This image is of the town of Perast located on the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. Near Perast there are two small islands: one is called St. George island which houses an old monastery. The other is called Gospa od Škrpjela, home to the chapel of Our Lady of the Rocks. We had just left the chapel and were on a relaxing short boat ride to Perast. Perast has an interesting history. The Republic of Venice owned the city between 1420 and 1797 as part of the Venetian Albania. It has sixteen Baroque palaces, seventeen Catholic churches and two Orthodox churches. After the French Empire conquered and dissolved the Republic of Venice in 1797, it became part of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy and later was included in the Austrian Empire. During World War II it briefly was annexed to Italy by Mussolini. After 1945, Perast became part of Yugoslavia and ultimately became part of Montenegro since its independence in 2006.
Visions of Banff
One of the most photogenic places on Earth is located in the Canadian Rockies. Banff National Park is a destination for any landscape photographer and no visit to the park would be complete without a stay in the Town of Banff. The town is located about 75 miles west of Calgary, Alberta and about 35 miles east of Lake Louise. The town was the first municipality to incorporate within a Canadian national park and is known for its surrounding mountains and hot springs. It is a destination for almost all outdoor sports, especially skiing. While not as high when compared to the US Rockies, it's elevation of 4,800 feet is still the second highest in Canada.
This view of the Town of Banff from Mount Norquay shows it nestled in the valley to the right of Mount Rundle with the Bow River running past.
All Aboard the Durango-Silverton
This is an image of the Durango-Silverton train that I captured right before boarding it in Durango, Colorado. The train makes round trips daily to Silverton, Colorado to the north, a 3.5 hour, 45 mile trip trip through the rugged San Juan Mountains. The train is a narrow gauge, which is better suited to navigate the sharp curves of the mountain terrain. Once used to haul silver and gold ore from the Silverton area, it now serves as a tourist attraction. The ride itself is a spectacular trip passing open ranges, herds of horses, beautiful streams, waterfalls and spectacular mountains. The train often winds onto the "highline", a famous section of the railroad where the train crawls along the face of high cliffs. The engine crew will usually "blow" the engine on a railroad bridge to clean sediment from the boiler. It also stops for water at Tank Creek water tank for it's engines.
I highly recommend taking this train for anyone visiting southwest Colorado.
Dilapidated
Today we visit Corfu, Greece, the second largest of the Ionian Islands. The island's Greek name, Kerkyra, is related to Greek mythology, namely Poseidon, the god of the sea. In 2007, the island's old city was designated for the UNESCO World Heritage List. The old city, where this image was taken, is a labyrinth of narrow streets paved with cobblestones. The buildings, as one would expect, are old and, while a lot of them are kept up, there are a few like this one that shows it's age.
King of the Concrete Jungle
A quick post and run today. This image is from the Cathedral of San Lorenzo in Genoa, Italy. The Cathedral, reconstructed during the 12th century, has since the time of the Crusades protected the ashes of Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of Genoa. The entrance to the cathedral is protected by this statue of a lion. The statue usually has tourists hanging all around it but the rain seemed to keep them away for a few moments.
Look, Up in the Sky...
On a very frigid day (about 2 degrees) in Manhattan, the sun was shining and the air was crisp. Every few blocks we would run into a store or a building lobby just to warm up. As I left one of these "shelters", I happened to look up and saw this wonderful reflection in the building across the street. The scene had a lot of contrast so I decided to hand hold a five bracketed burst and hope that the reflection of the building would come out okay. The dynamic range in this image is where HDR really shines, even without a tripod.
Alley Way
Sometimes when you visit a place that you have heard a lot about, you get this image in your head of what it would be like to visit there. Often times, it turns out to be a bit different from your preconceived notion. That sort of happened to me when I visited Monte Carlo, Monaco. Everything I ever heard about it was that it was the playground of the rich and that opulence was everywhere you looked. You know what I mean -- shiny new buildings, streets and yachts. Yes, there is money to be seen throughout the city (the streets are not lined in gold) but what was unexpected was the old time feel of some of the alley ways and the architecture there.
As we walked around town, what impressed me the most were not the riches to be seen but rather the alleys like the one in this image. I felt like I was transported somewhere to a different time and the architecture was far from opulent. Quite the contrast of what I expected to like the most.
