Dreamy Aspen Grove
For me, one of the more challenging things to photograph has always been a group of trees in the forest. When I’m standing there visualizing my shot the scale and beauty of my surroundings seem almost impossible to capture with a camera. My senses are overwhelmed. The phrase “Can't see the forest from the trees” comes to mind.
The Fujifilm XF10-24mm f/4
With the arrival of my new Fujifilm XF10-24mm f/4 R OIS lens I was very excited to get out and shoot some landscape photos. I attached the new addition to my Fuji X-Pro1 and got ready to hit the road. Over the last year I’ve been in the process of downsizing my travel gear and the plan is to use this lens in place of my Canon 17-40mm f/4L lens.
Empty Places
Discovering new places and photographing them is one of the reasons I like to travel. On a recent trip to Kansas City, I spent a couple of days exploring the West Bottoms blocks of old downtown Kansas City and the area out around Kaw Point Park.
Motion In English Bay
Inside an Abandoned Nuclear Reactor Chamber
There’s something unnerving about a dimly lit building so you would think that entering the Reactor Containment Building of a nuclear power plant would really raise the hairs on my neck but strangely enough, all I felt was excitement. I wanted to get in there and I wanted to explore.
Art Deco House In Ferrara, Italy
Have you ever walked passed a house or a building that just left you with a feeling that something amazing or horrifying must have happened there before? Like a crazy lady with only a glimpse of who she once was left in her eyes, she draws you in without saying a word and you can't help wondering what lies beyond the facade. While strolling down an unassuming city street in Ferrara, Italy I came across this amazing Art Deco house hidden behind a tall old concrete wall like a fortress with only a wrought iron gate allowing a view.
Stay On The Path
The thick fog added a mystery to the already beautiful but haunting forest ahead of me. It reminded me of the fairy tale Hansel & Gretel. Stay on the path, the further you walk the more disoriented you become. Since I didn’t have a slice of bread with me to leave a trail I decided to just take a few photos and return to the car.
Battistero di San Giovanni
If you visit Siena you will likely want to stop by Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena). It is designed in black and white, the colors of Siena which symbolically link the Cathedral back to the black and white horses of the city’s founders, Senius and Aschius.
The Rolling Hills of Siena
Lost in Amsterdam
Today is our last day of travel in the great land of Europe. Looking back on our trip, we have met some amazing people and seen some amazing things and places. We only wish we could be lost in Amsterdam so we didn't have to come home
Amsterdam
Amsterdam really is a beautiful and interesting city. The architecture and the canals are so nice to walk and the cultural diversity, social tolerance, and way of life here is really refreshing. There must be more bicycles here than on the entire west coast, maybe even all of the US.
Foam
We made it to Amsterdam yesterday and while on our flight discovered that Amsterdam has a photography museum called "foam". So, today we walked ourselves to the museum to see photo exhibits from "Edward Steichen - In High Fashion
City of Light
Tonight is our last night in the amazing city of light. It seems only fitting to post another photo of the iconic Eiffel Tower. We have had an amazing time here, seen so many amazing places, and met so many great people that it's very hard to leave.
Estate of Versailles
Today we visited one of the most amazing disappointing places that we've been to. We woke up early to try to get to the Estate of Versailles before the long lines. We actually specifically selected Thursday as our day to visit because it was supposed to be one of the lower-traffic days to visit the estate.
Catacombs of Paris
Today we got up early to visit the Catacombs of Paris. Believe it or not, this is a very popular attraction and you must arrive early if you want to get in. The line to get in wraps around an entire large Paris city block and beyond and they only allow 200 people at a time in the tunnels.
Crossing the Pont Notre-Dame
Today we had crazy weather again in Paris. Wind, sun, and rain intermittently throughout the day. Since we'd heard about the crazy long lines at some of the more popular Paris sites we thought we'd go check out how bad they really were before we opted to actually attempt to visit.
Paris From The Montparnasse Tower
Today we explored the Paris metro system and took ourselves to the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, then walked to the Tour Montparnasse to get a view of the city. You get an amazing 360-degree view of Paris from the top of the building.
Bridges Over The Arno River
As we leave Florence it seemed most appropriate to post a photo of the sun going down and the amazing view of the bridges over the Arno (yes that's right "Arno") River from the Piazzale Michelangelo.
Beat The Heat And The Crowds
Today I was up early to beat the heat and the crowds. The light in the early morning and the evening is just so much better for enhancing the details of these intricate buildings and places and most of the wanderers are still tucked in their cozy little beds sleeping, so I can get to my desired locations without much of a struggle.
Rooftops and Antennas
Yesterday we made it to our last stop in Italy – Florence. We are here for 4 days and as our luck would have it the temperature has just reached the high 80s and will climb into the 90s before we leave. It’s a little too warm for my liking, but we are making the best of it trying to get out early in the day and in the evening.