travel photography second edition

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Travel Photography Second Edition Copyright 2010 ImAFish (Peter White) For more information please contact Peter White (pete@imafish.com) on ImAFish (www.imafish.co.uk). High resolution copies of all images are available on request. About ImAFish ImAFish is the personal home page of Pete White started in 2001, the site covers a range of subjects from travel, photography, technology and life in general. Over the past several years the site has attracted over 100,000 visitors per year (peaking at 250,000). The name comes from an episode of the BBC sitcom Red Dwarf where the character Rimmer writes I'm A Fish hundreds of times on his exam paper. It came from a time where names such as Google and Yahoo were very popular. It is often a popular talking point when introducing people to the site. ImAFish enjoys a popular following from around the world however has deep roots in the British town of Shrewsbury. As well as being an author of hundreds of articles and blog posts Pete has a keen interest in photography and media. www.imafish.co.uk

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The second edition of the very popular Travel Photography.

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Travel Photography Second Edition

Copyright 2010 ImAFish (Peter White)

For more information please contact Peter White ([email protected]) on ImAFish (www.imafish.co.uk).

High resolution copies of all images are available on request.

About ImAFish

ImAFish is the personal home page of Pete White started in 2001, the site covers a range of subjects from travel, photography, technology and life in general. Over the past several years the site has attracted over 100,000 visitors per year (peaking at 250,000).

The name comes from an episode of the BBC sitcom Red Dwarf where the character Rimmer writes I'm A Fish hundreds of times on his exam paper. It came from a time where names such as Google and Yahoo were very popular. It is often a popular talking point when introducing people to the site.

ImAFish enjoys a popular following from around the world however has deep roots in the British town of Shrewsbury. As well as being an author of hundreds of articles and blog posts Pete has a keen interest in photography and media.

www.imafish.co.uk

About the Author

Pete White is a web developer, IT consultant, blogger and photographer from Shrewsbury, England.

The second edition builds on the incredibly popular fi rst edition adding fantastic new photos from a range of stunning destinations.

You can email:pete@imafi sh.com

or browse:www.imafi sh.co.uk

Right: Pete in Monaco.

Contents4 - Introduction6 - Hong Kong - China12 - Dubai - UAE18 - Los Angeles - USA20 - Los Angeles - USA24 - Sharm El Sheikh - Egypt28 - Amsterdam -28 - Netherlands30 - Florence - Italy36 - Milan - Italy40 - Paris - France44 - Lyon - France46 - Marseilles - France48 - Rhodes - Greece52 - Edinburgh54 - Silverstone56 - Liverpool58 - Ironbridge (Telford)60 - Warwick Castle62 - Cotswolds64 - Betws-Y-Coed66 - Shrewsbury68 - Stratford Upon Avon70 - London

Introduction

I love to travel, visit new places, meet new people and experience different cultures, most importantly though I love to photograph them. The brief for this book was simple - to share the best of my travel photos and interesting facts from around the world. Where possible I’ve tried to capture the mood of the scene, whether it’s exciting or tranquil, urban or natural, serious or odd!

My cameras of choice are standard off the shelf models that anyone can buy for less than £400. The majority of photos are captured on my Canon EOS 350d or my Canon Ixus 100is (the perfect shirt pocket camera). My only other equipment is my £10 tripod and £3 remote - both have been very useful for night photography.

I’ve kept post editing of these photos to a minimum, most have been cropped, straightened or enhanced using iPhoto. Others I have experimented with HDR using Photomatix and Photoshop. I hope you find this selection as inspirational as I do.

Below: A forewarning on the dangers of travel as not all our adventures go to plan. Don’t worry though this is the set from the War of the World at Universal Studios - Los Angeles.

Far Away

Unknown Highway - California

Hong Kong - China

Left: From the peak - Hong Kong at night. Above: I have no idea what these are.

Hong Kong has a stunning backdrop to an amazing city and is one of my favorite destinations.

