“Spiraling Down“

Every visitor to Rome should visit the Vatican Museum at least once. It’s a “must do.” The displays are fabulous; the history on display is phenomenal. The crowds are epic. The normal visitor will stand in line for quite a while and then join the parade of thousands, an enormous mass of humanity oozing through the famous hallways and past the displayed great masterpieces. By far the easiest way to get in (bypassing most the lines) is to join one of the many organized tour groups. That’s what we did.

The famous spiral staircase has to be one of the most photographed subjects in the Vatican — a place with literally miles of ornate hallways filled with great works of art. Giuseppe Momo was commissioned to build the staircase in 1932. The resulting “Momo staircase” is actually two staircases — one for going up, the other down. When I lasted visited (decades ago), all visitors to the museum came in and out via that staircase. A lot has changed since then. With the enormous crowds today, a new visitor center (including security) has been built; most visitors enter and exit through those new facilities. Nowadays, the “up” half of the spiral staircase is almost never used by visitors. Most tour groups exit this way, but many individual visitors today miss the spiral staircase entirely.

There are few opportunities to find an innovative angle or “different” take on such a well-photographed subject — the space is just large enough for the staircase itself, and by this point most tour groups have begun to resemble a forced march. But I had to try.

(Image: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom at 24mm and f/2.8; ISO 640; nine bracketed images around 1/30 sec., combined to a single HDR image.)
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Spiraling Down is a post from: the Photo Tourist

“Night at the Piazza della Rotonda“

Two weeks ago, Nancy and I were lucky enough to find ourselves in one of the world’s most romantic cities — Rome, Italy — for Valentine’s Day. We found ourselves at sunset relaxing with a drink in one of the neat little cafes around the Piazza del Rotonda. (Nancy’s was prosecco, mine was Italian beer.) The imposing edifice at center-frame is the Pantheon; in front of that is an obelisk brought from Egypt and installed here at the will of Pope Clement XI atop a fountain that was already here before the obelisk arrived, having been done by Giacomo Della Porta under Pope Gregory XIII in 1575.

Today, in 2012, we chatted with the friendly waiters and passers-by and enjoyed our drinks. The sun set. The crowd in the piazza did not diminish; it grew. The very impressive Roman Catholic church of St. Mary and the Martyrs (the Pantheon) stayed open well after dark and tourists like us continued to filter into the square, even as couples I took to be locals gradually infiltrated to hang out and do as young couples in love are apt to do around the central fountain (aptly known as “la Fontana del Pantheon”).

Finally, I could not stand it any more. I grabbed my tripod and camera and alighted into the piazza. I like to think I had my darling’s blessing: I can be a real pain when I’ve got “the shot” in my eye and can’t see anything else. About 15 minutes later, I was back. “The Shot” was in the memory card, and we were off to dinner. I’m happy to report most of “the shots” I envisioned worked as intended; this is one.

This is the first of several from Roma. Look for more as I process the images from our long weekend in Rome.

(Image: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 zoom lens at 24mm; f/2.8; ISO 1600; HDR from seven exposures ranging ev -3 to +3 bracketing 1/13 sec. exposure time; camera fixed on a tripod for the series.)
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Della Rotonda is a post from: the Photo Tourist

“Family Outing“

…And we’re back! … and we’re gone again!

A New Host: After some weeks, the Photo Tourist has returned from internet limbo. We have transitioned to a new web host, and the site is back up and running. A couple months ago and for several reasons, I became dissatisfied with my old hosting company and resolved to move. The old company, it seems, is in the habit of overselling their inexpensive server space and queuing transactions. Performance suffers unless I pay them for premium, dedicated service. This site was never going to work right (within my budget) under those terms. Apologies to anyone out there in internet land who might find you need to rejoin the site or if your comments have gone missing. If you’re bugged, shoot me a line and I’ll try to make it better.

New Travels: … and then we left town. Before the web site move was even complete, Nancy and I left on a one-month house-sitting odyssey on the small Caribbean island she has dubbed “St. Elsewhere.” When some friends asked if we could care for their property and pets, we jumped at the chance to test drive our “home away” dreams. Here on St. Elsewhere, there are three or four paved roads (ok, really there are more than that in the town, but not outside it), one town, two dive shops, one volcano (dormant), maybe 30 hotel rooms, and six or seven places to eat out. I am pursuing PADI Divemaster certification and Nancy and I are sharing the chores and errands associated with running a leased apartment facility, caring for two wonderful dogs, mowing lawns, and other sundry duties that come with hurricane season in the Lesser Antilles. (Really Nancy is doing the hard work. But I am helping. Sometimes. Honest.)

