Tag Archives: wall

Three Windows, Florence

Three Windows, Florence
Three windows with green shutters on a weathered wall in Florence, Italy

Three Windows, Florence. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Three windows with green shutters on a weathered wall in Florence, Italy

This is one of the most prevalent color combinations we saw in Italian towns this past summer — the variations on golden-brown (which can range from essentially tan to dark brown) and the green shutters. I’m sure that not all of the shutters are actually green, but on some days it seemed so. And while I’m listing the typical things, the distressed wall surface needs to be included, as that is very common, too.

The three windows were on a nondescript building in Florence, on a side street a ways away from the bustling center of the touristy historic district. Here the streets were almost empty, and we wandered slowly among buildings, a small park, and portions of a university campus. I like the combination of the symmetry of the three windows with the distances of the open window at the left.


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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Purple Doors

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.

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Taberna Santo Antonio

Taberna Santo Antonio
Late-afternoon patrons gather at Taberna Santo Antonio, Porto.

Taberna Santo Antonio. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Late-afternoon patrons gather at Taberna Santo Antonio, Porto.

Given the recent string of Sierra Nevada Fall Color photographs, you might think that I have finished with the photographs from our long 2023 summer travel through Southern Europe. You would be wrong. ;-) I have mentioned before that I returned with about 5000 photographs. While I won’t share ALL of them here (you can thank me later!), there are more that are worth sharing. They will continue to appear from time to time over the next few months.

This one comes from Porto, Portugal, where we spend several days exploring the narrow and winding streets of the Ribeira district and surrounding areas. If I recall correctly, on this afternoon we had taken a long walk that looped through the busy downtown area, the wound down to the water and back up toward where we were staying… and, we hoped, to dinner! We ate nearby, but first we passed this colorful scene at a “taverna” with outdoor seating.


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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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.

Blog | About | Twitter | Flickr | FacebookEmail

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.