Previous spread: Hong Kong’s A Symphony of Lights viewed from Kowloon. Recognisable buildings include I. M. Pei’s Bank of China Tower (centre with straight white lights) and the International Commerce Centre (ICC) tower (tallest building on right).

Every evening at 8pm for 14 minutes 44 buildings in Hong Kong and Kowloon light up and flash in time to Chinese music in an event called A Symphony of Lights. The show is fascinating to watch and has won the Guinness World Record for the world's largest permanent light and sound show. The show comprises of five main themes, Awakening, Energy, Heritage, Partnership and Celebration.

With a population of 7 million the densely populated city had only one way to grow - up.

There are around 7,650 skyscrapers in Hong Kong and much of the harbour area is built on reclaimed land.

Top left: The city is built on a hill with our hotel half way up it. To save getting a bus or walking there is an escalator from bottom to top which goes down in the morning and up the rest of the day.

Bottom Left: Walkways above ground level traffic help pedestrians walk around the city.

The British influence is still clear from the predominant use of the English language, road signs, food and the economy.

With seven million people living in such a small area you would think transport would be a big problem however the system is efficient and cheap. The tram spans the length of the built up area and costs about 7p to use. The buses and trains are also cheap to use and frequent making Hong Kong very easy to get around.

It is one of the best urban places in the world to photograph.

Top Left: This building has been designed to make it look like Koala bears are hugging it.

Bottom Left: The Tian Tan Buddha - also known as the Big Buddha and at 34 metres high is one of the largest bronze Buddha’s in the world.

Bottom Right: We took the bus to the fishing village Tai O. It was interesting to see a different side to Hong Kong which was not all wealthy high rise. Many of the houses are built on stilts along the estuary. Tai O is also a good place to see Dolphins.

Dubai - UAE

Home to the tallest building in the world Dubai is a modern mega city.

A fascinating city to photograph with high rise developments, beautiful architecture and dazzling waterfronts.

Far Left: A view over the palm Jumeirah with the high rise Dubai marina in the backgound, the buildings give a stunning reflection over the water.

Left: The Burj Khalifa - the worlds tallest building towers over the whole cityscape.

Next Spread: Atlantis The Palm and the aquarium in the hotel.

Left: The Dubai Marina is in the heart of ‘new Dubai’. A two mile stretch along the Persian Gulf there is enough housing to accomodate 120,000 people.

The marina is entirely man made and once complete will be the largest man-made marina in the world.

Right and Below: Fish and sea animals in the aquarium in Atlantis the Palm.

Los Angeles - USA

Above: The Bellagio has an impressive fountain display and has been featured in films including Oceans Eleven.

A famous resort for gambling, entertainment and conventions, everything in Las Vegas is grand.

From the recreation of the Eiffel Tower, Pyramids, outdoor lighting displays, water displays and Casinos. The Las Vegas ‘strip’ is an amazing place to visit and photograph, especially at night.

Walking along ‘the strip’ is a must if you are visiting Las Vegas. You can freely walk in and out of any of the Casinos and I would recommend trying to visit as many as you can!

Left: Planet Hollywood Casino. Below: The fountains at the Bellagio with Caesars Palace in the background.

Los Angeles - USA

The second largest metropolitan area in the USA with over 13 million citizens. Famous for being the home of the American film industry with studios including Disney, Universal and Paramount. Tourist attractions include Hollywood, Universal Studios, Sunset Boulevard/The Sunset Strip, Griffith Observatory, Disneyland, the Queen Mary and Santa Monica.

Left: Downtown Los Angeles from The Griffith Observatory.

Right: The Hollywood sign in the Hollywood hills.

Below: The Griffith Observatory has a number of science and space related attractions.

There are four major theme parks in the LA area (Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios and Six Flags Magic Mountain.) Six Flags, renowned for its big, scary stomach turning rides. Goliath (above left) features a 136km/h 68m plunge into darkness. X2 features 360° rotating seats and head first drops. I enjoy most thrill rides but this one I did not - its not for the faint-hearted!

