Guess Who is Back?

After 53 days abroad I am back in the United States.  My excursion was simply stellar!  Look for new images in the coming days.  Thank you to all of my readers who kept up with my travels.

Ago vita vos somnium (live the life you dream)

Kastellet - Copenhagen, Denmark

This flower-lined dirt path leads to St. Alban's Anglican Church on Kastellet, a former military fortification, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Italian Hygene: A Conundrum

Why do Italians (in Venice, Italy) adorn plastic gloves to select produce when they openly cough and sneeze without covering their mouths? I cannot reconcile this contradiction.

Mauritshuis & Dutch Parliment - The Hague, The Netherlands

(Mauritshauis Museum at left, Dutch Parliment or Het Binnenhof at right)

Mauritshauis Museum is quite possibly the most interesting, albeit small, museum I have visited. Vermeer's Girl With A Pearl Earring was proudly on display in a gorgeous room adorned with hardwood floors, wood paneling, and green fabric-covered walls.

Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) created 36 paintings. I have seen 20 percent of Vermeer's work thus far in my travels! As a photographer I fully apprecite how Vermeer captured shadows and beautifully washed his subjects in bright, at times iridescent light. Studying Johannes Vermeer's paintings would be beneficial for any portrait photographer.

Numerous paintings by Rembrandt Harmenson van Rijn (1606-1669), another master of light, were prominently on display at Mauritshuis, including the last self portrait he painted in 1669. The fast-paced day proved fruitful for many educational and sightseeing adventures!

This photograph was taken on a camera phone at Madurodam, a miniature city, in The Hague, The Netherlands. These two buildings are scale versions of much larger buildings. After just visiting the two buildings above I can attest to the attention to detail that the artisans at Madurodam who fabricate each replica building.

Rijksmuseum - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

I visited Amsterdam during college with two good friends. At that time the Rijksmuseum, built in 1885, was being refurbished. Still today, as I visit Amsterdam for the second time, the Rijksmuseum is under construction. The paintings are beautiful, but unfortunately the full
collection is not on display. However, I saw one of my favorite paintings, a moonscape by Van der Neer.

The Rijksmuseum pictured above is a miniature replica housed at the open-air Madurodam in The Hague, Netherlands. The real Rijksmuseum currently is clad in scaffolds and has cranes above the roofline.

World Cup - The Netherlands vs. Uruguay

Audience of Dutch fans watching the World Cup at the Paradiso concert venue in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The air was electric with intense national pride.

Goal! Red lights flashed and people cheered as Holland scored each goal in the World Cup semifinals. A perfectly placed header, from a far distance, was the most exciting goal of the night. Check the Internet for replays, my words will not do this goal justice.

World Cup Frenzy - The Netherlands vs. Uruguay

Chaos in the streets of Amsterdam. A sea of orange. Public transportation was delayed. Emergency services were slowed. Broken glass everywhere.

The Dutch went nuts last night after The Netherlands beat Uruguay 3 to 2 in the World Cup semifinals.

Small Building, Big Sky - The Hague, The Netherlands

Madurodam was coined The Netherlands' smallest town because all of the buildings, vehicles, bridges, and people are miniature. The gothic structure pictured above is actually a scale model of a real building in The Netherlands.

The Hague - Flags of the World 2

These flags in The Hague, Netherlands were a beautiful sight on a sunny afternoon.

Tomorrow's World Cup semifinals will be exciting to watch in Amsterdam
with the boisterous orange-clad fans.

Hello Netherlands - The Hague - Flags of the World 1

Colorful Venice

This image was shot on an iPhone 3G through my sunglasses.

Hello Edinburgh, Farewell Edinburgh

An iPhone photograph of the Edinburgh skyline.

London Gatwick Airport Overpass

The ceiling just feels like it is flowing.