Early Morning Line-Up
When thinking of Venice, the first things that come to mind are canals and gondolas. The ultimate appeal to romantics visiting Venice is a gondola ride with a singing gondolier showing you his beautiful city. Gondolas became the main way to get around the islands of Venice when horses were outlawed on the streets around the 14th century. At one point in time, there were over 10,000 gondolas in Venice. Today only about 500 gondolas remain and they are used primarily for tourists. It is easy to find gondoliers hawking a ride through the many canals. Gondola rides are not cheap, although the rates are officially set. The rides are about 40 minutes long and if you negotiate a better rate, the length of the ride will be reduced accordingly.
This image of gondolas was taken early in the morning before the crowds descended on St Mark's Square. It is one of the few times during our visit that you could find them unattended without crowds milling about.
Disappearing Bridge
If I had to pick one city in the US that I would like to visit, it would be San Francisco (sorry San Diego, you come in second). It probably stems back to my first time there years ago when I visited an old friend who had moved there from Philadelphia. I stayed with him at his place for a week and we walked all over the city. My best memory of it was a Sunday morning when we took the ferry to Sausolito to have brunch. I enjoyed it so much that I try to take the ferry there every time I visit San Fran. This visit was no exception. It was late morning when my wife and son boarded the ferry and headed across the bay. As we passed Alcatraz, the fog began to roll in. For anyone who hasn't experienced this, it is a sight to behold. I snapped a few photos before the Golden Gate Bridge disappeared.
Rainy Day on the Thames
There are so many sights to see in London that you can get overwhelmed what to do next. We wanted to take a ride on the London Eye but the line was hours long. As much as we wanted to ride it, we weren't willing to stand in line so long. Instead, we spied boat tours to Greenwich at Westminster Pier and decided to take the trip. Our trip down the Thames to Greenwich was quite nice although a bit windy. The cruise takes you on a journey through London, passing through Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf and London's Docklands, finally arriving at Greenwich, from where time all around the world is measured. After spending a few hours in Greenwich, we headed back to London. Unfortunately, the weather worsened and we started the return trip though a constant rain. As we came around a bend in the river, we came upon this scene of the famous Gherkin Building and I was able to get a decent shot of it.
Venice Rooftops
When one thinks of Venice, the first thing that comes to mind are it's canals and rightfully so. But there is some wonderful architecture in Venice that is pretty amazing too. One of the hidden gems that we had read about in Rick Steve's excellent guide book was Scala Contarini del Bovolo. It is a unique structure with it's external spiral staircase and arches. We would not have found it without Rick's directions as it is located in a less-traveled side-street near the Campo Manin, near the Rialto. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit there. The next day, we went up into the St Mark's Campanile (bell tower) to take a look at Venice's rooftops. Much to my surprise, I was able to spot the Scala Contarini del Bovolo contrasted against the red roofs.
Beach Dreams
Just a quick post and run today. The weather in New England has been quite cold this past week so when I came across this shot that I took last year in Fort Lauderdale, I started thinking about how nice it would be at the beach. The good news is that I will be headed to Florida in a few weeks and hope to get warm.
Domes, Domes, Everywhere
Any visit to Rome must include spending time in Vatican City and especially the Vatican Museums. The museums are among the greatest museums in the world and they display centuries of works that include some of the most renowned sculptures and masterpieces of Renaissance art. The lines to get into can oftentimes go on for blocks that take several hours to navigate. When we visited, we had arranged for a special tour and were able to bypass the line. Once inside the museum, the crowds were everywhere. It was very difficult to move and take photos but if you were patient, you could get off a few unobstructed shots.
What was really amazing was the number of galleries (there are 54), each of which had quite a number of sculptures, tapestries, paintings and murals. The Sistine Chapel is the last museum and the only way to see it is to proceed through the other 53 galleries. Talk about a sensory overload!
Every time I looked up, there seemed to be a mural or dome above me. I'm not sure what the name of this dome was, but it sure is beautiful.
