Tag Archives: wall

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Travel

Fabrica-Real de Tabacos

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Fabrica-Real de Tabacos
“Fabrica-Real de Tabacos” — Hand-painted sign at the historic Sevilla tobacco factory building.

The site of this historic “tobacco factory” was a short walk from our lodgings and along the route to the Maria Luisa Park, so we made a point to find a route that passed it. You might wonder about the significance of a… tobacco factory, but there’s a lot of fascinating history to the place. One bit that we were already aware of is the connection to Bizet’s opera, Carmen. Bizet’s libretto was adapted from an earlier story inspired by the women who were employed here. As they say on those TV ads, ” But wait, there’s more!”

While working on the photograph I discovered fascinating information. First off — and I had probably heard this before but forgotten — tobacco was another of those products that came from the “New World.” Very early on, Sevilla established a factory, first to produce snuff and later smoking tobacco in the form of cigars. Unlike just about all other factories, the employees were women. (I won’t go into the reasons for that here, but it is worth looking up if you are interested.) Later on the building — one of the very largest factories of its time — was taken over for use by a university, which seems like an unlikely event!

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

Wall And Barred Window

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Wall And Barred Window
“Wall And Barred Window” — A barred window and weahtered wall in Italian summer sun, Siena.

This photograph of a small section of an otherwise nondescript wall along a Siena, Italy street was triggered, I suppose, by my fascination with patterns, textures, and forms — and by how they come together. You might not know it from the photograph, but the sun was very bright a the time. When I looked at the result later on, I first realized that color played virtually no role in the photograph and that I had more control over that light with a monochrome rendition.

As is often typical of me, I did not even note what the building was. (I might be able to figure it out from some other photographs, but it may not be important.) Part of what I like about the subject is the the perfect symmetry and form of the lines on the wall and the square window is dissonant with the weathered and peeling wall surface and the slightly bent grate over the mysterious window.

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

Piaggio Ape in Turquoise

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Piaggio Ape in Turquoise
“Piaggio Ape in Turquoise” — A colorful Piaggio Ape “pickup truck” parked next to a stone wall in Orvieto, Italy.

You may recall another recently shared photograph of one of these vehicles. It was actually the very same one, though photographed from a different angle and rendered in monochrome. And I’m not done — there is another coming, an example that is highly modified, to the point that it probably qualifies as a mini art car.

These little three-wheeled vehicles (and others like them) are common in these European cities with very old and very narrow streets. The town of Orvieto, where I photographed this one, is no exception. While the color of this Ape (“bee”) is a striking and attention-getting turquoise, it is clear that this is a vehicle intended for utilitarian use.

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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Photographs: Nature

Fern and Rocks

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Fern and Rocks
“Fern and Rocks” — A fern plant grows from cracks in a rock wall, Hakone Gardens.

This is another photograph from our visit to the Hakone Gardens here in the San Francisco Bay Area. We went in the early evening on spring day when the garden was open to celebrate cherry blossom season. The sun was still up when we got there, but during our visit the light transited through sunset to twilight.

The garden is packed with fascinating details, accessible by winding paths that climb and descend the property. later in the evening we climbed to one of the higher points and I stopped to photograph these ferns in fading light.

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.