R. Doug Wicker's Blog, page 114

The Christmas Lights of Eastridge — Part 1

[image error]

Yesterday we learned a little about how to photograph Christmas lights. Today and tomorrow we’re going to put all those lessons to use. Every year, the Eastwood neighborhood in El Paso decorates like no other. The following photos of Eastridge Christmas lighting decorations were taken in 2012. I hope you enjoy the show:

Photographing Outdoor (and Indoor) Christmas Lights

(Following is a repost from December 2012, hence the Mayan calendar reference)

It’s the Christmas season.  That means it’s camera time, because you won’t see this much nighttime splashing of color again until July 4, and that’s only if we’re all still around come Mayan dawn on December 21 (remember — those west of the International Dateline get it first).

Taking pictures of Christmas lights requires special care and preparation.  Regular readers of my blog know that I don’t usually advocate t...

Fun Photo Friday — 54 Days at Sea, Lisbon favorites 2

[image error]

King John I

Fun Photo Friday Lisbon favorite #2 of three:

54 Days at Sea — Lisbon; Façades and Fado

[image error]

Lisbon, Portugal

Ursula and I spend much of our first day in Lisbon just hoofing it through the streets and soaking in the views.

[image error]

Lisbon, Portugal

There’s much to see and do here, so be well rested and have a good pair of walking shoes!

[image error]

Lisbon, Portugal

Fortunately, we had a relaxing evening planned, which I’ll get to in a moment. Until then, let’s take a look first at the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha (Lady of the Old Conception):

[image error]

Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha

The r...

54 Days at Sea — Lisbon; Tiles on roofs & tiles on walls

[image error]

Tiled wall, Lisbon

So, you thought Cádiz had tile work? Well, guess what . . . Lisbon buildings are covered in it.

[image error]

Tiled wall, Lisbon

Tiles cover walls:

[image error]

Laundry and tile

Tiles cover roofs:

[image error]

Tiled roofs, Lisbon

Tile is nearly everywhere:

[image error]

Tiled wall, Lisbon

But not all buildings in Lisbon are so adorned. Some have paint:

[image error]

Fruit stand

Some are stone:

[image error]

Stone façade

Now let’s just look at some streets in Lisbon:

[image error]

Lisbon street scene

[image error]

Narrow street

Fun Photo Friday — 54 Days at Sea, Lisbon favorites 1

[image error]

Low Perspective

Today’s Fun Photo Friday — first of three dedicated to Lisbon, Portugal:

54 Days at Sea — Lisbon; Changing of the Guard

[image error]

Changing of the Guard, Lisbon, Portugal

As I mentioned on Monday, the changing of the guard here in Lisbon usually occurs the third Sunday of the month. Yet, here we were at the Jerónimos Monastery, witnessing this event on the first Monday of the month.

[image error]

Changing of the Guard, Lisbon, Portugal

Not really evident from the photo above is the meticulous grooming of the horses used by the guard. Take a look at these closeups to see what I mean:

[image error]

Changing of the Guard, Lisbon, Portugal

Did you noti...

54 Days at Sea — Arriving into Lisbon, Portugal

[image error]

Jerónimos Monastery

MS Prinsendam left Cádiz, Spain, on May 2, and arrived early the next morning. Ursula and I departed the ship and head out on foot to the west, which took us along the marina and beneath the 25 de Abril (25th of April) Bridge (the statue of the opposite bank of the Tagus River is the Sanctuary of Christ the King):

[image error]

25 de Abril (25th of April) Bridge

Continuing west along the Targus we came across the rather impressive Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries)....

Fun Photo Friday — 54 Days at Sea, Cádiz favorites 2

[image error]

Cádiz Skyline

Here is our last Fun Photo Friday look at Cádiz, Spain, before we sail off for Lisbon:

54 Days at Sea — Cádiz; Architectural highlights

[image error]

Cádiz, Spain

Beginning next week we move on from Cádiz and land in Lisbon, Portugal. One thing you may notice that the two share in common is some exquisitely intricate tile work decorating the various buildings:

[image error]

Another feature the two have in common are the stonework towers:

[image error]

Cádiz, Spain

If you combine the two you get this:

[image error]

Cádiz, Spain

Before I started the Cádiz portion of this 54 Days at Sea series, I noted that Cádiz comes off at the short end of the stick after Santorini and Malta, but...