frames

Guards

Every afternoon an honor guard of the Royal 22e Régiment marches into the Citadelle of Quebec on the historic Plains of Abraham for the Changing of the Guard. There's usually a good contingent of tourists surrounding the parade ground for the ceremony. It is majestic, but fairly static and it was difficult to get a shot with out tourists in the background. At the end of the event as the old guard moved out, the tourists staid put. Quickly following the marching soldiers, I ran to the top of a small ridge and shoot down as they passed, using 1/3 of a second for a bit of motion blur and a clean background.

This image won the Gold award for People in 2006 SATW Travel Photographer of the year contest

Guards posted in canada , frames , people , quebec

Holiday 2006

How to show Christmas and Hope for the future?? This wreath on a lamppost caught my eye one winter day. Although I didn't have a clear intent at the time I took a number of shots against the sky, cropping out as much of the lamp as possible and then put it aside for creative work later. After forgetting about it for a year or so I remembered it one evening and set about in Photoshop to see where it would lead. The simple elements of green wreath and red ribbon and blue sky, primary colors, plus the ethereal look of it floating in space, gave just the right feeling of lightness. It reminded me too of a glass sculpture at the Australian National Museum in Canberra. Though not yet on the market as a stock image, this might do well as a concept shot

And a Holiday greeting...

For the year to come, best wishes for you all, and hopefully some hints of peace in the world...For children, those in the Middle East and those in any need or trouble, special prayers and care... that we all may continue to see and be thankful for this still, truly amazing world....David..2006

Holiday 2006 posted in frames

Eiffel Tower

How to capture an icon? That's the perennial problem for a travel photographer. Something we've seen a thousand times, yet newly seen - that's ideal. But since we've seen it so many times, the mind jumps to a pre-seen image. We know exactly what the Eiffel Tower looks like because we've seen it in clichés so often. So to spend time with the subject, hours, night after night, trying to sense something distincitive, and then bring to it a certain particular style of seeing, that is the art of travel photography. The market has an insatiable appetite for the same subjects, newly seen, and those are the most difficult challenges of all.

Eiffel Tower posted in europe , frames , france

Edo Castle

In the center of busy modern Tokyo are the spacious and tranquil Imperial Palace gardens. Just a stone's throw from the glitz of Maranouchi, surrounded by the curious, tourists, picnickers and families on a weekend outing lie the weathered ruins of the Edo castle tower, built in 1638. The abstract design of the sloping remnant wall, the angular cut stones and the solitary tree caught my eye. The contrast in texture and color, rough and smooth, old memories and new life led to this simply seen image.

Edo Castle posted in asia , frames , japan

Golden Gate Fog

One of the signature landmarks of San Francisco is the Golden Gate Bridge. When photographing for my book on San Francisco Bay, I wanted to cover the movement of the fog which sweeps in off the Pacific many summer afternoons, and then recedes in the morning. Often it flows over the hilltops and shrouds the bridge deck in a white cloth.

There's a small hilltop in Marin Headlands, just above the northern anchorage, which seemed promising as a vantage point. It was a fogbound morning. Driving out there in the predawn darkness I doubted if I'd get anything at all. Sometimes you don't. I parked and hiked the fire trail to the ridgetop; it was windy, dark and cold. With my tripod fixed, and mid-range lens set on my Nikon, I waited.

Imperceptibly, the light changed. A gradual brightening, then visible clouds, then a golden hue as a distant sun rose over the Oakland hills. Then the mist cleared with a swift breeze and the bridge tower appeared.

It was a surprise of course. It always is.

Golden Gate Fog posted in california , frames , landscape , san francisco bay , usa

Holy Sepulchre

Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where Jesus was buried according to early legend, is a very busy place. Tour guides pass through with endless groups of picture-snapping visitors, each guide recounting the detailed history of the site. It's noisy, distracting, thouroughly touristy. After several days in and around the church I wanted to convey something more profound, more tranquil.

