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City boy goes to the country

Posted in Architecture, Humor, Landscape, Nature, Photography, tagged barn, Canon 50D, Canon 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens, hay bales, red-roofed barn, rolled hay bales, rural, silo, virginia on October 28, 2013| 3 Comments »

Red-roofed barns, silos, and rolled bays of hay may seem ordinary if you live in the country, but they were exotic enough to cause a group of city-dwelling photographers to pull off to the side of the road this past weekend to photograph them.

Never having lived or worked on a farm, I have a romanticized vision of life on a farm, of living close to nature. There is something almost idyllic for me in a setting like the one in the first photo.

As for rolled bales of hay, I don’t quite understand them. A lot of the cowboy movies that I grew up with featured muscular cowboys tossing around bales of hay that looked nothing like the ones in the second and third photos. These bales look like giant Shredded Wheat biscuits that would require a huge bowl and lots of milk to soften up enough to swallow. I remember from my childhood the scratchy sensation in my throat when I was in a hurry and swallowed my Shredded Wheat cereal before it had absorbed the milk.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Capitol reflection

Posted in Architecture, Art, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon 50D, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Capitol, night photography, Washington DC on October 13, 2013| 8 Comments »

Like most people who live in the the Washington, D.C. area, I don’t visit monuments much unless there are visitors. One of my fellow photographers invited me to photograph the Capitol on Friday evening to satisfy the wishes of a visiting photographer.

We were quite a sight as we set up umbrellas and tripods in the rain which fell progressively harder and harder. My favorite shot is the first one, which shows the reflection of the Capitol in one of the wet, slippery stairs leading up to it. I tried a number of long exposures, varying from about 15 to 30 seconds to get this look.

The second one is a more traditional view, but I think that the lighting was pretty cool at that time of the evening.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Nightfall in Vienna-part 2

Posted in Architecture, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon A620, Hofburg Palace, night photography, Stephansdom, Vienna Austria on April 26, 2013| 1 Comment »

Here are a few more shots from my last night in Vienna. The first three are of a portion of the Hofburg Palace. The last one is of St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom). I can’t recall the name of the church in the penultimate photo.

Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Nightfall in Vienna

Posted in Architecture, Art, Landscape, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon A620, city hall, night photography, Rathaus, Vienna Austria on April 25, 2013| 4 Comments »

On my last full day in Vienna (at least for this trip), I decided to take some photos of the city as the sun started to set.

This is a shot of the Rathaus (Vienna City Hall), just after they turned on the lights to illuminate the building. I did not have a tripod with me, so I braced on or against various objects in an effort to steady myself. I may post a few more night shots of Vienna later (if I am not too sleepy or wake up really early), but thought I’d share this one right now.

My trip to Vienna was brief, but enjoyable. I got a lot accomplished work-wise, but had enough free time to really enjoy some amazing spring weather.

Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Strauss in Vienna

Posted in Architecture, Art, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon A620, golden statue, Johann Strauss, Stadtpark, Vienna Austria on April 25, 2013| 4 Comments »

When you travel to a well-known location, do you feel compelled to take some touristy photos of the famous landmarks? I confess that I almost always feel a need to take at least a few shots of the iconic sights.

In Vienna, one of the most photographed monuments is the gold-plated bronze statue of Johann Strauss II in the City Park (Stadt Park). Strauss was an Austrian composer in the 19th century and is probably best known for popularizing waltzes. The statue itself was unveiled to the public in 1921 and was covered in gold in 1991, replacing the gold that had been removed in 1935.

One of the more interesting things about the statue is that people are permitted to climb right up next to the statue to have their picture taken. It was a lot of fun to watch the various poses that people would assume, including one lady who posed while trying to hold upright a large pitbull-type dog.

Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Sunrise in Vienna

Posted in Architecture, Landscape, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon A620, St. Stephen's Cathedral, Stephansdom, sunrise, Vienna Austria on April 24, 2013| 4 Comments »

At this time of the year the sun rises pretty early in Vienna, Austria, but I was able to capture a few shots this morning from my hotel window. In the distance you can see one of the spires of St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom), one of the major landmarks of the city.

My little Canon A620 seems to have a maximum shutter duration of one second, so I had to play around a little with aperture and f-stop to try to get a decent exposure. I used a little tripod on the window sill to steady the camera for these shots.

Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Savannah Rapids

Posted in Architecture, Landscape, Photography, Travel, tagged Augusta Canal, Augusta GA, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, locks, Savannah Rapids, Savannah RIver on March 17, 2013| 3 Comments »

Savannah Rapids is the starting point of the Augusta Canal, which was built in 1845 as a source of power, water and transportation for Augusta, Georgia. The Canal was designated a National Heritage Area by Congress in 1996 and now serves primarily as a recreational area. (Click on this link for more details on the history of the canal, which served an important role for the Confederacy during the Civil War.)

On a beautiful morning, I walked along the raised tow path for several miles, with the canal on one side and the Savannah River on the other. The trees were starting to bud and even to flower and even to flower on a day that got up to 75 degrees (24 degrees C). Spanish moss was growing on many of the trees, giving them a look that seemed exotic to me.

Here are a few photos I took of the structures associated with managing the flow of the water in the canal. I love the weathered wood and stone and the interplay of light and shadows and reflections.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Reflections on the past

Posted in Architecture, commentary, Inspiration, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, Washington D.C., Washington Monument on March 1, 2013| Leave a Comment »

In the orange glow of the sky, the trees cast their reflections on the black granite surface of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall.

It was a moment to reflect on the names of more than 58,000 men and women whose names are inscribed on the wall. I am old enough to remember the conflicted mood of the country at the time of that war. In the late 1970’s I enlisted in the U.S. Army and served on active duty for twenty years. With that experience, I can’t help but be humbled by the memorial to the sacrifice of so many Americans for the common good.

From certain angles, I could see reflections of the Washington Monument in the wall. It proved to be very difficult, however, to capture that reflection in a photograph. I used my tripod and a long exposure, but never quite captured the feeling of the moment. I am posting one of those efforts as a kind of aspirational shot, one that I hope to shoot better in the future.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Orange sky in Washington D.C.

Posted in Architecture, Landscape, Photography, Travel, Urban, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, night photography, orange sky, Washington D.C., Washington Monument on February 24, 2013| 8 Comments »

Fog, low-hanging clouds, and reflected light gave the skies of Washington D.C. an orange-colored glow last night, which made for dramatic shots of the Washington Monument.

I don’t really understand the scientific basis for the phenomenon (perhaps air pollution contributed to it), but tried to capture it with my camera. I took these shots at about nine o’clock in the evening using my tripod and a long exposure, even thought they look like they might have been shot at sunset.

A friend convinced me to go with him to Washington D.C. with the goal of getting some photographs of the Washington Monument shrouded in heavy fog, which turned out not to be the case. Instead, we got something totally unexpected that turned out to be even better than that for which we had hoped.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Looking toward Washington D.C.

Posted in Architecture, Photography, Travel, Urban, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Francis Scott Key Bridge, Georgetown University, Key Bridge, Potomac Heritage Trail, Potomac River, Washington D.C. on February 15, 2013| 2 Comments »

The familiar often looks new when perceived from a different angle, as I found out last weekend when I hiked along the Potomac River and looked across the river toward Georgetown University.

Although I have lived in this are for almost 20 years, I had never heard of the Potomac Heritage Trail, a narrow trail that begins in Washington D.C. and continues upstream, mostly at at river-level. I have driven past this scene many times and the buildings of Georgetown really stand out, but I never really saw the green boathouse tucked in at the base of Francis Scott Key Bridge, which crosses from Virginia into the District of Columbia.

The first shot shows a view from the Virginia side of the Potomac River, looking directly toward Georgetown University, and the second one shows the Key Bridge. I love the arches of the bridge, which I have crossed many times.

My little hike was a good way to force me to look at the familiar in a different way—I hope to be able to do the same with some of my other subjects too.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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My local beaver lodge

Posted in animals, Architecture, Landscape, Nature, Photography, tagged beaver, boardwalk, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Castor canadensis, Huntley Meadows Park, lodge, North American Beaver on February 5, 2013| 4 Comments »

If you look carefully at this photo you can see why I am able to take photos of the local beavers—when I am standing on the boardwalk I am virtually on top of their lodge in the center of the beaver pond.

About 18 months ago, the county replaced the boardwalk surface at Huntley Meadows Park with a synthetic material and shortly thereafter the beavers relocated themselves from another area of the park. I am not sure how the beavers decided on this spot, but they took over one of the benches on the boardwalk and integrated it into their architectural plans. This fall I followed their progress as they added mud and branches to the lodge and built up the walls surrounding the beaver pond.

