The Tiger's Nest - Paro, Bhutan

Almost exactly one year ago today, I hiked up to one of the most amazing places in the world…the Tiger’s Nest. It is a monastery built into the sheer cliff face 3,000 feet above the Paro Valley in Bhutan. It’s real name is Paro Taktsang and it is sacred Bhuddist temple built in 1692. According to legend, Guru Padmasambhava flew to this location from Tibet on the back of a tigress and is said to have meditated here in a cave for three years, three months, three weeks, three days and three hours in the 8th century.

When you are on the valley floor, the temple seems unreachable…you see it only as a small spot on the cliff wall. Fortunately the climb is less intimidating than it appears. Ugay (my guide) and I started the hike early in the morning and were able to reach the top in just over 2 hours.

As one of the first people to reach the top this particular day, we experienced the temple in almost sheer solitude. Taking in the site from a nearby vantage point, I pondered how much labor it took to build it, the engineering behind it, and the peace and serenity I felt gazing upon it. I remember the stillness and the silence…it made a lasting impression on me. 

The light for photographs was not the best, so we continued forward to enter the temple. Once inside, we made our way to the most sacred place…the cave entrance where Guru Padmasambhava landed and meditated. The resident monk sprinkled us with water and gave us a blessing. Later we wandered around the various rooms of the temple, investigated the many Buddhas located here, meditated and, lastly, spent time at an overlook taking in the view of the valley below.
 
Upon leaving the temple,I took several photographs from various vantage points. Somewhat reluctantly, I ventured off of the walking paths to take several images…beyond the wooden rails that provide some safety from falling off of the cliffs (unfortunately, people die here each year while making the trek to the top.) Ugay, perfectly surefooted, made sure I did not fall while I set up my tripod and took the image that you see here. 

Bhutan, in general, is a magical country and visiting the Tiger’s Nest was the highlight of my time there. I did not want to leave, so Ugay and I sat here for some time taking in the view and listening to the colorful prayer flags fluttering in the wind. An amazing experience. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Bhutan, I encourage you to go…and take me with you!

Dreamland - Jökulsárlón

Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon is located on the southeast coast of Iceland. The scene in the lagoon changes everyday as icebergs calve from the nearby glacier and slowly float towards the river mouth, eventually making it out to sea. Some even get pushed back by the incoming tide onto a black sand/stone beach where they slowly melt (here is an image I captured from the beach).  

Shortly before I took this photograph, several layers of clouds were blanketing the sky and it was a dull gray light everywhere. It was about an hour before sunset and I was passing the time by watching several seals swim amongst the icebergs and hoping the weather would improve. 

Then, all of a sudden, some of the lower clouds parted and the sun was able to shine through enough to create this crazy, almost surreal, glow. Fortunately, I was ready and captured some images as quickly as I could. I wish I had more time with this epic light, but just a few minutes later, the clouds covered the sky again and all color was lost…but at least the moment was captured. :) 

Exit the Frame - Hamburg

While exploring around the port of Hamburg, I walked past this modern building with an open atrium and a floor to ceiling glass wall. Being a fan of architecture, I walked in just to take a look around and immediately gravitated to the symmetry of the grid pattern on the wall and how it framed the port scene outside.

It is rare to have such straight lines in a landscape image and capturing them without any distortion took some time to compose. It was a unique scene…the cranes in the middle were perfectly framed by the door, the clouds were dramatic & moving quickly across the sky and the grid pattern, well, was just cool! That said, it was still a bit sterile…it needed a subject…and then a man walked by, and that made all the difference.

Sails & Anchor - Potsdamer Platz

A couple of years ago I visited Berlin and was impressed by the amount of interesting architecture throughout the city. The modern buildings built since the fall of the Berlin wall combined with the historical gates & cathedrals provide ample opportunities for architectural photography. This image features the ceiling structure of the Sony Center in Potsdamer Platz. Its constructed of glass, steel & textile sails and has become an internationally famous landmark of Berlin. 

