Tag Archives: monochrome

Photographs: England, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

The Shambles, Morning

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The Shambles, Morning
“The Shambles, Morning” — People walk along a narrow lane on a late spring morning in the Shambles, York, England.

Yes, this. is another in the recent series of photographs from York, England. We were just there for a couple of nights back in early June, when we stopped during our train trip from Edinburgh to London. We didn’t really have time to do York justice, and some wet weather didn’t help, but we enjoyed our brief stay and would go back again. (As is typical with us, our first visit, among other things, usually reveals a number of things that we didn’t manage to visit — we’ll see them next time!)

This is a particularly narrow section of the Shambles, the very old commercial area in York, full of tiny shops. Many are quaint. Some are pretty touristy. (Along this street are several featuring Harry Potter artifacts — which some think is great and others think is a bit too much.) I made the photograph early in the morning, when the first arriving tourists shared the street with what I assume to be locals heading to work.

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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Conservation/Environment, Photographs: England, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Cobblestones in Rain, York

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Cobblestones in Rain, York
“Cobblestones in Rain, York” — Rain-slicked cobblestones in York, England.

The weather was rather varied during our brief early June stay in York, England. As I share photographs from the visit, you’ll see some made in lovely sun and others, like this, in more challenging weather. We were out for a wander on this day and clouds eventually turned to rain as we walked near the Yorkminster Church. As the light rain started — and before we decided to beat a retreat to a nearby restaurant for shelter and lunch — I paused to make this photograph of a cobbled street.

Photographs of particular places can suggest them to varying degrees. Clearly a photograph of a specific, iconic feature ties the image to the location with precision. Other photographs may work more subtly, perhaps capturing something of the mood of the place without shouting its name. And others may not be location-specific at all — like this one, which features a small scene that you could probably find on a rainy day in many places.

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.

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Photographs: England, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Fossgate Merchants’ Quarter

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Fossgate Merchants' Quarter
“Fossgate Merchants’ Quarter” — Pedestrians stroll through the Fossgate Merchants’ Quarter, York.

We stopped in York for two nights this past spring, breaking up a train ride from Edinburgh to London. We had not been to York before, but had heard that it would be worth at least a quick visit. There’s a lot of interesting things to see: The Yorkminster Church (where we stopped to hear some music), the historic walls around the town, the river, and the old central area within the walls, especially the well-known “Shambles” area.

Despite a few signifiers of York, I think of this photograph as being more a generic street photography type, with interesting buildings and other details and a small crowd of passers-by. The location is within the old section of town, roughly on the fridge of the Shambles area.

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.

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Photographs: England, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Underpass Intersection, London

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Underpass Intersection, London
“Underpass Intersection, London” — Two roads come together beneath bridges, London.

I photograph when we travel, typically using quite different equipment and techniques than for my landscape photography. While the latter usually uses relatively large and heavy equipment, I downsize in a major way for travel. This is partly due to the realities of travel — we go light and I don’t want or need a big bag of cumbersome gear. (That would actually decrease the overall quality of my photography, which is something I’ll write about at some point.) But it isn’t just the gear — it is also the whole approach. I shoot handheld with a small camera, and I often approach the subjects as a street photographer.

The decision to render this as a monochrome photograph was a bit of a surprise to me. Those round shapes on the wall above the sidewalk are blue lights, and when I made the exposure I thought that they might be a key element. But when I finally got to this image in post, I much preferred the mood of the image in black and white, so I had to let go of that preconception about the lights and color. (As much as pre-visualization is a crucial skill, sometimes post-visualization wins the day!)

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.

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