Tag Archives: europe

Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Urban/Street

Local People, Radda

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Local People, Rodda
Local people form an impromptu tableau in the town of Radda, Italy

Local People, Radda. Radda, Italy. August 27, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Local people form an impromptu tableau in the town of Radda, Italy

It was our last day in the hills of the Chianti region of Italy, and for reasons I cannot recall at the moment we made one final visit to the small, hilltop village of Radda, situated in the wine and olive growing region between Florence and Siena.

We arrived early — which makes sense, in retrospect, because later we had to drive to Florence, where we would stay for the next few days before flying back to the US. The town, which can be quite busy at times, was rather quiet, and some of the small streets were almost deserted. The sun was low enough still that the narrow streets were still in shade. I walked up steps to the front of the town church, looked down, and made this photograph of an interesting collection of people standing near some steps.

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 and Amazon.
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Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Urban/Street

Signore Verdi Sings the Blues

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Signore Verdi Sings the Blues
Street art, modeled after a painting of Giuseppe Verdi

Signore Verdi Sings the Blues. Florence, Italy. August 28, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Street art, modeled after a painting of Giuseppe Verdi

There was street art everywhere we went in Europe and the UK this past summer. In some places, such as Heidelberg, a lot of it was overtly political and it relied a lot on text. In other places there was more that was purely visual or almost so, like this example and some that we saw in Paris. In other places, such as some parts of Bologna,  much of it reminded me of simple tagging, similar to what we see in the US.

This example caught my attention for several reasons. Because of my musical background I recognized it as a riff on a famous picture of Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi. (At the time of this posting you can see it at the Wikipedia entry on the composer.) The intense blue color and its juxtaposition with the green (think “Verdi”) plants also seemed interesting. I don’t know what it “means” or why it was here, but I couldn’t help photographing it!

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 and Amazon.
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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: Urban/Street

Laundry, Morning Sun

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Laundry, Morning Sun
Morning light shines on a building wall with drying laundry, Radda, Italy

Laundry, Morning Sun. Radda, Italy. August 27, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning light shines on a building wall with drying laundry, Radda, Italy

If my memory is correct, I made this photograph on just about our final morning in the Chianti region of Italy in the summer of 2016. We had spent a week with family at a place in the hills, exploring the vineyards and olive groves of the region, and visiting the hilltop village of Radda several times. (It was one of the nearest towns in this rural area.)

We visited again on this morning, arriving early enough that the narrow streets were not crowded, though vendors were starting to set up shop for the day. Because we were in no hurry, I took time to wander off from the main street and look around a few out-of-the-way spots, including this little street up near the highest point of the town, where buildings were packed tightly together. The brilliant summer light was just hitting the wall of this 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 and Amazon.
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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: Night, Photographs: Urban/Street

Carousel, Night

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Carousel, Night
People sit on benches to watch a nighttime carousel in Florence, Italy

Carousel, Night. Florence/Firenze, Italy. August 27, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

People sit on benches to watch a nighttime carousel in Florence, Italy

After a week in the mountain and vineyard country between Florence and Siena, we returned to Florence for a few days before catching our flight back to the US. This was our first visit — aside from passing through to pick up a rental car on the day we arrived — and we only wished that we had left more time to explore this city, especially the old central city along the Arno River, with its narrow and curving streets and its many museums.

The weather is very warm here in August, and lots of people are out on the streets in the evening. We joined the thongs each evening and went out to late dinner and then wandered. On this evening we wandered up from the Ponte Vecchio into town and passed a small square where there was a brightly lit carousel.

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 and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Email

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