On some mornings the Greek Orthodox Metropol Daniel stood at at the main door and chatted with visitors. Seeing a pause in the continuous stream of tourists, and seeing his outline against the black emptiness of the doorway, I asked him to step forward into the light and made this image. The balance between the ancient carved wooden door and his relaxed pose, set against the black background, show something of the quietness of the site even amidst all the hubbub of the crowd.

On a personal note, it's interesting to spend time at what could be said to be one of the holiest sites of Christendom. One walks around thinking "This is amazing. I should be having a religious experience!!" But it is so noisy, so crowded, that it seems more like Disneyland. Then when you leave, a sign above the lintel, above the doorway in the photo, seen from the interior on the way out, says, "He is not here! He goes before you into Galilee."

Holy Sepulchre posted in frames , israel , middle east , people , religion

Texas Flag

After an afternoon photographing an outdoor Living History event at San Antinio's Institute of Texas Cultures, I walked passed the main museum exhibit space just as the museum was closing. The brightly neon lit Texas flag caught my eye and I got a couple of shots, but it needed something else. Quickly seeing a museum docent closing up his desk for the day, I asked if he'd step in front of the lit flag. The result, a bold silhouette with cowboy hat and Texas resolve, has been used in magazine spreads and as a Nikon advertisement.

Texas Flag posted in culture , frames , people , texas , usa

Parasol

On a quiet side street in the hills of Kyoto, this red parasol lay against a wall, a colorful reminder of the simplciity of Japanese design. Red maples rustled overhead, their shadow making a counterpoint to the white arc of the leafs on the fabric.

The sense of design in Japan is exquisite and it is in the small and delicate details that this is most easily seen.

Parasol posted in asia , frames , japan

Clipper Ship

Every winter the Star Flyer clipper ship sails the clear waters of Andaman Sea on one week trips out of Phuket, Thailand. The seldom visited Surin and Similan Islands, the Malaysian coastal towns and Singapore are all entralling port calls. But it is the ship itself, 360 feet long, four-masted, built in the classical style of the clipper ships which plied the Pacific in the nineteenth century, which is the main attraction. The European captains love to move under full sail whenever possible.

Seeking a distinctive vantage point to show the ship set in the sea, I was hoisted in the bosun's chair to the top of the mainmast, where carefully I could compose a shot looking straight down, with the crisp sea offset transversly by the open deck, liferafts and other masts. A vertical alternative gives a bit of a different feel.

You can read more in the story By the Waters of Andaman.

Clipper Ship posted in asia , frames , thailand

Mekong

Vientiane, Laos, on the banks of the sleepy Mekong river, is a city in the midst, a confluence of traditional Buddhist culture, bureaucratic communism and an emerging consumer marketplace of goods and ideas. Some young men spend a year or so in a monastery after high school, and then continue their education or go into business. Others readily accept contemporary Western accoutrements and are drawn to the flash of modern life.

This image, shot late in the afternoon on the riverside levee, highlights the juxtaposition of old and new, with a warm yellow glow contrasting the silhouetted figures, the parasol and the motorbike,

Mekong posted in asia , frames , laos

Parthenon

What does it take to be a photographer? Some say that with the new digital equipment, "Anyone can take great photos now. All you have to do is point and shoot. The camera does the rest."

Knowing that I wanted a key image of the Parthenon at night for a feature story on Athens, I climbed from the Plaka over the Acropolis Hill and across to Filopapou Hill well before sunset to scope out locations and the light. It was a 45 minute hike each way with camera gear and tripod. The shots weren't great, the light iffy, and the angle wrong. I went back the next day before dawn, after a late late dinner and a couple of hours sleep. Even though the light was nice the direction was off and the Acropolis against the morning sky uninspiring. One nice shot that morning was the Filopappos monument. That evening again I traipsed across town to my lookout spot, but clouds came in and the evening just lacked something. No shot.

It was the fourth attempt that finally gave what I wanted [above]. A wind had cleared out the pollution, the night sky was clear and crisp and I'd found another vantage point, lower on the hill, below the monument. One of the challenges had been to screen out the ugly construction equipment and scaffolding, and this angle of view worked, along with the deep indigo sky. The vertical image too was a nice cover shot.

