Tag Archives: lights

Carmo Gifts

Carmo Gifts
People in front of a Lisbon shop on a steeply-inclined street at night.

Carmo Gifts. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

People in front of a Lisbon shop on a steeply-inclined street at night.

We spent four nights (and days) in Lisbon during out summer 2023 travels. It is a fascinating city, with a very different character than Porto, the other Portuguese city we visited this time. It seem more urbanized and modern, but like Porto — perhaps even more so — it is partially defined by its very hilly terrain. For people like us, who walk a lot when we travel, this was not a trivial factor!

We stayed in an area of older, narrow streets some distance above the city’s famous elevator — though we never made use of it. More than once we followed a walking route down to the central city in an area near the railroad station, following some streets that were exceptionally steep in places. This shop is on one of those steep sections, and I photographed it as we walked back up one evening, as its light spilled out onto the sidewalk and passers-by.


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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Elevador de Santa Justa, Night

Elevador de Santa Justa, Night
Upper entrance to the Elevador de Santa Justa at night, Lisbon.

Elevador de Santa Justa, Night. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Upper entrance to the Elevador de Santa Justa at night, Lisbon.

Every city has its particular, unique thing that tourists are supposed to visit, and the Elevador de Santa Justa is on the short list in Lisbon. It is a striking structure, originally built to ease the passage of Lisbon citizens from the city’s lowlands to neighborhoods in the hills. While it was a technological marvel back then, today is is more of a visual icon than a practical way to get around. Word on the street is that the wait to ride it is probably not worth it. Rather than stand in those lines, we simply walked to the upper level in the evening when it wasn’t crowded at all.

I made the photograph at night from the walkway that goes to the top of the elevator structure. The actual elevator lies just beyond the lit area and the ticket machine. You may notice that there are not only fences along the sides of the walkway, but that the area is entirely enclosed. If you visit you will understand… and if you have a fear of high, exposed places you may not want to visit! On the other hand, the panoramic views from the top are remarkable, especially in the evening and at night.


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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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.

Venice Canal, Evening

Venice Canal, Evening
Evening lights come on along the Rio de San Giovanni Laterno, Venice.

Venice Canal, Evening. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Evening lights come on along the Rio de San Giovanni Laterno, Venice.

During our August visit to Venice we stayed in a little place that was perfectly situated. It was outside of the zone of maximum tourists and the a bit quieter, yet there were restaurants nearby and we could easily walk to just about any place we wanted to go. It was also directly on one of the canals, and our room had windows overlooking it. (Our windows actually appear in the photograph.)

I made this photograph at that wonderful hour of the day when there is still some light in the sky, but when it is getting dark enough that lights are starting to switch on here and there. On opposite sides of the canal and in the distance you can see lit openings where water taxis can pick up and drop off clients. (At our hotel this was nicely outfitted with four comfortable seats, making it a perfect place to sit and watch things pass on the water.)


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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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.

Venice Restaurant, Evening

Evening Restaurant, Venice
Patrons sit outside at a Venice restaurant on a summer evening.

Venice Restaurant, Evening. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Patrons sit outside at a Venice restaurant on a summer evening.

When we visited Venice in August we stayed perhaps no more than a five-minute walk from this spot. Our little hotel was in a quiet corner without the tourist hubbub that characterizes the most popular areas of this city, but we were only a few minutes away from busier areas. As we walked to them we often passed through the square where this restaurant is located as we headed to a bridge across a canal. It was an interesting place, but until this evening I never quite saw how I wanted to photograph it.

We had been out late — I don’t recall the details now, but it probably involved looking for a place to eat late dinner. For some reason I was “in the zone” for night photography on this evening, and I carried my small camera as we walked, making spontaneous photographs along the way. We were headed back toward our hotel, and after we crossed that familiar bridge I spotted the table set up outside this restaurant, mostly illuminated by light spilling out from the indoor seating area, and I made a couple of quick exposures as we passed by.


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 | FacebookEmail

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.