Out in the World - Cities

2005-07-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

A good place to start a walk around Quebec is at the parliament building.

2005-07-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

This was a really cool building, with a dark blue door framed by these lovely orange flowers.

2005-07-17T14:04:00.001-07:00

One of the many attractive building fronts in Old Quebec.

2005-07-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

Brave Natalia, suffering through and surviving a week with my family.

2005-07-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

I thought this was a pretty nice image, with the American flag still at half mast for the London bombings. I think this is the Chateau Frontenac, although I may be and probably am mistaken.

2005-07-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

Looking out over the Petit Champlain area and out to the St. Lawrence River.

2005-07-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

Looking down on jumble of buildings in the Petit Champlain area of Quebec, not far from the port area.

2005-07-17T13:49:00.001-07:00

A picture that could be from any number of European cities, or Quebec.

2005-07-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about Quebec are the different colors used to paint windows and doors - it really brings the old buildings alive.

2005-07-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

I found this eye catching. The hoop is in the courtyard of a huge white university building. Except for the white of the building, and the black of the windows, the only color was this bright red rim.

2005-07-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

This is the side of a church.

2005-07-17T13:45:00.001-07:00

This is house number 42, on some street, somewhere in Quebec.

2005-07-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

This was from the entrance to The Plains of Abraham, looking back towards the city.

2005-07-17T13:44:00.001-07:00

This is possibly the most striking picture I took on the whole trip.

2005-07-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

Old Town street scene.

2005-07-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

You can just see my mom and dad walking up there - looking, as Natalia said, just like an American tourist is supposed to look like. You can also get a bit of a sense of the way the Old Town area in Quebec is raised above the rest of the city.

2005-07-17T13:36:00.001-07:00

One of the historic buildings in Montreal's Old Town - which one, I'm not sure. In case you havan't noticed, I'm quite bad about knowing what it is I am taking a picture of.

2005-07-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

In both Quebec and Montreal we had a lot of sun which meant that there were long shadows falling all around.

2005-07-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I took this picture, but if nothing else it is a bit different.

2005-07-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

This is from a street a few blocks behing the line of houses in the following picture. Something about being in an old town area with such a European feel made me want to take a lot of black and white images.

2005-07-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

This is same line of buildings that can be seen in the following picture. I wish badly that I was about six inches taller so that I could have framed the picture better without having to cut off the top of the lamp.

2005-07-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

This is looking across the street from the port area towards the old town and beyond. We could not have asked for a much nice day in Montreal.

2005-07-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

I took this after we had visited the Biodome out near Montreal's Olympic Park. This was looking back as we entering the underground station.

2005-07-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

This was taken in Montreal's downtown area, along Rue St. Catherine.

2005-07-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

More black and white from the Old Town.

2005-07-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

For some reason I like the image of these two trees. There is a real sense of movement, and maybe even grace as they move in the wind.

2005-07-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

Saw this tree along the edge of a park near Montreal's Old Town. It reminds me of some of the trees Natalia and I saw in Penghu.

2005-07-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

I've been taking a lot of pictures with flags in them lately. This one was as the sun set over Montreal, just before we went to catch a free Pat Metheny show at the Jazz Festival.

2005-07-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

St. Louis is a Budweiser town, but every now and then you notice Miller bottles littered around also.

2005-07-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

I thought this might be an interesting way to place the arch against the sky. The place has been photod so many times it is hard to think of ways to shoot it.

2005-07-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

This is looking straight up at the arch. The Adidas like stripes are the clouds reflected down.

2005-07-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

The dome in the reflection is the top of the building in the foreground the pillared building).

2005-07-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

I thought this was a great sporting image, an image of victory. This is actually the top of a light pole and the top of the Arch.

2005-07-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

At the art museum my brother works at in St. Louis, they once had an exhibit of Andy Warhol's clouds, which are these mylar made clouds that just float around the museum. When I saw this building, I was taken back to the evening we walked around the empty museum and talked.

2005-07-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

There were excellent shadows falling over the city while we were downtown.

2005-07-17T12:51:00.001-07:00

I found this a nice geometric sort of shot.

2005-07-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

This is the previous shot zoomed out a bit. I think I prefer the first one.

2005-07-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

There were a lot of flower displays such as this one lining the streets downtown. I was constantly thinking of the balance of justice.

2005-07-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

I've been noticing lately that I don't take so many pictures of people anymore (something that I plan to change as soon as I'm back in Asia). I do not think this would count as a portrait exactly, but the women did have an interesting face (you just can't see it from here). Anyway, I like the colors and the flag and the way her outfit blends with the flowers, and just the fact that it is a woman waiting outside a hotel for someone to come pick her up.

2005-07-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

I've found myself lately noticing how from certain angles several buildings can seem to run into each other, creating unique combinations of shape and color, turning what might otherwise be an ordinary bland building into something interesting.

