(Another) Aruba Sunset [Sky Watch Friday]

  

There are already several Aruba Sunset images posted in my Archive, but, I think that there is always room for one more. This was shot [hand-held] earlier this year using my Canon A-720 ‘point-and-shoot’. I mention that to reiterate that one does not need the latest hi-tech camera to generate a good image. 

Icarus [Sky Watch Friday]

This is the last of my 'through the tour bus window' images taken in Ireland last month. It is a statue of Icarus [from Greek mythology], which stands in a roundabout in the town of Ennis [western Ireland]. Some background I took from Wikipedia: Ennis was going to celebrate its 750th anniversary in 1990. In its honor, an aviation company [now defunct] commissioned the statue.  Although the sculptor [John Behan] named it Daedalus, apparently the townspeople began calling it Icarus, and that name stuck. Anyway, as we circled the roundabout, I had just one chance to shoot, and managed to get the backside of it. All the unsightly electric/phone lines were 'cloned out' in Photoshop Elements.

Similarities [Sky Watch Friday]

The two images below come from two vastly different locales, but they bear a striking resemblance in their architecture. The image immediately below is a detail of the Albi Cathedral in the southwest of France. Originally named the Cathedral of St. Cecilia, its construction was begun in 1287 and completed some 200 years later. Now considered to be the largest brick structure in the world, it was had been intended to be a fortress. This view of this side of the church certainly leaves no doubt about that. However, the interior is totally surprising -- it is full of color and decoration, quite the opposite of the stern and forbidding exterior.

 

The next image is that of the Grain Tower located in Schoen Place, right along the Erie Canal near Rochester. Residents of the area pronounce it ‘Shown’ Place; that bugs me since it deserves the German pronunciation [which I cannot spell phonetically in English; you either know it or you don’t]. While this is not a brick building, its size and shape always makes me think of Albi. The structure is actually grey, but the setting sun [and a little help in Photoshop] gave it some color. Oh, I forgot to note that I shot this with my cell phone camera.

Ireland's Changing Skies #2 [Sky Watch Friday]

As 'advertised', I am posting more shots from the emerald isle wherein the sky ranges to brilliant blue with white puffy clouds to just bright grey. In short, we saw everything during our tour; so, there was no way to get bored.

 

This is St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. It was shot on perhaps the nicest day we experienced. 

There were  many lovely vistas along the Ring of Kerry route. 

I'm embarrassed to say that I do not remember the town in which I shot this from a short foot-bridge. Then again, that is not an important detail ---

This shot was taken just outside the Belleek Ceramic Factory [the lupins in the Arrays below were just at my back].

Ireland Arrays #2

Well, why wait -- here are the remaining 'array' images I mentioned below. These differ in that there is no diagonal feature present.

Ah yes -- we enjoyed a refreshing glass of Guinness at their distillery in Dublin. Did you know that the harp [not the Shamrock] depicted on the glass is Ireland's official symbol? Did you know that to properly serve a glass of Guinness it takes several minutes of pouring [in two stages]; and one must wait an additional several minutes to allow the air to rise?

These are kilns at the Belleek Crystal Factory,

Granted this array is in slight disorder, I have an excuse to show these lovely lupins, which are present in abundance in Ireland.

Ireland Arrays #1

Looking through our Ireland vacation photos, a new theme has emerged; viz. arrays [others might use another term to describe a scene with repeating elements]. In any event, that is something that always catches my eye, especially if shooting it also creates some diagonal line. Here are some examples. Next week I'll post a few that lack the diagonal.

This was shot in The Merry Ploughboy Pub in Donegal.

I wish there would have been a few more tour buses in the line. Those oversize side view mirrors remind me of the antennae of some insect.

Now this is not necessarily an image that one would associate with Ireland. But, as it turned out, as we were driving past a golf club, our tour guide/driver turned in to show us where he likes to golf. This shot made the little detour worthwhile for me.

After the many pit stops along the way, I finally found one that 'spoke' to me -- yep, 'beauty' in the strangest of places.