The Colosseum in Rome

Probably the best known edifice in Rome, instantly recognizable and photographed thousands of times every hour by the millions who visit this every year. Construction of this amphitheater was begun in 72AD under the reign of Emperor Vespasian and finished in 80AD under Emperor Titus.

DSC_1334_5_6-Edit

McWay Falls, Big Sur

I happened to be in California the last two weeks on work related business. Over the weekend my cousin drove me down the scenic pacific coast on the scenic Route 101 from San Francisco to the Big Sur and back. Sadly the day was overcast but we managed to take in some pretty sights along the way, including the famous McWay Falls in the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Sadly in the absence of a wide-angle lens, I had to resort to taking overlapping photos with my 50mm and then stitching them in Adobe Lightroom.

DSC_7359-Pano-Edit
Composite of 5 stiched photos. See in large size on Flickr by clicking on the photo!

Here is another close-up of the McWay Falls, this time in HDR.

DSC_7367_8_9-Edit
See in large size on Flickr by clicking on the photo above.

In multiples..

I was in Cornwall last week. This picture was taken at Kynance Cove in the Lizard Peninsula. It is a stitched panorama of 7 overlapping photographs while my son obliged by running across. Click on the photo and follow the link to see the photo in large size! Shot at low tide around 8:30PM.

DSC_7097-Pano
Kynance Cove (see larger image on Flickr)

Proud as a peacock!

On that particular day in Barcelona at the zoo, there were a few proud peacocks (Pavo cristatus) strutting their stuff to very disinterested peahens! Growing up in India, the peacock was a relatively common sight, and their plaintive calls at sunset time during summers usually heralded possible rain!

P1020363-Edit

Bible stories in Barcelona

Details of carvings on one of the gigantic doors on the passion facade of that Antoni Gaudi classic – La Sagrada Familia. The carvings portray different stories from the bible. This structure has been under construction since the 1880. More fantastic pictures from this basilica to follow soon!

P1020267
Details of carvings on the door of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Please click on the picture for more viewing options on Flickr.

Now you see it, now you don’t

Now here’s an experiment at removing those irritating lines and wires that make their way into every photo (especially those in cities). Having read about Snapheal CK, I bit the bullet and bought a copy of the license. And the results are below to compare. Snapheal makes removing lines, wires and other unwanted features from a picture a doddle. Interestingly enough, the algorithm underneath the hood does a brilliant job and understanding the background patterns so that there are no ghosts left from the removal! Of course, nothing is perfect and one shouldn’t expect miracles and nothing can rescue a badly composed photograph.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The photos above are of Casa Bruno Cuadros (a famous umbrella shop in the La Rambla area of Barcelona), and show the photos before and after treatment with Snapheal CK.

View from a bullring!

The Les Arenes Bullring in Barcelona is now no longer a bullfighting arena but instead has been converted to a shopping centre and a great eating place on the roof. The view from the top provides lovely views of Placa Espanya and Palau Nacional (that houses the National Museum of Art). Some views below.

P1020204
View of a park near Placa Espanya.

P1020215
Palau Nacional and Placa Espanya

P1020202
Palau Nacional and Placa Espanya, Barcelona

St. Paul’s and the Millennium Bridge

On a warm winters day (as have most days been in the UK this December). Shot from the Tate Modern Gallery end of the Millennium Bridge.

_DSC6258_59_60
See more viewing options on Flickr (https://flic.kr/p/CB1R7L)