Tag Archives: urban

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Siena Backstreet

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Siena Backstreet
Pedestrians round a corner on a narrow Siena street lined with tall buildings.

Siena Backstreet. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Pedestrians round a corner on a narrow Siena street lined with tall buildings.

During our 2023 European travels we finally returned to Siena after missing earlier opportunities to go there during the pandemic. Seven years earlier we were there for literally only hours, spending an afternoon on a day trip from where we were staying in Chianti. We were entranced by the city, with its remarkable maze of narrow streets and large central plaza, Il Campo.

We made a point of scheduling a longer say on this return visit, with time to wander the streets, sit in cafes and restaurants, visit important sites, and make photographs. This scene is along a non-busy (remarkable, yes?) back street that roughly parallels two much busier thoroughfares. The narrow width of the route, the tall buildings, and the varied colors and textures are typical of this area.

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

Souvenir Vendor, Lisbon

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Souvenir Vendor, Lisbon
Vendor in front of his shop along a street below the Sao Jorge Castle, Lisbon.

Souvenir Vendor, Lisbon. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Vendor in front of his shop along a street below the Sao Jorge Castle, Lisbon.

We walked a lot during our 2023 visit to Lisbon, Portugal. Hey, walking is what we do when we travel! It may limit the distance you can cover a bit, but we think that we see a lot more of the places we go to when we walk. Lisbon is an interesting walking city. It is easy to walk many places, though there are two things to think about. First, it is a big city, and some of the more far-flung attractions are far away. (There is decent transit however.) Second, there are a lot of hills! Some are steep enough that even going down them can be a test.

On this day our goal was the St. George Castle, on the top of one of the hills overlooking the city. From our lodgings we walked down to central Lisbon and then started up the climb on the other side. Soon, as we reached the base of the hill we were to ascend, we encountered lots of ways to avoid the climb — if you were willing to pay for a lift up the hill. We pondered for maybe five seconds and then decided to walk. Walking is harder, for sure, and it is slower. But the latter is actually a benefit. When walking we see lots of things that we would miss on a tram or a tug-tuk ride. I photographed this little souvenir shop along the walk toward the castle.

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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Photographs: Croatia, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Travel

Window, Trogir

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Window, Trogir
Plants grow behind a small obscured-glass window in Trogir, Croatia.

Window, Trogir. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Plants grow behind a small obscured-glass window in Trogir, Croatia.

As another photographer once wrote, “There’s always something to see!” We all occasionally discover that we aren’t “seeing” like we used to, and perhaps we feel like there is nothing to photograph. But there is always something. It may not be the thing you were looking for, but if you keep at it, perhaps looking in places that you don’t normally pay attention to or possibly thinking about what you could do differently.

I was not planning to photograph tiny windows with plants behind obscured glass when I went out to photograph in Trogir, Croatia last August. I was in “street photography” mode, looking for people in interesting places and poses, against the backdrop of this very old city. But by opening my eyes and taking a bit more time I was able to see things like this that are easy to overlook.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

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

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

Purple Doors

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Purple Doors
A pair of purple doors and a peeling wall, Porto.

Purple Doors. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A pair of purple doors and a peeling wall, Porto.

We spent some time in Porto this past summer during a week in Portugal… and ten weeks overall traveling through (mostly) southern Europe. Porto is a fascinating city, quite energetic and active —especially during tourist season, I suppose — with a mix of the urban, the modern, the historic, and the rundown. It isn’t a simple place, but I can see why it has become so popular.

At one point it was a relatively poor city, but it is undergoing a rebirth and, for better or for worse, a large amount of redevelopment. Close by the Ribiera district, with its twisting, narrow streets there are cranes set up to remodel and update homes with remarkable views of the Duoro River. The old and the new seem to live in close proximity here. This pair of purple doors, set in a very weathered wall, were on a nearby street.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

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