Thursday, August 30, 2012

Using Up Film

Spring & Summer 2011 - Delft, Dublin, Wassenaar







The problem that I have with my Lomography cameras is this - I take film photos of something or somewhere really cool, like Sicily, and then I still have about 10 shots on my camera. Three months later, I finally develop them.

The first three shots are of Delft, all taken around the town square.
The next two are from Dublin, one taken while walking across the Liffey, and the other looking straight up from Front Arch in Trinity.
The final shot brings us back to Holland, in the fields outside of Wassenaar where my dad and I were riding our bikes.


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

So I Found...

Spring 2011 - Sicily







I can't believe I forgot that I brought my Diana Mini with me to Sicily! Took me forever to use up this film, too (as you'll be able to see by the next few posts...). 

The first photo is from Poggioreale, digitals here, the second is from the ruins of a castle in the town of Enna. 

I especially love the next three. I didn't really get a good shot of the Greek Theatre at Segesta with my digital camera, but I quite love this film one. There's also something about shooting ruins with film that just works. Digitals here.

Final shot from Cefalu, the same church as in the first photo of the other post here.


Sunday, August 26, 2012

Bits and Bobs

Spring 2011 - Istanbul




These are my final photos from Istanbul. Well, not quite, I have a whole other series coming but those have a different focus. 

The first photo was taken while crossing the main bridge over the Golden Horn - you can see Asia in the back of the shot. The second one, at the spice market, though this was a tea store with amazing tea. Those red flowers you're seeing on the left of the screen, those are pomegranate flowers, yum! And finally, a sunset taken on a cool, crisp evening.


Friday, August 24, 2012

Street Art

Spring 2011 - Istanbul 



The yellow fist in the second one is all over the Galata side of the city. This one was one the side of the bridge across the Golden Horn.


Wednesday, August 22, 2012

From the Sky

Spring 2011 - Istanbul




Located across the Golden Horn is the Galata Tower (first photo, not so aesthetically pleasing but good for context). You can't really tell, but it's possible to go up to that top level (with the really rickety looking iron railing, yeah...), and so we did.

The first view is looking across at old (the oldest) Constantinople - on the very right you can see the edge of the Hagia Sophia! The final photo is looking out across the Bosphorus towards Asia. That's right - Asia. Worth going on the really scary walkway? Probably :)


Monday, August 20, 2012

Churches and Walls

Spring 2012 - Istanbul




The first photo is of the Hagia Eirene, one of the first, if not the very first church built in Constantinople. Unlike the Hagia Sophia and the Little Hagia Sophia, the Hagia Eirene was never converted into a mosque even though it eventually ended up within the walls of the Topaki Palace (wall pictured in the second photo...). However, the church was shut both days I went by, so I was only able to enjoy it's beauty from the out side. 

The final photo is from a church on the 'modern' side of Istanbul.


Saturday, August 18, 2012

What to Drink

Spring 2011 - Istanbul



Turkish Coffee - Served in tiny cups, unfilterd, and usually with some sugar. 
Turkish Apple Tea - Sweet, but not too sweet, add sugar if needed. Fell a bit in love with the apple tea, I have to say! 


Thursday, August 16, 2012

To the Grand Bazaar

Spring 2012 - Istanbul




I'll be honest, I have no idea what that first building is. I know I took the photo on the way to the Grand Bazaar, hence the two other photos in this post.

The Grand Bazaar. Well, it's certainly something. You could spend days and days walking through the labyrinth of corridors, as long as you can handle all the guys yelling at you as you go by. I especially love the lamp stores - glowing with all of those lights on.

The final photo is actually a courtyard in the older part of the Bazaar.


Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Basilica Cistern

Spring 2012 - Istanbul



So this place is beautiful. 
The Basilica Cistern lies beneath the modern metropolis of Istanbul, quietly still standing after about seventeen hundred years. It was probably originally built to hold water for the palace complex of Constantinople, though it certainly was not the only one (we had dinner in another cistern that's been converted).


