Tag Archives: passageway

Dark Passage With Scooter

Dark Passage With Scooter
“Dark Passage With Scooter” — A scooter parked in a dark passageway with a door to a garden, Orvieto.

This little photograph from Orvieto, Italy captures a common sight here and in other parts of Europe — a passageway extending from the street toward a private, enclosed area, which may often contain a garden. These views are always intriguing, suggesting a world beyond the street that is private and not open to passers-by.

They are not always impossible to visit. In Sevilla, Spain we stayed in a small hotel that very definitely embodied the Moorish influence that is so prevalent there. The facility enclosed such a central courtyard, with a fountain, plants, and tables and chairs — a private place that seems pleasantly isolated from the nearby streets.


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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Doorway, Stairs

Doorway, Stairs
A doorway opens to a lighted passageway and ascending stairs.

Doorway, Stairs. San Francisco, California. July 25, 2015. © Copyright 2015 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A doorway opens to a lighted passageway and ascending stairs.

A small group of photographers was exploring portions of nighttime San Francisco on a recent evening, making their way from North Beach through Chinatown and towards the Union Square area. As we photographed and walked the light transitioned from evening (with some sun visible in places) to dusk (as lights came on) and then to darkness — at least as dark as it gets in this City on a Friday night. Our path took us to some areas that are not as frequently visited by tourists, but it also took us straight down a section of Grant Avenue.

Grant Avenue is what comes to mind for many people when they think of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Grant is the touristy “main drag” of the area, lined with a range of shops and business and restaurants, many of which appeal to tourists. At night much of this area shuts down, though restaurants remain open — but even as things close the light remains interesting. So we walked down Grant, stopping to photograph various things along the way. At one point we passed this somewhat mysterious doorway. Most such entrances are closed up tight, usually with a locked gate in front, but this one was open and light from the stairway inside flooded out onto the sidewalk. The walls around the door are painted in many colors, and ambient lighting adds another layer of color. My first thought was to make this a color photograph, but as I looked at it in post that seemed just a bit too obvious so I went with this monochrome rendition instead.


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