A Photo a Day

all types of buildings: houses, churches, mosques. Modern and ancient architecture.

October 16, 2010

Basilica Cistern, Istanbul

Filed under: — site admin @ 7:06 am

Cistern in IstanbulA beautiful sight that is a world apart from the bustle of the metropolis above.

September 10, 2010

Church windows by Sieger Köder

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church window by Sieger Koeder in Ellwangen
Renowned artist Sieger Köder created all the windows for the small, mnodern Hl Geist Kirche (Holy Ghost Church) in Ellwangen, Southern Germany.
More on Sieger Köder at the Website of the city of Ellwangen.

August 19, 2009

Cathedral in Frombork

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The cathedral is the place where Nicolaus Copernicus worked and made many of his observations.
His grave also was recently discovered inside this church.

August 6, 2008

Kalmar Castle

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Kalmar castle (Sweden, photo: Laurenz Bobke)

Kalmar is a pleasant town in Southern Sweden that has many beautiful buildings and one truly historic monument: Kalmar castle, where the Kalmar Union (combining Denmark, Sweden and Norway) was founded in 1397, as a counterweight to the rapidly growing Hanse.
This is one of the most important and most beautiful castles in Sweden.

January 25, 2008

Egyptian God Bes at Dendera

Filed under: — www.travelphoto.net @ 10:32 am

God Bes, Dendera
Ugly and never shown in profile this dwarf-like god looks very un-Egyptian, and indeed it is suspected that he was imported from somewhere else, maybe other parts of Africa.
Still, as a protector of homes and childbirth, Bes was quite popular although no temples were dedicated to him.
He also acted as god of war and music.
This high relief of Bes (also spelt: Bisu or Bez) is at the entrance to the Dendera temple of Hathor (near Luxor)

May 22, 2007

Suzhou Street

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Suzhou Street, Summer Palace, Beijing

An ancient picturesque “shopping mall” for the imperial household.
Today, you can see only tourists instead of the empress and the imperial concubines - but then who would have had the privilege to see this in the 18th century?
This is one of the major attractions of the Summer Palace where you can easily spend a whole day…

March 23, 2007

Nubian Museum at Night

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The Nubian museum in Aswan is one of the most interesting museums I have visited -much more inspiring than the famous, crammed Egyptian museum in Cairo.
Here, all items are shown in the best light - very similar to the equally beautiful Luxor museum.
Outside the museum itself, there are some traditional buildings to be seen, like the small mosque on the picture.
Wandering around the compounds at night is an almost magical experience.

March 19, 2007

Diana Fountain, Syracuse

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Fontana Della Diana, Syracuse

The Diana Fountain on Piazza Archimede at night.
Syracuse at night is a photographer’s paradise. The lights of the harbour and the illuminated monuments create a very special atmosphere.
The photo above was taken with my Minolta Dynax 9 in the blue hour on Fujichrome Velvia using the camera flash and a remote controlled flash as fill-in.

March 10, 2007

The Rhône at Arles

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Arles has many sights to offer - a roman amphitheatre, many churches and an ancient and formerly very important cemetery.
A very good way to relax in between is to take a stroll along the Rhône river.

February 27, 2007

Ksar Aït-Ben-Haddou

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Aït-Ben-Haddou maybe is the most famous “Ksar” in Morocco.
This fortified village has been featured in many Hollywood productions although Ksar Ouled Soltane in Tunisia may be even more famous.

February 16, 2007

Menara Gardens

Menara Garden, Marrakesh

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Surrounded by olive groves, Menara Gardens makes for a very scenic change from the bustle of central Marrakesh.
Even though the water of the pool in front of the pavilion looks somewhat murky. it’s still one of the most romantic places the city has to offer.
You can see the door in the red wall on both photos, by the way.

February 9, 2007

Punta Arenas

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Punta Arenas is the southernmost city in the world.
Seems that the brightly coloured roofs have to make up for the rough climate…

January 7, 2007

Green tea in the Garden

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woman prepares tea in shinjuku gyoen chaya
Not a full-fledged tea-ceremony - but still a very meditative process: with her back to us, a woman prepares two cups of green macha tea in Tokyos Shinjuku Gyoen Park.
Her silhouette is reflected on the lacquer wood of the table.

More on Shinjuku Gyoen Park at Wikipedia.

December 18, 2006

Kibble Palace, Glasgow Botanical Gardens

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Ferns and palm trees in the Kibble Palace

I took this picture inside Kibble palace, a world-famous glass-house in the Glasgow Botanical Gardens, back in 1993. When I revisited the botanical gardens in 2005, this attraction was closed for restoration.
One more reason to return to Glasgow some time later and see what this great building looks like now!

