Tag Archives: old

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Travel

Arches and Columns

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Arches and Columns
“Arches and Columns” — Arches and columns at Glasgow University.

Serendipity brought us to these arches and columns during our visit to Glasgow. As we often do, we headed out on foot in the morning with only a general idea of where we were headed — essentially in the direction of the West End. We knew there was a museum along the way that we wanted to visit, but that was about it. As we approached, the impressive Gothic tower at Glasgow University dominated the skyline, and we decided to investigate.

There are modern buildings here, but this central Gothic structure, built around inner courtyards, caught out attention. At first we admired it from outside, but then I saw an entrance and thought “why not?” We walked in, wandered a bit, and eventually found these arches and columns over a walkway between the courtyards.

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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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

The Old Tree

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The Old Tree
“The Old Tree” — An old, gnarled monterey cypress grows along the cliffs of Point Lobos State Reserve.

This Monterey cypress has long been a favorite subject of mine at Point Lobos, but this year I learned something new about it. It has a name. It is known as “The Old Veteran” or “The Old Veteran of Point Lobos.” I discovered this while looking up information on the distribution of Monterey cypress trees, and one source I found included its picture and the name. Further reading turned up an estimate that it is probably 200-250 years old.

It certainly is a weathered old specimen. It lives on top of a rocky outcropping at the edge of a steep face that drops straight into a cove. One wonders if there was perhaps more soil over those roots in the past, but it hangs on still. From looking at older photographs, it appears that the tree is now increasingly stressed. There were more green branches in the past, and one prominent limb that used to extend to the left is long gone.

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

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Blue Frames

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Blue Frames
“Blue Frames” — An old stone building with blue frames around doors and windows, Stirling, Scotland.

The main focus of our visit to Scotland earlier this year was waking the Great Glen Way from Fort William to Inverness, but that hike only took up about a third of our visit. Before the walk we spent several nights adjusting to jet lag, including stays in Glasgow, Oban, and Fort William. After the walk we had a night in Inverness, and multiple nights in Stirling, Glasgow, and Edinburgh… before a bit more than a week in England. Stirling, where I made this photograph, was our first serious non-hiking destination after the walk.

Like so many old towns — and Stirling is very old — the construction materials often reflect what was available locally. Here many of the old buildings are stone — they have been updated for modern tenants, but their appearance is far from contemporary. I love interesting geometry and color, and this juxtaposition of old stone walls with the blue-painted frames around the doors and windows caught my attention. Looking more closely, you may also see the remnants of older openings that have been closed off.

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

Oxford Pedestrians

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Oxford Pedestrians
“Oxford Pedestrians” — Pedestrians pass by an old buliding in Oxford, England.

We ended up taking a day trip by train to Oxford during our June visit to London. (This was the tail end of a longer trip that was mostly in Scotland.) We were in London long enough to feel like taking day trip was worthwhile, and our oldest son had just returned from a week of work in Oxford, so it was on our minds. We got up early, made our way to the train station, and were soon on the one-hour trip to the university town.

It is, of course, a popular day trip and there were lots of other visitors. It is interesting to consider the attractions of the place. The historic university is, of course, the main thing. But as much as the academic tradition is important, I think that the visuals of the town are a pretty big draw, too. It is full of these old buildings with their many intricate details. And let’s not forget the attraction of any place that evokes the popular Harry Potter imagery!

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.