We love everything here on St. Elsewhere — except for the internet bandwidth. Our power gets interrupted a couple times a week. Our internet here is s-l-o-w. High-quality photo uploads are not a realistic possibility from our abode here on St. Elsewhere. So for a couple more weeks I’ll be trying (possibly failing) to link in photos that are already online somewhere but haven’t yet found a place on the Photo Tourist. Meanwhile, I’ll be guest blogging my divemaster (and maybe other) experiences on Nancy’s travel lifestyle blog, “A Shore Dive Kinda Life.”

Oh yeah — about the photo: Motor scooters are ubiquitous on the Indonesian island of Bali. As it was explained to us, they are frequently the only family transportation. For those without means to own one, they are commonly rented by the day. It is not at all unusual to see entire families of three, four … up to six, all crammed on one scooter, buzzing down the road. Couple this with traditional Balinese dress for temple days, and the photo opportunities abound. While western sensibilities worry about the safety of the situation, the heart is always captured by the sight of a little one in front, clearly loving the wind in her face and the view from between her father’s arms. Sometimes the child is grinning and other times she is trying to be serene and cool. Either way, that pure, simple, innocent joy is contagious.

(Nikon D700 with Nikkor 28-300mm zoom lens at 250mm, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/320 sec.)
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Rolling Again is a post from: the Photo Tourist

“Hair Fruit“

We pulled up beside the roadside stand to find mangoes or other fruity delectables. Nancy loves food, especially tropical fruit. She actually squealed with delight when she saw the bowl of bright red, hairy fruits. They are fruit, right? Or nuts? Can we eat it?

Today we were driving from our B&B (Rumah Cantik) in Lovina Beach to the cultural and tourist center at Ubud. We chose a route up and over the high ridge lines in central Bali, hoping for a scenic view of the famous volcano, Mount Batur. We stopped several times along the way. Several stops were at food stands or textile vendors; twice we stopped for the view. What can I say? It was all photogenic.

At each food stand, Nancy enthusiastically bubbled out of the car to investigate what new might be found. First, she found the hair fruit (rambutan). We found snake fruit (salak) later in the day.

“Snake Fruit“

For the record, both of these fruits pictured are actually quite tasty. Both are common in Bali; most establishments will serve them in fruit salads or breakfast bowls.

(Top Image ["Hair Fruit"]: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 28-300mm zoom at 160mm, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/30 sec.)

(Bottom ["Snake Fruit"]: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 28-300mm zoom at 85mm; ISO 450, f/5 at 1/30 sec.)
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Bali Fruits is a post from: the Photo Tourist

“Bramavihara-Arama Temple Stupa HDR“

Our driver and B&B owner Jette were insistent when we left the Rumah Cantik B&B, where we were staying in nearby Lovina Beach: In the northern part of Bali: One really should visit the “hot springs temple.” I was predisposed to the spiritual destination anyway; Bali retains its intriguing mix of Hindi and Buddhist roots even though Indonesia is among the most populated muslim countries in the world. We had already visited one of Bali’s famous Hindu temples (the lake shrine at Candikuning). The Bramavihara-Arama Buddhist Temple is the religious site to visit in northern Bali; so, we went.

We arrived at the temple late in the late afternoon of a day spent driving the highlands of central and northern Bali. Getting out of the car, we could see the temple rising above us. We entered through a greeting center and gate not much wider than a normal house, where we found stairs leading up to the monastery and temple above.

Up the stairs we found a fountain and small courtyard area. Three more flights of steps led up from the courtyard, making a set of stairs at each of the four sides of the central fountain. On one side, a balcony overlooked the road and surrounding hills, with a sort of pulpit or calling tower up a flight of stairs. Stairs on the other sides lead up to temple buildings.

We climbed. I was determined to get to the top of the temple. I wandered through temple grounds and lawns on several levels, pausing along the way to rest and meditate in pretty, cool, and calming shrines. Each time, I emerged to continue upwards. Finally, I emerged at an enormous open space, with wide lawns and seating steps set amongst manicured gardens, leading across a broad stepped field to this massive stone stupa. Large signs in multiple languages asked visitors to respect the quiet and people meditating or worshiping in this majestic serenity.

