Travel
By Scott Shephard
Amsterdam is known for many things, including coffee bars that sell marijuana brownies, and young ladies that sell . . . well, I'd just as soon not mention it.
These ladies were selling lingerie and leather goods. I and my friend Billy didn't succumb to any of the temptations of Amsterdam, other than the great art museums.
By Scott Shephard
Is it ironic that I post of picture of words? This is supposed to be a "blog for the right brain." Ironic or not, this is a photo I took on a rainy night in Tokyo. I was struck with the civility of the warning, though in Japan civility is abundant - even in a bustling city like Tokyo. In the US we would say "Keep Off!" In Japan they say, "Since it is easy to slip, stepping on a stone should withhold." Who can disagree with that?
By Scott Shephard
Toledo Spain, not Ohio. El Greco provides a much more interesting version than mine. I have no more words today.
By Scott Shephard
There are many places that claim to be the "Center of the World." As you might expect, the claims are generally ethnocentric. The ancient Greeks, for example, who thought very highly of themselves, erected a monument in Greece called the omphalos. It is Greek for navel (or belly button).
The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul doesn't claim to be the belly button of the world but it many ways it is. Because Istanbul has long been located on the major trade route between Asia and Europe, it became a melting pot of cultures. The Hagia Sophia is an amazing testament to the clash and then mixing of these cultures. Built on the site of a pagan temple, this basilica was first a Christian temple, then converted to an Islamic mosque. Because Islam prohibits representational art in its mosques, all of the mosaics in the dome were whitewashed. But in 1935 Mustafa Kemal ("Ataturk") decreed that the Hagia Sophia become a museum and evidence of both religions are clearly evident, including the Arabic writing and the beautiful mosaic decorations on the domes.
Photographically, this is a very difficult subject - in part because of how dark the interior is and in part due to the expanse of the interior, which my lens couldn't do justice to. You'll have to go there to experience this place in person.
By Scott Shephard
The student tour group I was with had almost a whole afternoon free in Florence and this is one of the unexpected photo opportunities we encountered. I think that doing chalk reproductions of Italian masterpieces on sidewalks would be a tough way to make a living. But you do get plenty of attention from people like me.
I can't help noticing her foot in this photo. Aren't these shoes for tight rope walkers?
By Scott Shephard
Dugi Otok means "Long Island" and I guess that's a pretty good description. It is 5km at its widest and about 50 km long. Deb and I spent 3 days at Sali, which is the largest village on the island. This shot is on the west side of the island, where we happened to be when the sun was setting. And, as I think you can see from the photo, it is a pretty spectacular spot.
By Scott Shephard
I was with a student group cruising the Greek islands when I took this picture and it is another good example of serendipity. I don't know why I was standing on the deck of the cruise boat when I spotted this lone man walking his dog along the quay on the island of Rhodes. Both of us were in the right place and the right time.
Canon 1DII 1/800s f/10.0 ISO320 300mm
By Scott Shephard
I was in Florence, Italy, the night the Italians beat the French in the World Cup Football Championship. Needless to say, as I tried to sleep, the Italians partied all night long. The next morning I was wandering around looking for photos, as I often do.
Around the corner from our hotel entrance, I found a newsstand loaded with papers proudly proclaiming the Italian victory. I don't speak Italian but I signalled that I wanted a photo and this was the pose that the news vendor struck. "Tutto Vero!" means "all true!" "Campioni del mondo" means "Champions of the World." Italians are passionate people but they are especially passionate when it comes to World Cup Soccer.
By Scott Shephard
The Paris Metro and a chance encounter between three of the world's 6.5 billion denizens. They will never meet again and the two disengaged women in this photo don't seem to really care. Guess which one of this trinity is a tourist?
If you look closely, you will see a ghostly figure in the subway window. He looks remarkably similar to this person (click).
Canon 20D 1/40s f/4.5 ISO1600 17mm
By Scott Shephard
I was waiting for the next metro at the Cavour metro stop in Rome. Having some time to kill, I took a few photos, including this one. The Roman metro stations are fairly dark so I used a slow shutter speed and in this shot I panned as the train came into the station. The graffiti ends up being blurred but the rather bored looking woman visible through the window isn't.
Canon 5D 1/8s f/4.0 ISO1000 24mm
Scott Shephard
Humans don't flock, of course. They march or gather or group. And "drafting," as mentioned in yesterday's post, only occurs at relatively high speeds. Thus, the guys playing the flutes are only able to get by with less effort than those in front of them because they were smart enough to pick little instruments. Notice the white leg guards on the drummers, by the way. I wonder how long that piece of equipment has been part of the uniform?
I should mention that this is the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace in London. Tourists flock there on a regular basis to witness the spectacle. Did I say "flock?" I meant "gather."
It would appear that I'm trying to score points with my in-laws in this blog over the last few days. But of all the photos I took in Alaska, this is one of my favorites. When we walked by the cut-out on the streets of Sitka, Alaska, my mother-in-law agreed to pose. But she didn't agree to be the "Picture of the Day." I guessing I'm out of the will. Again.
Canon 5DII 1/60s f/5.6 ISO100 28mm