Saturday, August 11, 2012

The Little Sister

Spring 2012 - Istanbul






There is no where you can go in this city that is not beautiful. The first photo was taken walking towards the Little Hagia Sophia, which you can see in the back of the shot, the second from the outside, and the third from inside the mosque. I've included that third, not so fancy photo predominantly because of how cool this church-now-mosque is. Originally know as the Church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus, (a mouthful, to say the least) the church was literally a miniature version of the Hagia Sofia, though it was built first. Like the Hagia Sofia it was converted into a mosque, but it still has the bones of a Byzantine church for sure. Check out the resemblance between these columns and those of it's larger sister church, and oh wait, does the dome seem to be floating to you?

The fourth photo is of the ubiquitous Hagia Sophia at night time. One of the reasons I love this photo of it so much is because of the lack of minarets. Nothing against minarets in general, but they weren't part of the original structure, and so it's always interesting to see it that way. 

And then there's the lock. I love the locks. I have a feeling most people do, but hey, they always look good in a photo. This one is on the fence that surrounds the Obelisk of Theodosius - the base of the obelisk in the background, contributed by Theodosius, while the obelisk was clearly just relocated by him. From what I can tell, the lock reads, "Groetjes van: Marlie & Thijs oktober 2009" or "Greetings from: Marlie & Tijs October 2009". That was the pretty obvious translation in Dutch, there. 


Friday, August 10, 2012

The Hagia Sophia

Spring 2012 - Istanbul 






Where do I start? The Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century by the Roman/Byzantine (depends on who you ask) Emperor Justinian. The Church was built very soon after riots had destroyed the previous church on the site. There are many things about the design of this church that made it groundbreaking for it's time, but perhaps the one that hits you the most upon entering (and is most clear from the photos) is the way the central dome seems to float without visible support. 

The third photo is of the Blue Mosque (seen in my last post) from a window of the Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia is actually cited for being a major influence on the design of the Blue Mosque, as well as many other mosques throughout the Ottoman Empire. 

The whole thing is absolutely breathtaking - I would go so far as to say the most beautiful church I have ever been in, and I have been in many. 


Wednesday, August 8, 2012

The Blue Mosque

Spring 2011 - Istanbul





This spring, the family trip was to Istanbul. Being someone who is interested in ancient history, (interested enough to be starting an MSc in Archaeology in the fall...) Istanbul was such an exciting place to be!

The Blue Mosque was our first tourist destination. Known as the Blue Mosque because the inside is covered in blue Iznik tiles, the Mosque is definitely worth a visit. The Blue Mosque sits opposite the Hagia Sofia, the Roman/Byzantine Church then Mosque now Heritage Site. As the design of the Hagia Sofia helped to influence the building of many of the great Mosques around the world, I love that these two famous buildings face each other, as if reminding us.

 

Monday, August 6, 2012

Wintry Mix

Winter (January) 2012 - Holland



Have you ever noticed that the weather sometimes says it's going to be a "Wintry Mix" today? Well, that's almost every day in Holland. Especially in the Winter. 

First photo of the lovely Clouseau, or Clousie as he's known to his closer friends.
Second photo is of Leiden. Usually I'm in Leiden for the street market, so I hardly see this view. Even in the summer, the canal is lined with cafe barges. It's hardly ever this deserted. 

 

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Holiday Lights

Winter 2011 - Berlin



One of the main streets in Berlin, the Unter den Linden, (which ends with the Brandenburg Gate,) is completely lined with trees, that were covered in these lights. I love the way these lights bring out the shape of the trees in a more geometric manner than Christmas lights normally do, yet still look winter-y.


Thursday, August 2, 2012

Charlottenburg

Winter 2011 - Berlin






These photos are from of the Charlottenburg Palace in Germany and it's surrounding Christmas markets. The family of one of my closest friends from high school are from Berlin, and when we told them that we were going to be there in December, they told us not to miss this market. Though it's a little bit of a trek, (probably a 20 min U - Bahn ride and another 15 min walk,) the trip was definitely worth it. 

This market is huge, with a wonderful range of food stalls and other great items. I am not sure if the palace is usually lit up so beautifully, but I can guess that there's usually not a snowflake present!