The spiritualist in me reveled in the quiet majesty; I sat briefly to let it gently seep into my soul. Then I remembered Nancy, somewhere in the grounds below me; it was time to be moving. When I rose I found myself alone. There was no-one around to be disturbed; my camera’s staccato clacking briefly shattered the peace.

Dramatic low rain clouds were moving in from Bali’s central mountains, creating a dramatic curtain of low cloud over a scene that was nonetheless still quite bright. The dramatic scene and lighting was perfect for a high dynamic range series.

(High dynamic range exposure composed of nine bracketed exposures covering a range of -4 to +4 EV; Nikon D700 with NIkkor 28-300mm zoom lens at 28mm, ISO 200, average exposure at f/13 at 1/125 sec.)
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Bali Stupa is a post from: the Photo Tourist

“Batur Volcano View“

While on Bali last trip, Nancy and I stayed at the northern resort town of Lovina Beach. We thought it would be quiet and more off the beaten track that staying back at the southern resort destinations or in the famed “artistic” haven of Ubud. We were right about that.

Still, we did want to go to Ubud. How could one go to Bali and not visit Ubud? Twice we drove over the mountain roads south to Ubud. One time, taking the “main road” south from Singraja, it took about two hours. The next time, we hired a driver and asked him to go by the scenic route.

We wound up the ridge line that defines the edge of a 30,000-year-old volcanic crater, through woods and villages. We stopped at several places to look out over the surrounding landscape — especially the bottom of that old crater, stretching away to the east-northeast. The bottom of that ancient volcanic caldera is now verdant, full of life and dotted with houses and villages.

In the distance we could see the new volcano, still active and rising from the floor of the ancient crater. This is Mount Batur. The waters of nearby Lake Batur gleam at the foot of the mountain. In the distance, beyond the lake is Bali’s tallest mountain, Mount Agung.

(Batur Volcano View: HDR image from nine exposures bracketed to cover a range -4EV to +4EV; Nikon D700 with Nikkor 28-300mm zoom lens at 45mm; ISO 200; f/11 at average 1/200 sec. exposure.)
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Bali Volcano View is a post from: the Photo Tourist

“Lake Shrine“

Our driver-cum-guide called it variously “the crater lake,” “the monastery at the lake,” or “the temple at the lake.” No matter how it’s known, the Hindu temple at Candikuning is one of the most emblematic sights of Bali. It took us nearly two hours to drive from our bed and breakfast (Rumah Cantik) in picturesque Lovina Beach on the north coast of Bali up into the highlands of Bedugul and to the small village of Candikuning. There, we were at about 1200m above sea level, roughly 30 km on the main road south from Singraja and about 53km north from the capital, Denpasar. The drive took us over a picturesque mountain with many switchbacks and scenic views. Part of the road has been widened to provide pull-offs where vendors hawk and locals or tourists can pull over to interact with the wild monkeys that have learned to hang out and beg at the roadside.

The Ulun Danu temple sits at the edge of Candikuning, amid beautifully landscaped lawns, walks, statuary, and shrines on the shores of Lake Bratan. Lake Bratan is actually the crater of a long-dormant volcano; the lake and temple scene has as a backdrop the towering remains of one massive side of the volcano’s caldera, the Gunung Catur. Because of the humidity and altitude, we were told it is frequently misty or cloudy here. It was cloudy the day we were there, with dramatic low skies and only occasional gaps where blue sky showed through.

Ulun Danu is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Danu, the patron of water (rain and rivers). The impressive Pura Ulun Danu Bratan has a walled center precinct that is normally closed to the public, as it is actively in use as a Hindu temple. Gates in the long walls provide the visitor a glimpse into the inner temple (and occasionally provide worshippers and children inside a glimpse of the hordes of tourists besieging their devotional oasis). There are a number of attractive and active shrines scattered in the gardens. The two multi-tiered shrines built on tiny islands in Lake Bratan form what is are probably the most recognizable and often photographed sight on Bali. They are so recognizable as landmarks and photo-ops that a number of photographers haunt the lake’s shoreline nearby, taking and selling snapshots for the visiting tourists. (The vendors’ photos are taken with high-end digital SLR cameras and printed on small portable printers, right there on the spot.)

