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Archive for the ‘Urban’ Category

Brussels pedestrians

Posted in Photography, Travel, Urban, Winter, tagged , , , , on January 15, 2013| 2 Comments »

What do you do when you wake up early in the morning in a hotel in a foreign country and have the desire to take some photos? If the weather were a bit nicer, I might have gone for a walk in the city, but it was bitter cold last night and snow has fallen, so instead I took a few shots looking out my window.

My room overlooks one of the entrances to the Central Train Station in Brussels and there are interesting lights and colors. The fresh snow is already covered in footprints, although not many pedestrians were yet visible when I took my photos. I particularly liked one sidewalk area that goes off to the side of the station and the two shots I’m posting show pedestrians walking in this area. The photos have kind of an urban vibe that is new to me. I’m starting to understand a bit what attracts some photographers to taking photos in the city.

Who are these people? Why are they up and about at a time when most others are still sleeping? I’ll never know their stories, but I have captured their images on this frigid Brussels morning.

Early morning pedestrian in Brussels

Early morning pedestrian in Brussels

Brussels pedestrians

Brussels pedestrians

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Sparrows in the center of Brussels

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Travel, Urban, Winter, tagged , , , , on January 14, 2013| 6 Comments »

I have been photographing so many birds recently that one of my first thoughts upon arrival in Brussels yesterday was to look for birds. I did manage to get a few shots of some sparrows in a small park near the Central Train Station, the neighborhood in which my hotel is located. However, I quickly realized that the 4X zoom of my little Canon A620 is a limiting factor in getting close enough for a decent shot. I also know that at 7.1 megapixxels, I can’t afford to dramatically crop the photos.

I’m happy with these two images. I captured the first sparrow on a snowy evergreen bush. Snow may not be special to many, but my part of the USA has seen only a very small amount of snow this year. The second sparrow is perched on the railing surrounding the plants and is looking into them. I think he was singing so much that the bottom part of his beak is blurred.

I haven’t yet been able to identify these sparrows, but I wonder if they are different from the ones that I typically see in suburban Virginia.

Sparrow in Brussels

Sparrow in Brussels

Sparrow on a fence

Sparrow on a fence

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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National Airport

Posted in Architecture, Landscape, Photography, Travel, Urban, tagged , , , , , 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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Urban heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Urban, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on January 5, 2013| 5 Comments »

A few days ago I featured a Black-crowned Night Heron in a posting called Heron of a different color. One of the most unusual things about that heron was the location where I found him—a man-made canal at the edge of the runways at Reagan National Airport, across the Potomac River from Washington D.C.

That day there was another heron, a Great Blue Heron, fishing just opposite the night heron. I thought that herons preferred clear water, to help them see their prey better, but this water did not look to be very clear.

The first photo shows part of the canal, with a concrete wall in the lower right and the peeling paint of a bridge support in the upper left. I captured the image as the heron was moving around a freshly-caught little fish in his beak prior to swallowing it.

Urban_GBH2_blog

In the second shot, the heron had just dipped his beak into the water. I like the concentric ripples in the water and the drops of water visibly dripping off of the heron’s beak. This may have been an unsuccessful strike or he may have decided to rinse out his mouth (to get rid of the fish taste?).

urban_GBH3_blog

In this final photo, the heron is crossing the canal. As you can see, the water is fairly deep. I particularly like the heron’s reflection and how the details of the long feathers in the front are visible.

Urban_GBH4_blog

Six months ago, I didn’t realize that there were Great Blue Herons in the area in which I live, but now I seem to find them with some regularity. As long I continue to see them, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be seeing them again in this blog.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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