Tag Archives: facade

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Travel

Cathedral and Dark Sky

Image 2 Comments
Cathedral and Dark Sky
“Cathedral and Dark Sky” — The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela on an evening of dramatic light and clouds.

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is a remarkable structure, with its intricate towers looming over Obradoiro Square. This is the end point for walkers “doing a camino” from locations in France, Spain, and Portugal. You can watch them arrive and imagine what it must be like to finally reach this point after weeks or more than a month of walking.

Every so often conditions produce some remarkable light — this was one of those times. It had been cloudy, and the sky was still dark with just a hint of sunset color. But far to the west the cloud shield ended and a beam of warm evening light fell on the cathedral, highlighting it against that dark and dramatic sky.

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: Italy, Photographs: Travel

Duomo Facade, Orvieto

Image Leave a comment
Duomo Facade, Orvieto
“Duomo Facade, Orvieto” — The highly detailed facade of the Orvieto Duomo.

It seems like almost every Italian town has its duomo, or cathedral. All that I’ve seen are impressive, but some have especially notable features. This one is in Orvieto, a lovely hill town in Umbria. Oddly, even through we were dropped off very near this cathedral when we arrived, it wasn’t until later that we finally took the time to visit it. The inside is very interesting, but it seems to me that the ornate work on the exterior is the most impressive.

The detail is remarkable, from the sculpted shapes to the statuary to the beautiful mosaics. It is hard to imagine the amount of craftsmanship and artistic talent that must have gone into producing it. Almost any square foot of the exterior would be remarkable on its own, but the fact that it covers so much space is almost unbelievable.

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: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: England, Photographs: Travel

Houses of Parliament

Image Leave a comment
Houses of Parliament
“Houses of Parliament” — The intricate facade of London’s Houses of Parliament on a cloudy day.

I made this quick photograph in London back in June, on the last full day of about four weeks of travel in (mostly) Scotland and England. We started this day by going to Westminster Cathedral. Patty has learned that you can visit many such churches simply by attending one of the regular church events. (For example, we attended evensong in York.) Advantages are that you don’t have to sign up for tickets or, in many case, pay a fee. (Though if they “pass the plate” it is appropriate to donate something, right?) However, you are expected to act as a person attending a church event, not a tourist snapping selfies! In any case, after visiting Westminster we walked back toward the Houses of Parliament.

Parliament is typically busy, with guards watching over all the entrances. But on this Sunday morning it was quiet and I don’t recall seeing anyone inside the fence. One other factor? The British snap election was about to happen, and I’m betting that every member of Parliament was out campaigning! In any case, we walked here. because I had a memory of a little pub on a nearby side street that we visited the very first time we were in London, and I wanted to see if we could locate it. And, yes, we did — just a few blocks further up the street.

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: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Au Natural Pizza

Image Leave a comment
Au Natural Pizza
“Au Natural Pizza” — Painted roll-up door on Au Natural Pizza, Sevilla, Spain.

You may have noticed that I photograph a lot of stuff like this, especially for someone who gets categorized as a “landscape photographer.” There’s a lot to say about that, but I’ll save it for the second paragraph. (Those who follow me on social media will have to click through.) This beautifully painted roll-up door and facade are on a small shop along a business street in Sevilla, Spain. That harsh light is seems fairly typical there at this time of day.

So, why does a “landscape photographer” photograph all of this city stuff? A full answer is longer than a paragraph, but here are a few thoughts. For one, like many photographers I am fascinated by the basic “material” of photographs — the textures, colors, shapes, form, composition, light, and so on. And these things are present everywhere, including in cities. I also do not limit my concept of “landscape” to the natural world. As such, these are “urban landscapes.” I’m also fascinated by what these scenes tell us about the people and cultures with which they are associated. To keep it simple enough for this paragraph, they illustrate both similarities among and difference between cultures.

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: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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