Happy Birthday

Picture the scene. Venice on the morning of my 50th Birthday. St Marks square, golden autumnal sunlight with a bit of moisture in the air. One of the most photographed views on the planet looking out to the Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore with a raft of berthed gondolas in the foreground. Much Photographed but to me this one was just that bit special.

Getting Higher

Everything takes on a different perspective when viewed from above. Vertigo inducing views from churches and steeples yield patchwork patterns of roofs and streets below. The sheer size of a large city is often only appreciated from above, the London Eye more than lives up to its name and the good thing is that no climbing is involved.

I often make use of high vantage points when photographing places. Usually it is possible to catch details unseen by the people below. Barcelona's Sagrada Familia is a prime example of this. The intricate tiled artwork of the towers is best appreciated from close up, stone pigeons compete with real ones for space as the city stretches away in all directions below. The towers are linked by walkways at various levels so it is possible to take in a wide expanse of Barcelona. It is well worth the effort.