Tag Archives: palace

A Room at Bahia Palace in Marrakech

Posted on January 8th, 2018 by

Intricate Beauty

This is but one of the ornate rooms that make up the beautiful Bahia Palace in Marrakech, Morocco.

A Room at Bahia Palace in Marrakech
A Room at Bahia Palace in Marrakech

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/2.8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 26 April, 2015
  • Focal length: 16mm
  • ISO: 3200
  • Shutter speed: 1/250s
  • Title: A Room at Bahia Palace in Marrakech

Old Guard House of Japan’s Imperial Palace

Posted on May 5th, 2016 by

A Preferred View

This is the view of this particular guard tower I prefer. It sits in stout defense of the unseen palace behinds its wall. It, guarded by a moat that would leave attackers undefended in crossing. The think is just outside the frame is a mass of new Japan. Big buildings and construction equipment abound. Behind is a massive parking lot. I don’t show you these. This photo looks old, but was taken in 2016. I guess in many ways our fortresses and our photographs aren’t unlike ourselves.

Old Guard House of Japan’s Imperial Palace
Old Guard House of Japan’s Imperial Palace

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 11 April, 2016
  • Focal length: 30mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/50s
  • Title: Old Guard House of Japan's Imperial Palace

Forbidden City Railing, Beijing China

Posted on July 13th, 2015 by

Sans Tourists

The Forbidden City in Beijing is PACKED with throngs of tourists. Despite this, there tends to be peak areas of concentration where the masses congregate in places as truly sprawling as The Forbidden City. Sometimes you are lucky (especially if you are early enough) to find open courtyards almost completely devoid of people! Always have you camera at ready, you never know when these opportunities will be disrupted by an ill placed tour group. I only had to remove about 5 people in photoshop for this shot and they were far off in the shot, making them really easy to remove.

Forbidden City Railing, Beijing China
Forbidden City Railing, Beijing China

Photo Technical Info

A Desperate View of the Doge’s Palace in Venice, Italy

Posted on September 15th, 2014 by

Choosing Photos

I find myself wondering as I type this, what draws me to a particular photo to work on it. There may be one singular element that triggers interest for me. Often, there are just photos I know will do well with my particular process, today’s photo wasn’t one of them. Today, I was intrigued by two things in this photo. One was how I caught the smallest sliver of the setting sun behind the bridge. The other, and most important element was the ghosted people along the corridor by the Doge’s Palace. The vantage point of this shot is from the front of the Venetian Prison and something about those distant uncaring ghosts seemed perfect to me.

A Desperate View of the Doge's Palace in Venice, Italy
A Desperate View of the Doge’s Palace in Venice, Italy

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/4
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 25 January, 2014
  • Focal length: 27mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Location: 45° 26.0237′ 0″ N 12° 20.4647′ 0″ E
  • Shutter speed: 10s
  • Title: A Desperate View of the Doge's Palace in Venice, Italy

The Cupola Room Fireplace Clock

Posted on December 9th, 2013 by

Kensington Palace

If I am being honest, British architecture is generally an underwhelming experience for me. The British just don’t have the panache of the French. I have the same problem with colonial American architecture…there is too much sensibility and little in the way of the madness of impractical beauty. One place I was pleasantly surprised was in the Cupola Room at Kensington Palace. The Palace has recently seen a bit of a renovation and this particular room is spectacular. This particular time piece is an insert for one of the palace fireplaces. I found it to be a wonderful bit of detail.

The Cupola Room Fireplace Clock
The Cupola Room Fireplace Clock by W. Brian Duncan

A French Provincial Cottage

Posted on September 5th, 2013 by

Playing Peasant

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.

HDR Photography
A French Provincial Cottage by W. Brian Duncan

Invitation to Palacio Duhau

Posted on July 1st, 2013 by

Spoiled

Ok…I admit it. Sometimes, in this crazy world of world travel I have engineered for myself, I get TOTALLY spoiled. Some people frequent hostels. Others couch surf. I stay in mansions. Truthfully I tend to stay in Hyatt’s and THIS particular Hyatt was formally a mansion. I sadly didn’t get to stay in the Mansion portion of the Palacio Duhau in Buenos Aires, Argentina (I was in the awesome tower). Honestly when I was encouraged to visit the Palacio by the impeccable staff of the Park Hyatt Buenos Aires I felt a bit out of place. Not out of place because anyone treated me so…in fact BA was one of the most camera accommodating places I have ever visited. I just felt under dressed (who is that jeans wearing American?). This is the upstairs hall leading to one of the dining location and the library. I am sure more of the Palace will show up on the blog at a future time.

HDR Photography
Invitation to Palacio Duhau by W. Brian Duncan

Palace Grounds

Posted on January 10th, 2013 by

Big House

The thing that impresses most (at least for me) at Versailles is the vastness of the complex. There are multiple palaces scattered around the grounds for as everyone knows the queen and the mistresses cannot reside in the same house, no matter how large. Regardless of infidelity as the king of a major country you also need to be able to get away from the main court to a much smaller and more intimate group. After all when you think about how some numbers put the number of nobles alone residing at the palace near 1000 people with some 3000 servants, there were a LOT of people milling about. We came up through the Orangerie and I was blown away by the scope of the palace. I wanted to capture the vastness of the building, how it goes on and on.

HDR Photography
Palace Grounds by W. Brian Duncan

Hidden Treasures

Posted on January 7th, 2013 by

Hidden Things

Sometimes the most wonderful things are hidden in plain sight. While I was walking around the grounds of the Louvre in Paris, I happened to (as I often do) look up. I was greeted by this wonderful piece of artistry attached to the ceiling. I am sure it serves some purpose. I am sure it has wonderful meaning. I am sure the artisans who created it put great effort and love into its birth. I am however not sure why it was there or quite why I enjoyed its company so, but what can tell you is all around us, there are things of beauty. We only have to look for them, and see.

HDR Photography
Hidden Treasures by W. Brian Duncan

The Main Palace at Versailles

Posted on October 8th, 2012 by

Golden Opulence

It is truly staggering how much funding monarchs have. The Palace at Versailles is the perfect example of the excesses of power; its beauty and seductiveness as well as its darker side. The site was originally a hunting lodge for King Louis XIII, then was later expanded by the same monarch to a château. Major construction bringing the palace up to the scope it enjoys today didn’t occur till the reign of Louis XIV and was accomplished in multiple stages (or building campaigns). It is an incredibly overwhelming complex of palaces. If you are in Paris, I highly recommend this day trip. Enjoy the wonderful romp though France’s decadent past! As a side note, yes that is actually gold (leaf) on the roof. If you find that impressive, you should see the inner gate!

HDR Photography
The Main Palace at Versailles by W. Brian Duncan