Universal Studios founded in 1912 is one of the oldest American studios still making productions. As well as rides the theme park has tours around the studios and famous film sets (such as the scene on the right from the Jim Carey film The Grinch and the picture on the introduction page from the Tom Cruise film War of the Worlds).

Driving a car is almost the only way to get around LA as the public transport is much less developed than in similar size cities.

The Kodak Theatre opened in 2001 and is the home of the Oscars. The complex which includes retail, dining and entertainment is located on Hollywood Boulevard.

In 1958 the Hollywood Walk of Fame was created along the pavement of Hollywood Boulevard, it now includes over 2000 stars of famous celebrities and fictional characters.

Other landmarks on Hollywood Boulevard including Grauman’s Theatre, Madame Taussauds, Capitol Records Tower, Bob Hope Square and El Captain Theatre.

Sharm El Sheikh - Egypt

Egypt has a population of around 65million ,most of which live around the Nile valley. Our resort was six hours drive away at the edge of the Sinai peninsula on the Red Sea.

The area is famous for all year sun and is one of the top ten diving locations in the world because of the coral reefs and diverse tropical fish.

Less than a metre under the water is a lush tropical coral ecosystem with an amazing assortment of tropical fish.

Egypt is great for all round sun and if I visit again, a snorkeling trip with an underwater camera will be top of my agenda.

Far Left: Boats moored for snorkeling trips in the Red Sea.

Above Left: The Egyptian flag on the back of our boat.

Below Left: Locals giving camel rides.

Fireworks from Weston Park - England.

Europe

The Alps - Switzerland

Amsterdam - Netherlands

The capital and largest city in The Netherlands, Amsterdam is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. Attractions include numerous museums (we visited the ‘torture’ museum), the red light district, historic architecture and canals. Bicycles are a common sight throughout the city centre and I was almost killed a number of times by one. Bike rental is cheap and with the country being so flat I can see the appeal.

Left: Buildings come to the edge of the canals throughout the city.Above Left: Part of the canal network that goes through the city of Amsterdam.Above Right: Amsterdam’s Red Light District, a popular tourist attraction consisting of hundreds of small, one-room apartments lit by red lights. There are many other businesses based around the sex industry in the area including sex theatres, ‘peep’ shows, sex shops and sex museums. The area is also popular with cannabis smokers which is legally available in many cafes and bars.

Florence - Italy

One of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited with a plethora of tourist attractions, amazing art, architecture and unique Italian culture. The centre piece of the city is a grand cathedral called il Duomo (featured in the centre of the landscape photo on the following spread). The historic centre was declared a world heritage site in 1982 and attracts millions of tourists each year. You could easily spend a couple of days visiting museums, art galleries and viewing the architecture.

Above: The view from ‘Ponte Vechio’ (the Gold Bridge) of the River Arno. The Gold Bridge (pictured on the next page) is full of shops that sell gold and souvenirs.

The birthplace of the Renaissance and the ‘art capital of Italy’, Florence boasts many famous artists including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Angelico, Botticelli and Paolo Uccello. Many of their art works feature in Florence's art galleries.

Below: The gold bridge (because its full of gold shops - its not actually made of gold!).

A short walk across the river to the Piazzale Michalangelo gives amazing views of the city and is where I captured the stunning landscape photo the previous spread.

Above Left: The front of il Duomo. Women are made to cover their shoulders when entering the Cathedral.

Above Right: Another church/cathedral - Italians love their religion.

The Uffizi Gallery (right) is one of the most famous art galleries in the world.

“Its collection of Primitive and Renaissance paintings comprises several universally acclaimed masterpieces of all time, including works by Giotto, Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Mantegna, Correggio, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio. German, Dutch and Flemish masters are also well represented with important works by Dürer, Rembrandt and Rubens.” (From the Museums official webpage).

Queues for the gallery form early in the morning and people often wait hours to enter.

