“Stairway, Bath” — A partially-enclosed stone stairway connects streets in Bath, England.
It is easy for travelers to get swept up in seeing all of “the important sights,” the things that all the guidebooks list as the “Top X Things To See” in every city, town, or village. In truth, there are things on those lists that you really should visit. But there is a ton of fascinating stuff to be discovered if you go out and… just walk, perhaps with no particular destination in mind. These “discoveries” often create more enduring memories than the icons, and they help you start to form a personal relationship with places.
“Chair, Steps, and Door” — A white chair on steps in front of a black door, Kirk of St. Nicholas, Aberdeen.
I look for a various things when photographing cities — people, architecture, color and texture, special light, subjects that characterize the area… and things that just seem a bit odd, out of place, and hard to explain. This photograph falls into the last category, though I also like the contrast between the pure white of the chair and the darkness and heaviness of the rest of the scene.
“Cemetery Gate” — Cemetery, gate and stairs, Kirk of St. Nicholas, Aberdeen.
Often when I make a photograph I remember a lot of specific details about the subject, how it looked, and why I chose to photograph it. But I’m not always good about recalling specific locations. (In many cases the “what” seems more important to me than the “where.”) I’m pretty certain that this is an entrance to the cemetery around the Kirk of St. Nicholas in Aberdeen, Scotland. But while I recall the general layout of the place and the subjects I saw, I’m not precisely sure about the location beyond that general description.
“‘L’ Station Entrance, Chicago” — Entrance to a Chicago “L” transit system station.
We spent a few days in Chicago just before last Thanksgiving. You may wonder why a couple of Californians would choose to leave their 70 degree climate and travel the frigid Chicago at that time of year. It is a long story — but we enjoyed our visit and had a great time. No, it did not snow. Yes, it was cloudy and gray most of the time, but when the sun did peak through the clouds the light was beautiful.
We spent most of our visit within the confines of the downtown “loop” area, walking to all of the places we wanted to visit — Millennium Park, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Magnificent Mile, the Symphony and the Opera. By walking we got up close and personal with this urban city, including some distinctly non-tourist attractions like this entrance to the subway system.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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