Tag Archives: old

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: People, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Busker, Lisbon

Image September 13, 2023 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

As I have mentioned, we like to walk when visiting cities, and we did a lot of that when we were in Lisbon this summer. Like many European (and the centers of some American) cities, the place is really quite walkable, though we did deal with some hot temperatures… and, of course, the famous hills of this city. The hills figured in this photograph and some others I made on this morning. We decided to go to the area of the St. George Castle. (We did not go in the castle grounds — we explored nearby instead.) We walked… and we bypassed the tempting options to get driven up the hill. This was a lot more work, but we also saw a lot more than we would have if we let someone carry us up there!

We wandered various narrow streets in the upper areas of the hill where the castle is located. At one point I came upon this solo busker, setting up to perform in a place that seemed unlikely to see all that many tourists. It was kind of out of the way, against a wall where a road more or less ended — and, if I recall correctly, we were about the only people around. I slipped a few euros into his basket and make a few photographs, including this one.

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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

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Balconies, Ribeira

Image September 6, 2023 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Complex patterns of balconies, doors, windows and walls in the Ribeira District, Porto.

This little scene comes from the Ribeira District of Porto, Portugal. This very old area is on the steep slopes leading down to the banks of the Duoro River, which passes through the city and has long been a route for shipping. Because it is in this steep area and because it is very old, the narrow and twisting streets can be difficult to navigate… but also extremely intriguing, despite the number of tourists who flock to the area these days.

This vignette includes the balconies of some buildings that I first spotted at the end of a (rare!) straight section of a narrow walkway. (I have another photograph showing that perspective.) The scene is full of little details, and it is illuminated by the soft, reflected light that manages to make it to the bottom of this urban canyon — something that reminded me a bit of photographing in the red rock canyons of Utah.

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.

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Travel

Trattorria Pennello

Image September 3, 2023 G Dan Mitchell 2 Comments

Tuscan sun on the front of Trattoria Pennello, Florence, Italy.

As a dedicated fan of weathered surfaces, angular shapes, textures, and interesting color combinations… there is no shortage of photographic targets in Italy. Although this photograph comes from busy Florence/Firenze, with a bit of patience and good luck I was able to photograph this little scene without people.

The light is also special here. At times it can be soft-edged, especially if the humidity is high and/or there are some clouds. But in the middle of the day there can also be an appealing sharp-edged quality, too, that accentuates the textures and shadows.

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Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Travel

Pizzicheria de Miccoli

Image September 1, 2023 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Pizzicheria de Miccoli, before opening time, Siera, Italy.

It isn’t that we have no shops like this in the US — it is that they are so rare. But in Siena (and in many other places we visited) they are everywhere. Yes, this is a “tourist town,” but still — how many tourists are buying lots of cured meats? (Hint: they are a problem with carry-on airline luggage.) Everything about the front of this shop is a bit… unusual. The lovely little pink pig, the real pig head attached to the wall just left of center, the strange red curtain.

No, we did not go into this shop — even though it was on my agenda for this trip after I had seen and photographed it when we visited something like seven years ago. It is funny how inaccurate memory can be — I thought it was on an entirely different street in Siena.

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G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: old

Busker, Lisbon

Balconies, Ribeira

Trattorria Pennello

Pizzicheria de Miccoli

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.