Tag Archives: cathedral

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Travel

Columns and Shadows

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Columns and Shadows
Soft light on columns near Ingreja Da Graca, Lisbon.

Columns and Shadows. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Soft light on columns near Ingreja Da Graca, Lisbon.

This is perhaps not quite a typical Lisbon photograph, and it came about as a result of one of our semi-random walks — something that characterizes our travel. We, wandered downhill to a central square, crossed and began ascending, and eventually turned toward the hill topped by the St. George Castle. We climbed up to it, but decided not to join the tourist throng inside, preferring to wander around the periphery… and that led us to this nearby convent and church. (The full name is longer than what I’ve used here, by the way.)

After wandering through the beautiful church, we walked around the grounds of the convent, a quiet and not-very-busy place that contrasted with what we had experienced earlier in the day. These columns, in lovely soft light, lined a walkway around an inner courtyard.

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: 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: Italy, Photographs: Travel

Early Evening, Florence

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Early Evening, Florence
Early evening view of Florence, Italy from the Piazzale Michangelo.

Early Evening, Florence. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Early evening view of Florence, Italy from the Piazzale Michangelo.

This might be one of the best-known viewpoints in Florence, the Piazzale Michangelo. From this high terrace you look down and across the Arno River toward the old central city and beyond. If you know about the city you probably recognize at least a couple of landmarks in the photograph.

This photograph and the evening on which I made it might be a good reminder that the advice you sometimes hear about staying away from the most famous places isn’t always valid. I deal with this a lot in my landscape photography – I often love to go to somewhat anonymous, out-of-the way places, but I think the first-time visitors are often best off by starting with the well-known places. Knowing that this spot is so famous and seeing so many people heading that way, I might have decided not to join the throngs… but it turned out that the evening was beautiful and the throng was a big part of the fun!

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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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Travel

Rooftops of Cordoba

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Rooftops of Cordoba
Rooftops of Cordoba, Spain, photographed from the tower at the mosque-cathedral.

Rooftops of Cordoba. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Rooftops of Cordoba, Spain, photographed from the tower at the mosque-cathedral.

One of our main reasons for visiting Cordoba, Spain was to visit the famous mosque-cathedral. It is a spectacular site, and I recommend a visit. (I also recommend not going when the weather is like that we encountered — something like 111 degrees!) The mosque portion is astounding. If I recall correctly, at one point it was up to a size that could handle 40,000 worshippers! It stands in sharp visual contrast to the cathedral that was later constructed in the center of the mosque — a light and air structure that towers above.

We began our visit with the climb to the top of the tower along the perimeter of the grounds. Fortunately, we went somewhat early on this hot day, before the temperature really rose. The view from the tower is spectacular. It obviously overlooks the mosque-cathedral grounds, but it also reveals wider views of the city and its surroundings. This photograph looks down and away from the mosque-cathedral, into an area of residences and streets lined by businesses. One striking impression of this city is from the buildings which are predominantly white instead of colors often found elsewhere.

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.