August 25, 2006

Kiyomiza Deara at Sunset

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Kiyomiza Temple at Sunset, originally uploaded by laurenz.

a magical moment in kyoto, Japan.

August 22, 2006

Kinkakuji Temple

Filed under: — laurenzb @ 9:39 am
Rokuon-ji in Kyoto, Japan

Kinkakuji Temple, originally uploaded by laurenz.

This is the famous golden pavilion that figures in Yukio Mishima’s famous novel “the temple of the golden pavilion”.
Like the pavilion in the novel, the real one was burned down by fanatical young man.

Mishima himself tried to stage a coup by taking a Japanese Military commander hostage.
When he realised that hist plans for restoring the traditional Japan would not succeed, he committed ritual suicide.

The real golde pavilion was rebuilt in 1987 this time also covering the lower storey with a relatively thick layer of gold.

Popularly known as Kinkaku-ji, the temple’s real name is Rokuon-ji.

August 10, 2006

Somewhere in Fukuoka

Filed under: — laurenzb @ 12:21 am


Somewhere in Fukuoka, originally uploaded by laurenz.

A temple in Fukuoka, Japan.

August 8, 2006

ACROS Fukuoka

Filed under: — laurenzb @ 7:28 am


ACROS Fukuoka, originally uploaded by laurenz.

I placed my camera on the ground and shot upwards using a delay of 10 seconds.
Konica Minlta 7d Sigma 15-30.

June 30, 2006

Inside the Russian Chapel

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The cupola inside Wiesbaden’s Russian Chapel.

June 21, 2006

Miami Skyscraper

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Skyscraper

A Skyscraper in Coral Gables, Miami.

June 13, 2006

St. John’s Church, Edinburgh

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St John's Church in Edinburgh, near Princess street

Right next to the main street, with Edinburgh Castle in the background.

February 27, 2006

Carlisle Hairdresser

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A hairdresser in Carlisle North England.

November 4, 2005

Ghats of Varanasi, before sunrise

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Ghats of Varanasi
Varanasi is maybe the “holiest” place in Hinduism. Many people believe that “death in Varanasi is Liberation” meaning that if you are cremated here, you have a good chance to escape the cycle of rebirth.
Consequently, many people come here to die, dead are brought here for cremation and there are millions of pilgrims.
There are over 100 “ghats”, some of which are dedicated to burning bodies while others are pure bathing ghats for the ritual cleansing (puja).
There also are plenty of small rowing boats for pilgrims and tourists who want to see this all from the water of the holy river Ganges.

Other names for Varanasi: Benares, Banaras, Kashi.

October 25, 2005

Mural in Belfast

Filed under: — laurenzb @ 7:45 pm


now that the “troubles” are (mostly) over, the Belfast murals are mainly a tourist attraction, visited by bus and taxi tours.

There are many modern political references, however, and even paintings by non-Irish underground organisations such as the ETA…

October 18, 2005

Sydney by Night

Filed under: — laurenzb @ 5:55 am


Taken at the same time as my shot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

August 28, 2005

Clonmacnoise

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Clonmacnoise
Clonmacnoise was founded by St. Ciaran about 1500 years ago.
Although the monastery itself was destroyed by the English, it is still regarded as a place of high religious significance - and also is a major tourist attraction.
I especially like the beautiful setting.

August 20, 2005

Laxey Wheel

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Laxey Wheel, Isle of Man
Maybe the most photographed tourist attraction of the Isle of Man, this is one of the wheels in the old mining town of Laxey used for lifting huge quantities of water.

Please excuse the somewhat unusual perspective, but I do not have access toimage editing software while travelling.

July 31, 2005

Russian Church in Wiesbaden

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Wiesbaden: Russian Church, originally uploaded by laurenz.

in Wiesbaden itself, this building is universally known as “Griechische Kapelle” (Greek Chapel).
It was, however, built for Elisabeta Michailovna, the Russian wife of the grand Duke Adolf of Nassau.
There is an interesting small Russian graveyard nearby

March 29, 2005

Baths in the Reales Alacazares, Sevilla

Filed under: — lbobke @ 9:22 pm

Vaulted Baths in the Alcázar
Like the other famous Andalusian cities (Granada, Córdoba…), Sevilla also has an “Alcázar” - a Moorish fortress.
The one in Sevilla dates back to the 8th century, but much of the current site was actually built after the reconquista in the times of Pedro the cruel who nevertheless employed Moorish architects and artisans.
The palace-fortress has beautiful gardens and right next to them are some vaulted baths.

