I was there too
Surfers on the Isar or Eisbach canal in Munich, Germany. It was bizarre seeing people surfing in the middle of a city but the river was perfect for it. Unfortunately, the wave seems to have disappeared recently and they don’t know why.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 25mm |
| ISO | 12800 |
| Shutter speed | 1/250s |
The Mercado Central de Atarazanas in Malaga is really busy but on the day I visited in 2019 it was surprisingly quiet. The people working there were busy as ever though, and this man walked past me quickly, and out of sight around a corner in a moment!
I often wonder what has become of people I photograph in their daily lives, especially if I come back to those photos years later.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 800 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
When the sun is shining, it’s nice to have portable shade in the form of an umbrella. In Athens on the day this photo was taken it was a hot day!
The Basilica of Megali Panagia (which translates to “Great Virgin Mary”) was an early Christian basilica built in Athens during the 5th century AD. What makes this site particularly fascinating is that it represents the transition period when Athens was shifting from its ancient pagan identity to becoming a Christian Byzantine city. The basilica was constructed using materials salvaged from older classical buildings, a common practice called “spolia”, meaning those stone blocks you see in the photograph might originally have been part of temples or structures from Athens’ classical golden age, essentially recycled into a Christian church. The site reveals multiple layers of Athenian history literally built on top of each other. Athens during summer regularly reaches temperatures of 35-40°C (95-104°F), which explains why that blue umbrella is essential equipment for archaeological site visits. Many ancient sites in Greece now restrict visiting hours during the hottest parts of the day to protect both visitors and the monuments themselves from heat damage!
| Aperture | ƒ/4.9 |
| Camera | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Focal length | 27.2mm |
| ISO | 50 |
| Shutter speed | 1/380s |
La Mariblanca, a statue in a large square in Madrid, marks the geographic centre of Spain.
This is what it looked like in 2017, but the area around it has been developed since then and now there’s more places to stop and sit.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 6D |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/800s |
Two friends chatting on a street in Istanbul.
| Aperture | ƒ/2.8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 320 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
A man walks through Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakesh with a monkey on a chain, looking for tourists who will have their photo taken with his companion.
We humans don’t treat animals well.
| Aperture | ƒ/5.6 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 40D |
| Focal length | 179mm |
| ISO | 500 |
| Shutter speed | 1/200s |
A couple sitting at an outdoor table in a little café in Athens, Greece about a year ago. Their body language couldn’t be more different, and every time I look at this image, I wonder what they were talking about.
Their roles in this conversation are opposed. He appears relaxed and confident, while she is reserved, nervous, maybe defensive?
| Aperture | ƒ/2.8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 1250 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
The interior of St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh on a bright, sunny day in July, 2018. I visited again recently but these are from my first visit.
I visited the cathedral with the aim to photograph it, but I forgot to bring my tripod! It was sitting in my suitcase in my hotel room. I did my best, using tables and benches and the floor instead to hold my camera steady.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/30s |
More than a decade ago, I spent some time in Santa Cruz along with the rest of Automattic for the Grand Meetup that year. I’ve already posted a few sunrise photos on the beach, but these photos of surfers riding the waves have been in my TODO folder for a long time.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 6D |
| Focal length | 105mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/2000s |
We were wandering up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh when I spotted these two women looking up. At what, I’m not sure, there wasn’t anything special in the building they were looking at. Is there such a thing as “Edinburgh Neck”?
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/640s |
It was a blisteringly hot day in Athens when we were walking around the ruins of the old city when I saw this woman in a bright yellow jumpsuit approach.
That yellow colour jumped out at me, but it was only later I noticed the man behind her carrying her bag. Is that a charging cable going from her phone to the bag? Nice to have someone else carry your bag on a hot day, with a battery for your phone too! 🙂
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Another tourist watches for a moment before taking her own photo with her phone, inside the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Non Muslims are restricted in where they can go now because it was turned back into a mosque again in 2020.
This was on the morning after I spent the day in bed recovering from food poisoning, so I didn’t take a whole lot of photos and had to go back to bed afterwards as I was so tired from the walk. This page has a number of photos showing what it’s like. Definitely try to avoid the busy times. It’s thronged with visitors.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 10000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/60s |
