Winter Wonderland

La Place de la Libération, transformed briefly into a winter wonderland.

Dijon - 12/05/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/23763609

Winter Streets

The streets of downtown Dijon in their festive Christmas illumination.

Dijon - 12/05/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/23762162

l'abandon... nement

An abandoned car.

Plombières-lès-Dijon - 11/06/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/23195231

A new day

The sun peeking over the French Alps onto Revel, outside of Grenoble.

Revel/Grenoble - 10/15/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22817078

Grenoble countryside

There have been very few pictures which I have spent as much time and energy on as this one, from conception to execution to processing.

And there have been very few pictures which I have been as greatly pleased with as this one.

The setting: sunrise breaking over the French/Italian Alps, casting fresh sunlight onto the valley of Revel, in the foothills outside of Grenoble, France.

Revel/Grenoble - 10/15/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22808361

Moo

Three of them: moo, moo, moo.

Revel/Grenoble - 10/15/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22787433

Palais des Couleurs

The Palais des Ducs lit up with color at night.

Dijon - 10/06/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22592165

Arquebuse tree

An infrared photo of a tree in the Arquebuse botanical garden in Dijon, France.

Dion - 10/01/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22466662

Photos available for download

Full resolution versions of photos on this blog (as well as many more of my photos) can be downloaded at my deviantART gallery.

(Google compresses and downsizes photos on Blogger... go to deviantART for the real ones, if you want them.)

The Peace

Sun setting, as reflected in the Ouche river.

Dijon - 09/25/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22350819/

The bend in the mirror

The Ouche river, flowing into west Dijon.

Dijon - 9/25/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22350772/

My lungs

They're healthy.

Dijon - 09/20/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22242701/

King David

A part of Les Puits de Moïse well sculpture which depicts King David surrounded by angels.

Dijon - 09/18/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22228674/

The lookout

Top of Tour Philippe le Bon.

Dijon - 09/18/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22227621/

The Downward Spiral

Spiral staircase in Tour Philippe le Bon.

Dijon - 09/18/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22227556/

Bird's eye view

Overlooking Place de la Libération.

Dijon - 09/18/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22210216/

The Wall

Good album... awful movie.

Dijon - 09/18/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22210135/

Here's lookin' at you, kid.

Get it?? HA!

Dijon - 09/16/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22166977/

Picnic in the park

There was already a bottle of another wine, so the good ol' vintage Carignan will be saved for a soon-to-be-announced Wine & Cheese night.

Dijon - 09/16/11

The Lecteurs

Left to right: Chumps McGee, Marcelo, Jake, Hallie, Elaine, Joe

Dijon - 09/15/11

What's in a name?

750 ml of my heritage, that's what.

Dijon - 09/14/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22132682/

The river

I know, I know... my titles are incredibly original and witty.

Dijon - 09/12/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22092985/

The path

Even taking the road more traveled by can sometimes make a difference, Bobby.

Dijon - 09/12/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22092898/

Stonewalled

Lesson from today: climb steep and rocky hillside, jump fence, get rewarded with pretty things.

Dijon - 09/12/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22092822/

Llamas are marvellous

Here are two llamas. They are pretty swell(ll).

Dijon - 09/10/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22048164/

Intercession

Two angels as part of the headpiece of a grave in the Dijon cemetery.

Dijon - 09/10/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22048119/

Pour la France

Section of the Dijon cemetery dedicated to French soldiers who died in WWI.

Dijon - 09/10/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22048061/

Green with ivy

Or red and green.

Dijon - 09/08/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22011454/

The window

Here's a window. I thought it was cool. I took a picture of it.

Dijon - 09/08/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22011407/

The Elite

I practiced some shoot-from-the-hip style street photography today, where you hold the camera down by your side and take pictures without people knowing (and without being able to see your own composition). The great thing about this kind of street photography is that you get pictures you would never think of taking consciously.

Case in point: these are two homeless gentlemen walking their dog down the street. The social irony highlighted through the juxtaposition of the men and the store they're walking in front of was completely unplanned.

Dijon - 09/08/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22011349/

Pompon

François Pompon, modern sculptor from Dijon, known for his stylized renderings of animals.

Dijon - 09/08/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22011275/

I do not like these foul beasts

You see? Here's one now. I'm not very fond of it.

Dijon - 09/08/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22011194/

A fair trade

A group of youth from Grenoble were having a fundraiser in the park. They asked for a donation. I gave them 1€, and in return I got a piece of cinnamon candy, a song, and a picture.