Milan - Italy

Italy’s northern economic power, Milan is famous for being a fashion and design centre. We stayed about an hour away in Bergamo but our main reason to visit was for the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

Far Left: A Ferrari F1 car doing around 180mph.

The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is one of the oldest F1 circuits on the calendar. There has been a track at the site since 1922 though it has been rebuilt several times. The old banked track is still there though the banking is no longer used.

Known as a flat full throttle circuit with long straights its one of the fastest race tracks an F1 driver has to navigate.

The maximum speed achieved in a 2009 F1 car is 340 km/h (210mph) along the start-finish straight.

Top Left: A disappointed Mark Webber crashes out in front of us on the first lap, it was not the right time for getting an autograph.

Middle Left: An Italian fan shows his passion with me (right).

Below Left: A close up of the tyre on a 2009 McLaren Mercedes F1 car.

Above: Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) is a gothic style cathedral that took five centuries to build. One of the biggest tourist attractions in the city, the Cathedral is the fourth largest in the world at 157m long, can easily hold 40,000 people!

Bergamo is about 40km from Milan and sits just before the foothills of the Alps. The city has two centres, the medieval ‘Citta alta’ (upper city) sits on the hilltop surrounded by a 17th century wall. The Citta alta is one of the most expensive places to live in Europe with properties starting from two million euros.

The ‘Citta bassa’ (lower city) is where the majority of people live, work and shop.

Left and Below: Both these photos are from the Citta alta at night. You can see parts of the wall that surround the city.

Paris - France

The French capital and the most popular tourist destination in the world with 45million visitors annually, Paris is a must visit for anyone of any age.

We took the two hour Eurostar from London to Paris and stayed a few minutes walk away from the Eiffel Tower.

The city and region contain a number of iconic landmarks, famous institutions and popular attractions - including: The Eiffel TowerNotre Dame de ParisThe Louvre (where the Mona Lisa is displayed)Basilique du Sacré-Cœur The Arc de Triomphe Champs-ÉlyséesThe Panthéon church Disneyland Paris.

Right: The Eiffel Tower at night - a beacon over Paris and where I proposed to my girlfriend.

Above: Boats passing under the Eiffel Tower. Right: The Arc de Triomphe

Lyon - France

Situated in the east-central region of France Lyon forms the second largest metropolitian area in the country.

Left: A view of the Rhône river just before it meets Saône in Lyon

Right: The basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière

Below: The Roman ruins in Lyon.

Marseille - France

Located on the south east coast of France Marseille has a population of around 850,000.

With a mediterranean climate the city is popular with tourists seeking sun.

Right: Notre-Dame de la Garde.

Top Far Right: A fisherman sells todays catch on the shorefront.

Top Far Far Right: The marina with all its boats.

Bottom Far Right: Grafiti on a shop front

Bottom Far Far Right: The marina at night.

Rhodes - Greece

The largest of the Dodecanese island, Rhodes is famous for the Colossus of Rhodes (one of the seven wonders of the world). Now a top tourist attraction, Rhodes has sun, sand and culture.

Below: Typical architecture in Rhodes with blue skies and sea.

The town of Lindos on the island of Rhodes is one of the most beautiful places on the island. We visited via boat through the bay. Looking over the town is the acropolis of Lindos offering amazing views over the town and bay.

A rainbow over Coventry

United Kingdom

The M6 Northbound

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and it’s second largest city (after Glasgow). The Medieval and Georgian architecture help make the city a fascinating place to photograph.

Left: Edinburgh Castle dominates the skyline.

Right: St Giles’ Cathedral at the midpoint of the ‘royal mile’.

Below: Traffic speeding through the heart of the city.

Silverstone

A selection of photos from the British Grand Prix 2010.

Liverpool

2008’s European Capital of Culture and with several city centre World Heritage Sites (including the Albert Dock), Liverpool is one of the UK’s largest ports and a top tourist attraction.

The locals - Liverpudlians or ‘Scousers’ help form a unique culture in the city that gave us The Beatles.