March 25, 2005

Eternal Building Site? La Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudí

Filed under: — lbobke @ 9:17 am

La Sagrada Familia
The Sagrada Familia, Barcelonas newest cathedral, has been a building site ever since 1882.
It is foreseen that carrying out the plans of Antoni Gaudí, even using materials not available at his time, will take another 80 years or so.
On the other hand, the first restoration works are already taking place.
The church itself is a peculiar mixture of Gothic and modern elements.
Definitely worth a visit - after all where else can you see a cathedral in the making?
Sagrada Familia from the Inside

Antoni Gaudí (1856-1926= is one of the most important modern architects. In Barcelona, it is hard not to come across at least some of his works: Parc Güell, Palau Güell, many private houses and, of course, his most important project, the Sagrada Familia.

March 22, 2005

Anuradhapura: Abhayagiri Dagoba

Filed under: — lbobke @ 10:13 pm

Abhayagiri Dagoba, Anuradhapura
The Buddhist “dagoba” once was among the greatest of its kind, but now it is completely overgrown.
A stupa is a Buddhist monument, normally housing a relic. In Sri Lanka, the stupas are called “dagoba”.
This one once housed the famous tooth relic now venerated in the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy.

February 27, 2005

Ksar Ouled Soltane

Filed under: — lbobke @ 9:26 pm

Ksar Ouled Soltane
One of the most striking archtectural achievement in Northern Africa are the “Ksour” (plural of “Ksar”), fortified Berber strongholds consisting of many rooms called “ghorfas” used for storing grain.
The structures look so outlandish and bizarre that Geaorge Lucas used them as the backdrop for his planet Tataouine (actually a small city in Tunisia) in star Wars, home of Anakin Skywalker.

February 19, 2005

Colosseum at El Jem

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 12:34 pm

Amphitheatre of El Jem (Tunisia)
Although this colosseum very much looks like the one in Rome, it’s actually located in the Tunisian city of El Jem.
The contrast between the third largest amphi-theatre of Roman times and the smallish city below it couldn’t be greater.

January 16, 2005

Isis temple, Philae

Filed under: — lbobke @ 8:45 pm

Philae Temple

Now, as always, one can only approach this temple by boat.
Looking at it, it is very difficult to believe that the whole complex was moved from one island to another one when the new Aswan dam was constructed. Even the shape of the new location, Agilika island, was changed to make it as similar to the original Philae island as humanly possible.

January 6, 2005

Pyramid at the Louvre

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 6:00 am

The new entrance to the Louvre
The famous pyramid at night

October 27, 2004

Biosphere

Filed under: — site admin @ 9:33 pm

Biosphere, Montreal (Canada)

The attraction of the Expo 1967 by the famous architect Buckminster Fuller has lost its skin, but is still one of the most important landmarks of Montreal.
Today it houses a water exhibition.

October 3, 2004

Bridge in the Evening

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Bridge in Mérida, Spain.

September 6, 2004

Copán

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Another Maya figure in Copán (Honduras)

July 16, 2004

Palermo: Cathedral

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The Cathedral of Palermo in the blue hour
The Cathedral of Palermo at night

July 7, 2004

Cordoba

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Mosque of Cordoba
Another view of the famous mosque of Cordoba.

June 24, 2004

Flat Iron Building

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Flat Iron Building
One of the most unusual sky-scrapers, the Flat Iron Building in New York.

May 29, 2004

Canada: Montreal Town Hall

Filed under: — lbobke @ 8:50 pm

Night shot of Montreals city hall
Quite decorative, but slightly less colourful lighting would have been more to my taste: the city hall of Montreal at night.

May 13, 2004

Egypt: small temple.

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 7:15 pm

temple near Aswan, Egypt
my slides, I exactly remember a place but not its name.
Where did I come across this small temple? it must have been near Aswan (Egypt) and the head of Hathor is clearly visible on the left. Maybe it was on Bigga island. So, if anyone here knows the answer, please tell me!

May 6, 2004

New York: Grand Central Station

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 8:16 pm

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If New York has any such thing as a “city center”, then it would be the area around Grand Central Station.

May 4, 2004

New York: Chrysler Building

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 12:16 am

Chrysler Building, New York
Maybe the most attractive skyscraper in New York.

