Tag Archives: architecture

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

Bologna Portico

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Bologna Portico
“Bologna Portico” — A man walks in the shade of a portico, Bologna, Italy.

We do a lot of wandering when we travel, including “random walks” in the cities we visit. On this day we simply headed out, picked a direction, and walked until it fell like time to turn around and head back. We stayed in central Bologna, the old part of the city, and an area without much vehicle traffic. On much of the walk we followed these porticos, which travel under extensions of the buildings.

The porticos are a characteristic feature of Bologna, and I understand that they have a very long history. Centuries ago, as the population of the city increased, residents extended the upper floors of buildings over the streets. Eventually the structures needed the support of the columns. Today, what began as a way to produce more living space makes the street more livable, too, since the porticos provide shelter from the weather, in particular the heat of Italian summer.

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: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Porto Rooftops

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Porto Rooftops
“Porto Rooftops” — The view across the rooftops of Porto toward the Duoro River.

During our summer 2023 visit, Portugal we stayed in lodgings not far from Porto’s Ribiera district, whose waterfront is visible at the far upper right of the picture. Because we like to walk a lot in such towns, we spent most of our time on that side of the Duoro River, the main waterway flowing through Porto and shortly after to the sea. But on this evening we had business across the river as we began our walk.

We walked to the east and then crossed one of the eye-catching bridges, the Ponte Luis I. This is mainly a rail bridge, but there are walkways for pedestrians. As the bridge reaches the far bank, the river-side hills rise quickly to meet it. I paused here to photograph over the tops of the characteristic red roofs toward the Duoro as it continues downstream toward the ocean.

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: Architecture, Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Travel

Afternoon Light, Hudson River Shoreline

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Afternoon Light, Hudson River Shoreline
Afternoon light on buildings of Lower Manhattan along the Hudson River.

Afternoon Light, Hudson River Shoreline. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Afternoon light on buildings of Lower Manhattan along the Hudson River.

By the time we got here we were starting to run out of energy. We had walked from west of Central Park in the 70s, wandering down through Hudson Yards, then following the High Line Park to its end at the Whitney Museum. From there we walked west toward the Hudson River, for reasons that I no longer remember. (Walking east and catching a subway train back toward our hotel might have been the more logical choice!)

We soon spotted the “Little Island,” an artificial island and park in the Hudson connected to the shore by a short walkway. This spot provides excellent views since it is both elevated and located just offshore, which opens the panorama along the waterfront. Here I’m looking south toward Lower Manhattan and a veritable Patagonia of urban peaks, topped by the World Trade Center Building.

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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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Consonance and Dissonance

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Consonance and Dissonance
Structural elements at the High Line Park, Manhattan

Consonance and Dissonance. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Structural elements at the High Line Park, Manhattan

Taking a cue from the music-related title of this photograph, I suspect you may have noticed that my photographs cover a wide range of subjects. When people ask me “what I photograph,” probably expecting a short answer like “landscapes” or “portraits” or “street,” there can be an awkward moment while I consider how to answer. I don’t photograph just one thing… any more than a composer would choose to write only, say, minuets. There is more than one thing to express, so more than one approach is necessary. If anything, my photographs are about… how I see the world photographically.

I won’t try to explain the entire “consonance and dissonance” connection here, except to point out that these terms have multiple meanings. One basic idea is that something is consonant in music if it “sounds nice” and “dissonant” if it doesn’t. But a more interesting idea relates to something that seems static and “settled” (consonance) versus something that seems restless and striving (dissonance). Taken one step further, the tension created by dissonance often propels us toward consonance… and consonance can resolve that tension.

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 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.