Much of travel photography is about being in the right place at the right time, about going back again and again and again, about not being satisfied with mediocre results, and above all about caring enough to walk across Athens as many times as it took to get what I envisioned. Any Joe or Jane with a digital camera just won't take the time.

Parthenon posted in europe , frames , greece , how to

Fabrics

On assignment on the coastal beaches of Goa, India the challenge was to show the exotic atmosphere of the teeming markets, the energy of the Catholic and Hindu history, the intertwining of cultures over the centuries, and the carefree getaway nature of the place where Europeans love to escape to for winter sun and relaxation. A tall task! Most striking of all my impressions of India is the continuous festival of color - everywhere - variegated, multicolor, florid, bright screaming colors. A small detail like these fabrics for sale by a beach vendor symbolizes the intensity which is Goa and consequently is the best-selling image from the whole shoot. You can see more images of Goa in the stock section.

Fabrics posted in asia , frames , india

Bouzouki

Wandering back from the Acropolis on an Easter Saturday while shooting as story on Athens, I happened upon a small outdoor restaurant in Macrygianni where they were roasting a whole lamb on a spit outside. Since it was before the big Easter feast and they were still preparing the meals there was lots of time to focus on details of the restaurant and people. When this musician sat down to play lively tunes on the traditional Greek bouzouki I chose to concentrate on his hands and strumming and to allow a little blur to show the energy of the movement and music.

Bouzouki posted in europe , frames , greece , people

Table Mountain

The rocky prominence of Table Mountain rises up over the streets of Cape Town, an ever present reminder of the beauty and strength of the African landscape. To get this image of first light on the mountain I returned repeatedly to a lookout from neighboring Lion's Head. The brilliant clouds scudding past the mountain and the windswept native plants in the foreground contrast with the silent city, just awakening to a new day.

Table Mountain posted in africa , frames , landscape , south africa

wreath

In preparation for the midsummer festival on the longest day of the year, a traditional Swedish custom for young women is to craft a flowered wreath from local wildflowers. The celebration of life, fruitfulness and vitality comes alive with the brilliantly colored blossoms. To focus on the flowers and the model's eyes, I chose to crop in tight in a horizontal which matches her direct gaze and invites the viewer's' response.

wreath posted in europe , frames , people , sweden

Tibetan Monk

The slow, meditative movement of this Tibetan monk as he processed around the walls of Labrang Monastery gave a deep feeling of quiet. Even though the monk was moving he maintained an inner stillness. A slow shutter speed of 1/8 second timed to match when he moved forward on one foot, gave a peaceful and energetic motion blur. The orange color accentuates the feeling and the space in front of him keeps the image roomy and open

Tibetan Monk posted in asia , frames , religion , tibet

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest in Munich is this month and brings lots of energy and enthusiasm, colorful parades, carnival rides, good food and music and of course a visual feast for photographers. During a traditional concert as part of the kickoff celebrations, I was eager to get close in to this tuba player to get a sense of his concentration. Covering the festival for an American magazine my aim was to find small details to give more personal points of contact amidst the high energy of the huge crowds who thronged the Munich fairgrounds.

Oktoberfest posted in culture , europe , frames , germany

Mount Tamalpais

Warm summer days bring an offshore marine fog layer that sits off the coast of San Francisco, sometimes nestling up onto the flanks of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County. After a long hike on the mountainside, as the late sun brought an oragne light to the western sky, I saw a solitary hiker on the ridgeline. Framed with a crescent hillside and the clouds below if conveys the airiness of the high peaks and the smallness of man in a vast and wondrous landscape.

Mount Tamalpais posted in california , frames , san francisco bay

Alutiiq Woman

Photographing this Alutiiq woman at the Alaskan Native Heritage Center in Anchorage I was drawn by her colorful beaded headdress and feathered snowfalling dress. At the end of the portrait session, drawing in close to a simple focus on her eyes framed by beads gave the most engaging image. Often only a small part of the scene is all that is needed to tell the whole story.

Alutiiq Woman posted in alaska , culture , frames , people , usa

Aquavit

At the Grinda Wardshus, on the island of Grinda in the Stockholm Archipelago, the potent Swedish liqour aquavit is daily fare. Although aquavit is clear and colorless, the colorful reflections of the table in the bottle, along with the diagonal treatment, give a strong flair and sense of flavour and excitement.