The history of Potsdamer Platz is way too long to go into here, but perhaps most notable in its history is the fact that it was split in two by the Berlin Wall and was basically a “no man’s land” while Germany was divided. After the initial opening of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, it was one of the earliest border crossings between East and West Berlin. Since the reunification, the area has been the site of a massive renovation with numerous modern buildings like the Sony Center being constructed to revitalize the area.

There is a lot more history surrounding Potsdamer Platz going back to the early days of Berlin, so, if you are curious, I suggest you check out this great Wikipedia article to learn more. It has a lot of good information.

Composing an image here was more challenging than I anticipated. It is not as big as it appears in this photo and what you don’t see here are all of the tables, chairs & kiosks of the restaurants and vendors that reside here…along with the crowds of people filtering in and out of the building. Thanks to a wide angle lens and a fairly quiet corner spot, I was able to get a composition that highlighted only the textures and shapes of the roof without all of the activity taking place around me.

Misty Morning in Val d'Orcia

One of my favorite places in Italy is the Val d'Orcia. It is a beautiful valley in Tuscany that features rolling hills, fields, vineyards, olive groves, those great cypress trees and Medieval castles.  In certain spots you have magnificent “big” 360 degree views of the countryside that never fail to impress. It is no wonder that UNESCO included this area on the World Heritage List in 2004. 

The first time I visited here in 2010, I was awestruck at the natural beauty of the place. It has inspired numerous artists from the Renaissance to the present day and there are photo opportunities everywhere. What makes it even more fun to photograph, is that the colors change every season and the weather and light have a dramatic effect on the look of the surroundings. 

On the morning that I took this image, a light fog filled the low parts of the valley (which happens often here), creating this dreamy scene with the picturesque hilltop farmhouses. 

The Moeraki Boulders - New Zealand

The Moeraki Boulders are a group of very large spherical boulders scattered along Koekohe Beach on the South Island of New Zealand. According to local Maori legend, the boulders are gourds washed ashore from the great voyaging canoe Araiteuru when it was wrecked upon landfall in New Zealand hundreds of years ago.

Scientists consider them to be geological marvels, formed around 60 million years ago in a pearl-like process that took as long as four million years. Some of the boulders weigh several tons and are up to 3 meters in diameter. Additional boulders are beginning to be exposed through continual shoreline erosion of the coastal cliffs that back the beach.

The Boulders are one of the most popular tourist attractions on the Otago Coast. And, while you would never know it from this photo, there were three large tour groups here on the morning that we visited. With some patience and a little luck, I was able to snap this image during a moment while all of the other tourists were off investigating other boulders scattered around the beach. 

The Blue Underground

After a few outdoor images the past several weeks, I wanted to get back inside to another one of my favorite U-Bahn stations in Hamburg, Germany. It is Überseequartier, located in the HafenCity district.

It is relatively new, being completed in 2012, and sits near the end of the U4 line...so there are (currently) relatively few people here at any one time. In fact, I was the only one here for about a 5 minute span. The walls and ceiling are covered in blue tiles that reflect the white lights placed in the walls. It is a very modern design with various lines, shapes and angles that I love in architectural photography. And, yes, it is that clean! 

If you make it here, I suggest you also visit the HafenCity Universität station one further stop down the line. It was featured in a post last month. In case you missed it, you can see that image here.

Sólfar - The Sun Voyager

This gleaming steel sculpture on Reykjavik’s waterfront resembling a Viking ship is named Sólfar (translated - Sun Voyager.) It is a popular landmark in the city, created by Jón Gunnar Árnason in 1990. Árnason envisioned it as a dreamboat and an ode to the sun. 

When the sun shines in Reykjavik, the glow & reflection off of the polished steel is striking. The sculpture sits on reflective tiles which mirror what is on the surface. I found it to be a beautiful piece of art. 