The entrance to the lodge seems to be underneath the board walk itself and the recent photos I have taken of the beavers and muskrats have been in the pond area to the right. This is also one of my favorite spots for photographing geese and ducks taking off and landing and, during the summer, for getting shots of dragonflies, frogs, and turtles.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Kayaker on Potomac River

Posted in Architecture, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Jefferson Memorial, kayak, Potomac River, Washington Monument on January 18, 2013| 5 Comments »

I have returned from Brussels and thought I’d share a photo that I took earlier this month of a kayaker paddling on the Potomac River. In the background you can see the beauty of the obelisk of the Washington Monument and the dome of the Jefferson Memorial. If you look closely at the Washington Monument, you can see the color change part way up the monument that was the result of a 23 year hiatus in construction and difficulty getting matching marble when construction resumed.

Unfortunately, you can also see the rusty railroad bridge that serves as the only rail link between the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia. It serves a necessary function, but it does little to enhance the beauty of the scenery.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Night in Brussels

Posted in Architecture, Art, Photography, Travel, Winter, tagged brussels, Canon A620, Grand-Place, mannekin pis on January 18, 2013| 1 Comment »

On my final night in Brussels for this trip, I made one last walk through the city. Despite the frigid cold, there were still a lot of pedestrians stopping in the Grand-Place to take photos or to visit one of the numerous bars and restaurants in the area. Some of the previous times that I was in Brussels, the buildings in the square were illuminated, but the were pretty dark this time.

I balanced my camera on my stocking hat to stabilize it for this first photo, which you can probably guess was a pretty long exposure. I like the way the different lights in the scene turned out differently, with varying strengths and colors.

The second photo is one of Mannekin Pis, a statue of a little boy that is one of the symbols of Brussels. Sure, it’s a touristy thing place to visit and the statue certainly doesn’t rate high in terms of art. However, I usually try to stop by and see him, because sometimes he is wearing one different outfits for different occasions.

Tomorrow I’ll be home and will probably return to posting mostly nature shots in my blog. It’s been an interesting experience the last few days trying to orient myself to photographing different things in a completely different environment.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Tintin Art in Brussels

Posted in Architecture, Art, Photography, Travel, Urban, tagged Adventures of Tintin, art, brussels, Canon A620, murals, Tintin on January 16, 2013| 4 Comments »

One of the cool things about walking around in the old area of Brussels near the Grand-Place is that you can unexpectedly come across giant murals on the sides of buildings illustrating scenes from the Adventures of Tintin. This series of comic books was created by Belgian artist Georges Remi (who wrote under the pen name of Hergé) and was one of the most popular European comic series in the 20th century.

Here are photos of a few of those murals that I took in September, during a previous trip to Brussels. I really like the colors and the style of the illustrations and the way that they were integrated into the buildings on which they were painted.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Cold Sunday in Brussels

Posted in Architecture, Photography, Travel, Winter, tagged belgium, brussels, Canon A620, city hall, Grand-Place, tower on January 13, 2013| 12 Comments »

It was almost 60 degrees (15 degrees C) when I left home, but it was well below freezing when I arrived in Brussels this morning. Although I usually try to stay awake when I first arrive, it was so dark and gray that I decided to take a nap first. Eventually the sun came out and I went for a little walk in the city center, though the cold and wind drained the power quickly from the batteries of my point-and-shoot camera and made it a little uncomfortable.

Last fall when I was here, I posted some photos of the main square of the city, the Grand-Place. The light was so beautiful today that I decided to post another shot of one of the buildings on that square, the city hall building. The perspective lines are distorted, but I think you can see how beautiful the building is. I am also including a photo of the bell tower of one of the churches here. It is considerably less ornate than the buildings on the Grand-Place, but I find it equally captivating.

City Hall in Brussels

City Hall in Brussels

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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National Airport

Posted in Architecture, Landscape, Photography, Travel, Urban, tagged aircraft takeoff, control tower, Gravelly Point, National Airport, Reagan National Airport, Washington DC on January 13, 2013| 7 Comments »

On a long walk along the Potomac River a couple of weeks ago, I stopped to take some photos of National Airport. Its full name is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, but that name is so long that most of just refer to it as National Airport. One of its nicest features is that it is just across the river from Washington DC. and is incredibly convenient to access. In addition, I find it really cool-looking and really like the control tower and the “Jeffersonian” domes that make up the terminal.

Control Tower and terminal at National Airport

Control Tower and terminal at National Airport

Jut past the north end of the runway there is a park, called Gravelly Point, where you have an incredible view of planes taking off and landing. When I was there, it seemed like it was mostly fathers and their young sons who were observing the aircraft. Here’s a shot I took from that location of a plane taking off. In the background you can see Woodrow Wilson Bridge, one of the major bridges that crosses the Potomac River.

