Caressed

When I was thinking of the name for this post, I considered something literal like "Apples" or "Apples In Florence" (or wherever I found them). But I picked caressed because of the way the light sculpts and wraps around the apples.

03-02-10 The Impossible Dome

This is the inside view of one of the most famous domes in the world. It was designed by Brunelleschi and the exterior dominates the skyline of Florence. The exterior is what every visitor to Florence sees but many don't take the time to step inside the famous Duomo. The interior is difficult to photograph because it is fairly dark. But it is certainly worth the visit.

I call this "The Impossible Dome" because the church was built on such a scale that no one had the engineering skills and technique to cap the transept. Finally, Brunelleschi invented the process and the dome was built.

03-02-10 Brunelleschi's Dome - Exterior

To get an idea of the scale of this dome, look closely for the people standing on the walkway around what is called the "lantern." I've never been to the top of this dome but it's on my list.

08-12-09 It's True!

By Scott Shephard

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I was in Florence, Italy, the night the Italians beat the French in the World Cup Football Championship. Needless to say, as I tried to sleep, the Italians partied all night long. The next morning I was wandering around looking for photos, as I often do.

Around the corner from our hotel entrance, I found a newsstand loaded with papers proudly proclaiming the Italian victory. I don't speak Italian but I signalled that I wanted a photo and this was the pose that the news vendor struck. "Tutto Vero!" means "all true!" "Campioni del mondo" means "Champions of the World." Italians are passionate people but they are especially passionate when it comes to World Cup Soccer.

Here's a photo I took the night before as Italians watched the early part of the match at an outdoor bar across the street from my hotel. (click)

03-28-09 Reflections of Florence

I was waiting in line to visit the Academia in Florence, Italy. Having nothing better to do, I looked down at a table of sunglasses that a street vendor had put out to lure tourists. And I saw the facades of the buildings and the beautiful morning sky reflected in the lenses. So I took this photo. That's all I have to say about this one.

Canon 5D Canon 24-105mm 4.0L (105mm) f/4.0 1/800 ISO 400