Berlin

Winter 2009

My first trip to Berlin was right after Christmas of 2009, and although it was cut short due to airport delays, I found more than enough cool shots to load up my digital camera.  It was also a bit overcast and rainy, so most of my pictures were taken inside museums and subways.  The images above are from the Altes Museum, located on Berlin's "Museum Island."

Although there wasn't too much color outside during the day, I had lots of fun capturing vibrant colors indoors.  The image above to the left was taken inside of the Stasi, which is the Ministry for State Security (Germany's version of the CIA).  The bright yellow and red image to the right was taken in the underground subway system.

Spending the holidays in Berlin was certainly festive to say the least.  There was always a hint of pine trees in the air, along with lots of currywurst and Glühwein (mulled wine), a seasonal drink prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves, citrus and sugar.  The other image was taken from the airplane as we left.  I hope to return to Berlin (or at least Germany) very soon, as it was a great experience.

Southern France

Winter 2008

My trip to Southern France was much different than I could have ever expected.  I stayed in Nice, and travelled to Gourdon, Cannes and Monaco.  The weather was fantastic the entire time, and although it was at the end of December, the temperature was pretty managable (except for when I decided to take pictures of the beach in Nice at 6am).

Being in such an interesting place made me want to go out on adventures.  I would wake up before sunrise to start taking pictures, and then I would stay up until the city went to sleep to take some more.  In the middle of downtown Nice was a huge ferris wheel, surrounded by elaborate marble fountains.  The image above to the right was taken early in the morning, a few blocks from the beach.

Both of these images were taken shortly after the sun began to come up.  On the left was a very creative alley between buildings, leading to the shore.  Opposite of that is a photo taken close to the hotel I was staying at.  It was an artistic piece composed of a pile of cellos, and being a musician and avid classical enthusiast, I had to take a few different shots.

Cusco & Machu Picchu

Fall 2007

What started as an impulsive spur-of-the-moment decision turned out to be one of the most memorable trips of my life.  While at work on an otherwise ordinary Monday morning, my good friend and previous coworker, Robbie Pallard, sent me an email advertising a very cheap round-way ticket to Lima, Peru.  Not one to be teased with an adventure, I called his bluff by purchasing the ticket and sending him a copy of my receipt.  A few months later, we were on a plane with an itinerary which would take us to Cusco (above, left), Aguas Calientes and eventually the top of Machu Picchu (above, right) - a place I never dreamed I would have stepped foot on.

Cusco had lots of different churches.  There was one down the street (above, left)  from the hostel we stayed at, which served as a great landmark when getting lost.  Inside the church were some elaborate paintings of  The Last Supper, with Cuy (Guinea Pigs) as the main plate.  The image above to the right was taken in Aguas Calientes, and that's actually a picture of the river that overflowed and took out the only traintracks, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded in early 2010.

Although Machu Picchu was on the top of a mountain, it was only about 7,800 ft about sea level.  Cusco was around 11,500 ft.  The image on the left was taken at the Sacsayhuamán sacred ruins (pronounced like "sexy woman"), which was built in prehistoric times around 1100AD, before the Inca.  The ruins were at the very top of Cusco, probably making it the highest elevation I've ever reached.  The image on the right was taken on Machu Picchu, and shows my friend Robbie taking it all in from afar.

Amsterdam

Winter 2007

Amsterdam reminded me a lot of New York City, which makes sense since it was originally called "New Amsterdam" when it was founded by the Dutch in the 17th century.  It also reminded me how much fun it is to live in a city where everything can be reached on foot, or by public transportation.  I really enjoyed zipping through the small alleys between buildings, and looking at all of the old and modern architecture.

Even in Winter, the city of Amsterdam was full of color.  Lots of buildings were made from marbel and brick, which contrasted with the blue skies that were out for most of the trip.  It was a treat to see the markets full of flowers and other plants despite the cold weather.

Apparently, it's somewhat rare to see snow in Amsterdam.  While I was there, everyone mentioned how unusual it was to have snow.  I counted myself lucky to have an opportunity to see Amsterdam in such a unique state, which made for some really great photos.

Florida

Summer 2007

Most of my family lives in Florida, and I've lived between Naples and Orlando for about 15 years total.  The image on the left was taken on a lazy afternoon at Goodland Island, known as "a Drinking Island with a Fishing Problem."  Next to that is a picture I took from the top of the parking garage on the Disney Hollywood Studios (formerly known as MGM/Disney) backlot, where IDEAS used to be located before moving to downtown Orlando.

Although I'm not exactly a beach person, there's no denying the colors that come from a sunrise, sunset, or even just the reflection of the sky on a sunny Florida day.

Graffiti

Berlin, Amsterdam

Graffiti is one of my favorite subjects to photograph.  The colors are usually rich and vibrant, and the styles are completely different from city to city and even moreso country to country.  They say some people consider graffiti nothing but vandalism, but I find that hard to believe at this day in time.

These photos were both taken the same day, in the same city.  The first (above, left) was part of a large mural in a schoolyard, and the other (above, right) was on the side of an industrial building on the other side of town (Amsterdam).