The last I’ll post to my blog from my trip to Florence with my parents. It was a great trip and this is one of, if not my, favorite photos. The ripples all blurred away with the time exposure that was needed to take a well lit shot. Kind of a bummer. But I really like the perspective on the shot.
To see more from the trip check out the Flickr Album dedicated to my trip!
There is something refreshing and cleansing about a rain that happens. That brings about this refreshing breath. I love it, and as much as I enjoy staying dry, it was nice to be out this night taking pictures. It was a new kind of adventure that I have been missing as of late here in Toulouse.
A nice long exposure shot of the city. I have a hard time taking images like this in old europe because of the contrast between the modern in the cars, and the old in the architecture. Yet there is something beautiful about it, and it’s simplicty. A 15th century bridge, and a 21st century car smearing accross the landscape. Very slight levels adjustment to this image.
For those of you completely disconnected from anything French over the last month, there have been a string of protests over a new law (CPE) that changes some rights of young employees. Mainly, anyone under 26 can be terminated during the first two years without cause/notice. Sounds rough, but you need to understand it is near impossible to terminate an employees employment right now in France and most people have the same job most of their life.
I have a soft spot for any old-school merry go round like this. With the poor weather it came out great in B/W after some minor post processing.
A slight manip playing with colors, BW added in post processing. The day was pretty gloomy with rain and everything was pretty gray and bleak. On a bright blue day I’m sure that is a beautiful view with the terracotta in full color against the blue. It would be beautiful. For our trip… we were left with what we could get.
An image from the large church in Florence of the chairs lining the choir in the center of the church. Levels and Curves adujsted slightly.
A couple days ago I returned from my time in Florence, Italy with my parents. It was a lot of fun and got to see a lot of the things I had studied in my survey of art history courses. So unreal, to think that I was talking on the very street of Dante, and Raphael. Some of the greatest minds and skillful applicators of new technology came from that city. I didnt meet any though, they have been dead for a while now. Not a surprise, but just dont want to get your hopes up (and yes, Im bored as Im writing this).
We visited the Doma, Baptistery, Uffizi, and this famous covered bridge named Ponte Vecchio. I took a lot of photos (par usual) which you can see in my flickr album dedicated to the trip. Not as many self portraits this time as others. I might get ambitious and make a couple more posts with pictures in them for your viewing pleasure. So generous I know. It was a great time eating food, seeing art, walking streets from antiquity, and being touristy for a couple days.
I, however, am glad to be back home in France where I know what people are saying, and can say something intelligible. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Florence, go for it! Though we were told the whole city gets swamped with tourists come a little later in spring well through summer.
God bless!
~paul
Ive never had one. It wasnt that there werent people in my life who had admirable accomplishments, but they all had so many failures attached to them. Here is the other catch that is never realized. By defining a role model we are un-verbally deciding that the level of their achievement is un-attainable. No matter what I do, who I become, I will always be second to this person.
By looking up to and striving after anyone other then the Christ we are going to fall short of everything that we are possible of becoming. Since no-one can become Christ, we all fall short by our very nature, we are thus striving to the peak of everything possible. Until the day I die I will be running after my first love, the tender embrace that brought me life, the one who saved me from a life of routine, and for whose name I will scream with my last breath before the hush of the worlds.
Fall short of perfection, or fall short of imperfection. The choice is not mine.
Its muses like this which are so rich in my life that cause me to wonder if I am truly the same as those around me. Things Ive known since I before I can remember.
I wish I had some eloquent memory of Teddy Knape (1984-2006) that I could write here and help you all know him better. Honestly I dont, I do know that he loved skiing and died doing what he loved best. Im not so sure why this is hitting me so hard, or maybe Im imposing on myself that it should be harder than it is? Either way, hes now gone and I am left here wondering why. I know that he had a heart condition that played into his short lived life, but that doesnt make it easier.
Just a while ago I was thinking about the last movie I edited and produced. As of now, half of the cinematographers are past on. When Jon died it was easy to make some sense of, he was older, not in the peak of physical condition, and the heart attack was a surprise but not unexpected. Teddy was much younger, my same age, and that is what makes it so hard. What happened to him could happen to me. I dont really know what to say aside from the fact that Teddy was dedicated to something he loved so much, that it was infectious to others.
Heres to you teddy, wherever you are. I wish I knew.
~paul