Author Archives: Bri Duncan

The Royal Chapel of King Louis XIV

Posted on January 29th, 2012 by

The Glory of Versailles

Versailles has been described as a temple created to one man…King Louis XIV. Enormous is scope, the entire complex is one of the most impressive I have ever seen. Multiple palaces (for the mistresses of the King mainly) and grounds complete with their own Venetian style canals and an Orangerie. The Sun King was perhaps nearly revered as a god among men, and requisite with this theme is a lack of Christian symbology anywhere in the multiple palaces, with the notable exception of the Royal Chapel.

All Worship…uh Hail…the King

In keeping with this “the king is pretty much a deity” theme, during daily worship the Royal Court of King Louis XIV’s time would kneel with their back to the alter (not pictured below, but directly below the organ seen) and look up to our pictured vantage point, where the King and his family would be worshiping. They would in essence have the pleasure of watching their King worship God with their own backs to the alter. An interesting big of symbolism, for the end of the Renaissance and what would eventually usher in the Age of Enlightenment. I don’t mean to suggest the airs of King Louis XIV where the foundation of “Reason” but simply mean to point out the interesting correlation. Isn’t history fun when its framed about pretty stuff?

HDR Photography
The Royal Chapel of King Louis XIV by W. Brian Duncan

The Windy Skyline from Millennium Park

Posted on January 22nd, 2012 by

Skyline

I was in Chicago, IL recently for a frequent flyer conference (I know…I know) and had a great time at the event. The first day I had a few hours so I took the Blue Line from O’Hare to downtown Chicago and spent a few hours roaming around Millennium Park. I took this from the foot bridge pointed back to the city with my back to the lake. It was a cool October day and I am not sure I was really prepared. After a few hours I was back on the train to O’Hare, only to come back into the city later that night (see Holy Cow!). For some reason this photo really reminds me of SimCity.

Site Updates

I have been working on the site at a furious pace. The major design elements are in place and I feel better about this site and its design that any of my previous works. I really want to make BatteredLuggage a great place for people to come for HDR travel photography. Plus, it’s just a really fun place to show some of the work I have been doing. Thanks for coming and I hope you will follow us in the future!

HDR Photo
The Windy Skyline from Millennium Park by W. Brian Duncan

A Night in Paris

Posted on January 15th, 2012 by

One Night

Paris is beautiful, but I really love the nights. There are fewer people milling about, and most (excluding the tourists) are busy eating dinner. The Parisians eat a bit late for my tastes, but we kept pushing dinner back further and further to really get into the swing of French life. The cafe’s even at late hours are full of people eating, drinking, talking and having a grand time. This shot was taken just South across the bridge from Île de la Cité on Rue du Petit Pont.

HDR Photography
A Night in Paris by W. Brian Duncan

The Bored Little Monster

Posted on January 8th, 2012 by

Gargling Gargoyles

The word gargoyle comes from the French work gargouille which has to do with the throat. Many of these little monsters are there to usher water away from the Gothic cathedrals and their name may have been derived from the gurgle of water flowing from their mouths. Hardly inspiring fear in the learned. Legend also has it they possess the power to ward off evil spirits. This guy is one was of the ornamental (evil spooking) variety.

Fame Monster

This gargoyle is also perhaps the most photographed gargoyle in the world. Over the centuries, it appears he has become bored of both the attention and the spectacular view of Paris he enjoys everyday. I don’t know for sure if this has always been the case or a stance that has evolved over time, but I for one was blown away by the view, despite the crisp Autumn air blowing around the first observation level of Notre Dame.

HDR Photography
The Bored Little Monster by W. Brian Duncan

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Posted on December 24th, 2011 by

Munchkins in the Fields of Indiana

On a business trip to Indiana, I was driving around the rural landscape and happened on this field that reminded me of the Yellow Brick Roads of Oz. In truth it was a soybean fields, but something in the lay of the land caused this bean farmer to have a wonderful flow to his planting patterns.

Happy Christmas

I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! In the next year I will be getting Battered Luggage’s design up and running and will be continuing to post new pictures of my travels. I hope to see you back in 2012!

HDR Photo
Follow the Yellow Brick Road by W. Brian Duncan

A Leaf at the Feet of the Arc de Triomphe

Posted on December 18th, 2011 by

Standing in the Streets of Paris

For some reason, French drivers don’t seem a bit phased to find a number of foreign tourists standing in the middle of their Boulevards taking photos of their monuments. Even, it seems, if those same tourists are photographing at night. I took a number of photographs on the streets surrounding the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile, namely I camped out in the middle of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Somehow I felt safer with the Parisian drivers than I do with my local Springfield drivers!

Side Shooter

This photo is from the side of the Arc where I became fascinated with this leaf that planted itself in my shot. Enjoy!

HDR Photo
A Leaf at the Feet of the Arc de Triomphe by W. Brian Duncan

The Best Door in Paris

Posted on December 11th, 2011 by

Lavirotte

One of our unintended great finds while visiting Paris was the at 29 Avenue Rapp in the 7th arrondissement, very close to the Eiffel Tower. Built in 1901, this Art Nouveau masterpiece by Jules Lavirotte is quite striking. The detailed door was designed by sculptor Jean-Baptiste Larrive and sculpted by a variety of others. If you happen to be in Paris, seek this beauty out!

What…You Want a Picture?

We waited for what seemed like ever for a man on the sidewalk outside to move. He just kept talking on his mobile and didn’t see at all impressed that I wanted to take a photograph of this door. I guess he was used to tourists snapping photos and moving on. I wanted something for my website that didn’t include his funny mustache!

HDR Photography
L’immeuble Lavirotte by W. Brian Duncan

Hello Everyone

Posted on December 6th, 2011 by

Welcome the wonderful world of BatteredLuggage.com. I am just beginning on the site design, but I am working a little every day to make the site look better! I sort of want the look of a cross between Indiana Jones and and old dark brown leather suit case. This site will be the place for me to post my HDR travel photography. I have been posting the images thus far on my personal blog over at IPBrian.com, but I thought they needed a home of their own. Anyway, as a work in progress I understand that you might have been looking for something else, so please visit some of my favorite HDR sites below:

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Posted on December 4th, 2011 by

Up Close and Personal

One evening while visiting some friends in Kansas City, Missouri, we took a car ride around during a misty, cold fall evening. We happened to be driving to the Power and Light District when I eyed a crazy structure off to our left. It was the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. With obvious architectural ties to the Sydney Opera House and the Guggenheim it truly is an impressive building which I look forward to seeing inside some day.

HDR Photography
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts by W. Brian Duncan

The Golden Spiral

Posted on November 27th, 2011 by

Fibonacci

Before we left for Paris I reread The Da Vinci Code. The twists of the plot line repetitively find a home in the Fibonacci sequence, a mathematical integer sequence where the first two numbers are 0, 1 and all subsequent numbers are the sum of the preceding two. What is truly staggering is the number of places you can see this form represented in nature, music, art, etc.

One of Many

One of many places I spotted the expression was in the spiral staircase that takes visitors to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. What made it stick out to me was the slightly golden color of the stairwell which was bathed in some sort of halogen light. Enjoy!

HDR Photography
The Golden Spiral by W. Brian Duncan