Tag Archives: building

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Rectangular Patterns (Horizontal)

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Rectangular Patterns (Horizontal)
“Rectangular Patterns (Horizontal)” — Patterns formed by light, paint, shadows, and structure on an urban building.

This is one of a pair of photographs of the same structure. I’ll bet you might not be surprised to hear that the companion photograph is called “Rectangular Pattern (Vertical).” Working on this pair got me to thinking about a series that I might call “Urban Geometries” featuring such photographs, both from my existing archives and from some new work. You can look at this as a photograph of a real scene or, if you work at it, you may be able to see it as an abstract composition of forms and colors.

The location is an area that was acquired by a (very) big company for a huge future corporate campus. Then came the pandemic. Now their plans appear to be on hold, though they still hold rights to the properties. I suspect, but do not know for certain, that they did some “sprucing up” of the area to avoid charges that they are allowing it to degrade. Right now it is largely a sort of urban dead zone… though it has nice paint.

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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: Northern California, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Rectangular Patterns (Vertical)

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Rectangular Patterns (Vertical)
“Rectangular Patterns (Vertical)” — Patterns formed by light, paint, shadows, and structure on an urban building.

This is the second in a series of three photographs that I made on a walk that took me through an area of urban renewal in my town. A large corporation committed to very extensive building plans, then backed off during the pandemic, and now seems to be trying to, in my view, make it look like something is happening when not much really is. They have painted buildings and put up interesting interpretive signs. To their credit, this is better than just letting the properties decay.

I’m very attracted to strong graphic forms and colors — which I suppose might surprise some who think of me as “just” a landscape photographer. But I don’t see any conflict, and I feel that the interest in such forms underlies quite a few of my landscape images, even though it is possible to look at them primarily as being “pictures of nature.”

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

House with Blue Trim

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House with Blue Trim
“House with Blue Trim” — A white hour with blue doors, Casals de Loivos, Portugal.

This past May we spent a week on a walk through the hills, villages, and vineyards of Portugal’s Douro Valley, completing a large loop that began and ended in the town of Pinhão. We walked every day, and stayed each evening in various local accommodations. The last of those was in the remarkable little village of Casals de Loivos, perched high above the Douro Valley.

On the final morning we were scheduled to do the short, pleasant (and entirely downhill!) walk from there to Pinhão, where we were scheduled to catch a train back to Porto. Before setting out from Casals de Loivos we wandered around the small village for a while. I found this striking little building on one of its streets.

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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: Portugal, Photographs: Travel

Grapevine and Door, Provesende

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Grapevine and Door, Provesende
“Grapevine and Door, Provesende” — A volunteer grapevine grows against an old wall next to a doorway, Provesende, Portugal.

Our May week-long walk in the hills above Portugal’s Douro River Valley began in the small town of Pinhão — with a rather stiff climb from the river up into those hills at Provesende. (We used Portugal Green Walks to organize the trip, and I give them a lot of credit for designing the trek to start with a short, steep day… and conclude the trip at a place with a stunning view overlooking the Douro.)

Provesende was one of many charming small towns we passed through on the walk. Most are quiet places, with old buildings and narrow streets, and surrounded by vineyards. If I recall correctly, this scene was part of a small rural building on the edge of town. The textures and colors of the old building attracted my attention, as did the solitary, opportunistic grapevine growing from a crack at the base of the wall.

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.