On this day, the clouds overhead were moving fast and the sun’s rays broke through for only moments at a time…quickly being obscured by the next cloud to pass. I decided to used a long exposure of over 4 minutes to soften the water & sky and to focus more attention on the sculpture. This also allowed me to capture the sunlight, when it did make an appearance, and get the bright reflections off of the steel.

Kirkjufell (Church Mountain)

This is Kirkjufell, one of the most famous mountains in Iceland. It is situated on the coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, near Grundarfjörður, a small village in western Iceland of about 900 residents. It may also be the most photogenic mountain in Iceland as it can be photographed from many different angles. This is not the most popular view of Kirkjufell, but I love it though as the symmetry of the landscape is almost perfect. Not only is the mountain shaped like a pyramid, but the distant hills on the left and right mirror each other just as the road mimics the left shoreline. It was just starting to rain and the dramatic sky was the perfect complement with the clouds swirling around the tip of the mountain. I stayed for three days in this area photographing Kirkjufell from every angle in constantly changing weather. It is a magical place and I will share more photos in later posts as it never fails to disappoint. It is one of my favorite places in Iceland and I can’t wait to return to see it (and photograph it) again.

San Giorgio Maggiore at Dawn

Venice is easily one of my favorite cities in Europe. Its narrow winding walkways, numerous bridges and maze of canals make it a truly unique place to visit. I prefer to wander around Venice at night or early in the morning before the crowds of tourists fill the alleyways & piazzas. At these times you have the city to yourself...it is quiet, peaceful, a joy to explore or even get lost (which happens to me frequently due to the twisting passages & canals!) For this image, I awoke around 4:30 am and wandered through St. Marks square in the twilight and completely alone…which was a great experience in itself. As the sun began to rise, I walked down the popular Riva Degli Schiavoni promenade next to St. Mark’s square. This view, looking out over the Grand Canal to the iconic Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, has been photographed countless times…and is one of my favorite spots in the city.

Low Country Sunrise - South Carolina

This was taken early one morning overlooking the Calibogue Sound in South Carolina. I was severely jet-lagged after flying here from Germany the night before, so I was up at 4:30 am, well before the dawn. Once I saw the colors starting to appear in the clouds, I quickly grabbed my camera and ventured outside to capture what was a most impressive sunrise. The colors were more intense than I had ever seen in this area with incredible purples and magentas stretching into the sky as well as reflecting in the incoming tide. The silhouetted branches, reeds & the dock in the foreground provided striking contrast to the light/color in the distance.

The color lasted only a short time, quickly fading as the sun made its way over the horizon. A great moment aided by my body not knowing what time zone it was in. Thank you jet-lag. :)

Hafen City - Hamburg, Germany

Since arriving in Germany, I have acquired an affinity for photographing the modern U-Bahn Stations here. I admire the way the Germans have designed their newest stations to be works of art, while also being the most efficient way to travel around their cities. Hafen City station is a perfect example of this and a very unique underground station in Hamburg. The train station is constantly changing its colors, lights alternating between red, blue, orange and green. On weekends people line up just to see the light show here accompanied by the classical music of Bach, Verdi & Brahms. I witnessed the light show and it is impressive…especially considering it is a subway station!

Hvítserkur, Iceland - Thirsty Rhino

Just off the shore of the Vatnsnes Peninsula on the Northern coast of Iceland sits Hvítserkur. It is a 15 meter high sea stack that was once the plug of a volcano. Over the years, the surrounding rock has given way to the sea leaving only this unusual outcropping behind. 

According to Icelandic legend, Hvítserkur is the petrified remains of a troll who lived on the other side of the water in Strandir. One evening, the troll crossed the water to tear down the bells at the nearby monastery. Unfortunately (or fortunately for the monastery), on the way across the sun rose and, as everybody knows, trolls turn into stone in daylight!  

From this angle, some say that it resembles a rhinoceros, a dragon or a dinosaur drinking from the water. I can sort of see the rhinoceros…so I named this one “Thirsty Rhino”.

