Tag Archives: structure

Armadillo, Glasgow

Armadillo, Glasgow
“Armadillo, Glasgow” — The curving roof of the “Armadillo,” a venue in Glasgow, Scotland.

The popular name of this modern-architecture pavilion/venue in Glasgow is “The SEC Armadillo,” or simply “The Armadillo.” It was originally known as the Clyde Auditorium (it sits on the banks the River Clyde), but apparently the Glaswegians have a habit of renaming big buildings in Glasgow, and this local name stuck — it is now essentially the official name. As you can probably guess, the name comes from the overlapping curved structures that form its remarkable roof.

We ended up here sort of by accident. We had taken a very long walk from central Glasgow all the way to the West End. Rather than retracing our steps on the way back, we headed to the waterfront to find an alternative route. There a friendly local greeted us and asked if we had any questions. We had a few… and before long he was talking our ears off about the history of the waterfront, the local architecture and much more. Heck, I would have paid a guide for that information! He pointed out the Armadillo and the path that would take us there on our way back toward downtown.


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.

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Weathered Wall

Weathered Wall
“Weathered Wall” — Abstract patterns of paint, stucco, and weathering on a wall in Orvieto, Italy

There’s really no obvious way to tell from the image that it was made in Italy — though once you know that you may recognize that beautifully worn and weathered walls are part of the landscape there. I spotted this detail as we walked through the small hill town of Orvieto during the summer of 2023.

While I usually prefer to think of such weathering as “picturesque,” you could be forgiven for regarding it as run-down, too. To be honest, the exteriors of buildings in big cities are not always pristine, and this is especially so when we get away from fancy downtowns and into regular neighborhoods. After years of visiting such places it finally occurred to me that people in these places might surrender exterior beauty, but that they transfer their aesthetic impulse to interiors. In any case, I’m happy to find subjects like this.


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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Arch, High Line Park

Arch, High Line Park
An arch structure at the High Line Park, Manhattan.

Arch, High Line Park. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

An arch structure at the High Line Park, Manhattan.

I didn’t even pause long enough to find out what this structure was. I was attracted to its form and its appearance in a space full of other linear forms, and by the low-angle and rather stark late-day light coming from the right. I suspect that it is some sort of commercial construction, but who knows? From appearances, it could be a monolith in the vein of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” though I doubt that this one was left by aliens.

The location is in Manhattan, along a section of the High Line elevated park that passes under the Standard Hotel just before the park terminates at the new Whitney Museum. This was at the end of our rather long walk that began all the way up at the west side of Central Park, during which I photographed everything from street scenes to architecture, trees to… this thing.


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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Window, Striped Curtains

Window, Striped Curtains
Red wall, green and white striped curtain, Venice.

Window, Striped Curtains. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Red wall, green and white striped curtain, Venice.

Venice is, of course, full of all sorts of grand and famous sights — the Grand Canal and all of the smaller waterways, St. Mark’s Square, and much more. We may have spent a bit less time in those places than some visitors, but we did visit them… despite the sometimes oppressive crowds that we knew we would encounter in August. But, as is our habit, we also just plain wandered a lot, enjoying the ambience of the place and discovering things on our own.

I do have photographs of some of the famous, iconic subjects. (Yes, you will see photographs of gondolas.) But as I wander in a place like this, at least on days when I’m actively photographing, I find myself shooting smaller subjects like this one, things that I think may suggest some subtler aspects of the character of the place.


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

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