01-01-11 Sunrise

This photo is a result of being in the right place at the right time - with the right lens, which was a 17-40 mm wide angle lens. The beach is along the so-called Maya Riviera south of Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Seing the sunrise along this stretch of beach is a bit rare since there always seem to be clouds along the horizon. But on this day, the sun showed its face for about 5 minutes and so I get the great play of light along the sand.

10-10-14 Nature in Black and White

I was back in my neighbor's back yard this past weekend looking for photo opportunities. We probably have plenty for me to photograph in our yard but we didn't have hosta plants with big leaves that were giving up the ghost as these were. I turned this photo to a high contrast black and white photo in part because I have been looking at the photography of Edward Weston. I'm not sure I like this photo but here it is anyway.

Three Tourists and One Local

He has a gun, a big hat, a red uniform and isn't smiling. The three girls have cameras and casual clothes. So guest who the tourists are.Incidentally, I'm not sure if the soldier is a Beefeater or not. I also don't know what he's guarding. Perhaps an important door? Or maybe he's just a tourist attraction. Kind of like the giant tortoises at Reptile Gardens?

07-25-10 Going Down

Those who have ridden subways know that sometimes the escalators down to the tracks may seem endless. This is especially true in cities that are hilly. This escalator isn't particularly deep but I happened to have my camera out as we were going down.One of the deepest London tube stations is the Angel Tube Station and one thrillseeker has found a quick way to do down -- on snow skies. Check out this YouTube video.

07-24-10 Churchill's Bunker

One of the more interesting places we visited while in London this summer was the command center bunker that Churchill and others used to run operations during the London Blitz. It was very well preserved and the room that presented the history of Churchill and London's survival during WWII was impressive.As you may know, Churchill had his idiosyncrasies and faults but his strong leadership during the War made up for these. In the bunker museum, there was a great quote from Churchill: "We are worms. But I believe that I am a glow worm."Another quote attributed to Churchill (but not displayed in the museum) goes something like this: A woman at a dinner party said to Churchill, "Sir, you're drunk!" Churchill's response was "Madame, you're ugly. At least in the morning I'll be sober." I wonder if a president could get away with this kind of repartee?

05-28-10 The Mask of Agamemnon

This is the so-called "Mask of Agamemnon" discovered by Heinrich Schliemann, the German adventurer and archaeologist. It was discovered in the grave circle on the acropolis of the site of ancient Mycenae in Greece.This golden face was discovered in a royal tomb by Schliemann, who imagined it to be the face of Agamemnon. Agamemnon ruled Mycenae during the time of the Trojan War and was married to Helen (who "launched a 1000 ships"). The tomb the mask was found it is probably not the tomb of Agamemnon, though. This golden object and many others are housed in the Archaeological Museum in Athens. It is well worth the visit if you are in Athens.

03-18-10 Still Life

Here's another art gallery interior that is relaxing for me to look at. This photo is calm, quiet and suggests introspection. And yet there is a naked figure "looking'" my way. And are these "real" people sitting on the bench? Or are they reproductions of people sitting on a bench?

incidentally, the three paintings on the wall facing the camera are by Gaugin, Van Gogh and Cezanne. Paul Gaugin lived my current fantasy: he packed up his paints and moved to Tahiti to paint the native women. But I can't paint and I'm quite happy married to my native (Dutch/German/South Dakotan) woman.

Finally, if you've never been to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, where this photo was taken, you need to go.

03-15-10 Unity

They say that there is no "I" in team, though when gymnasts perform, all of the events are solo events. It's the team total that matters, of course, and our gymnastics team has been on a roll the last few years.

This photo was taken before a home meet a little over a year ago. I didn't get many good photos because the great telephoto lens I normally use broke that day. I didn't get many action shots but I did get a few of the team.

03-02-10 The Impossible Dome

This is the inside view of one of the most famous domes in the world. It was designed by Brunelleschi and the exterior dominates the skyline of Florence. The exterior is what every visitor to Florence sees but many don't take the time to step inside the famous Duomo. The interior is difficult to photograph because it is fairly dark. But it is certainly worth the visit.

I call this "The Impossible Dome" because the church was built on such a scale that no one had the engineering skills and technique to cap the transept. Finally, Brunelleschi invented the process and the dome was built.

03-02-10 Brunelleschi's Dome - Exterior

To get an idea of the scale of this dome, look closely for the people standing on the walkway around what is called the "lantern." I've never been to the top of this dome but it's on my list.

03-01-10 A Pretty Nice Fishing Hole

I read somewhere that for every day we spend fishing we should add a day to our lives and for every day we spend golfing we should take a day away. I guess it has something to do with the relative stress and frustration of the two activities.

It would be hard not to enjoy fishing in this place - even if the fish weren't biting. I use the term "fishing hole" tongue in cheek in this post since the man is actually fishing in Starrigavan Bay, which is a few miles north of Sitka, Alaska. The snowy mountain in the distance is Mt. Edgecombe, a potentially active volcano.

Want to see this on a map? Why not click here!

02-26-10 Main Street - Corfu Village

This is a shot that I took through our rental car window as Deb and I drove through a small village on the island of Corfu. Europeans drive much smaller cars than many Americans, in part because fuel is more expensive but also in part because less space is devoted to autos - such as this road which, to me, looks more like a alley.