“Eilean Donan Castle” — Eilean Donan Castle, on the inland sea near Isle of Skye
We have been traveling. A week ago we returned from a six-week visit to the British Isles — a couple of weeks in Scotland, a bit more than a week in Ireland, a one-week walk in the Cotswolds, and then some time in English cities. The photograph comes from near the start of the trip, just before we arrived on the Isle of Skye. We paused at the Eilean Donan Castle along the inland sea before crossing to the island. It was a welcome break on my first day of driving on left side of the road!
“Lisbon Rooflines” — A succession of rising rooftops against a cloudy sky, Lisbon.
On one level this photograph is about the forms and colors of the buildings in this Lisbon neighborhood. The color palette is more typical of Southern Europe — from here to Italy and beyond — with the earth tones and the red tile roofs. The angle relationships are compressed, in part because the buildings are so close to one another.
It is also about the “atmosphere” of the place — the light of this region seems to me to have a particular quality. On one hand it can be sharp edged, I suppose due to the southern location and the high position of the sun. But there can also be a softness to the atmosphere that isn’t like the harsh quality often seen in, for example, the American Southwest.
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“Pena Palace” — The Pena Palace, on the summt of a mountain near Sintra, Portugal.
We missed the Pena Palace when we visited Lisbon a few years ago, so this time we made sure to set aside a day for the train ride to Sintra to see it. (It isn’t the only thing there — a remarkable “Moorish castle” is nearby.) The weather was… interesting. We had rain and wind and fog, to the point that it was difficult to be outside on the castle grounds. However, these conditions also made the scene more dramatic than it would have been on another pleasant, blue sky day.
Later I’ll share photographs made on the palace grounds. I made this one while traversing the old walls of the Moorish Castle. It also lies on a ridge, but a lower one than the palace. From there I had a dramatic view looking up to the summit of the ridge where the wildly colorful Pena Palace sits, complete with dark clouds moving past.
“Nürnberg Skyline” — A view across the old section of Nürnberg, Germany from near the IMperial Castle of Nürnberg.
This view is from the area around the Imperial Castle of Nürnberg, a prominent high point in central Nürnberg. Much of the terrain here seems flat, but from this high point one has longer views beyond the central old city area. The towers on the left belong to the historic Seboldskirche, but in the distance you can make out some much more modern structures.
,We had been at the famous Christmas market in the central square when we saw a street leading up toward the castle. We were actually unaware of the castle until we arrived there, so it was a fun surprise. (We like to not know too much when traveling, which lets us enjoy more discoveries on our own.) From here we wandered back down into town and ended up on side of the streets that are visible in the photograph.
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” from Heyday Books, is available directly from G Dan Mitchell.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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