March 21, 2011

204/365

On this day in 1963, Alcatraz Island, the federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay, CA, closed.

Untitled

March 20, 2011

203/365

On this day in 1963, The first "Pop Art" exhibit began in New York City.

The Mill 2

March 19, 2011

202/365

On this day in 1702, Upon the death of William III of Orange, Anne Stuart, the sister of Mary, succeeds to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland.


Angles Have Dirty Faces

March 18, 2011

201/365

On this day in 1989, A 4,400-year-old mummy was discovered at the Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt.

St Patrick Boyle 2011

March 17, 2011

200/365

On this day in 461, St. Patrick, died in Saul. Ireland and most of the World celebrates this day in his honor.
Paddys Day 2011
St. Patrick's Day in Boyle, Co. Roscommon. Morning started with a clear blue sky and full of Spring promise but post-noon the sky darkened and cold rain showers came. The parade started at 3.30pm and contained many fine local floats. There was a good turn-out and the mood was cheerful and relaxed. Well done to all that took part.

Photo: This gentleman passed me on the bridge in Boyle, I'm afraid I don't know his name but he was kind enough to pose for a photo. I thought he very much reflected the mood on the day, joyous and carefree. My gratitude.
ISO 200. 1/320 @ f/2.8

March 16, 2011

199/365

60 second Dip
There's a nice bit of sunshine about at the moment, but there's money going for anyone that can stay in the water off the West coast for more that 60 seconds! This one of a very brave lady taking a brisk dip in Salthill, Galway on Sunday.

Photo: Lens 10-20mm wide-angle @ 10mm. ISO 100. 1/320 @ f/4. No filters used here, colour conveyed as captured.
Son Steps Stone Sea Salthill

March 15, 2011

198/365

On this day in 44BC, Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated by high ranking Roman Senators. The day is known as the "Ides of March."
Columns
Pretty much on a serious Roman theme at the moment. The 'Piazza of St. Peter' by Bernini - "Four rows of simple and majestic Doric columns, 300 all together, carved from Roman travertine, form an oval 650 feet across the long axis marked by three monuments: laterally by fountains propelling tall jets of water and in the center by an Egyptian obelisk that had served as a turning post in the chariot races at the ancient Circus of Nero. As they enter the piazza, the faithful are embraced by "the motherly arms of the church," Bernini's own description of his Colonnade. The Colonnade becomes simultaneously a dramatic frame for the church, a nurturing enclosure for the crowds of faithful, and a stage for the processions and other sacred spectacles on which, at this particular period, the Catholic Church so strongly depended for its appeal."

Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman. Architecture: from Prehistory to Post-Modernism.

March 14, 2011

197/365 Rebirth

On this day in 1932, George Eastman, the founder of the Kodak company, committed suicide.

Colosseum

It’s been many weeks (33 days) since I temporarily abandoned my commitment to this blog, however, like the promise of a warm Summer, I hope to return. It is unlikely that my contributions will be daily but I’ll do my best, I’ve already resigned myself to forking out for dinner at the end of this 365 period (my 6 co-blog conspirators will know what this means!). It’s been an interesting interlude for me, I’m still working, taking pictures and traveling. The country has seen changes, but I’m not getting into that now. It’s a bright morning and a time to be optimistic, I hope this finds faithful followers well.

Photo: Taken during a recent trip to Italy, not a photographic excursion but sometimes it’s hard to resist. I had no tripod here, I simply placed the camera on an overflowing rubbish bin and used the self-timer. Rome is a stunning city but (for me) not the most visually interesting at night, there is an abundance of yellow halogen lights that contaminate the atmosphere and low cloud cover. This can play havoc with white-balance issues, but I wasn’t overly concerned, I’d been to Rome previously and taken all the predictable photos of the landmark architectural features. This is simply one of the few photos I managed to take.
ISO 100. 25 second exposure @ f/8.