Rialto Bridge View
The Rialto Bridge is probably the most visited and most photographed bridge in Venice. The bridge connects the districts of San Polo and San Marco across the Grand Canal. The present iteration of the bridge was completed in 1591 and is a favorite destination of tourists. Getting a view from the top of the bridge takes patience as the rails are lined with people taking photos. Once you get the desired spot, it's easy to see why the bridge is so crowded. As you can see, the view is pretty awesome and it is easy to get mesmerized with all of the boats and gondolas maneuvering the Grand Canal. Scenes like this one make Venice one of my most favorite places in the world.
Guarding the Palace
The Doge's Palace was the seat of the Republic of Venice for centuries before it became part of Italy in 1866. The current palace was constructed between 1309 and 1424. Two facades of the palace border St. Mark's Square and a third facade looks towards the Venetian Lagoon. The last facade is connected to Venice's infamous prison by the even more infamous Bridge of Sighs. Each column of the palace is unique from the others. Between the ninth and tenth columns, death sentences and executions were carried out. Today, the palace serves as a museum. In addition to being able to view the Doge's apartments, government chambers and the prison cells, the palace also contains a magnificent art collection. Climbing the enormous staircase, the Scala die Giganti, you come to the second floor and look out on the courtyard and the massive statues of Neptune and Mars. It is here that I composed this image of the backs of the statues looking out to the courtyard and the ornate other side of the palace.
O, Canada
Canada Place, with its iconic white sails, is located in the heart of Vancouver's downtown harbor front. It was opened during Expo ’86 and includes the Pan Pacific Hotel, World Trade Centre, Convention Centre and serves as the main cruise ship terminal for the region, where most of the cruises to Alaska originate or terminate. On this morning, we were coming to the end of our Alaskan cruise that we took this past summer. We had a wonderful time in Alaska and the subsequent cruise down the inside passage. Vancouver is a fantastic place to visit and we were really looking forward to our 3-day stay in Vancouver. As the cruise ship began to position to dock, I fired off a 5-bracket burst and this is the result.
When in Rome
When traveling to a new city, it is always worth doing pre-trip planning to get an idea of what attractions and photo locations there might be. Doing research on the internet, looking at post cards and calendars, perusing photo books, and looking at photos on sites like 500px and Flickr are what I usually do. There is a new tool in my arsenal that may end up being the best. That tool is Trey Ratcliff's new iPad app, Stuck on Earth. Quite simply, pick any location on earth and you will be able to see photos that were taken there by Trey or a myriad of other photographers. The interface is slick and beautifully designed. Best of all, it is free. I highly recommend the app for those who have iPads.
For this image taken in Rome, I didn't need to do any research to know that the iconic Colosseum was one of Rome's most famous tourist attractions. There are probably millions of images taken of this ancient structure but when in Rome...
New York Spires
Walking the streets of New York City is a photographer's Disney World. Everywhere you look, there is a great shot, whether it be people or buildings. I especially love taking shots of the buildings when they get that warm glow from a fading sun. It's hard not to walk the streets and be constantly looking up for "the shot". Of course, doing that can be very dangerous when walking crowded sidewalks or crossing streets. On this particular day, I was heading to St Patrick's Cathedral to take some shots inside the church. As I approached the cathedral, I noticed the golden glow in the building beside it. As I looked at the spires that were mostly in the shade, I thought that the contrast between the two structures made a wonderful image.
Floating City
Today, we revisit Niagara Falls. I had just taken this shot that I had posted earlier this year and wanted to get a different view of the water. I walked along the path alongside the Niagara River so I could get a view of the water before it plummeted over the edge on its way from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. As I looked back toward the falls, the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario actually looked like it was floating in the river. From my vantage point, the huge gorge between the American side and the Canadian side had "disappeared" giving the appearance that the city was on an island. The only indication that there might be a gorge is the mist from the American Falls (on the right) coming up from the bottom.
Back Alley
This is an image from the archives that I took on vacation in the British Isles in 2007. We took a cruise that stopped in various cities in Ireland, Wales, Scotland and France. This is a back alley in Edinburgh, Scotland. The interesting thing is that I shot this image on one of the days of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The Tattoo is a famous show that features military bands as part of the Edinburgh Festival that is held in August each year. The Festival attracts over 200,000 people and it seemed that there was at least that many on the streets. What amazed me most about this image is that there was no one in this alley, unlike almost every other alley that I passed that day. It's like the photography gods wanted me to shoot this scene.