2005-07-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

This was another series of buildings that caught my eye, the way one runs into the next.

2005-06-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Hello! I know it's been awhile since I've posted any pics here, so I figured I would post a bunch from downtown Cincy today. It may be a few more days before any more come. As for this one, Natalia and I were almost back to the car when I happened to glance down an alley (actually, I glance into just about any alley wherever I am). I loved the ghostly quality of the light.

2005-06-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

A slightly longer view of the previous shot, and in black and white.

2005-06-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

This did not turn out nearly as well as I wanted it to. Having said that, I still kind of like it.

2005-06-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

I think this is a pretty trippy image, the way the buildings seem to be one, even though they are separated by about 10 lanes of traffic and some sidewalk.

2005-06-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

The buildings seem so small in Cincinnati. In the background are the two tallest. In the foreground is the new Underground Railroad Museum...very cool place.

2005-06-30T09:35:00.001-07:00

This is near the entrance of a parking garage.

2005-06-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

A walkway above the street leading the 5/3rd bank building.

2005-06-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

I really like the way this turned out, with the three buildings seeming to be one, especially with the contrasting styles of the buildings.

2005-06-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

I really like this image, with the shapes and the reflections.

2005-06-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post this one in black and white as well. I like it better this way, Natalia likes the one in color. What do you think?

2005-06-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

Something about the color in this one...

2005-06-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

One thing I noticed walking around downtown yesterday (besides the lack of people on the sidewalks) was the lack of neon. This was one of the few neon lights I really noticed, although you really can't tell from the angle I took the pic.

2005-06-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

Nothing really stands out in this, I think, but I kind of like it anyway..

2005-06-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

Some bright red roses in the windows of St. Louis Church.

2005-06-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

If you happen to read the post I wrote today (that being June 30) on Out in the World, you will see I mention taking pictures in the same alleys a character I wrote about once taking pictures in. This is one of those alleys, near the courthouse.

2005-06-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

A different angle on the previous picture.

2005-06-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

I was feeling a bit patriotic when I noticed a ray of sun breaking through the smog and lighting the flag in front of the courthouse.

2005-06-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

I forget which building this was on, but I know it was near the courthouse and I'm pretty sure the building will soon house several pricey lofts.

2005-06-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

A single line of blue sky amidst the buildings. I guess this caught my eye because I've seen nothing by smog gray skies since I've been home. And I thought Taipei was bad...

2005-06-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

And finally, the most-oft photo'd Cincy landmark - the Tyler-Davidson Fountain on Fountain Square.

2005-06-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

The sun shines on an oversized plant. This was about ten minutes into a hike in the eastern part of Taipei. I don't know how many more pics I will be posting here in the next 8 days as I will be moving soon and losing my internet connection until I go home to Cincy. It is possible that the next pics being posted up here will be from Cincinnati. How strange!

2005-06-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

Some apartments in near the Four Beasts (named because mountains resemble various animals) area in eastern Taipei. Linked with the previous picture, you might get an idea the mix of nature and man in Taipei, how nature is always present despite the concrete and towering skyscrapers which are also omnipresent. Notice also the clothes hanging out to dry - something you will see all over town. I choose not to do this as I don't want to smell any more like exhaust and pollution than I already do.

2005-06-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

I was just glancing through a folder of photos I took last summer and this one grabbed me for some reason.

2005-06-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

A bit of a different subject matter today - some colorful (albeit dead) flowers.

2005-06-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

A fake piece of wood leaning against a wall in Kenting.

2005-06-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

A homestay that stood out in southern Taiwan, one town south of Kenting.

2005-06-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

I come to the realization that I have been taking and posting a lot of pictures of buildings lately. Before that it was windows and chairs. My girlfriend laughs at my quick little phases. If you are getting sick of buildings, I'm sure something new will come soon. This is a building not far from my apartment and I like the checked patterns formed by the inset windows.

2005-06-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, when the sun descends over Taipei, the sky turns a vivid and warm orange, and I am struck afresh by a certain contrast - the beauty of nature and the ugliness of so many of the buildings made by man.

2005-06-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

This is a picture looking over Da-an Park from the library window on JianGuo S Rd. I like the old time feel to the image in black and white, sort of like the pictures I remember seeing at some point of Central Park being built.

2005-06-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

Looking down at JianGuo S Rd and then northeast corner of Da-an Forest Park. In the distance is YangMing Mt. I took this from the library's 8th floor window. From there you can see the entire park and all the buildings ringing it. You can also find some pretty decent western books.

2005-06-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

Looking north from Da-an MRT station.

2005-06-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

Civil Boulevard.

2005-06-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

Most of the pedestrian areas along the main roads in Taipei are covered - they are actually the fronts of buildings. The sidewalks themselves are usually full of scooters and vendors and making your way from one place to another can be a real challenge. On the streets and lanes, though, there are usually no sidewalks, and you just walk alongside the cars, hoping not to get smashed by a scooter.