Aquavit posted in europe , food , frames , sweden , wine

New France Festival

At the Fêtes de la Nouvelle France in Quebec in August the streets are full of performers in seventeenth century dress, doing street theater, serving food, singing and entertaining. The five day festival has a contagious energy, but some participants are self-conscious and tend to pose for photos. This young lady responded with a spontaneous and humorous, tlt of the head and smile that makes a much more lively portrait.

New France Festival posted in canada , frames , people , quebec

Alaska Eagle

On a late Spring evening on Kodiak Island the light lasts forever. Well over an hour after sunset an orange glow lit the sky above the rugged intgerior mountains across Chiniak Bay. As I came slowly up to a bald eagle perched on a cliffside, it quickly took flight and swooped high in the air, gliding on the last light of the day

© David Sanger. Click on image for licensing and fine art prints.

Alaska Eagle posted in alaska , frames , landscape , usa

Prague Moon

Prague has an ethereal, dreamy tone to it at times. The cobbled streets, the restrained excitement of the crowds, the busy shopping streets, and yet an understated satisfaction at simply being a new, brisk and energetic European city. In the summer is is bustling. full of movement. Yet after sunset, when the hawkers leave the Charles Bridge and the trams have carried the commuters home, a quiet settles on the Vlatava River. The same quiet deepens until the still hour before sunrise

To get an overview of the river with the full moon over the rooftops, I climbed the ramparts of the park opposite Hradcany castle. The pink glow came and went quickly. It always does.

Something about the pallet of the digital medium lends itself to this scene. There's a historical air about it, reminding me of a painting

© David Sanger. Click on image for licensing and fine art prints.

Prague Moon posted in frames

Stone walls

Driving through the lush Irish countryside, I was struck by the simplicity and energy of the stone walls. There is an earthy contrast between the rough-hewn gray stones, the deep green of the pastures and the white wooled grazing sheep.

The walls enclose the land, define boundaries between neighbors, and protect the sheep from wandering off.

Climbing carefully on a wall on the narrow verge of a country lane, I composed the image to crop closely, eliminating the sky and letting the walls partition the image into geometric segments. The single wall leads the eye into the distance, while the two sheep lying in the field counterbalance and keep the viewer in the picture.

© David Sanger. Click on image for licensing and fine art prints.

Stone walls posted in europe , frames , ireland , landscape

Grass

How to show the Golden Gate Bridge and not make a cliché? This was the question as I documented the newly restored Crissy Field along the San Francisco waterfront for the National Park Service

It was a bright blue day and the green of the newly planted California bunch grass on the restored meadow caught my eye. Green, blue and the red of the bridge: that was the image! With a Nikon 600mm. lens on a low tripod I lay on the ground and framed the triangle of the bridge tower and cables behind a few tufts of grass. Trying different focus points and apertures for depth of field I selected this shot with a slightly soft but recognizable bridge and the crisp grass caught in the wind.

© David Sanger. Click on image for licensing and fine art prints.

Grass posted in california , frames , landscape

Waves

This timeless and tranquil image of waves was selected by the book designer for the title page of my San Francisco Bay book. As a counterpoint to many of the bold and colorful landscapes in the book, this simple closeup shot – fluid, undulating and without reference to land – conveys the simplicity of water which fills the Bay.

In fact it was shot with a 200mm lens from the deck of a party boat after an all-day sturgeon fishing expedition in San Pablo Bay

© David Sanger. Click on image for licensing and fine art prints.

Waves posted in frames

Prague Rain

It was a dull and a rainy afternoon and my journey to the historic town of Kutna Hora outside of Prague had been a bust. No blue sky, no photographs. Returning to Prague and stuck in traffic I was drawn to the raindrops on the windshield, and started shooting through the drops on the glass, changing focus, trying different angles. As I drove around town looking for mood subjects, this wet bicyclist passed on the cobble streets of Mala Strana- Old Town.

Prague Rain posted in czech , frames