Category Archives: Seattle

Beautiful Photography of Seattle, Washington

Inside Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington

Posted on May 14th, 2015 by

Cornucopia of Sights and Smells

When I think of Pike Place market I think of a mess. Not because it’s unclean, no more than any open air mall, but because is the wild sense you get when visiting. There are 100 different and strong smells vying for your attention. Fish mongers throw fish, flower sellers clip stems for bouquets. Vendors hawk their wares, candy, nuts, fruit, pasta, flowers, fresh fish. The Puget Sound is right outside. All is chaos here, but its also alive and vibrant. The chaos can overwlems, but it also is exciting and wonderful.

Inside Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington
Inside Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington

Photo Technical Info

Metal Leviathan

Posted on January 15th, 2015 by

Red Letter Date

A few things are significant today. First it’s the start of a new travel year! There are so many places to go, but Southeast Asia (yes I realize its the rainy season) is high on my list for the first part of 2015. This is also my 300th blogged photo! When I happen to notice how many photos I have processed over the years for this site, I am always taken aback. Maybe it’s because processing is SO FUN, it doesn’t seem like work.

Class Five, Maybe Class Six!

On my first trip to Seattle I met up with a few friends. My buddy Justin took me several places to photograph. I had almost forgot about these crazy sculptures by the Ballard Docks. I don’t work with black and white enough, and Justin specifically always says I should more, so this photo seemed like a perfect opportunity so work in tones.

Metal Leviathan
Metal Leviathan

Photo Technical Info

Neon Fresh Fish Sign at Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA

Posted on May 8th, 2014 by

Fresh Fish

If you have been to Seattle’s Pike Place Market, you undoubtedly know this sign. I used a bit of creative license to make it my own. I did a similar thing for the Can Can Kitchen and Cabaret Sign also conveniently located in Pike Place Market. I wanted today’s photo to have a bit of an underwater, but out of place feel. It was shot during the day, but you would never know it. It is a bit whimsical, but then again I like such silliness.

Neon Fresh Fish Sign at Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA
Neon Fresh Fish Sign at Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA

Photo Technical Info

Can Can Kitchen and Cabaret

Posted on July 29th, 2013 by

Red Lights and Old Neon Signs

In the hustle and bustle of Pike Place Market is a little sign for the Can Can. I didn’t visit, in fact I have no idea what they do here. What I do know is I immediately fell in love with this sign. It’s rough and not well maintained, the walls around it were in need of paint, but there was a character that stood out amongst all the tourists and fish. I am forever saying I need to get better at shooting details, those little elements I love and remember long after I have left a place. This little sign falls squarely in that category.

HDR Photography
Can Can Kitchen and Cabaret by W. Brian Duncan

Fierce Seattle Totem

Posted on July 22nd, 2013 by

Totem Poles

I find the carvings of totem poles at the same time interesting and slightly terrifying. Perhaps it’s because I don’t fully understand their purpose, largely because each has a different meaning. This is effectively much like other forms of art or artful forms of history telling. This part of a totem is in a Victor Steinbrueck Park near Pike Place Market in Seattle Washington. I found myself just staring into his eyes a bit lost in wondering. I think he needed to be on the blog so today here he is.

Travel Photography
Fierce Seattle Totem by W. Brian Duncan

Mount Rainier

Posted on July 15th, 2013 by

Traveling Lucky

Pamela and I have been really lucky this year in our travels. I am not referring to how extremely lucky we feel to GET to travel (this applies triple for me), but moreover I am referring to how lucky we have been with weather. It hasn’t all been fantastic, but our trip to Seattle this year is a shining example. Normally when you fly into Seattle, you are doing good to see Mount Rainier…much less the other mountains. We had a ridiculously clear view of everything! When the captain announced we were flying by, I was also lucky enough to find myself on the left side of the plane. I snapped this photo of Rainier on a virtually unheard of nearly cloud free day in Seattle, Washington!

Travel Photography
Mount Rainier by W. Brian Duncan

Post Alley Gum Wall

Posted on June 13th, 2013 by

It’s NOT Free Candy!

There are a few things that are really odd about Post Alley in Seattle, Washington. First it’s an alleyway with lots of people coming and going. Generally that is a bad sign, but in this case okay. Second it smell STRONGLY of gum…there is a reason for this as it seems visitors deposit used chewing gum along the brick walls of Post Alley. I was unsure why or how exactly all of this came about, but to me…it is a work of minty art. Portions of the sticky mess reminded me so of Jackson Pollock I expected to see people flinging paint. I didn’t add to the mess myself, but the next time you are at Pike Place Market, give Post Alley a quick stop…its mesmerizing.

HDR Photography
Post Alley Gum Wall by W. Brian Duncan

Union Station Seattle Washington

Posted on May 30th, 2013 by

Rambling Man

I just got back from Buenos Aries, Argentina earlier this week. I really enjoyed myself, but South America is a very different part of the world. I don’t mean that in a bad way, simply different. I also passed a certain milestone…I have so far this year flown in excess of 50,000 miles. I don’t talk much on here about my other hobby of frequent flying, but I am well on my way to finish the year as an American Airlines Executive Platinum member (over 100,000 miles flown in a single year). It was a goal of mine at the beginning of the year that seemed almost impossible. It just goes to show, with proper planning, a great support team and a bit of perseverance, anything is possible!

More Trains!

If you have visited my blog in the past you know my love of trains. I usually end up at the train station when I visit cities all over the world. Whether subway stations, or Union Station, I just cant help but love trains!

HDR Photography
Union Station Seattle Washington by W. Brian Duncan

King’s Hardware Beer Wall

Posted on May 27th, 2013 by

Pubs

I am not one to generally hang out in pubs, but my friend Justin, who moved to Seattle said very clearly, “There are two things people in Seattle take seriously…coffee and beers”. To a pub we went for lunch after hiking around a few of Seattle’s wonderful outdoor spaces. I was really hungry and thirsty and the dark beer I had was perfect. I asked the bartender if I could take a few photos just because the place was so cool looking. He agreed and I went straight to this wall of beer. Part practical and part art, it seemed to me the best representation of how I felt about Seattle as a whole. If you happen to be in Seattle check out King’s Hardware.

HDR Photography
King’s Hardware Beer Wall by W. Brian Duncan

Kerry Park Overlook Seattle

Posted on May 20th, 2013 by

Textures

I have been a fan of Brooke Shaden’s work for some time. If you are not familiar with her, absolutely check our her work as it is a bit dark, dreamlike and always wonderfully imaginative. Last week she taught a Creative Live course oddly enough in Seattle (pictured in the photo below). I was lucky to get to catch a little of her teaching online and it got me to thinking about (among other things) textures. I rarely use them to enhance what is going on in my images and I don’t know why. They seem to be all the rage and I love the boost of interesting they add to a flat image so long as the texture is added to enhance what is going on in the photo, not just used in a cool Instagram way. What do you think about textures and did anyone else see Brook’s class? This was created from a single image.

Travel Photography
Kerry Park Overlook Seattle by W. Brian Duncan