A Summer Morning At The Palace

A Summer Morning At The Palace

I entered the Palace of the grand masters as soon as it opened.

I had successfully bribed my children with breakfast in the old town to get them out of bed early.

This would ensure great light, no crowds and avoid the august heat from sapping the enthusiasm  to explore.

We explored the inner exterior courtyard first of all then the followed by the cool beautiful interior of the palace.

As we ventured further I notice an old locked glass door that led onto this fabulous balcony overlooking the palace and courtyard below.

The morning light was warm and wonderful creating fabulous shadows across the ornate floor.

I managed to position my camera as close to the slightly distorted old glass of the door hoping I could get a clear angle and the glass wouldn’t create too much distortion to the images.

This turned out to be one of several wonderful images I managed to capture of the palace that morning and probably my favourites.

We left the palace as the crowds began to increase and found a wonderful cafe in a small square in the old town.

We sat at a table in the shade of a tree and ate well deserved pancake breakfast that my children still talk about to this day.

https://bit.ly/3Q8Cl0P

Archway Into The Old Town

Archway Into The Old Town

This was my second visit to shoot this beututiful archway in the old town of Rhodes.The first time here a year or so before produced an image that just didnt work the way I had visioned and I knew I’d never be happy unless I returned to shoot here again.

I arrived in the dark and set up my camera a little too early for a shot like this where more dawn light in the sky is ideal. 

I however used the time to expore a few angles and dial in my ideal composition and then waited.

I greeted a few people walking through the arch who looked like they had experienced a good night on the town and definately ready for bed!

As soon as the light was where I wanted it I started shooting and covering several angles.Once satisfied I had the image I wanted I packed my gear and headed to my next location to capture the sunrise.

https://bit.ly/3TET7VD

A Brief Moment In The Palace.

A Brief Moment In The Palace.

It’s funny, sometimes I will process and create images within days of completing a shoot.

Other times, as with this image, they can wait for months, if not years for me to get the right inspiration to create something.

I knew the final image I created for this image of a statue in the courtyard of the Grand Masters Palace had to be sympathetic to the wonderfully quiet but brief time I spent there early one summer morning.

The time finally came and inspiration took me to complete the image here with the colours and tones that I felt were fitting of the experiences of the brief beautiful morning.

Rhodes A-Brief-Moment-In-The-Palace-Of-Grand-Masters https://bit.ly/3TdU4Fk

A Place To Pause

A Place To Pause Old Town Rhodes

The majority of my work is creating tranquil vistas of beautiful places especially in Greece.
I do however get drawn to shoot the details in these locations especially those filled with rustic texture and colour that tell a story.
Chairs are one such item I find myself drawn towards on several occasions.

While taking an early evening stroll around Rhodes old town I found myself once again on my own while my wife popped into yet another shop to browse for something. As I slowly walked onwards down a side street I came across this wonderful rustic chair outside a shop.
It was conveniently placed in a shaded area close to the shop doorway and used to rest and chat to neighbouring shop owners during the long hot busy days. I imagined many wrongs being put right from here, many coffees drank and tales told.

I love the time worn textures in this image both on the chair and the historic city walls oh what stories they could tell.

https://bit.ly/3PVUZsy

Perched On The Chapel At Dawn

Perched On The Chapel At Dawn

I sometimes return from a shoot and only complete in creating a few final images from the hundreds I often shoot.

I then like in this case come across some of them in my archive many months or a year or two later and decide to create them into a finished piece for my gallery collection.

This is one of several images I captured in Lindos early one morning before the sun broke into full glory.

I had shot this lovely street leading towards the beautiful whitewashed Chapel of Saint George Pahimahiotis and the beach below 10 minutes earlier. As I finshed shooting a street cleaner came along and washed the pathway and the wet stone looked so much better in the morning light that I reshot everything again before the sun rose.

Now I could say I suddenly spotted a bird perched upon the church roof and quickly composed my camera to capture the tranquil scene. The truth however is that I somehow didn’t notice the bird until I started to create the image in post production so it was quite a lovely surprise to discover it poised upon the roof enjoying the dawn.

I particularly love the warmth provided by the rustic street lamp and the rustic narrow path through the whitewashed village homes. Typical for Lindos and just one good reason I keep returning to capture images and enjoy this stunning location.

https://bit.ly/48w86bc

Revisiting Dawn At The Gate

I had visited St Pauls Gate in the old town of Rhodes on a previous trip to the island but wasn’t happy with the images I captured.

This visit like before was also before sunrise and that gave me time to shoot this historic location illuminated by the warm ornate lights perfectly balanced with the dawn reflected in the cool sky.

As with most trips out at this time of day I had the place pretty much to myself.

There were the odd person clearing bins and sweeping streets and a few party goers staggering back to their hotels and of course several obligatory greek cats keeping me company.

I knew precisely one of the images and the composition I wanted but that could wait until just before sunrise.In the meantime I went and explored the area for other interesting images to create.

After all these years shooting before dawn I never tire of the experience.

Seeing the dawn light transition across the horizon in tone and colour and how the sounds of the world around you all seem to slowly awaken at the same time is something magical.

