Shedding Light

I thought these street lights made interesting subjects, especially against the backdrop of Parisian architecture, (the first image using the famous rose window of Notre Dame as the background).

For each blog post I input the location where each photo was taken, I put "Notre Dame" in the search on the map and Google selected a town in Indiana USA, which was founded in the mid 1800's rather than one of the most famous landmarks in one of the most famous cities in the world. The cathedral's construction commenced almost 700 years before the town that takes its name and although it wasn't finished for almost 200 years it still predates the town by over 500 years. Apart from the 6,646 people who live there and the students who have studied at the colleges there I am sure that Notre Dame IN is not the first place people anywhere else would think of.
 

Old Meets New

Liverpool is such a wonderful city with some stunning architecture and especially along the waterfront at the Pier Head. 

I love reflections and it was impossible to just walk past this view of the Port of Liverpool building reflected in the sheer black glass wall of the Open Eye Gallery which are probably my two favourite buildings in the city. If you ever get the chance you should head down to the Pier Head and enjoy the wonderful architecture and stroll through the Port of Liverpool  building looking up at the glorious dome over the atrium I promise you won't be disappointed.

I think looking at these images that the people walking in the shadow of the Open Eye are probably unaware of the perfect reflection of the building just across the road. The buildings are from different eras and in such different styles but somehow they work so well together.

I was faced with my usual dilemma between colour or B&W and I think on this occasion colour wins out, just but then again when I look at the pictures tomorrow I might just change my mind.

Above the City

I love looking out over the rooftops of the towns and cities that I have visited.

I had come to Prague with high hopes of seeing some wonderful architecture and I wasn't disappointed. As we walked up towards St Vitus Cathedral from the Malostranka metro station we were treated to spectacular views across the old city.

I think the view looks just as good in black and white as in colour. The monochrome image gives a sense of age or history which fits the style of the architecture. In colour though you get the richness of the rooftops and warm colours of the walls which stand out against the wooded hills. It looks particularly good as the sun comes through the clouds and lights up the old town.

In the second image you can see across to the business district, one of the high rise buildings on the horizon was our hotel. You can also see the Vltava as it cuts through the city and some of the many bridges that span the river.

World Heritage Site

A little while ago I was asked if I had any pictures of the Liverpool waterfront and I realised that I didn't so this weekend I went down to the riverside to practice getting some shots of the skyline. The sky was really overcast, it was very windy and it was bitterly cold so far from ideal conditions but I think the clouds make a dramatic backdrop.

The skyline along Liverpool's waterfront have changed dramatically over the past 20 yearsor so with the development of high rise hotels and apartments, the museum of Liverpool and the Open Eye Gallery, modern architecture contrasting with the elegance of the famous "three graces".

I will be going back to take more pictures another day, but hopefully when conditions are a bit brighter.

Rooftops of Paris

I have been fortunate to visit Paris many times and it is one of my favourite places to be, I love the architecture and there is always something new to see.

On one occasion there was a large ferris wheel in the Jardin des Tuileries by the Louvre Museum. It was a great opportunity to get some different views of the city.

The first shot is slightly spoiled by a reflection in the glass of the compartment but other than that it is a terrific view of the rooftops along the Rue de Rivoli, with the Opera on the left of the picture and across the city toward Montmartre and the Sacre Coeur.

The second picture looks across the Place du Carrousel towards the Louvre with the crowds of people thronging around the entrance to the museum complex via the great glass pyramid.  In the distance you can see the towers of Notre Dame.

The final shot is of the beautiful roofs above the colonnades along Rue de Rivoli with the flag flying above the Palais Royal in the background.

I really love this city and look forward to going back.  I can easily imagine myself living there in a tiny attic apartment and walking the streets soaking up the atmosphere...