkway. (I have another photograph showing that perspective.) The scene is full of little details, and it is illuminated by the soft, reflected light that manages to make it to the bottom of this urban canyon — something that reminded me a bit of photographing in the red rock canyons of Utah.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Travel

Torre Del Moro Stairs

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Torre Del Moro Stairs
Stairway ascending to the top of the Torre del Moro, Orieto, Italy.

Torre Del Moro Stairs. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Stairway ascending to the top of the Torre del Moro, Orieto, Italy.

Yes, I know that photographs of winding staircases are a bit of cliche… but I CLIMBED these stairs, so I earned this picture! This is the inside of the Torre del Moro in Orvieto, a beautiful old tower more or less in the center of the town. We were in the midway through our romance with towers (see the next paragraph) when we climbed this one. We briefly debated whether or not to do it, but the description said there was an elevator to get us past the first 170 steps. It wasn’t working. But the view from the top (along with the rather close-up sound of the bells!) was spectacular.

I photographed this scene as we descended. I suppose a smarter photographer would have taken advantage of the excuse to pause during the ascent… but then it might have been hard to hold the camera steady as the heart pounded! We climbed a fair number of these towers during our trip, especially during the first half. The first was along the coast of Spain — the “tower of Hercules.” After that we ascended them in a number of other places. But eventually… the lure of yet another tower began to diminish and we tended to enjoy new cities from street level.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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