When I go places there are a few shots I know I want to get. This one of Westminster Bridge, Big Ben and Parliament was one of those. I took tons of shots, but you almost can’t argue with just after the sun goes down and blue hour gets to moving. There is a dynamic stature to the light. I shot a bit, Pamela and I went to dinner and I can back for this beauty!
This meeting room artwork at the League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland is almost intuitively familiar to me. I have seen this artists work before in New York at Rockefeller Center. Jose Maria Sert was a Catalan muralist working during one of my favorite times in architecture created some amazing art in some of the greatest cities in the world. When I think to the early 20th century the Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris often comes to mind. I often think that if I could go back, Owen Wilson and I would have chose the same time period. I also remind myself the only real time is now and it will only be that which we make of it.
I arrived very late (11pm) to Vantaa Airport in Helsinki, Finland. I was staying for the night as I waited too late to book a room at the airport hotel and it was enormously expensive. Vantaa is supposed to be one of the best airports from sleeping so I thought I would give ultra frugal travel a try. What I learned is I will most likely never voluntarily sleep in another airport. Not that Vantaa was bad…quite the opposite, it’s one of the nicest airports I have visited. I just felt insecure. I spent the night worried someone would steal something while I was asleep. They didn’t, of course, but I could shake the weird feeling. Also, winter in Helsinki is COLD and the airport at night gets downright frigid. If you want to sleep in an airport, I would recommend doing it in Helsinki, but then again, I would not recommend sleeping in an airport.
Before my failed attempt at sleeping I wandered around and took some photos of the nearly deserted airport. There were two police officers on patrol who stopped me and questioned what I was doing. I always get flabbergasted when stopped by the police for some reason. I probably always seem like I am up to something. They liked my camera.
Oh the odd, odd life of a Monarch. Heavy, it is said, is the head that wears the crown, but perhaps it isn’t all bad. Sure you have to have food tasters because you are scared someone will poison your food, but you also get to build the old world version of an Amusement Park in your back yard. This is one of the cottages in Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet at the Palace of Versailles. She went here to get away to the simple life. You know, in those peasant houses designed for entertaining. Peasants don’t need sleep after all.
Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope everyone gets to get out and spend time in the sun one last time before the official end of summer. This photo was taken in Oahu at Puu Ualakaa State Park. There is a great overlook and not too many people. The trees were a bit tall for my liking, but you get a decent view regardless. I shot this as an HDR with multiple frames stitched together. I am afraid, because of its width, it displays smaller on the site. Click the photo below to get a slightly bigger version!
The facades of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona Spain are, much like the entire structure, difficult to conceptualize for people who have not seen the site in person. Honestly I am not sure I fully understand. Sure it’s a depiction of the life and times of Jesus, but aside from that, there are things going on in this cathedral that are mind blowing. The Passion Facade was stark and cold, understandable so…the figures were human, but distorted with grief. Here are but a few tortured souls.
I had a really long debate rolling with this photo. My internal discussion is honestly why I wanted to post this photo. The site itself is completely awesome! An 18th Century Medical Theater in Barcelona called Sala Gimbernat.
My debate was around the computer on this library table on the right. In the original photo (which was not square) the computer was in the photo, but when I was there I wondered about moving it for the shot. It wasn’t hooked up, just sitting there. On the left side of the table is a WONDERFUL ancient and massive book that I just loved. What do you think? If you were there by invitation, do you disturb peoples things to get a better shot? Does it matter if this would have been a paid shoot (I think so)? In the end, the computer stayed and I cropped to a 1×1 format which seemed to fit the idea better anyway.
Today’s photo comes from the Rookery Building in the heart of downtown Chicago. I was a bit surprised that they invited me in to photograph, I think from the general attitude they are used to patrons gawking. How can you not with all that marble and gold leaf. I was originally drawn to the site because it was refurbished at one point by Frank Lloyd Wright. The style isn’t prairie, but it sure it spectacular. My only regret was that so much of the building was off limits. Maybe one day I can coordinate some special access.
Today Ken Kaminensky shared a posted called The Exact Dimensions for All Your Social Media Photos and Graphics. It was so useful that I felt it best to give him a tip of my hat! Enjoy.
At 30 Rockefeller Center you will find some of the great New York Art Deco Architectural Masterpieces. Outside the entrance to perhaps the most famous building in the center is a wonderful saying taken from Isaiah. If to only hope for one, but two…I think our time (like most) could use a bit of both.
On Monday I posted a photo of Salon Dorado and said how much it reminded me of Versailles. I was working on some photos this weekend and one of them happened to be of the one of the many fountains in the gardens at Versailles…The Fountain of Saturn. It was out of commission while we were there, but I was still intrigued by the slightly grotesque nature of the work.