The Albert Dock opened in 1846 was the first building in the UK to be constructed from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood - making it much less susceptible to fire damage.

In 1972 the dock was closed until redevelopment started in 1981.

The Albert dock reopened in 1988 as a tourist attraction and is one of the most visited places outside of London.

Left & Right: Various parts of the Albert Dock.

Ironbridge (Telford)

The birthplace of industry and home of the industrial revolution. Now a world heritage site and visited by millions, Ironbridge has a stunning gorge, architecture and bridge. Fortunately I only live a twenty minute drive from Ironbridge but it wasn’t until I read an article online about the ten most beautiful bridges in the world that I decided to photograph the stunning scenery and bridge.

Below: The Ironbridge was the first arch bridge in the world to be made out of cast iron.The bridge was opened on new years day 1781 and crosses the river Severn. Today after a number of renovations the bridge is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Left: Upstream from the bridge sits a power station - a constant reminder of the industrial demands from the area.

Ironbridge is one of my favourite day trips, it’s a great place to go walking and there are a number of great cafes and restaurants.

Warwick Castle

Built by William the Conqueror in 1068 Warwick Castle was fortified until the early 17th centry when Sir Fulke Greville converted it to a country house. Today its a grade 1 listed building and top tourist attraction.

Cotswolds

The heart of England and an area of outstanding natural beauty, the Cotswolds are spread between Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. There are a number of attractive small towns and villages that make up the Cotswolds and the area is famous for ‘Cotswolds stone - a yellow limestone.

Below: The view from Cleeve Hill - the highest point in the Cotswolds.

We stayed just outside the Cotswold town of Winchcombe, home of Sudeley Castle (below). The castle dates back to the 10th century however much of the inhabited part is Elizabethan. The surrounding gardens are kept to a very high standard and the castle has been used for a number of high profile weddings and events.

Betws-Y-Coed

Betws-Y-Coed or ‘Prayer house in the wood’ is a picturesque Welsh village located on the A5 in Snowdonia National park. The former mining village is now a popular tourist destination.

Top Right: The river flowing through the village. Bottom Right: The B&B we stayed in. Bottom Left: The parish church of St. Mary.

Shrewsbury

Historic market town and my home, Shrewsbury may not be somewhere I have ‘travelled’ to but is certainly picturesque enough to be included in this book. Shrewsbury has many medieval streets and buildings with over 660 listed buildings.

Left: The English Bridge in spring leading into the town centre.

Top Right: St. Chads Church in Shrewsbury was built in 1792 and is a well known local landmark.

Bottom Right: The rear of the Ditherington Flax Mill at sunset. I like how the red light reflects off the concrete silo.

The Flax Mill is the oldest iron frame building in the world and is a grade 1 listed building. However it has been empty since the late 1980’s waiting to be redeveloped.

As well as the Flax Milll above, St. Chads is a grade 1 listed building.

St. Chads is located just outside the town park (the Quarry) and close to the River Severn within the town centre.

Stratford Upon Avon

Left: Ann Hathaways Cottage Above: Shakespeare’s Theatre

London

Capital of England, London has a fascinating history and diverse culture. Dating back to Roman times ‘Londinium’ had a population of 60,000, the metropolitan area is now estimated at around 13 million people. Described as one of three ‘command centres’ for the world economy, London’s financial sector is the most important industry in the city but as recent times have shown is not as solid as some experts had thought.

Londons landmarks are numerous and include:

Big BenBuckingham PalaceDowning StreetHouses of ParliamentKensington PalaceMarble ArchNelson’s ColumnO2 Arena (Millennium Dome)Royal Albert HallRoyal ObservatorySt. James PalaceSt. Paul’s CathedralTower BridgeTower of LondonTrafalgar SquareWestminster AbbeyLondon Eye (right)

We visited London in March hence the weather being very gloomy, there was far too much to do in one weekend and I hope to visit again - in the summer this time.

Above: Sunset in Shrewsbury to end the book - thanks for reading.