Urban landscapes: before the fire
NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL, PARIS
During a 2017 day trip from our cruise ship, my wife and I had such a short time to see this cathedral that I forgot I even made a photo of it until wandering through the archives and making this discovery.
Lineups to get in the cathedral were so ridiculously long that we didn’t even try. So, attempting to conjure up an interesting composition, I twisted the camera and included a lightpost for a secondary point of visual interest.
Other than the blue sky, there was very little colour in this scene, so I made a black-and-white version to increase the drama.
Nikon D7100, tripod.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Light and Lines: An Urban Landscape Portfolio”: http://bit.ly/LIGHTandLINES
Wildlife: one good tern deserves another
ARCTIC TERN, INVERGORDON, SCOTLAND
A flock of these beautiful birds made their home on what appeared to be a rickety addition to the main deep-sea dock in this town (you can see that addition here: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-1hS). They were accustomed to people nearby, so it was easy to leave our cruise ship, set up my equipment and look for moments like this.
Nikon D7100, 70-300 mm. zoom lens, tripod.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “MOMENTS OF LIGHT: Thirty Years of Photography”: http://bit.ly/JTNnMX
Urban landscapes: a glimpse of history
ARMOURY HALL, INVERARAY CASTLE, ARGYLL, SCOTLAND
My wife and I visited Inveraray Castle during a day trip from our cruise ship. Upon arriving, we found out it was used in the 2012 Christmas episode of Downton Abby (and called “Duneagle Castle”). Fans of the TV show may recall Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, stopping to admire this room.
This castle is the ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll, chief of the Clan Campbell. Construction began in 1746 and took 43 years to complete. The castle tourists visit today was the result of a fire in 1877, which resulted in the addition of the third floor and conical roofs on the corner towers.
Interior photography usually requires a tripod, which I wasn’t permitted to use. Fortunately, there was just enough natural light to let me hand-hold my Nikon D7100 and capture this wide-angle perspective.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Light and Lines: An Urban Landscape Portfolio”: http://bit.ly/LIGHTandLINES
Natural landscapes: the flowers of St. James’s Park
SPRING FOXGLOVE, LONDON, ENGLAND
My wife and I had just finished exploring the Churchill War Rooms and were walking along the edge of St. James’s Park when she spotted Buckingham Palace off in the distance. Well, nothing would do but that we had to visit.
So off we went through the park, which turned out to be an ideal locale for flower, landscape and wildlife photos. (Here’s an example of the park’s wildlife: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-V8.)
Nikon D7100, tripod.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “MOMENTS OF LIGHT: Thirty Years of Photography”: http://bit.ly/JTNnMX
Urban landscapes: bound for the buses
THE DOCK WALK, INVERGORDON, SCOTLAND
Our cruise ship docked for the day and this was my view as passengers walked to waiting buses for day trips into the Scottish highlands. This town of 4,000, a popular cruise ship stop because of the deep-water port, was once home to a naval base. All the tanks you see held fuel and water for ships.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “MOMENTS OF LIGHT: Thirty Years of Photography”: http://bit.ly/JTNnMX
Urban landscapes: the colour of an Irish spring
SPRING TULIP, ST. STEPHEN’S GREEN, DUBLIN
While our cruise ship was docked for an overnight stay, I had a glorious hour or two to explore this wonderful urban park. Spring was in full bloom and compelling little scenes like this were everywhere. St. Stephen’s Green was one of the key sites of the 1916 Easter rebellion. The rebellion failed, but it was the start of a journey that led to independence for most of Ireland.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “MOMENTS OF LIGHT: Thirty Years of Photography”: http://bit.ly/JTNnMX
Urban landscapes: the welcoming light
ENTRY TO 707 FIFTH, CALGARY, ALBERTA
This 27-storey skyscraper, completed in early 2018, grabbed my attention for the curving indent going all the way to the top and the bright, shiny main entry (which you see here). I spent a happy 45 minutes before dawn wandering around the entry making long-exposure photos with no one to bother me. 🙂
Nikon D7100, tripod.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Light and Lines: An Urban Landscape Portfolio”: http://bit.ly/LIGHTandLINES
Natural landscapes: the snowy spring lake
PRAIRIE LAKE IN APRIL SNOW, NEAR COCHRANE, ALBERTA
I don’t know the name of this lake, but I do know it’s been the subject of many very satisfying photos — especially because the road winds around it and up a ridge, providing this very picturesque overview. I like the colour version, but there isn’t a lot of colour in this scene so I’m showing you the more dramatic monotone version.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter, graduated density (darkening) filter on the sky.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Frank King’s Southern Alberta“: http://bit.ly/1oUzd4A
Rural landscapes: the farm and the fields
SPRING FARM IN THE FOOTHILLS, ALBERTA
I love digging around in my archives and finding beauties like this one, captured almost 10 years ago while driving nameless roads in the southwest part of this western Canadian province. The strong red in the buildings attracted my attention, as do the fields and forests ranging off in the background.
I’m always intrigued at the prospect of showing you landscapes without including any sky. Without it, this photo is split in three horizontal bands: the farm at the bottom, the middle field and (split by the diagonal road) the distant fields & forests.
Nikon D90. tripod, polarizing filter.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “MOMENTS OF LIGHT: Thirty Years of Photography”: http://bit.ly/JTNnMX
Urban landscapes: the soaring skyscraper
JAMES FLAHERTY BUILDING, OTTAWA, ONTARIO
This 17-storey structure, completed in 2014 just a few blocks from the Canadian Parliament buildings, is named after a former national minister of finance. Flaherty served for eight years before unexpectedly dying just a few weeks after resigning in 2014. The building is occupied by 2,600 federal government employees.
I was attracted by the bold exterior and the bright night-time lighting, working carefully to make everything as symmetrical as possible. There wasn’t much colour in this scene, so I went with a black-and-white treatment to emphasize the lines.
Nikon D7100, tripod.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Light and Lines: An Urban Landscape Portfolio”: http://bit.ly/LIGHTandLINES
