This is a street scene from Cesky Krumlov, a fantastic old town in southern Czech Republic.
It was a hot day and people were taking advantage of whatever shade was available.
My son and I had stopped off on our way from Prague to Vienna on the recommendation of a friend. I am so glad we did because although we were just passing through this gen of a place was one of the highlights of the trip.
I know that it is Christmas Eve and these pictures are not really Christmassy but they are from a beautiful village in Alsace called Bergheim that I visited earlier this year on my roadtrip but I had visited previously just before Christmas and it had a lovely Christmas atmosphere so although ypu wont get that from these images I get all sorts of memories flooding back and that is good enough for me...
Merry Christmas everyone.
Here are a few more shots form the Chateau at Haut Koenigsbourg.
The first shot shows an ornate well in a courtyard hidden away at the top of the castle. The second shot shows the detail of the ornamentation on top of the well. It is a French infantryman, he is looking down on the courtyard with a bit of a sour expression, perhaps because he feels a bit foolish stood on a pineapple.
The final shot is a view from a tower looking along the top of the curtain wall and across the wide expanse of the Haut Rhin region of Alsace towards the border with Germany. It looks like the land is quite flat in the distance but in fact there are gentle hills and slopes which are home to the many vineyards and orchards the produce the regions famous wines and Eaux de Vie.
This piece of wrought ironwork was in a door in the Chateau de Haut Koenigsbourg and I almost missed it walking past but I am so glad I spotted it because I think it makes a wonderful image. I experimented with a few different settings to focus of the ironwork and also on the stonework in the background of all the shots I took this I think is the best.
I like the lighting and shadows and I like the patterns in the lattice itself.
There is a certain fairytale quality about the Chateau de Haut Koenigsbourg in Alsace. Perched high on a rocky hilltop it was apparently the inspiration for the design on the Citadel at Minas Tirith in Peter Jackson's Lord of The Rings Trilogy.
It is a marvelous castle, with turrets and walkways in the walls, spiral staircases, a deep will and beautiful tiled roofs as well as some amazing decorative murals and painted ceilings.
On our roadtrip travelling from Annecy to our final destination in Alsace we slipped across the border into Switzerland and we made our way through some small villages and along very pretty valleys.
Today's shot is one of the few that I got while in Switzerland because we were just passing through but I would definitely like to go back for a longer visit.
This is Lac de Joux near L'Abbaye in Vaud region. I think the driftwood adds a nice focal point drawing you into the shot.
The second image just has a few minor adjustments to contrast and exposure in Lightroom and is as close to the real view as shot in camera. The first image though has been adjusted using a de-saturated contrast preset and I think it looks really nice.
OK, so you cannot actually see the lake in these shots but they are all taken around the streets of Annecy which lies at the end of Lake Annecy in the French Alps. It is a wonderful little town with so much character. I had wanted to visit for many years and so when the opportunity presented itself on our roadtrip it was quite an easy choice to fit in a two night stay on the lake shore.
We arrived, having driven through the mountains from a very sunny Italy and through the Mont Blanc tunnel into cold and wet conditions. Shortly after our arrival we were treated to a fantastic summer thunderstorm with an awesome display of lightning.
As I say the town is really beautiful with amazing buildings and a small network of canals that flow into the lake. I hope that one day I will get to travel back here but next time I hope to either enjoy good summer weather or maybe in wither when there is lots of snow.
These five views were taken from Piazzale Michaelangelo on our last evening in the beautiful city of Florence.
The first shot shows a section of the old city wall (Mura di Firenze)that climbs the ridge of the hill and along what is now Via di Belvedere and a view of the Giardino Bardini to the north of the wall.
The next three shots show the calm river Arno with the sun setting behind the mountains and the famous Ponte Vecchio.
Finally you can see the magnificent cathedral with its marble walls illuminated by the lights in the square and with its beautiful golden topped dome.
The Florence Cathedral; one of the iconic buildings that must feature on anybody's grand tour of Europe.
It has the unmistakable Duomo with its russet tiles and beautiful marble facade.
I hadn't intended to share this picture I just took it as a record of one of the fabulous sights in Florence the ceiling of the Baptistry of San Giovanni. I had thought it was a painted fresco but in fact it is a most amazing mosaic and that is why I thought it was worth sharing.
The octagonal vault is 80 feet across and the burnished gold mosaics depict scenes from the bible. It took several decades between the 13th and 14th centuries to create this work of religious art and you just can't help but stand looking up in awe at the immense skill of the artists who most likely dedicated a significant portion of their career to this work,
Today I have chosen two street scenes from the colourful island of Burano.
It was still early in the morning when we arrived so many of the cafes were only just getting ready for business. A short while after the first shot was taken these tables were full of hungry locals enjoying a tasty lunch. Although it is such a colourful place I think this scene looks really good in black and white.
For the other pictures I have chosen the same scene but from slightly different angles and I have posted one in colour to richness of the gloriously painted shops and houses and one in black and white by way of contrast.
If you have followed my posts before you will know that I love black and white photography and I think from this selection you can see why although I think the warmth of the colour photo really adds something.
These three views show the rooftops of the old city of Prague. This is a beautiful city with lots of old buildings and the rooftops give a sense of the character of the place.
In the second shot you can see the modern business district on the horizon.
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 love this shot of the setting sun, low over the Chianti Mountains, reflected in the River Arno and providing back lighting to the Ponte Vecchio.
I feel so privileged to have been able to capture this scene. I had tried the previous evening when the lighting was almost as good but unfortunately an intermittent fault with my camera meant I couldn't get the shots I wanted. I was so disappointed and didn't know whether I would be able to use my camera any more and we were only half way through our trip.
Fortunately the following day (and for most of the rest of the trip) my camera worked as it should and so I headed back up to the Piazzale Michelangelo to get the shot. I think you will agree it is a fantastic image
Venice is such a beautiful city and in the early evening, as the sun is setting it really comes into its own.
So as you walk around the back streets and along the canals you really get to see this wonderful city at its best.
The red car and the blue car had a race...
Some of you will know that the line above is from a chocolate advert for Milky Way but it seemed appropriate given that the gondoliers have different coloured stripes. I don't really think they were having a race and there was no chocolate at stake either.
I have these pictures in colour and black and white and both look fantastic. I think for the close up the black and white works better but for the whole scene I think the colour shots come out on top. They are rich and full of life and the decoration of the gondolas and the lighting from the cafes stand out beautifully.
In lots of the places I visited around Europe early this summer I took pictures over the rooftops and down in the streets and today I am sharing a few images from around the streets of Florence.
It is a beautiful and colourful city with lots of wonderful and colourful characters.
Now there is a popular belief that Italian people have style and flair. I think the people in these shots may contradict that; socks with sandals??? The music was good though.
I was just looking out of my window at the miserable grey sky. It has been like that all day, overcast and dull and at time with lashings of rain.
I cast my mind back to an evening in June when I witnessed a most wonderful sunset when the whole sky was a glorious golden yellow. Perhaps the location helped to make it one of the best sunsets I have seen.
As you can see from these shots the sky over Florence against the misty backdrop of the Chianti mountains was so rich and warm. It was definitely worth the effort of the walk up to the Piazzale Michelangelo which overlooks the city and is the perfect vantage point to see the sights. It is always bustling with people soaking up the atmosphere and taking selfies. I personally don't go in for the endless selfie taking especially when there are views such as this to observe and capture.
