Now that the sun has started to set while I’m still in the office I’m left wishing I had spent a bit more time with the golden hour over the past few months. The sun had disappeared by 17:25 today and it only gets worse over the next few weeks! Is it just me, or is there something quite demotivating about being at work when it’s dark outside?
My shot for this week’s photo challenge was taken in the Tuscan countryside, just outside of Siena in Italy. Since it was only a 10 minute walk from our villa I had been up in this area for a while waiting for the sun to appear so I could get some good shots. I got lucky as the sun just peeked out between the clouds for a few moments and lit up the yellows and greens of the landscape beautifully. I’m sure that Tuscany must have some of the best horizons on earth, with its distinctive cypress trees and historic hilltop towns. I can’t wait to go back some day!
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Since moving to Switzerland a few years ago I’ve spent a great deal of time travelling around my new home. It has been an eye opening experience, with its wonders a constant source of surprise. My entry for Rhino Car Hire’s Travel Your Way competition focuses on Switzerland, and the means of transport I’ve used to discover its incredible landscapes.
Looking across the Horse Guards Parade near St James’s Park, this shot was taken while I was visiting London a few weeks back. I’ve really grown to love this style of shot, I think the perspective from the floor is really powerful. I’ve no idea what this building is called, but it houses the Household Cavalry Museum. Maybe that’s the whole building? Who knows!
With its last gold mine closing in 1942, Bodie Ghost Town was one of the highlights of our road trip in California last year. There was just something so eerie, haunting and quite mysterious about the place. With all of the buildings sitting empty and many possessions just seemingly left in an instant, it really felt like the inhabitants just vanished without a trace. You wouldn’t know to look at it now, but in 1879 it was the second most populous town in California behind only San Francisco.
This is a shot of the town’s jail. While it doesn’t look particularly sturdy today, it’s said that only one person ever escaped – Joseph DeRouche. Unfortunately for him he was quickly apprehended by a makeshift vigilante group and hung for his efforts. In its heyday the town was rife with crime, so this small shack must have seen a lot of people over the years. What a fantastic piece of history!
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On my last trip to England I spent a great deal of time trying to find unique shots of various London icons. Big Ben proved a particular challenge, largely due to its height and the number of people in its vicinity. I settled on trying to find some red telephone boxes, another icon of London. A shot with both a phone box and Big Ben in had to be a good bet, so I started shooting with the entire phone box in the foreground and the famous clock in the background. But I really didn’t feel like it was working, the images didn’t have the impact I was looking for.
Amsterdam – it’s a strange place. On the one hand I absolutely enjoyed wandering its canals and quaint historic streets. But I was put off this Dutch city by its red light district. It was seedy, creepy and made me feel quite uncomfortable. Perhaps more so than I have ever felt in Europe. But I’m certainly glad that I’ve been there myself to make up my own mind.
Taken in Budapest at St Stephen’s Basilica, my shot for this week’s photo challenge gives the illusion of a staircase winding on to infinity. It’s not quite that long, but certainly feels like it’s never-ending when you’re half way up! The basilica itself is an incredible building and a must-see in Budapest. The circular viewing station around the outside of its cupola gives you a great bird’s-eye view of this fantastic Eastern European city.
I was tempted to change this image to black and white, but I love the orange glow that seems to get stronger as you wind down the staircase moving from natural to artificial light. It almost looks like you’re getting closer and closer to the earth’s core as you follow it to its end.
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With the colours of Autumn starting to appear on the trees around Geneva, I’ve been thinking back to the trip we took last October. Driving through the Scottish Highlands was definitely one of the highlights of 2012 for me, and I’m so glad we went at this time of year. Although the colours weren’t perhaps at their best, the variety of yellows and greens on display was fabulous. And nowhere was this more apparent than Loch Katrine.
While my shot for this week’s photo challenge may have been taken at sunset, it’s one of the first things I see every morning. Taken at Loch Leven in the Scottish Highlands, this picture hangs on the wall in our living room. Looking at it each morning takes me away, just for a moment, to that time and place. It’s a fantastic way to start the day, and I love watching the changing light of sunrise bring the colours in the image to life.
It’s great to have some of my own photos up in our apartment, they serve as a constant reminder of good times and never fail to lift my mood. Do you have any photos hanging in your home? Do they make you smile in the morning?
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