Tag Archives: travel

Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Travel

Piazza Grande, Arezzo

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Piazza Grande, Arezzo
“Piazza Grande, Arezzo” — Buildings along the perimeter of the Piazza Grande, Arezzo, Italy.

During the summer of 2023 we went on a 10-week ramble though (mostly) Southern Europe. During the latter part of the trip we made a circuit through portions of Italy over a period of about three weeks. We made a point of visiting a few smaller places like this town of Arezzo. It isn’t entirely devoid of tourists, but it is nothing like the big, popular places. The photograph comes from the “Piazza Grande,” or grand square, in the upper part of the town.

It is a fascinating place. One signature feature of the square is that it tilts. It is built near the top of a hill in this high part of the town, and the slope is quite impressive. The square is surrounded by buildings that are hundreds of years old. We were there a couple of times, but on this afternoon we got there just before a thunderstorm arrived. and we quickly took refuge in a restaurant beneath a portico on the piazza as the storm began.

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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The Quiet Pacific

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The Quiet Pacific
“The Quiet Pacific” — The Pacific Ocean on a quiet, overcast morning on the Big Sur Coast.

There is not a lot happening in this photograph. In fact, the scene was as close to static as ocean scenes can be. It can be quite dramatic and dynamic here, especially if the sun is out, a big swell is generating high surf, the wind is blowing, and wildlife is present. But on this unexpectedly foggy morning it was quite still and most of the tourists were still sipping coffee back in town.

The location is a very high overlook along the Pacific Coast Highway south of Carmel. Several things intrigued me about the scene on this morning — not just the unusual stillness. The boundary between the ocean and sky was muted by the fog bank, and the light was soft and gray. A mysterious line of foam led from the foreground rocks far out into the ocean.

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: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sky

Mono Lake, Dissipating Storm

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Mono Lake, Dissipating Storm
“Mono Lake, Dissipating Storm” — An evening thunderstorm dissipates above Mono Lake on an autumn evening.

It is well understood that some of the most interesting landscape photography light comes at the edges of the day, around sunrise or sunset. When things work out just right, Sierra Nevada weather conditions amplify this light. During the summer months afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon, and they often break up around sunset, allowing light from the west to dramatically illuminate and color the clouds.

I had been photographing in mixed light during the afternoon — sometimes it was clear, but at other times is was overcast. As the day moved toward sunset, I was passing along the west shore of Mono Lake as clouds dissipated and that western light turned the thinning storm clouds into a fiery cloudscape above the lake.

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

Stairway, Kelvingrove Art Museum

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Stairway, Kelvingrove Art Museum
“Stairway, Kelvingrove Art Museum” — A stairway and red walls at the Kelvingrove Art Museum, Glasgow, Scotland

This is a stairway at the Kelvingrove Art Museum in Glasgow, Scotland. In addition to being a wonderful art and history museum, it has a few other special features. As I understand it, the more impressive entrance (which we used) is actually the rear entrance, bordering on a park. The reddish stone used in its construction is eye-catching, too. And once we got inside we discovered that the main hall has a pipe organ used for regular daytime concerts.

Ending up here was perhaps a bit less of an accident than some of the other stops on this day. We had walked from our hotel in central Glasgow, heading toward the West End where we hoped to see some of the famous street art and murals. The route took us through the park next to the museum, so we had planned stop there along the way. But detours abounded, and when we spotted the nearby buildings of Glasgow University we ended up taking a side trip there, too.

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.