Into the Void
It has been several months since I posted an image from one of my favorite places to photograph…the Munich underground. This is Oberwiesenfeld Station on the U3 line. It is not one of the stations that is frequently photographed. Perhaps this is because the plain solid color on one side of the platform is, well, not very photogenic.
From the center of the platform, the lines and patterns do not draw your attention. As a result, I scouted several different perspectives trying to find a better composition. The patterned black and white wall is, by far, the most interesting feature…so I concentrated on it. Once I found this dizzying angle, I knew I had the shot I wanted.
I love including leading lines in images…and having lines from every surface pulling you toward the black tunnel at the far end was too much to resist.
Can your eyes resist being pulled in to the void?
Yin-Yang
This is an image I took several years ago in Hamburg, Germany. The swirling lines, multiple shapes, textures and tones all contribute to what I find very appealing in architectural photography. It has always been one of my favorites, but until entering it into the 2016 Monochrome Awards photo contest, I had not shared it with anyone or included it in my portfolio. With the opportunity to get some unbiased critique, I figured it was time to release this into the wild.
Monochrome Awards announced the contest winners yesterday and I am super-excited that the judges selected this image, out of 8,000+ images, as Honorable Mention in the Architecture-Amateur category. All of the judges selections are very impressive and it is really an honor to be included with them. I encourage you to have a look at all of the winning images here.
In case you are wondering, this is a parking garage…seriously. While wandering around Hamburg, I found myself here, looking up from the center of the ground floor. The swirling lines represent the up & down ramps that take you to various floors, while the roof features numerous openings allowing sunlight to filter inside. Easily the most beautiful parking garage I have seen…
But wait, there’s more to share from the contest…
As it turns out, one of my other contest submissions (see below) was also awarded Honorable Mention in the Abstract category. This image is one of the first photos that I posted on my Photoblog back in 2015. Click here to see the original post.
Family Water Blessing
While in Cambodia, we had the pleasure of walking through several small villages and seeing some of the lesser visited areas around Angkor Wat. Most of our best experiences happened far away from the crowds of tourists that come to see the amazing temples. This experience, in particular, is one that I will always remember.
As luck would have it, we walked by this small temple just as a family was receiving a water blessing from a monk. We were surprised and excited to see this taking place right in front of us, so we stopped to watch the ceremony.
By this time in our trip, we were getting accustomed to how open and friendly the Cambodian people are. As a result, I walked closer to them and kneeled down, holding up my camera to get their reaction to me taking a photo. Not surprisingly, they smiled and gave me permission.
I could not help but smile back at them as I was taking this image. Seeing several generations lined up together to share in this event was amazing. I do not think I have ever experienced a better Norman Rockwell moment…and I suspect I may never again have the opportunity to capture it in a photograph.
I smile every time I look at this image. Seriously…every time. Most of the time I smile because of the happiness that radiates in the family’s faces. Other times I smile reflecting on the memory of being there at that moment. The family received a blessing that day, but in some ways, I feel I did also.
Best wishes to you, your family and your friends during this Holiday season and for a memorable and enjoyable New Year!
Jim
Enlightened
This is the Buddha Dordenma statue that sits above Thimphu, Bhutan. It is not your ordinary Buddha, as it stands nearly 170 feet (51.5 meters) tall, making it one of the largest Buddhas in the world. It is made of bronze, but completely gilded in gold and can be seen from miles away as you enter the capital of Bhutan. Our guide, Ugay, brought us here one afternoon after touring the city. We had already visited several amazing temples the previous three days, so seeing a Buddha statue was nothing new, but the size of this one was impressive.
It was in many respects, the wrong time to take a photo…the sun was high and light was harsh, there was hardly any color in the sky, no clouds, no texture. But still, I wanted to try to capture this amazing statue…and that is when inspiration hit me to shoot for the end result, not what the camera can capture.
Knowing that I could do some magic in Photoshop, I set up my tripod directly in front of the buddha. Even though the light was harsh, I loved the way it was glowing off the face and side of the Buddha. I also could see that my lens was picking up lens flares, so I took a series of images with the flares and another series with my hand blocking the sun, so that the camera could focus sharply on the statue.
In Photoshop, I blended the images together and added color to the sky using the the gold in the statue as a source. The sun flares added an interesting element and I added some texture using a sun burst pattern in the background.
