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. :) 

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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…

Siegestor

It was a sad day leaving Munich last Tuesday…a place where we thoroughly enjoyed living over the past 4 years. It is a beautiful place, rich in culture and filled with historical landmarks. I would often walk around the city just to photograph the interesting buildings, churches and public squares in the old city center. This image is one that I captured just down the street from where we used to live.

This is the Siegestor, a Victory Gate that was originally dedicated to the Bavarian army. It was nearly destroyed in WWII, but was later reconstructed. After reconstruction, a plaque was placed on the landmark reading "Dedicated to victory, destroyed by war, urging peace" It also marks the beginning of Leopoldstrasse, one of the most travelled streets in Munich.

In front of the gate, there is a raised island in the middle of the street where you are safe from the surrounding traffic. Setting up a tripod here allows you to take long exposures of the head/tail lights of the cars passing by…an effect I like to produce in cityscapes.

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.

Curiosity

I only photograph things that inspire me. It is really that simple. 

Up until this post, I have not shared with you any images where I was inspired by the personal, or human element. 

I rarely take these kind of images, though I am not sure why. Some of my favorite photographers are street or portrait photographers who have a gift for capturing an expression, an emotion…a moment.  

While visiting Bhutan, I was overwhelmingly inspired by the people. Their spirit was/is infectious. To describe them as friendly or welcoming is a disservice. They simply radiate joy. 

After hiking down from a mountaintop Bhudist temple in Punakha, I encountered this young boy at the entrance to his village. An entrance may be an overstatement, as we simply walked into his family’s backyard via a path through a rice field. Without knowing it, we interrupted his father washing his own hair with the aid of this boy's older brother and a gourd of water from the family well. I felt immediately embarrassed and wanted to turn around and leave them in peace. Our guide saw my hesitation and encouraged us to continue. He exchanged pleasantries with the father as if they were lifelong friends and the father smiled at us unfazed by our intrusion…as is the way in Bhutan.

This boy in blue was delighted by our arrival. He quickly left his brother’s side and followed behind us as we wandered through the rest of the village. He never said a word, but he was never more than two steps behind us. We exchanged smiles several times and as we were about to exit the village, I turned to say goodbye. It appeared that he did not want us to leave, but he knew that he could not follow us any longer. That is when I took this photo. I always wanted to remember this moment. 

I spent only minutes in his company, but his curiosity and excitement at meeting us is something I will never forget. 

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.

The Fairy Pools

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to visit the Isle of Skye on the Northwest coast of Scotland. The scenery here is spectacular! Mountains, lakes, waterfalls, seaside cliffs and beautiful valleys are found all over the island. You just have to get a bit lucky with the unpredictable and often changing weather, so that you can enjoy all that there is to experience.

This image is from the Fairy Pools, an amazing series of cascading, crystal clear, blue colored pools that are fed by a stream coming off of the Black Cullin mountains. I was surprised how many separate pools there were...I figured there would be 4 or 5, but there are easily dozens that step their way down the gentle slope. Most of the pools also feature a waterfall and the water is so clear that you can see every pebble and stone under the surface. If you are brave enough, you can swim in the larger pools. I did see a few people strip down to their bathing suits and jump in for a short time, but they climbed out quickly. The water looks appealing, but it is very cold coming down from the mountains.

This shallow pool is one of the furthest upstream. There were hundreds of people hiking that afternoon, but most of them stopped and spent their time at one of the lower pools. As I walked, each pool seemed more appealing than the last…so I kept going until I arrived here...a picturesque spot with the mountains towering directly behind the waterfalls. I had it all to myself for about 30 minutes before some others joined me. 

It was such a peaceful place on a beautiful afternoon. I didn't want to leave, but after three straight days of wind and rain, I decided to take advantage of the great weather and check off a few more places that I wanted to explore. It turns out that leaving was a good choice as I photographed a beautiful sunset that evening at Niest Point. I am looking forward to sharing that image in the coming weeks. 

Escher in Berlin

I hope some of you are fans of M.C. Escher…he is easily one of my favorite artists. His works always grab my attention and then hold it, as I admire his creativity and how his lines and angles constantly change your perspective and play with your mind. 

As I wandered through this shopping mall in Berlin, specifically this atrium, I immediately thought of his ‘Impossible Construction’ works. This place was just filled with dizzying shapes, lines and patterns. My eyes seemed to jump all over the place…from the escalator over to the stairs, circling the floor until a pillar takes me up and it starts all over again! It was so similar to what my eyes do when viewing something by Escher… 

To capture this, I grabbed my widest angle lens and leaned over the balcony so that nothing obstructed the floor below. I decided that, to me, the beauty was really about the chaos…so I settled on a perspective that included all of the pieces that kept my eyes bouncing around. 

I would be interested in hearing what you first notice in this image…or where you end up. Bonus points will be awarded if you can find the man having coffee. Yes, there is a man having coffee in this image…or perhaps it is Escher’s ghost. :)

For any of you interested in having a look at Escher’s Impossible Construction works, you can check out some of them on the M.C. Escher Foundation's website.