We were out for a walk in Shrewsbury, and as we crossed a bridge over the River Severn we spotted this swan family in the water. The trick is usually to get critters to align themselves with the rest of the scene in a way that is compositionally interesting and makes them the primarily focus. Darned birds don’t always cooperate! But this time I only had to wait a moment — and then photograph quickly — for them to cross the river in the foreground.
Continue reading River Severn Swans
One surprising thing about the Isle of Skye and other parts of northwest Scotland is that mountainous landscape can be barely above sea level. I think it is a combination of the northern latitude and the rocky geology that gives us alpine summits rising directly from the coast. So I was constantly surprised and sometimes confused when we would drive though hills, past peaks, then come around a bend and see an ocean inlet like Loch Slapin.
Continue reading Loch Slapin
I made this photograph of the distant Isle of Rum from the hills right above the Scottish village of Elgol, on the Isle of Skye. It does not seem like this is one of the more popular places on Skye, to say the least. It is a long drive on remote single-track roads and, to the best of my knowledge, there are no big, iconic tourist sites there. It seems like a quiet place, and we had to search around to find one little place where we could get a cup of coffee and a snack. We were the only customers.
Continue reading Isle of Rum
Riquewihr, in the Alsace region of France, is one of those “too-cute-to-believe” villages, made extra so around Christmas, which is when we visited. Like many of the old villages here, it fits the expected profile of cute old villages, with an entrance through an old arch and many half-timbered old buildings lining a cobblestone street. Add holiday lights and it is almost a holiday sensory overload.
We stayed on the edge of the town for several days, so we could simply walk into the village. That’s what we did on this evening, when we took a stroll up and down the main street. I saw this walkway, with its great old bare tree and Christmas decorations beneath.
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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email
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