Tag Archives: urban

Photographs: Netherlands, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Unfun

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Unfun
Weathered wall with graffiti, Amsterdam

Unfun. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Weathered wall with graffiti, Amsterdam

For the most part I don’t photograph graffiti, and on the rare occasions when I do in the US I may alter the painted “tags” in post in order to avoid giving publicity to folks who, it may be argued, are basically vandalizing the property of others. I’m also sometimes a bit uneasy, when the marks transcend mere graffiti and become street art, about simply capturing an image of someone else’s art and presenting it as my own.

But sometimes I can’t help myself. In fact, on our 2018 European travels we encountered so much graffiti that it would almost be dishonest to pretend that it isn’t part of the urban landscape. (Especially in Berlin. Very much especially in Berlin…) This little example comes from Amsterdam, and I appreciated several things about it. I was intrigued to see that it was mostly constrained to the blocks or rectangular material on the right side of the frame and mostly not on the bricks — almost as if these were somewhat well-mannered graffiti artists. The juxtaposition of shapes and colors interested me in its own right. And then there is that enigmatic “UNFUN” inscription in a somewhat neat sans-serif font, contrasting with the other colorful scrawls on this wall.

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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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Photographs: Netherlands, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Bicycles and Canal, Rainy Evening

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Bicycles and Canal, Rainy Evening
Bicycles locked to a bridge railing above an Amsterdam canal on a rainy evening

Bicycles and Canal, Rainy Evening. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Bicycles locked to a bridge railing above an Amsterdam canal on a rainy evening

If I remember correctly — and I’m pretty sure I do in this case — I made this photograph late on our first day in Amsterdam this past summer. We had arrived by train from London that afternoon, made our way to our hotel just outside the main “downtown” section of the city, settled in, and then headed on foot into the city to start exploring. For some reason I had expected sunny and somewhat warm weather — which had recently been the trend in northern Europe — but we certainly did not have that when we arrived!

This first late afternoon exploration was quick. It began with a stop at just about the first decent-looking restaurant we ran across, since we were pretty hungry by this point. We finished, went outside, and began walking. It was a dark and drizzly evening, which produced a subdued and moody effect. I made this photograph — obviously! — as we walked on a bridge across one of the canals, finding bicycles leaning against the railings.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

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.

Photographs: Netherlands, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Amsterdam Pedestrians, Rain

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Amsterdam Pedestrians, Rain
Light rain falling on Amsterdam street filled with pedestrians

Amsterdam Pedestrians, Rain. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Light rain falling on Amsterdam street filled with pedestrians

Amsterdam is really a place that is as dark as what you see here — or at least it wasn’t during the majority of our August 2018 visit. I heard from locals that it certainly can be cloudy there a lot, but we mostly had lovely weather, with clouds, an occasional bit of rain, but also plenty of sunshine.

However, the day we arrived it was rainy, and as we walked from our hotel (located just outside the central part of the city) towards the area of the familiar canals night was falling and it was a bit dark and mysterious, with lots of people walking along the wet and reflecting streets.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

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.

Photographs: France, Photographs: People, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Couple With Roller Bags

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Couple With Roller Bags
A couple of tourists pulling roller bags on a Paris sidewalk

Couple With Roller Bags. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A couple of tourists pulling roller bags on a Paris sidewalk

I photographed this couple in Le Marais, Paris, not far from where we stayed for a few days near the end of August. If I recall correctly it was Friday evening, and I suspect that these folks were just arriving for the weekend. (I could be wrong — perhaps they live here and were returning from travels.) Their appearance in this scene was fortuitous. I had noticed the monumental weathered wall in the background. I was intrigued, but it hardly seemed like a photograph by itself. But with people in the frame such a surface can add interest.

Being a relatively light travel — at least when traveling by air — I can also identify a bit with these folks. This European trip was nearly six weeks long, yet we managed to restrict ourselves to carry-on luggage — one backpack-style bag plus a smaller “camera” bag that fit under airline seats. (We cheated a bit, too. We did ship some more formal clothes ahead of time for one special event that we attended in Germany.) Even with our relatively light loads, sometimes at the end of a day of travel those bags just… weigh you down. These folks look like they just might be having a similar moment…

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

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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Email

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