(High dynamic range exposure composed of eight bracketed exposures covering a range of -4 to +4 EV; Nikon D700 with NIkkor 28-300mm zoom lens at 38mm, ISO 200, f/13 at 1/100 sec.)
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Lake Shrine is a post from: the Photo Tourist

“Rices“

Here are a couple more available-light shots from the Aertembaga Market, in Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. It comes as no surprise to anyone that rice is a staple food in Indonesia. What impressed me was the number of superficially identical varieties for sale — each with its own price. Our guide in the market explained that each type of rice is used for a different preparation and/or a different meal. There were a number of rice stands in the market. Some had rice by the bag; others had bins, buckets, or bowls of rice for sale. On each table there was also a scale and a scoop or measuring cup.

There were also a number of stands selling meats, fish, and vegetables of all types. Some were raw, and some were precooked. Some were even already on sticks, ready to eat. One fish stand happened to be perfectly placed in a rare ray of sunlight, illuminating the pile of smoked or dried fish of different types, piled on a newspaper-covered table.

“Smoked or Dried“

(Top image ["Rices"]: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 prime lens; ASA 200; f/1.8 at 1/30 sec.)

(Lower image ["Smoked or Dried"]: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 lens; ASA 200; f/2.5 at 1/50 sec.)
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Rice and Fish is a post from: the Photo Tourist

“Diving Is Fun“

The dive boats at Siladen Resort and Spa arrive and depart from the beach near the resort entrance and the dive shack. They are driven by outboard motors, and at the stern have such shallow draft that they can back in to the beach; a line is run to a nearby tree, the motors are pulled out of the water, and the boat can be pulled all the way up to the beach. It was possible to get on and off the boats without getting our feet wet (though of course nobody cared when we were going diving). The resort’s working dive boats were moored just off the beach nearby.

When we were there, one of the resort’s boats had been pulled up on the sand above the high water mark. It might have been there for repairs, but it looked to me more like an iconic landmark, pulled upon the beach and painted neatly to be a landmark and bit of character — and also an invitation. A sign facing outward beneath the boat’s awning read “Diving is Fun with Siladen Resort and Spa.” True story. In morning and evening the glossy paint on that boat picked up the sun and seemed almost to glow. The neat beach, colorful ocean, boats moored nearby, and the volcanic island Manado Tua in the background just made the scene more appealing. One afternoon I walked up the beach to attempt an HDR capture.

Today in North Sulawesi it is partly sunny, 84 degrees Fahrenheit (29C), with scattered clouds and occasional rain or thunder storms. Humidity is in the range of 65 percent. Kinda wish I was right there now, relaxing in the shade on this beach ….

(HDR image composed from eight bracketed exposures covering a range from -4EV to +3EV, metered from the shadows under the beached boat’s awning: Nikon D700; Nikkor 28-300mm zoom at 44mm and using a circular polarizing filter; ISO 200; f/4.2 at 1/200 sec.)
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Diving is Fun is a post from: the Photo Tourist

“Pool With a View“

The pool at the Lembeh Resort offers a wonderful, cool place to relax after a day out in the sun and scuba diving. Nancy tells me it is also a wonderful place to relax instead of diving. Several days at Lembeh, I returned from diving to find Nancy relaxing by the pool. Sometimes she was reading. Most afternoons, we both would sit at least briefly to enjoy this wonderful view. (We also loved the view first thing in the morning, before the first dive.)

The Lembeh resort is built along the slopes rising on both sides of a narrow little valley and natural harbor area. The lodgings are on the rising slopes on either side of the valley. At the center, the harbor is bordered with a seawall and patio, with pool and the rest of the resort’s common buildings spreading back from the waterfront.

The waterfront and pool are bordered by landscaped gardens and the dive center. The second-level restaurant at the center of the resort offers a view that takes in both the pool view above and this view of the grounds the right. From the nearest (right), the buildings are the dive center (“Critters@Lembeh“), the equipment room, and the dive shack. And of course the Lembeh Strait view beyond needs no introduction. I think we’ll be back.

“The Lembeh Resort“

(Top image ["Pool With a View"]: Nikon D700; Nikkor 28-300mm zoom at 28mm; ISO 200; f/5.6; 1/320 sec.)

(Lower ["The Lembeh Resort"]: Same camera and lens at 28mm; ISO 200; f/4; 1/60 sec.)
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Pool With a View is a post from: the Photo Tourist