David L Baker Photography

Photography with an occasional poem

Tag: Photography

  • Leaning

    A trip out to Pisa. You could be forgiven for thinking there is nothing in Pisa but a rather awkward tower. Almost correct. There is nothing to see but a walled off square that contains a baptistry, a church, and a tower.
    As a show of wealth, the Baptistry leads straight into the church, and at the rear is the impressive tower. Unfortunately it seems the Pisans were not too bright. To demonstrate their wealth the tower is made of solid marble, weighing 14,500 tonnes. It is also built on soft clay and sand, which was never going to support it.
    After several attempts, it has now been stabilised.

    In this image you have the Baptistry and the city walls of Pisa.

  • Art

    One problem with Florence (if it can be counted as a problem) is that it is very compact. And the Duomo is huge. So it makes getting a wide shot very difficult, even ignoring the crowds. So I leave it to a street artist to display the cathedral in all its glory.

  • Duomo

    From Venice to Florence. By chance our hotel had a rooftop area with a view to the cathedral. Of course it would be rude not to take advantage. All it needed was a few stars, and maybe the milky way, but you can’t have everything.
    Of course Florence is more than the Duomo, but that can wait for another day.

  • Gondolas

    Just four cornettos… We were told by our guide that the gondoliers do not, in fact, sing that. To me he sounded a little over-defensive about it, so I am not so sure. With the cost of a gondola ride I would expect them not only to sing, but to accompany themselves on the harmonica!

    After the chaos of the gondoliers, a more calming view of the canals. I think that will be the end for Venice, but where to next? Who knows? Well I do obviously.

  • Gondola

    After a change of train in Milan our next stop is Venice. Obviously you cannot include Venice without a gondola, or more than one. What is the plural of gondola? Is it gondoli? Gondolae? Or just gondolas?
    There will be more images, as it is such a beautiful city. Okay, just one more for now, of multiple gondolari… Yes I just made that up.

  • Lingotto

    Apologies in advance, but having just returned from Italy with just over 1300 photos to get through, you may find the next few posts have a common theme.
    The journey begins in Turin. The hotel was at the Lingotto building, which used to be the Fiat offices. Famously there was an oval test track on the roof, but with normal luck this facility was closed on the day we were there. However, this is the original spiral roadway leading to the roof. Second best but what can you do?

    Wandering around the Lingotto we came across a funky little bridge, so you get the bonus of a second image. You’re welcome.

  • Decay

    I have previously posted the classic view of the old pier at Swanage, but this angle is often overlooked. With the tide at this level you can see how the wooden supports have rotted away over time. I just wonder how much longer they will be there.
    There may be another posting gap, as I am due to go to Italy for a couple of weeks. Hopefully I will come back with a few images to share along with the normal holiday snaps. Fingers crossed…

  • St Catherine’s

    THe island is just off the coast of Tenby in South Wales. It is known for its fort, which was built in 1859 to defend against the pesky French. It is open to visitors, and is accessible at low tide. I have never been to the fort – too many steps for my old legs. The dark shadow below the fort is actually a passage you an paddle or swim through to the other side.

  • Reflecting

    While the rest of the family went and played crazy golf, I took the chance to have a slow wander around the harbour without running the risk of boring everyone else senseless. I understand this is one of the frustrations of having someone in the family who keeps stopping to take photos. The tide was low enough for me to get down to sea level rather than having to shoot from the harbour wall, and the reflections in the sea, distorted by the gentle breeze, took my eye.

  • Dobby

    For any fan of the Harry Potter franchise, the death of house elf Dobby was one of the saddest moments. The scenes were shot in South Wales, and at the spot in the sand dunes where he was ‘buried’ people have created shrine. There are socks, stones with tributes on them, and even a couple of white plastic models of Dobby. We went with the family, and they wrote their own tributes to add to the pile. Click on each image for full size.