It’s a struggle to rise at some ungodly hour in the summertime and venture out but rarely am I disappointed I did.

https://bit.ly/3DAcN5l

MOUSE ISLAND DAWN

Mouse Island Dawn

This small Island of Pontikonisi is better known as Mouse Island and is located at the mouth of the Halkiopoulos lagoon in Corfu Greece.

According to the legend, Pontikonissi was Odysseus’s ship, the vessel that brought the legendary king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey to the island of the Phaeacians.

It was during a terrible storm that the boat was washed out on the shores of the island, and god Poseidon turned his boat into this green rock, giving it his name.

The small church on the island is called Panagia Vlacherna.

I had already captured the island from a high vantage point from the cliffs at dusk.

For this image I wanted to get much closer and a more intimate angle of the Panagia Vlacherna church. 

Getting to walkway that lead to the island was going to be my first obstacle.

I had no car having returned it to the hire company a day or so earlier so I was looking to walk to the location.

This meant a long walk on the road or apparently told a short walk via the beach 

The beach was my first choice but only if the tide was low enough allow me access and I definitely didn't fancy a swim with a 4ib tripod in tow! 

Fortunately tide and light were in my favour and I reached the walkway leading to the church just as the sun rose above the horizon and began to burn the mist off the distant mountains It looked spectacular, I setup the tripod and camera and began to shoot.

My job was easy I simply had to set up my composition and enjoy the unfolding of the sun upon the scene. It was breathtaking.

Mouse Island is probably the most famous landmark of Corfu and this fine art print has been a popular addition to my art gallery.

https://bit.ly/3SPrY1X

Blue Hues Agios Nikolaos Church

Yet another wonderful sunrise greeted me in Rhodes.

I was staying in Kolimbia and decided to venture the short car ride to the harbour for sunrise one morning.

The harbour was fairly modern and not quite old and rustic like I had hoped for however it was still lovely in the warm clear morning light.

As I explored further I spotted this church perched elevated above the entrance of the harbour.

It was perfectly located for my preference to shoot into the sun for what I consider the most beautiful of natural lighting.

The blues of the doorway was stood in harmony with the Greek flag flying proudly in the sea breeze against an equally complimentary clear blue morning sky.

What is it about blues hues and Greece ? whatever it is it has become one of my favourite colours over the years.

This all contrasted beautifully with the warm sunrise and iconic bright stone walls of this small Greek Othordox Church.

It was a difficult and tight angle to shoot as I was lower than the church which is often not a good viewpoint.

 I composed my image deciding to capture the scene in several parts and combine them later.

This enabled me to avoid using a wide angle lens and the distortion it would give looking up towards the church.

The church was locked but I did sit and watch the harbour start to wake and boats being readied for the day ahead.

https://bit.ly/3EVBYQB

Silent Bell

Silent Bell Monolithos 

Jaw-dropping was my overwhelming emotion when I first visited Monolithos.

This fairly remote location took a while to drive to through the mountains but on arrival that was forgotten about.

We parked close to a small taverna below the hill and walked up the picturesque path and steps to the top. 

The site was once the location of a castle built by the Knights of Saint John and now 

two 15th-century chapels remain St. Panteleimon and St. George.

The day I first visited the site was packed full of balanced stone towers. Im not sure if that had any significance but they were no longer at the site on my two other visits.

The panoramic views from here are simply stunning encompassing the mountains and down over the sea and coastline for miles.

Monolithos is a  location that I feel needs a drone to really capture just how incredible it is.

My plan at some point  is to find accomodation near by and head out on one of my morning trips with my drone to capture this incredible place in all it’s glory.

++

“RHODES 10 PLACES TO VISIT FOR STUNNING 

PHOTO LOCATIONS”  

Receive My Free eBook

Download & View Details Here https://bit.ly/collectiveemail

https://bit.ly/49OC9ea

Ascend To The Temple

Ascend To The Temple

Steps ascend towards the temple ruins at the acropolis above Lindos Rhodes.

This was the morning I entered the citadel above Lindos as soon as the gates opened around 8.00 am.

Rather late in the morning for my desire to capture great light but not being able to enter the site before opening without seeking some special permissions and no doubt a whole lot of paperwork I decided I’d just have to take what light I was blessed with.

As it turned out everything still looked beautiful and I ventured around the site enjoying the place pretty much to myself

https://bit.ly/3wk8Gdk

Bridge of Argassi

The Venetian Bridge of Argassi  

This was my second dawn shoot while visiting Zakynthos.

As I mentioned in a previous post I had done a little research before my trip and found several locations I was drawn to explore. 

The remains of this 19th-century Venetian bridge located on the Argassi beach immediately got my attention and I researched the location.

I arrived at the beach in Argassi pre dawn not knowing if the tide would be favourable for what I had in mind.

I wanted to show the bridge ideally surrounded by the sea and fortunately the tide was in and the bridge fully covered.

As the morning got lighter I started to get a clearer look at the remains of this beautiful rustic stone bridge and plan my composition.

As you may have noticed in my work I love to create many of my images shooting into the sun (Contre-Jour lighting).