I often take photographs imagining what I want the final result to look like. That said, I rarely take the liberty of heavy handed post processing to make the image work. This ended up being much more of an interpretation of what I saw as opposed to a realistic image, but it was fun to create and I like the end result.
Hopefully the Buddha also approves…
Ground Under Ben
I have to admit, the first time I visited London I was a little starstruck walking around most of the famous tourist attractions. I suppose I felt this way because I was actually standing next to all of these places that previously I had only been able to experience in movies or pictures. They were suddenly real!
Seeing Big Ben checked off one of my many bucket list items. I remember walking down the sidewalk, turning the corner, looking up to see this and just feeling happy. Finally, Ben right in front of me…awesome!
As I walked by this sign, I knew I wanted to get an image of it and Ben. However, when I stood by the sign, I discovered that I had to crouch down close to the ground to get an angle where Ben was visible. I had a problem…the sidewalk was flooded with tourists entering and exiting the Underground station nearby. Getting on the ground would almost surely result in getting stepped on…or perhaps causing someone to trip over me as they walked by.
Fortunately my wife was with me and noticed my predicament. She offered to perform crowd control as I got low, doing an incredible job of shielding me from the passers by (and them from me!)
Problem solved. Memory captured. Photo assistant found!
To all of you in the U.S., Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you have a great holiday!
Falling Star
This is the Star Atrium inside the Dubai Mall. Standing near the center and looking up, you immediately see the reason for its name. There were only a handful of people looking down over the railing, but the floor where I was standing was bustling with people. Being the only person standing still, it was understandable that a few people bumped into me as I looked upward and captured a few photos.
I like using symmetry in images. It often provides a unique perspective of an area or building. Think about it, how often do you find yourself perfectly centered in a particular space?
But here, you can see that I am not standing directly in the center and I angled my lens slightly toward the longest point of the star. This gives you a slightly longer bottom part of the image, when compared to the top. I thought this composition complimented the slight asymmetry of the star and provided more depth. I also found the different colors found on each of the floors to be too distracting. As a result, I turned this into a simple black and white to give the lines, curves and shapes more attention. Anyway, just wanted to share what I was thinking in composing and processing this image. The color image is at the bottom of this post if you want to compare and contrast.
About 6 months ago, I posted an image from the Waterfall Atrium of this same mall (found here). I took over a hundred images while walking around the mall that day as the architecture and interior design is very interesting. Unlike everyone else, I was not there to shop…in fact, I don’t think I even went into a store...but I did not leave empty-handed. :)
Here is the image in full color...
Escape from Hell
I suspect there are few people whose main interest when visiting Stockholm is to wander through its subway stations. I am one of those people.
The Tunnelbana consists of 100 stations and several of them feel more like art exhibitions than mass transit locations. I was only able to visit a handful during my short stay in Stockholm, but this one was on the top of my list and it is absolutely striking…it is the Solna Central station.
Some of the older stations are dug into the bedrock and have bare, exposed rock walls instead of finished interiors. In this station, the exposed rock has been painted to create a panoramic image. Scenes with forests, waterfalls, people and animals adorn the walls as you walk from one end to the other. However, at this set of escalators, all you see is red and black.
Having just descended the long, deep escalator, finding this was a little surreal…maybe even a little unsettling. :) But I also found it fantastic and had to capture some images. Strangely, there were very few people in the station with me, so it was rather easy to get an image without people going up or down the escalators.
I have to think that if Hell wanted a grand entrance (or exit), this would do quite nicely.
The Watcher
In the spirit of Halloween I decided to do something a bit different this week and post an image I find to be a bit creepy.
This ghost-like, golem-like creature towered over me one day in Barcelona. I have to say, I felt a little eerie looking up and seeing this thing staring down at me. It was easily three times my size and the dark void of its eyes watched me very intently the entire time I was in its presence. Fortunately, it never moved…it only watched…and I was able to escape unharmed down a nearby staircase.
In case you are curious what this really is, it is one of the statuesque chimneys atop the roof of Casa Milà (La Pedrera) in Barcelona, another fantastic building by architect Antoni Gaudí. This chimney/statue/creature greets you when you climb the stairs and reach the rooftop. It is one of a dozen or more functional statues on the roof and was easily my favorite.