2005-06-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

This is one of two buildings covered in ivy that can be seen rising above a highway overpass

2005-05-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

A row of modest two story buildings (not many of those left in Taipei) tucked behind the skyscrapers lining SongJiang Rd. When I walked back here, there was a family talking in the street, waiting for dad to take them somewhere, as well as some young men and women sitting on motorbikes and flirting. Looking the opposite direction from this picture, one could see the tell tale red lanterns of a temple tucked at a strange angle into an unwieldy coming together of lanes and alleys. Though SongJiang is under construction and always filled with traffic, less than 100 meters away I found this lovely sense of peace and a Sunday as it should be.

2005-05-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

A skyscraper on SongJiang Rd.

2005-05-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

A glimpse in. This was taken on a lane of one and two story houses tucked in behind the skyscrapers lining SongJiang Rd.

2005-05-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

I think railroad pictures tend to be fairly predictable in their way, and this is not all that different. I took this at the railway station in Dasi, along the east coast of Taiwan. Today I will be back on that train, as we are heading to the beach (unless is starts raining).

2005-05-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

Another picture from Sunday's series of buildings and reflections.

2005-05-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

To be honest, I am not sure if I like this picture, or think it is crap. I took it on Sunday and it is a building on a lane linking JianGuo and SongJiang Rds, behind a bowling alley.

2005-05-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

This is a tower atop the Chunghwa Telecom building down the street from my apartment.

2005-05-23T15:45:00.000-07:00

I had just finished dinner and was on my way home for a nap when I saw this plane streaking across the sky. I have seen such defined exhaust trails in Cincinnati, but never in Taiwan.

2005-05-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

The streetlight is on my side of the road, as is the building being reflected. I am looking across SongJiang Rd, just south of JinZhou St. I posted a few more reflection photos on outintheworld.blogspot.com yesterday (05.22.05).

2005-05-22T05:10:00.000-07:00

Looking up at a faded hotel.

2005-05-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

Looking up the face of a building on ReNai Circle as evening clouds roll past.

2005-05-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

ReNai Circle at night, looking east towards the tallest office bulding in the world, Taipei 101 (the building to the left).

2005-05-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

I love this picture. I took it while waiting for a plane to land at Songshan Airport (see airplane photos on Out in the World). Some ground lights were pointing up at a low wall - perhaps a marker for pilots? I don't know.

2005-05-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

A cannon pointed out over the city of Tainan at one of the old Dutch forts in the city.

2005-05-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

Taken the day before the Dragon Boat races last year at the DaJia Riverside park on the Keelung River. The buildings behind the bridge represent the NeiHu area of town.

2005-05-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

This is a building not far from my apartment. I took this picture not long after I started getting exciting about photography, almost a year ago.

2005-05-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

Railroad tracks and modern buildings in Tokyo. I was hoping to go out and take some pics in Taipei today, but the rain is back and it doesn't look like its going away. Argh.

2005-05-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Before there was the 101 building, there was the ShinKong Mitsukoshi building, built right next to the Taipei Main Train Station. Once the building that towered above the city, it can still be seen from all over, but one's eye is drawn to the 101 instead. This is taked from the middle of the street near the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall.

2005-05-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

I thought I would get away from serious arty type pictures today and put up something I found quite funny. I think it also helps round out an idea of what kind of things you can expect to see in Taiwan.

2005-05-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

This is just a Saturday morning on the road...every time I get back from a trip away from Taipei, the first thing that hits me is the noise of the traffic. The other thing is the amount of vehicles on the road: cars, buses, scooters, motorcycles, vans, bikes, and many times, people like this guy, joining in the fun.

2005-05-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

A broken down chair in Makong, the main city in Penghu. Taken shortly after we arrived from the airport, the sky was as clear and blue as it would be during our long weekend in Penghu. There will soon be more pics from Penghu posted at outintheworldpenghu.blogspot.com.

2005-05-05T15:56:00.000-07:00

This was taken from the same place as yesterday's photo. I put it up on my other page awhile ago, but it seems better suited to this page.

2005-05-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

Ah, Taipei. I really like looking at this picture as it reminds me of a lot of nice moments. This is from Taida University's basketball arena. If you climb a few flights of stairs to the outdoor concourse, there is a 360 degree panoramic view of the city and the mountains surrounding it. This is looking east towards the 101.

2005-05-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

I posted this on my other page a few months ago, but thought it belongs here as well. One of the first pictures I took with my Canon 300D, this is looking into a two story parking garage under the expressway that runs above JianGuo N. Road.

2005-05-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

This is from Taipei...I wish I could remember which intersection. Something tells me it was somewhere around ZhongXiao-Dunhua. I do know it was a Saturday afternoon and I was looking south.