I find this the most beautiful of lighting even though it can sometimes be tricky to control.

As a result many of my composition choices are led by where the sun is rising in the scene.

I started shooting 20 minutes or so before sunrise and continued for an hour after the sun rose to capture the varying moods the light projected onto the scene.

It was another wonderful morning and I was joined by a large heron looking bird that perched itself on the rocks (left of bridge) and enjoyed the sunrise with me which made a change from all the cats !

https://bit.ly/3uuxEGb

Rendezvous In Rhodes

It was a mild April evening on Ialysos Beach Rhodes.

I’d been here for the week with friends enjoying Easter on the island and of course, shooting a few images.

Close to our hotel was this pontoon on the beach and I decided it might make an interesting focal point within the beautiful 

coastal view across the Aegean Sea to Turkey.

https://youtu.be/b41nWWnHkzc

The evening I chose to shoot was mild and slightly cloudy but I felt we might get an interesting sunset so set out to explore the location.

I often will create work this way where I take a hunch about the potential of a location then set up and see what unfolds before me.

There were a few people at the beach no doubt having a pre-evening meal walk and enjoying the setting sun.

I decided on the best composition to capture the scene and started to set up my tripod & camera.

As I started to shoot some frames I noticed this chap waiting on the end of the pontoon gazing across the sea towards the Turkish coast and mountains.

He waited in pretty much the same spot below the light for probably 45 minutes on his own.

I presumed he was waiting to meet someone, who was it ? why hadn’t they turned up to meet him ? 

These were all the questions that popped into my head as I enjoyed the sunset and the sound of the calm waves caressing the beach.

As I captured the last ounces of the day reflecting onto the sea the gentleman eventually left shortly followed by myself.

I decided to title this image Rendezvous In Rhodes and still wonder if indeed he was there on the pontoon at sunset waiting for someone who never showed.

https://bit.ly/3rLKIpi

Bygone Farming In Somerset

Bygone Farming In Somerset

I’ve mentioned before the Somerset Levels is where I learnt my photography as a young man spending many hours getting lost down droves and lanes, taking hundreds of pictures many of which were total failures, but provided me with a great learning curve and rather large archive.

Yesterday I went with my family to a favourite and special place on the Somerset levels at Catcot.

On the way home, we decided to stop off at Shapwick Visitor Centre to look around the gallery and have a coffee.

I admired many of the artists that were represented in the gallery, and one particularly who is quite well-known for his watercolour paintings of Somerset, farming and the countryside.

It reminded me of some images I’d captured nearly 20 years ago of a historic agricultural show near Langport.

I decided to delve into my vast archive of well over 300 thousand images and find them to take a look at what I documented.

What I found filled me with huge excitement as I could see the potential they held.

It’s not uncommon for me to capture images that I’m drawn to and then file them away without touching them further for a few months but 19 years is probably a record! 

I’ve now created a beautiful collection that I’ll be offering in my fine art gallery shortly

Here are a couple you might enjoy and share with some who may remember these tractors and way of life.

https://bit.ly/3xjcigb

Nina Vasiliou

Nina Vasiliou The Lady  Who Lived At The Edge Of A Volcano

Social Media Answers My 20 Year Old Questions.

https://youtu.be/k-jGJjyIp8w https://bit.ly/3R51pGo

Clearing Clouds At Cameo Island

It was October and my first visit to Zakynthos.

I had done a little research before the trip and picked a couple of locations that I was intrigued and drawn to and Cameo Island Bridge was one of them.

The island is located at the harbour in the Agios Sostis which was a short drive from by hotel.

The pre-dawn starts are generally more enjoyable in the autumn compared to the 4.30am summer starts.

Sunrise being that much later does however carry the risk of more people being up and about but that was not the case on this trip.

Shoots especially early ones are normally a lone affair however my 16-year-old eldest daughter Gracie once again decided she wanted to enjoy the sunrise with me and take some behind-the-scenes footage for me.

The only downside is my normal tranquil mornings are out the window due to her constant nattering! :)

We arrived at the harbour in the dark and a little earlier than needed but ready to set up once the light started to give some illumination.

The weather was a little unsettled and we experienced a very small shower while setting up the camera but this gave some wonderful clouds which is a rarity in Greece at least for me,

I found a great angle and captured the bridge together with the harbour lights in the cool hues before sunrise.

I could have called it done at that point as the image looked wonderful.

Call it experience or a hunch but I knew the sunrise combined with the clouds could give a fantastic range

of colour and textures and transform the scene into something completely else.

My experience/hunch was spot on and we were given a wonderful display as the sunrise broke over the horizon.

We returned back to the hotel for breakfast fully energised by the beautiful morning we had experienced but the day got better.

Later that day we returned to the harbour with the rest of our extended family group (13 in total) to show them the wonderful location and also in the slim hope the girls in our group might see any Turtles that are known to frequent this part of the island.

As we walked the harbour a small crowd gathered as a very large Turtle surfaced next to a fishing boat.

What a perfect way to end a stunning morning in Greece certainly not my first and hopefully more to come on trips in 2024.

https://bit.ly/3MvC3yw