Favorite Foto Friday - Verona Clocktower 3

From beautiful Verona, Italy.  That day was so memorable!

Thanks, to Pascal and Francesca for the tour and the hospitality!

Favorite Foto Friday - Color For Sale

One of many memorable images from my visit to the Vienna Christmas Market.

Favorite Foto Friday - Budapest

Budapest - I saw very little of it up close, but I saw many impressive buildings from a distance.  Here is one.

Favorite Foto Friday - A Palace in Vienna

I am in Vienna, Austria on a Friday.  I think my photo should be from today.  This is a beautiful city.

 

The photo is a bit grainy.  But I like it.

Favorite Foto Friday - Here Comes Hallowe'en

I am confident I posted this before, though I can't immediately find when.

I know, Hallowe'en is not for another week, but I sincerely hope to have a very cute picture to post on that particular Friday.  And this is appropriate as we head towards the holiday, anyway.  Plus, I miss these kids.

Favorite Foto Friday - Stonehenge

I had the opportunity to visit Stonehenge (thanks, Therese!)  I was awestruck.  I didn't take as many photos as I probably should have.  It was so amazing.  I just kept looking at it, and listening to the audio tour, and looking at it.

Here's the shot I've chosen for my FFF:

But just a bit more about the visit:

When you visit Stonehenge, you park by a visitor center, and then get on a bus or a set of small connected cars -- we were on the latter.  We were offered the chance to get off at the midway point of the drive to the stones, and I wanted to walk the one kilometer from the midpoint.  Well, that was cool.  No one else did it, as far as I could see.

We were able to view a description of some of the surrounding archeological elements.  

And then we got to walk to some of those features, but to do so, we opened a gate and walked Right Past some (lots of!) cows.  (I thought of James -- he loves cows!)
















Some people might have been worried.  Not us.  We just walked past them and Right Up To some of the burial mounds!

Notice that, from the mounds, you can see Stonehenge in the distance.

And zooming the lens from there, it's a pretty good picture itself.   The foreground seems to have some excavation going on.  As we walked to the stones, I meant to find someone and ask about them, but, shoot, once I was looking at the actual thing, I totally forgot.

I mean, look at that thing!  

 

This was impressive.  I am so glad I saw it!

Favorite Foto Friday - Thinking Christmas

While I was looking for summer photos to include as Favorite Foto Friday photos, I came across this.  I remember intending to post it last year, and never did.  It got me thinking about Christmas.  Then, Sarah asked me to think of some Christmas music for a particular task, so, naturally, I listened to some. So, while I do not wish to hurry the summer away, I am a Christmas lover.  So, I shall schedule this photo to appear sometime in the future, and it will be a nice reminder.

Favorite Foto Friday - Parliament Building

In two weeks, I will be in London again.  If I am lucky, someday I will get to reshoot this photo when the sky is not overcast.  If I am extraordinarily lucky, it will happen on this trip.

Favorite Foto Friday - Recognize This?

Today's photo: Do you know what this is?

Favorite Foto Friday - Flora from Brooklyn Botanic Garden

On our recent trip to visit Leah, we took in the beautiful Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  The grounds are quite extensive, and quite lovely.  Though most of the photos I share are grander in scope -- skylines, mountain views, and the like -- I've certainly seen some smaller creations which deserve to be preserved in photographs.  Here are a few from that day.


I find I have begun to take more photos with this 1920x1080 aspect.  My initial reason to do so was selfish -- I have computers which have screens of these relative dimensions, so the photos fit perfectly as background images, with no padding or stretching required.  But while it started with that intent, I am also discovering my "eye" changing to "find" that aspect ratio when I look for something to capture.

 But I certainly don't limit myself to the "wide screen" view.  Some images clearly need to be closer to square.  And, then, of course, some images call for a "portrait view."  These are not quite as esthetically pleasing in slideshow mode on my computer, but that's not the only use for a photo, and I recognize that.



Anyway, here's a photo which required a more square view.

Sorry, folks, I just don't know the names for these flowers.  I suppose I should.  If I were professional, I'd have a journal (or a memory) for them.  Me, I just look, admire and take the shot.

Favorite Foto Friday - Freedom Tower (One World Trade Center)

On the same day we saw the Statue of Liberty, we walked to the 9/11 Memorial, and visited the newly opened 9/11 Museum. 


On the walk, I took this photo of One World Trade Center, also known as Freedom Tower.  I was entranced by the way the perspective makes the building seem to rise into infinity.














Here are another couple of views, from farther away.

During the day.

At night.

Favorite Foto Friday - Statue of Liberty 2014

On our recent trip to visit Leah, we did a couple of "tourist" things again.  This time, we actually took the ferry to Liberty Island and got to walk around the Statue of Liberty.  I am having trouble deciding on a single "favorite" photo from the trip.  Here are two.  Which do you like best?

First, the view from the ferry, when we could see the entire statue, base and all.

Next, the view from the island. Grand, isn't she?

I will say this: the blue in the blog photos is not nearly as striking as in the real photos, or as it was that beautiful August day. You'll have to click through to get to the versions stored on Flickr to really see that blue.

Favorite Foto Fridays - Hogwarts

On my tour of "The Making of Harry Potter" in London last year, one of the impressive exhibits was the scale model of Hogwarts, which was used by filmmakers to get the views of the castle/school for several of the films.  The detail was extraordinary.

The lights in the display room were on a continuous rotation, to allow the castle to also be seen "at night." I am not as good at dark photos, but here's one I tried. It was fun to be able to walk all around the school and see the structure from so many angles.

Favorite Foto Friday - Kauai Jagged Coast - Reprint

Here's another Favorite Foto Friday photo which Bloggers stats tell me no one has seen since I first published it.  It was taken from the balcony of the cabin we had on our 25th anniversary cruise.  The jagged edges of the coast of Kauai are distinctive, fascinating and spectacular.




It remains one of my favorite background photos for my computer.

Favorite Foto Friday - Neuschwanstein

One of the most famous castles in the world, Neuschwanstein. I like this view, in part, because you can see more of the surrounding area. 




Speaking of the surrounding area, here is a view of the valley below the castle.



And, for those of you who think you have seen me post this castle before, well, I did. But it was a shot with Sherry and me in it.

Finally, why post this on the 4th of July?  Well, if you think of castles and fireworks, you might well think of fireworks at a Disney park.  Cinderella's castle in Disneyland and Disneyworld was inspired in part by Neuschwanstein.  Maybe you can see the resemblance?  (The following photo is NOT mine.)

Godzilla and Me - Favorite Foto Friday

I hear there is a new Godzilla movie.  I don't know what the big deal is.  I was in Tokyo last year and stood next to Godzilla for a photo.  He ain't so big.

Favorite Foto Friday - Goblin and Doom

From our trip to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure.

Favorite Foto Friday - Sherry and James

I tried to get a little artistic with this shot.  Those are two very cute people!

Favorite Foto Friday Repost - Chihuly

Here's another Favorite which blogger says no one has seen since I first posted it in January 2010.  It's just a portion of a large glass sculpture by the artist Chihuly, which was on display in the Milwaukee Art Museum at the time.

Favorite Foto Friday Repost - The Solitary Fisherman

Some of my photos have been seen by very few people on this blog, according to Blogger's statistics.  I will be reposting some of them which deserve a wider viewing.  Today, one of the few "nature" shots in which I include a person.  It also draws frequent comments when it is among the photos cycling on screen before I give a presentation.




Originally posted April 23, 2010.