Here are three more shots from Venice. Well to be precise two are from Venice and one is from Burano (can you tell which one?)
I really like the first image because of the shape of the stone framework and the ornate ironwork grille but also for the sharp reflection of the buildings on the opposite bank of the canal. It is such a clear reflection that you might almost think you were looking straight through the window to a building on the other side, but when you look closely the reflected ironwork gives it away.
I picked the second image because it is a bit of a curiosity. Obviously there are two windows with wooden shutters and corresponding windows in the upper floor directly above. But what of the third frame? Was there originally a window there and if so why has it been filled in? I love the rich colour of the paintwork and I love the ornate shape of the frames.
The third photo shows a window on one of the colourful houses in Burano. It looks so fresh and clean and the colours are accentuated by the straight lines.
Venice, famous for its many canals, gondolas and Renaissance architecture is such a beautiful city. It also has a fantastic network of narrow streets lined with shops and restaurants, hotels and apartments, so close together that in places you can almost reach from one side to the other.
I have chosen to post these three images of some of Venice's back streets today because sadly the city has been flooded by an unusually high tide event (the fourth highest ever recorded) combined with storm force winds.
I can imagine how difficult it must be for the residents having their homes and businesses succumb to the high water levels but I am sure that the people will be resilient and as the waters recede get back to normal.
So today I have chosen two very similar images taken 38 seconds apart. I have given them slightly different treatment, the first with split toning and the second in high contrast black and white.
We had stopped for a few moments after a long, hot walk along the river and in this shaded spot paused for a cool drink. We watched/listened to the young busker Mads Jacobsen who was himself on a tour across Europe. You can check out some of his music online at https://madsjacobsen.bandcamp.com if you like a little bit of folk rock.
I wanted to get a shot of some of the customers at this snack bar to give a little more life to the image. I liked the casual stance of this couple as they surveyed the menu to make their choice but then the woman turned and noticed me taking a photo and she looked directly at me. I can't decide whether I prefer the one where they are both oblivious or the one where I am being observed. Both are good pictures though.
I have been exceptionally lucky this year in that I have been able to travel a great deal and that means I have had lots of great photo opportunities.
For today I have gone back to May and the streets of Prague. During my roadtrip I tried to do a little street photography and here are a couple of shots that I rather like.
The first one shows a young couple taking a few moments to rest in the shade on some steps near the castle. I think it is a lovely scene, a romantic moment and a moment of calm away from the bustle of the castle precincts.
The second shot shows one of the many trams that work their way through the city's narrow streets.
I recently finished reading a novel set in these streets and having been there and walked the streets of the old town the narrative seemed more alive to me. It really is a beautiful city.
I wouldn't normally post so many images for one post so you're really getting your monies worth today...
I had left it a bit late to go to witness the Fallow Deer rut at Dunham Massey, last week the weather was pretty poor so I didn't go but the forecast for today was much better so I set off early to get there in time for the sunrise and to beat the crowds.
It was a very cold start to the day and the hard frost adds something to some of the images above.
If I was to try and sum up the morning I would say there was a lot of noise but not much action. The main battles for dominance have all been fought and so all of the stags seemed to know their respective place, some of the stags were carrying scars and bloody wounds evidence that they fought hard. The noise today was from the stags as they tried to round up the does and keep them close as you can see in the final shot.
I have included a couple of pictures of young bucks which I think are really nice, the one in picture number 8 looks like he is wearing a toupee and it made me smile.
Following on from yesterday's post here is another pebble balance from the shore at Duluth. Again I have photographed it from different angle so you have the horizon in one, the rocky backdrop in another and the wooded background in another.
From some angles this looks like quite a simple stack but in the first image you can see just how precariously these pebbles are balanced and you can see that it wouldn't take much to set the whole thing tumbling down.
I like the third shot because of the bokeh which looks really cool and I also like the fact that the biggest pebble looks a bit like a tongue poking out(at least it does to me).
After visiting the park in Duluth I headed down to the lake shore to get a view of the lifting bridge which is really cool and I hoped to see it in action. Yes I know that's pretty geeky but then I'm a geek so what would you expect.
Anyway it was a rocky beach so I built a few pebble stacks and for today I am sharing four different views of the same stack partly to show how carefully it is balanced and partly to show how it looked against different backgrounds. One obviously has the green of the wooded shoreline and the last two have a mixed background. The first one has a view of the bridge which I think frames the stack nicely.
So like yesterday these flowers were in the Leif Erikson Park in Duluth a last splash of summer colour.
Red roses are typically seen as a romantic flower, given on valentines day or for special celebrations and they really are beautiful as you can see in the third image; but I prefer some of the more delicate, understated colours.
Of course roses are not always red, they come in all sorts of colours and varieties and the vibrant colours combined with a luxurious perfume make these really wonderful flowers.
My favourite from this selection is the fourth one which I recall had a sweet but delicate scent and I really like the colour and the arrangement of the petals. I also like the central whorl on the third image.
I took these pictures in the Rose Garden at Leif Erikson park in Duluth. I had read about this as being one of the things to see in Duluth and I was surprised to see so many varieties out on display. It was cold and windy so looking through my shots I was not surprised to see that many of the flowers were a little blurry around the edges but that being said I think I still managed to get a few decent ones worth sharing. There will be more for another day but for today please enjoy these.
Here is another super helping of fabulous fungi.
Again this selection highlights the wonderful diversity of fungi, they're so beautiful.
I really like these shots of Horseshoe Bay just off Highway 61 along Lake Superior's North Shore in Minnesota.
You can see that there is a storm brewing out over the lake with the sun breaking through, or trying to break through the low clouds.
I have applied a "cool light" preset in Lightroom to emphasise the moody nature of these scenes and I think it looks really impressive. I like the way the surface of the lake sparkles in spite of the overcast sky and I like the trees standing straight on the edge of the lake.
For two days of our trip to Canada we went across the border into Minnesota to drive along the north shore of Lake Superior. One stop along the way was the town of Grand Marais which was a really nice spot with a harbour protecting the town and the boats from the extremes of the lake.
I like the lighthouse on the end of the harbour wall and even though it was a calm day you can't underestimate the importance of the lighthouse because the lake can be treacherous and many ships have been sunk after crashing against the rocks along the shore.
I shot this scene in colour and in black and white. It was an overcast day with not a lot of strong colour so I thought that it would work well as a black and white image. I like both images but I think I prefer the colour image because it has a warmth about it.
I was going to go back to posting pictures of fungi again today since I have so many but I decided instead to share a couple of shots a cute little chipmunk.
We had walked to the highest point at the end of the finger point trail, there were some fantastic views out across the lake which made the effort of the climb worth it. Pausing for a snack before heading back down we were visited by this young fella, who was quite timid at first but after a few minutes he approached a little closer so we got a better view.
By the time we reached this point we had already hiked to the middle falls on Pigeon River and then heading in the other direction on the Finger Point Trail it was time to stop and relax before the final stretch to the top.
It was a good spot to stop and enjoy the view across Pigeon Bay towards boundary island and the USA and of course build a cool stone stack...