April 30, 2004

Andalusia: Lion yard

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 7:59 pm

Alhambra, Granada, Southern Spain
The famous lion yard in Granada

April 26, 2004

Chile: church in the Altiplano

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 10:19 pm

Andean church, Chile
Church in the Chilean table lands.

April 19, 2004

Greece - preparing for the Olympiad

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 6:11 am

Nafplio, Greece
When we visited Greece, many places were building sites, including the Acropolis.

March 11, 2004

Andalusia: the Mezquita (mosque) of Cordoba

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 10:01 pm

Mosque/Cathedral of  Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain. Photo: Laurenz Bobke
The Mezquita (mosque) of Cordoba is an architectural wonder, even today, although building a Cathedral in its center did not exactly improve it.
Even the emperor Carlos (Charles) V is said to have commented as follows: “You have destroyed something unique in the world and built something that can be found anywhere.”
Well, nice quote, but after all it was Carlos himself who had ordered the construction of the cathedral.
Still, the maze of columns is breathtakingly beautiful.

February 29, 2004

Sicily: ruins in the evening light

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 3:38 pm

Greek columns in Agrigento, Sizilien, Italien
Seen in Agrigento, Sicily.

February 28, 2004

Palace of Fine Arts

Filed under: — site admin @ 9:45 am

Somewhat anachronistic - and one of the most romatic spots in San Francisco.

February 25, 2004

Sicily: San Giovanni degli Eremiti (Palermo)

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 8:05 pm

San Giovanni degli Eremiti, Palermo, Sicily (Italien), Foto: Laurenz Bobke
San Giovanni degli Eremiti (12th century) is romantically situated in a very photogenic setting: a small garden that allows for many interesting angles.
Consequently, the entrance fee is a bit steep.
Those interested in the history of architecture will be baffled by the ingenious mixture of normannic and arabic styles.

February 23, 2004

Sicily: Temple in Agrigento

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Taken in Agrigento, Sicily.
Here, I had some difficulties. No technical issues, but as soon as I had mounted the camera on my tripod, a guardian appeared, telling me in Italian that professional photographers were not allowed to take photos without a special permit (needless to say that you would have had to go back to town and surely, the office wouldn’t be open at that time).
Pointing out that I’m not a pro didn’t help either. After all, I was using a tripod!
Fortunately, I had taken a number of hand-held shots before as well as some pictures on the tripod.

Still, if you are the proud owner of a professional looking camera and/or a big tripod, I’d recommend that when visiting historic sites at night you either enquire beforehand whether you would need a tripod, - or take as many hand-held pictures as you can and only then hurry up to use your tripod.

February 19, 2004

Malaysia: Tioman Island

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 10:48 pm

Small Bungalows, Malaysia
Small, cheap, not too comfortable but charming: bungalows on Tioman Island (Malaysia).

February 16, 2004

San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 9:23 pm

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, USA
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Walking across it takes quite a while but is an unforgettable experience.

February 4, 2004

France: Pyramid

Filed under: — Laurenz @ 9:53 pm

Pyramid at the Louvre, Paris
The pyramid at the Louvre, Paris, France.

January 30, 2004

Malta: Dramatic Silhouettes

Actually, it is quite easy to take pictures of dramatic silhouettes: you shoot into the sun, metering on a lighter part of the sky. Consequently, the foreground will be dark or even black.
Getting the exposure right is pretty simple with spot metering (if your camera has this option).
Still bracketing (taking pictures with different exposures) is highly recommended, - at least when you are using slide film.
Sometimes, you want to have a nice silhouette in the centre or background, but would like to show the details in the foreground. In this case, it is advisable to use the above technique combined with a fill flash.
Here is an example, the Ggantija Temple on Gozo (Malta). The place is 6000 years old!
Other pictures I took showed much more detail but failed to capture the magic atmosphere.

Ggantija Tempel, Gozo, Malta

Other examples: Sunset in Glasgow or sunrise in the Himalayas.

More photo-tips.

January 25, 2004

China-Photos

Filed under: — site admin @ 7:58 am

Great Wall, China
Hundreds of photos from China at China.Travelphoto.Net
There are many pictures of Beijing, the Great wall, Xi’An and the famous three gorges.

January 24, 2004

Emirates: Mosque

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A stopover in Bahrain was a good opportunity to visit the city. This is a mosque in the blue hour.



    

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All photos on Travelphoto NET: Copyright Laurenz Bobke. Copyright for the photos on the Outstanding Travel Photos blog: the individual photographer
Republication only with my written permission, and only with proper credit (including a link back to this site if shown on the web).

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