Boo!
Happy Halloween! :)
Prepare the Engines for Warp Drive
When I am out wandering in a city, I often go inside buildings to scout for photo opportunities. Many times there is nothing I find interesting, but occasionally I am amazed at what is hidden from the outside. This was one of those lucky finds.
This was taken in the Akademie der Wissenschaften in Berlin. Inside the main door, there was a reception area with a security guard and a small atrium just ahead. The security guard was on the phone, so I walked into the atrium to take a quick look. Honestly, there was not much look at, but I did happen to glance upward…and found this.
I was not sure if photos were allowed inside. I have found that each place has its own policies and usually ask permission. So I figured I would ask this security guard…when he got of the phone…and I waited for about 5 minutes. He did not seem to be concerned that I was carrying a camera. Nor was he paying me much attention. Getting restless, I pondered whether to ask permission or just beg for forgiveness. I decided to go ahead an take the shot.
As soon as I pressed the shutter, he hung up the phone and started yelling at me that “No photos are allowed!” So…I begged for forgiveness and it worked! He quickly calmed down and then opened the door, indicating I should leave. I took the hint and walked outside, happy for forgiving security guards and for getting this image. :)
The Caretaker
This image is from our past trip to Bhutan…another portrait of one of the people that I found so inspiring. We found the people of Bhutan to be welcoming and warm everywhere that we went. It seems to just be their nature, part of their culture.
We met this gentle soul while hiking up to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal, an important and beautiful temple that overlooks the Punakha Valley. Looking ahead as we walked through the rice fields, we could see him spinning a prayer wheel that marks the start of the ascent up to the temple. When we arrived he greeted us with a smile and welcomed us to this sacred place…his sacred place. We discovered, with the help of our guide, that he is the head monk and the caretaker of the temple.
After offering us a blessing, he encouraged us to continue our hike up to the main temple. He seemed genuinely happy that we were there to visit and we, in turn, felt fortunate that our timing allowed us this chance encounter.
I don’t often take portraits of people, but this was an experience I wanted to capture. Before leaving, I mustered up the courage to ask the monk if I could take his photograph and he happily agreed. With the light now above the mountains to the east and illuminating one side of him, I took this one image.
When I look at the image, I since the serenity and kindness that he possesses. Perhaps this is simply because of our personal encounter, but I hope that you can also see this in his eyes and expression. I also hope that if you visit Bhutan, you get a chance to meet him as well.
Fang of the Underground
I love using wide-angle lenses for architecture. However, as wide angle lenses can cause distortion, especially at the edges of an image, shooting very wide can result in challenges both in composition and in post processing. In most situations, photographers (including myself) want to eliminate any distortion in their image. However, I find there are times when this distortion can be used creatively and with interesting effects.
This is Hasenbergl Station in Munich…flipped upside down. That long fang-shaped thing coming at you is actually the ceiling that forms a canopy over the platform below.
By positioning myself at the end of the canopy and angling my lens upward at its widest setting, I was able to make the tip of the canopy appear much longer and narrower than it actually is. Additionally, the rest of the station is pushed further away from the viewer, making the space look larger than reality. Of course with this amount of intentional distortion, keeping straight lines straight becomes challenging. Through a bit of trial and error and careful positioning, I was able to minimize distortion on the straight lines on the ceiling and platform to my satisfaction.
In the end, this was a difficult image to compose and capture, but also an incredibly fun challenge at the same time. I suspect the people who walked passed me in the station that afternoon were wondering what the heck I was trying to do…adjusting and re-adjusting my camera position pointed at the ceiling. Fortunately, this station is near the end of a line, so it is never very busy. As a result, getting the final shot without people was the easiest part.
If you are curious what the station really looks like right side up, the picture below shows the station from the stairs leading down to the platform.
Skógafoss
This is another image of the incredible Skógafoss in southern Iceland. Standing at the base of this 200 foot waterfall was an amazing experience. As you can see, the spray from the fall is extensive, so there is no avoiding getting wet.
After I took this image, I hiked up to a lookout point on the right side of the falls. You may remember that earlier this year I posted an image of the Troll at Skógafoss. If you look closely, you can see some people standing about two-thirds of the way to the top…that is where you can see the Troll. You can also use the size of the people to get some perspective on the enormity this waterfall.