Taking off from National AIrport

Taking off from National Airport

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Blue Roof

Posted in Architecture, Art, Photography, tagged blue roof, boat house, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Potomac River, reflection on January 11, 2013| 4 Comments »

I don’t usually take photos of buildings, but the unusual blue color of this roof of this building and its beautiful reflection in the water prompted me to take this shot. The building, is a boathouse, I believe, and it is located along the Potomac River, just north of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. In addition to its colors, I really like the angled lines of the tin roof and the lines and geometric shapes in the rest of the image.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Vienna at night

Posted in Architecture, Christmas, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon A620, Christmas, night, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 13, 2012| 10 Comments »

On my last night in Vienna, Austria, I decided to go for a walk through the city center to see how it was decorated for Christmas. There were lots of lights everywhere. Using available light, I took some photos of those lights and of some of Vienna’s famous landmarks. With a tripod, I would have done better, but I took advantage of various objects to brace myself and my camera for some fairly lengthy exposures. Here is an eclectic set of shots from my walk on a very cold Vienna evening.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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A few more Christmas market photos

Posted in Architecture, Christmas, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon A620, Christmas, Christmas market, city hall, Rathaus, statue, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 13, 2012| 5 Comments »

My time in Vienna is drawing to a close and I thought I’d post a few more of my favorite photos from the Christmas market.

Stands selling hot spiced wine are often areas where people congregate. One of them was set up on a path flanked with statues and I like how the first photo shows a statue peering down over the stand. What would he think of the scene in front of him?

The second image shows one element of the Christmas decorations. I like the colors, shapes, and the lines in that photo.

The third shot was taken looking up at some of the towers of the Rathaus (City Hall). I braced myself against the wall of one of the booths to steady myself for the shot and you can see part of the booth in the foreground. I like the effect of this extreme angle (and I always love shots of buildings lit up in the evening).

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Unique incinerator/heating plant in Vienna

Posted in Architecture, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon A620, district heating plant, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Hundertwasser, Spittelau district heating plant, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 12, 2012| 2 Comments »

A couple of days I posted a photo of a building and asked readers to guess what its function was. There were a number of creative ideas including an observatory and a television tower, but Sue was correct in surmising that it is part of a heating plant?

Yes, it actually is a district heating plant in Vienna, Austria. It was designed by Austrian artist Friedensrich Hundertwasser (1928-2000) in 1988-1992. I don’t know too much about the artist, but he was a bit eccentric, judging from the biographical information in Wikipedia, and the name he adopted as a artist means Peace-kingdom Hundred-water.

According to information on a Hundertwasser webpage, originally he opposed the idea of this project, as he had fundamental objections to a garbage-incinerating plant as long as all possibilities for avoiding garbage were not exhausted. But when it was promised that the plant would be equipped with the most modern emission-purification technology, that 60,000 apartments would be heated, and in view of the fact that Vienna needed a garbage-incinerating plant, Hundertwasser finally agreed to do the design.

I’ve included a number of different photos to give you a sense of what the heating plant looks like from different angles and distances. No matter what your views are on modern art, you have to acknowledge that this is a unique and unusual way to decorate the exterior of an urban heating plant.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Signs at a Christmas market in Vienna

Posted in Architecture, Christmas, Photography, Travel, tagged baked potato, Canon A620, Christmas, Christmas market, lebkuchen, Merry Christmas, potato, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 10, 2012| 1 Comment »

This evening I had the chance to visit again the Christmas market in front of the Rathaus (City Hall) in Vienna, Austria and got better photos. Why? It was less crowed, the weather was better, and I was alone (rather than with three friends who were more interested in shopping than in taking photos).

The first sign was from a stall that was selling lebkuchen, a German baked product that is a lot like gingerbread. I really like the hand-carved look of the sign.

The second sign is a sign for a stall called “Potato Jim” that sold stuffed baked potatoes. I am not sure who “Jim” is, but I thought the sign, with a potato wearing a Santa hat, was cute.

The third sign is one that was at the entrance to the Christmas market. The big letters spell out “Merry Christmas” in German and the small lit sign to the right spells out “Vienna Christmas Market.” The building in the background is the Rathaus (City Hall).

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Mystery building in Vienna

Posted in Architecture, Photography, Travel, tagged architecture, Canon A620, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 10, 2012| 6 Comments »

Yesterday I had a chance to photograph one of the coolest buildings in Vienna, Austria. I plan to write a little about it and post a few more photos later this week, but I thought I’d post a photo now as a sneak preview.

What do you think is the main function of the building, a part of which is shown in this photograph? Could it be an art museum or an apartment building? Stay tuned for the correct answer.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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