Manarola - A Jewel of Cinque Terre

Earlier this year, I was able to spend 3 days in Cinque Terre “The Five Lands” and explore this beautiful (& somewhat remote) part of Italy. Manarola is the second smallest of these coastal towns on the Ligurian Sea and is perched on a rocky shoreline, with a small harbor and picturesque buildings cascading down the hills. There are no cars allowed here, or in most of the Cinque Terre towns, so catching a train or boat from La Spezia or Pisa is how most tourist arrive. Hiking is popular here with trails connecting all of the towns and providing great views along the coast and through the hillside vineyards. Some of the other towns feature large beaches and attract the sunbathing crowd. Even though Manarola does not have a beach, many still come to swim in the harbor, while the more adventurous dive off of various cliffs entertaining themselves & the tourists in the nearby cafes.

Like most small towns in Italy, I particularly enjoy Manarola after the tourists have left for the day. Once the mid-day crowds have boarded their boats & trains back to the larger cities, you get to calmly experience the town in a more personal fashion...tasting the food and wine of the local artisans, wandering the narrow streets or enjoying gelato while gazing across the harbor and listening to the waves. Manarola is undoubtedly beautiful any time of day, but the serenity added in the evening make it truly a special place.

Bád Eddie

When I was in County Donegal, Ireland in June, I drove to the coastal town of Bunbeg to photograph a shipwreck that ran ashore on Magheraclogher Beach in the early 1970's, known by the locals as Bád Eddie. Bád in Gaelic is "boat", so basically translated, it is Eddie's boat. When I arrived, the clouds were clearing and it was low tide, so I was able to walk right up to Eddie.. I chatted with a couple of local families enjoying the beach on this great summer day. Incredibly friendly, as all of the Irish are, they took an interest in my desire to photograph their local landmark and took turns looking through my camera as I composed various images. I am not sure what I enjoyed more, the chance to photograph this amazing shipwreck or the time spent getting to know the families on the beach. It was a wonderful afternoon and one of my best memories from Ireland.

Candidplatz, Under the Rainbow

This is Candidplatz and is easily one of my favorite U-Bahn stations in Munich.  It is brightly painted throughout the platform, providing a rainbow effect that changes as you walk from one end of the station to the other. The colors change from purple to blue, green, red & yellow as you walk though the station. The station is slightly curved, so getting a symmetrical shot is a challenge, but I never tire of walking through this place and have included a different perspective below, so you can see the entire color spectrum of this amazing station.

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The Never-Ending Staircase

This staircase is actually a piece of art designed by Olafur Eliasson. It is a double spiral of steel standing over 9 meters high at the entrance of the KPMG office building in Munich, Germany. The blend of art & architecture, completed in 2004, is called Umschreibung. It is believed to be the only staircase in the world that a person can go up and down without changing direction.

Westfriedhof

Munich has several modern, architecturally interesting U-Bahn stations.  This is Westfriedhof station and is one of my favorites.  The platform is bathed in light from huge modern dome lights in primary colors.  Above the dome lights, neon blue light bounces off the ceiling and reflects off the rough concrete walls creating a great effect as you wonder about the station.

Apple of My Eye

This was taken at the Apple Store in NYC. I was looking up through the glass cube and thought the perspective was fantastic...so many shapes, lines and curves...all things I love in architectural photography. It was difficult to capture though, with all of the commotion that is typical in an Apple store. People were everywhere, but I was able to get into a position where I could get the symmetry that I wanted.

The Ribbon Staircase

This is actually a staircase in one of the stores on 5th Ave. in NYC. I believe it is called the Ribbon Staircase, as it weaves and flows in multiple directions as you ascend/descend. Every few steps you get a different perspective of steel, glass and concrete, offering a variety of compositions.

I am excited to announce that this image was awarded Honorable Mention in the Abstract category of the 2016 Monochrome Awards photo contest.