One of the many things I like about Iceland is how easy it is to access some of the attractions. Skógafoss is right next to the main road and an easy walk from the carpark. As a result, this is one of the most visited waterfalls on the island. There is a campsite just behind where I took this image and I was able to spend the night here…letting the roar of the water put me to sleep.
The Road to Enlightenment
One of my favorite buildings in Munich is the Pinakothek der Moderne, the Modern Art Museum. I recently spent a couple of afternoons walking around and capturing some photos of the interior architecture. Similar to many modern art museums, the building itself is a work of art. Clean lines, interesting shapes and ever-changing shadows created by the open atrium present a lot of opportunity for photographers.
This image was taken on a staircase that winds around the circular atrium walls. While most of the atrium is open to all levels of the museum, this particular staircase is separated by a partial, curved wall. Looking straight up, you see the natural light bounce off of the ceiling creating a great glow effect. As you get closer to the top, the area becomes brighter and brighter.
I particularly liked these vertical lines that are spaced evenly as you ascend the stairs. Some of the lines are filled with light, while others are a dark gray. I positioned myself here because the alternating light and dark line reminded me of a center line of a roadway leading into the light.
If only enlightenment could be reached by climbing a short flight of stairs…
Blue Descent
A rather short post today, as life events this week are restricting my free time. I did, however, want to keep my weekly streak alive and publish an image for those of you following this thread.
This is a staircase in Hamburg. It is in the Laeiszhof building, one of the many historical buildings in the city. It was the color that first caught my attention. I find something soothing about blue in photographs. This may be the reason I like capturing landscapes and cityscapes in the “blue hour”. I don’t think that I have ever seen a blue staircase before. I suspect others exist, but this was a first for me. Without the blue, I am not sure I would have even taken a photo of this staircase. I have seen many others staircases that are more interesting, but the border of blue made it unique in my eyes. I hope you agree.
Until next week, when I hope to have a bit more time to share an image and a story…
Wanaka Willow
In my opinion, New Zealand may be the most amazing place on the planet. The landscapes you see in every direction are unsurpassed. The mountains, lakes, rivers, valleys are captivating and the views seem to go on forever.
Driving from Mt. Cook to Queenstown, we made a stop at Wanaka to get something to eat and enjoy an afternoon at the lake. While here, I had to have a go at the famous tree that grows near the shore…the Wanaka Willow…and by near the shore, I mean IN the lake.
On this afternoon the wind was strong, creating choppy waves in the shallow water. Most images of this tree are long exposures that flatten out the waves/water, causing a glassy/sandy effect. I have seen numerous beautiful images using this technique, primarily at sunrise or sunset. I had planned on doing something similar, but when I saw how surreal the tree looked surrounded by waves, I decided to keep the texture of the water.
This may very well be one of the most photogenic trees in the world. It has become the symbol of Wanaka and even has it’s own hashtag – #ThatWanakaTree. What is also amazing is that this tree started life as a fence post at least 77 years ago. A local historian remembers the fence back in 1939 and has watched it evolve from a "hacked off branch from nearby willows" to a symbol of determination…it has been growing slowly ever since.
The Theological Hall
While wandering around Prague, I decided to go into the Strahov Monastery. It is not high on the list of attractions in a city that includes so many amazing towers, castles, bridges and churches…but I found myself right next to it one day and decided to pay the entry fee to have a look around. It is mainly a museum these days, fairly plain in exterior appearance, but it contains two amazing interior rooms. This one is the library, known as the Theological Hall completed in 1679.
You can’t actually enter the room as ropes keep you restricted to the outside hallway, but from the entrance you can look down its long corridor and view the ornate ceiling, paintings and bookcases. Based on the simple design of the rest of the building, I was completely surprised to walk down a hall an find this!
In order to take photographs inside, you must donate 5 euros to the monastery. I happily made the donation and consider it money well spent as this is one of the coolest rooms I have seen. Exploring lesser-known attractions occasionally results in surprise finds like this one…especially in cities as rich in history as Prague…and can provide unique opportunities to capture something that few others have.
Circumambulation
I mentioned in a previous post how much I was inspired by the people of Bhutan…this is another example.
