Tag Archives: figures

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

At the Manneken PIs

Image Leave a comment
At the Manneken PIs
“At the Manneken PIs” — Tourists taking pictures at the Manneken Pis in Brussels, Belgium.

Some “tourist attractions” are darned near inexplicable. Manneken Pis is one of them. Located at a nondescript corner in a relatively nondescript area of Brussels, it is a fountain with a tiny (61cm tall) statue of a small boy urinating. Indeed, the idea that such a thing exists is mildly interesting. But the actual site is a pretty big nothingburger in my ever-humble opinion.

So, you might wonder, where is the fountain in this photograph referring to it? It is out of the frame to the right. I was completely uninterested in photographing the peeing kid myself. However, the people who came to look and photograph themselves in front of it were fascinating. Some stood back and shot images of it — and I’m trying to imagine them getting back home and wondering why they did. Others lined themselves up to take selfies with the urinating youngster in the background, thus managing, I suppose, to prove that they were actually there. Standing next to a 61cm statue. Of a pissing boy. Or something. ;-)

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

Morning, St. Mark’s Square

Image Leave a comment
Morning, St. Mark's Square
“Morning, St. Mark’s Square” — A few people and many pigeons, early morning at St. Mark’s Square, Venice

St. Mark’s Square can be one of the most crowded places in Venice. The square itself is one of the best known landmarks, and others (like the eponymous cathedral) are nearby, along with the famous columns and the waterfront. If you are looking to avoid the crowds, this is not one of the places you most likely go!

However, on this morning I was out on the streets very early with my camera. I began a bit before sunrise, actually. Not only were there far fewer people, but the early morning air was comfortably cool. It felt like a very different Venice as a few people walked past and flocks of pigeons collected in the square.

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: Belgium, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: People, Photographs: Travel

The Point

Image 2 Comments
The Point
“The Point” — Four tourists looking up, Bruges

This is one of those “shoot fast” street photography images that I sometimes like while traveling. It happened so quickly that I barely remember the act of making the photo. My recollection is that we were walking along a street in Bruges, Belgium when I spotted this group and fired off a frame. I think there might be several ways to “see” this image…

One is simply compositionally — the arrangement of figures and colors, the direction of their attention, the pointing hand, the one fellow standing slightly apart from the other three people, a parallel between the body positions of the two at the right/left extremes, and the physical contact between the two in the middle. I think it also conveys something important about the experience of travel — the possibility of being astonished, the public innocence about that experience, and more.

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

2 responses to “The Point”

  1. brendatharp Avatar
    brendatharp

    Great moment you captured here, Dan! And your writing is ‘spot on’ as far as I read the image.

    Reply
    1. G Dan Mitchell Avatar
      G Dan Mitchell

      Thanks, Brenda. I especially appreciate the comment on _this_ photograph as it is a big of a challenge for some of my landscape fans to make sense of the street photography stuff! :-)

      Dan

      Reply

Join the discussion — you are welcome to leave a comment or question. (Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately.)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

(All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.)

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

Walking Couple

Image Leave a comment
Walking Couple, Montpellier
“Walking Couple” — A couple walks up a narrow, curving street in Montpellier, France.

As the end of our December visit to Montpellier approached, we took a walk through some areas that we had missed the previous days — a walk that took us to the train station, then through a sort of light industrial area, and finally back up into the old central city. Here the streets are often very narrow and lined the tall buildings — and not much light penetrates all the way to the street level.

I grabbed this shot of a couple pushing a stroller up this narrow, curving street. In addition to the usual appeal of the street designed for walking rather than driving, the way the street curved and the increased glow of light at the curve attracted my attention. The unusual pattern of the paving also directs the eye toward the curve and, in this case, the two people.

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

Join the discussion — you are welcome to leave a comment or question. (Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately.)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

(All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.)