Friday, July 20, 2012

THE ANCIENT BEAUTY OF ROME











































During our travels to different cities in Europe, our favorite city by far was in Rome, Italy. The ancient ruins and rich history takes you back to an empire that at one time controlled most of the known world that surrounds the Mediterranean sea. Walking through the Vatican and actually seeing the beautiful paintings of Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel gave you a sense of completion after seeing only pictures of these great works of art in school books and on television. Eating Italian pasta, enjoying a gelato, and strolling through the quaint shops just enhanced the relaxed and unrushed atmosphere.

There's also something very romantic and poignant as you stroll through the narrow cobblestone streets of Rome during the early evening...and then suddenly discovering a "piazza" (plaza) that's bustling with outdoor table restaurants, musicians, people crowded around big-screen televisions watching the EuroCup, elaborate fountains, and talented artists proudly showing and selling their artistic creations...and then being pleased to find another romantic cobblestone street...and then discovering another piaza, and then gladly repeating it all over again.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

THE EIFFEL TOWER
























Here's a picture of my family and I at the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. (Left to Right: Paul, Myles, Cory, Ed). For those of you who've been there you may be wondering, "Where are all the hundreds of tourists?" 

Well before we left for Europe, we tried getting tickets online to go to the very top of the Eiffel Tower but unfortunately it was all sold out. The advice given to us was to just go very early and wait in line. So that's what we did! The picture you see here was taken around 7:00 in the morning - that's why there were no crowds.

Getting there early did pay off! Not only were we able to go to the very top of the Eiffel Tower for a beautiful morning view of Paris (we were the third family in line), but we also got a great family picture without all the crowds.

Friday, July 06, 2012

A STREET IN PARIS VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING

























Hello everyone! My family and I just got back from a wonderful vacation in Europe! It was our first time there. Those of you who know me, you already know that my camera was ready to take shots of this beautiful city.

I always wanted to take a photograph of the quintessential "Paris Street" with its famous and historical architecture, balconies, and narrow streets. After getting an overview of Paris through their "hop-on-hop-off" tour bus system, I realized that getting the shot that I envisioned in my mind would be impossible during the day because of the hundreds of people walking the sidewalks, as well as the busy streets with all their compact cars, motorcycles, scooters, and tour buses. So one morning, I woke up at 5:30am just to try to get that classic shot.

It was a cold, crisp, and cloudy morning when I walked out of the hotel, but it felt great to walk through the streets of Paris as the city was just waking up and the sun was just rising. I already had an idea where to go because a few days before, my son Myles and I saw the classic Paris street scene just one block from our hotel on Rue de Grenelle Street as it intersects Avenue Bosquet. In order for me to get the shot that I wanted, I had to literally stand in the middle of the narrow street but since it was so early in the morning, there were no cars (yet) to run over me. The picture that you see here is my favorite out of the series of shots that I made.

I did feel kind of silly though....waking up so early in the morning and standing in the middle of the street with my tripod to get the shot, but after looking at the final result - it was all worth it.

Technical Info:
f/13, 1/6sec, Lee Polarizer, Nikon D2X, Carl Zeiss 18mm, Gitzo Tripod.
In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom3 - boosted the contrast/color sat and played with the curves, highlights and shadows (dodging and burning) for effect.