While visiting the National Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, Bhutan, we watched hundreds of Bhutanese pray at this sacred temple. This is one of the most popular Stupas in Bhutan, so it is quite common to witness large crowds here throughout the day. People pray while walking in a clockwise direction around the temple…it is called Circumambulation. Most of the people we saw walked in groups, praying together…although some walked/prayed alone. There are also a lot of on-lookers just beyond the temple walkway that enjoy watching those praying.
As I sat nearby and watched people make their way again and again around the Stupa, I found myself waiting for this young lady to re-appear from behind the building as she made another pass. Her beautiful clothing immediately caught my attention, but on each subsequent pass I was able to look a little deeper. She walked alone and never wavered in her intensity, spinning her prayer wheel (also clockwise) while chanting prayers as she circled the temple.
On one pass, I grabbed my camera and took a few images of her. I was hoping to capture her concentration, the spinning of the prayer wheel and the vibrance of her clothes contrasting with the almost pure white walls of the temple. This ended up being one of my favorite images from the trip along with a great memory.
Ascend
One of the things I find myself doing a lot in NYC is looking up. It is hard for me to keep my eyes straight ahead, being surrounded by so many towering structures...I suppose this may be true for most people (at least for those who do not live there).
While I am always impressed at the engineering necessary to erect these buildings, I find it difficult to photograph them in interesting ways. Your perspective and composition at street level is rather limited.
However, while walking through this semi-circular courtyard I loved the way this group of buildings complimented each other. Facing this direction, the one across the street closes the open-end of the horseshoe, while the taller building behind ascends at a different angle into the sky. The opposing lines, angles and curves work so much better together than as individual parts.
As a side note, the most difficult part of getting this image was avoiding the numerous Town Cars that were picking-up and dropping-off people inside this courtyard. I had to wait my turn until there was a pause in the car traffic coming through. I thank those drivers who waited (somewhat) patiently, while I clogged up traffic for a few brief moments to capture this.
To Olympia and Below
Last week there was a tragic act of violence here in Munich, near the Olympia Enkaufszentrum. My thoughts & prayers go out to all of those who have experienced loss as a result of this inexcusable act.
I deliberated a bit before posting this, as I do not want to trivialize this horrendous event in any way or offend those affected. The people of Munich, their culture and the wonderful surroundings make this city an amazing place to experience, visit, live. I intend this simply as a reminder that the acts of one person should not succeed in undermining the beauty & spirit that is otherwise prevalent.
There are numerous attractions near Olympia Enkaufszentrum. Perhaps the most beautiful is Olympia Park with its walking trails, lake, artistically designed stadiums and the iconic Olympic tower. But there is also beauty underground…
Most of my visits to Olympia Enkaufszentrum involve arriving or leaving on the U3 line of the Munich U-Bahn. I think this station is amazing! I have been here several times to photograph it from different angles and perspectives. It is almost always busy, but if you arrive here early, like I did on a Sunday morning (when all the shops above ground are closed) it looks like this.
The shapes, colors, lines, lights and textures are captivating when you take the time to look around the station. The walls are covered with metallic pyramid elements that create interesting light and reflection effects.
This is one of my favorite perspectives…the center of the platform looking at the escalators. There is a lot to take in here, which is perhaps why I like it so much.
I am a strong believer in taking a moment to reflect on the beauty around us. I find it both relaxing and inspiring…especially in the presence of grief, fear & reflection.
Fingers to the Sky
This is the Diagonal ZeroZero building in Barcelona. I think it is one of the most interesting buildings in the city. The exterior of the building features numerous white colored beams that stretch from the ground up to the top. Some of the beams are straight, others are bent, and they help form a unique carapace around the structure.
This was taken at street level, facing the sharpest point of its trapezoidal, asymmetrical shape. From this angle, the beams seem to reach for the sky. There was a perfectly clear, deep blue sky this afternoon which provided some nice contrast to the white building. I knew I wanted the final image to be monochrome…mainly to help emphasize the lines and texture…and the blue sky was easily turned into an almost pure black during processing. No other nearby buildings are visible from this angle, so isolating the building was rather simple.
While Diagonal ZeroZero is a cool name for a building, it has nothing to do with its design…it is simply its address as it sits on the origin of Diagonal Avenue, Barcelona’s main thoroughfare.