I think I got the better end of the deal.

Dijon - 09/08/11

The Roof

Just a little morning photography to accompany my cup of coffee.

Dijon - 09/08/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/21999031/

Night to Day, redux

Due to to the continually fading opportunity for appropriate lighting to redo these shots properly, as well as to my lack of patience to actually do so, I decided to simply take another stab at this Night to Day project. This time, however, I went back to the original, unedited files of both shots. I took much more time to align the two shots, and cleaned up as much of the misalignment as I could.

I'm happier with it now. :o)

Dijon - 09/06/11 (pictures from 08/03/11 and 08/27/11)

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/21970472/

Red dress

That little red flower again...

Dijon - 09/05/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/21965035/

Haystacks

Fellow instructors, Jake and Hallie, sitting on a haystack in a field at the turn-around point of our bike ride.

Dijon - 09/05/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/21964267/

Standing out

A dab of red on a canvas of yellow. Outside a small farm, seen on a bike ride yesterday afternoon.

Dijon - 09/05/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/21964173/

My sandwich (a.k.a. "yeah I ate that, and it was awesome")

I humbly submit for your approval the following:
-baguette
-ham
-mayonnaise
-Dijon mustard
-sliced hard-boiled egg
-sliced brie cheese

Dijon - 09/03/11 (photographed, and then promptly eaten)

La Foule

The crowd at the concert de la rentrée. This place was crazy tonight.

Don't mind the blur...

Dijon - 09/02/11

Concert de la rentrée

Tonight Dijon held a free concert to celebrate the return of the year (i.e. sorry, no more vacation, people... but here's some music).

Don't mind the noise... (bad photography/music pun, but appropriate in both ways for this photo)

Dijon - 09/02/11

Night to Day

Inspired by this Gizmodo shooting challenge, sent to me by none other than the big D-wizzle himself. These two shots were not taken from the exact same position nor at the exact same angle, but now that I've seen the general effect, I think I might try to shoot two more photos with this final composition in mind, and try it again.

Dijon - 09/01/11 (pictures from 08/03/11 and 08/27/11)

WWI monument

Another shot of the WWI monument in the Edmond Michelet roundabout.


(Dedicated to Hank and Val.)

Dijon - 08/29/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/21810609/

Park statue

Another shot of the entrance to le parc de la Colombière.

The other people in the park must have thought I was insane because, in order to get this angle, I kept having to set the timer on the camera and then hold the tripod high above my head. Rinse and repeat until desired composition was achieved.

(Dedicated to Hank and Val.)

Dijon - 08/29/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/21810677/

Sun wreath

Part of a WWI monument at the center of the Edmond Michelet roundabout in south-east Dijon.

(Dedicated to Hank and Val.)

Dijon - 08/29/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/21795700/

See the forest through the trees

Sometimes you... well... you just have to look up.

Taken at le parc de la Colombière.

(Dedicated to Hank and Val.)

Dijon - 08/29/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/21795616/

The most beautiful path in my kingdom

Le parc de la Colombière, in Dijon, France. Louis XIV said of this main path through the 16th century park - spanning nearly 82 acres and containing 6000 trees - that it was "la plus belle allée de mon royaume."

(All pictures taken today will be dedicated to Hank and Val, the wonderful couple from New York with whom I had the great pleasure to spend a part of this beautiful afternoon.)

Dijon - 08/29/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/21795462/

La Chapelle stained glass

Stained glass windows inside la Chapelle cathedral.

(For the record, this is another example of how HDR imaging can, and should, be used without anyone even knowing you did it. Without tone-mapping of multiple photos, it would have been nearly impossible to capture all of the detail and fine color gradation in the stained glass while still being able to make out all of the great stone work.)

Dijon - 08/28/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/21766091/

Pêcheur à la ligne

Kind old man sitting on the bank of the canal, fishing. He had a wonderful accent which I couldn't possibly begin to wrap my ear around.

(yes, I DID ask his permission to take this photo!)

Dijon - 08/28/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/21766025/

Moment de détente

Wonderful Sunday afternoon. This guy = happy guy.

(P.S. My challenge today was to shoot only with my 50mm f/1.8 lens. I met the challenge, and I was reminded that this was the best Benjamin I ever spent on photography.)

Dijon - 08/28/11

Print available at: http://www.deviantart.com/print/22253265/