Intense Istanbul

From the architectural beauty of the Blue Mosque to the sound of the calls to prayer and the smell of the narghile (hubbly bubbly, hookah) being smoked, Istanbul is an assault on the senses. The highlights of our visit to Istanbul would have to be the Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Spice Bazaar.  The Grand Bazaar is an endless maze of crockery, lamps, jewellery, leather and carpets whereas the Spice Bazaar sells anything from pistachio nougat to Iranian saffron.  Hagia Sophia was completed in 537 AD and has gone from being a church to a mosque to a museum.  The interior is vast and it is humbling to stand inside a building that is nearly 1,500 years old. Topkapi Palace used to be the home of the Ottoman Sultans and is now a museum, of which the harem is the most interesting part.

 The Blue Mosque

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/10

Shutter Speed:1/125

 Carpets and Cushions

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 200

Aperture: f/3.55

Shutter Speed:1/125

 

Teas and Spices

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 400

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed:1/60

 

 Shoes for Sale

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 500

Aperture: f/2.8

Shutter Speed:1/60

Lamps in the Grand Bazaar

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 250

Aperture: f/3.2

Shutter Speed:1/100

 Colourful bowls

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 250

Aperture: f/3.2

Shutter Speed:1/100 

 Fresh fish in Karakoy Fish Market

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/4.5

Shutter Speed:1/200

 View of Beyoğlu

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/7.1

Shutter Speed:1/500

Interior of Hagia Sophia

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

ISO 800

Aperture: f/4.5

Shutter Speed:1/40

Hagia Sophia at Dusk

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/11

Shutter Speed: 2 s

Montreal

Begging raccoons and foraging groundhogs are not exactly what I expected to find in Montreal, but I guess I didn't know what to expect.  Our main reason for going to Montreal was to visit our good friend Mayssam, who I must add (apart from being the most wonderful host of course), has two of the most beautiful cats I have ever seen, Moody and Spike.  Spike was pretty shy, but Moody was a true model and I probably took more photos of her than I took during the rest of our stay.

Montreal is an island city (I never knew that) and consists of many different neighbourhoods, each with their own distinct flavour.  Among these is Old Montreal which has a European flair, Downtown feels very North American and the Plateau I would say is a mix between the two (very Montrealian in fact).  And everything is in French (don't worry most of it is in English too) which took a bit of getting used to seeing that we were in a predominantly English speaking country.  I liked it though, and feel that it gives Montreal a uniqueness that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world. 

Aside from attractions such as the Olympic Stadium, the Notre-Dame Basilica and Mayssam's cats I would have to say the food markets were the highlight, particularly Jean-Talon.  I saw things there I had never seen before: purple peppers, white peppers, yellow cauliflower, purple cauliflower and white aubergines!  And the produce was ultra-fresh, with peaches so full of flavour they sent me right back to when as a child I used to eat them straight from the tree.  The sheer size of the market was pretty overwhelming, as was the selection of goodies, a true foodie and photographers heaven.

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the begging raccoons as we saw them at night on Mont-Royal harassing people coming to enjoy the view.  Below however are a few of the pictures I did manage to take during our stay (and yes there is one of Moody there too).

 

Notre-Dame Basilica

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 1000

Aperture: f/4

Shutter Speed: 1/5

The Aldred building on Place d'Armes

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed: 1/250

The dome of Marché Bonsecours

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed: 1/640

 Artichokes at Marché Atwater

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 200

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed: 1/50

  Reds and greens at Marché Jean-Talon

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed: 1/60

 Marché Bonsecours at twlight

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/11

Shutter Speed: 30 s

 Graffiti

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed: 1/125

  Watchdog

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed: 1/80

  Getting ready for winter

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed: 1/60

 Moody the model

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 500

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed: 1/40

 Stade Olympique at twilight

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/13.0

Shutter Speed: 30 s

The magic of lanterns at the Jardin botanique de Montréal

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/10.0

Shutter Speed: 5 s

Dubrovnik

As promised last week, here are a selection of pictures I took recently in Dubrovnik.  The walk on the walls provides you with the best views of the old town and photo opportunities abound.  I love the fact that they have restored the town to its former glory and strict regulations have been applied.  Lord Byron wasn't wrong when he called it the "pearl of the Adriatic".  There is also just as much to explore outside the city walls as in.  Just to the north of the old town are the leafy Lapad and Babin Kuk peninsulas which harbour great beaches and spectacular views of the Elaphiti ilsands.  The picture of the sunset over the Elaphiti islands was taken from our hotel room in Babin Kuk.  I also took full advantage of the clear blue skies and took many evening shots, a couple of which I have included below, the rest will be appearing in future posts.  The summer festival kicked off while we were there with an opening ceremony followed by a spectacular fireworks display over the old town port.

View of Old Town Dubrovnik from Minčeta Tower

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/14.0

Shutter Speed: 1/80

Watch tower

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/10.0

Shutter Speed: 1/200

Shutters

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/9.0

Shutter Speed: 1/400

City beach with the Old town port in the background

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/11.0

Shutter Speed: 1/200

All this chilling makes me hungry

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/6.3

Shutter Speed: 1/400

Monastery on Lokrum Island

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 400

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed: 1/160

Dubrovnik old town

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/11.0

Shutter Speed: 1/100

Reflections on the Stradun

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed: 1/250

Knock knock

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed: 1/30

Sunset over the Elaphiti islands

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/7.1

Shutter Speed: 1/500

Old town at night

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/13.0

Shutter Speed: 10 s

The Stradun at night

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/11.0

Shutter Speed: 3.2 s

Fireworks at the opening ceremony of the summer festival

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed: 3.2 s

Magical Montenegro

A couple of weeks ago we were in Croatia. Dubrovnik to be precise and boy what an amazing place.  The old town is beautifully restored and the islands just off the coast lure you in with their crystal clear waters and their bright green woodlands.  I have so many pictures to sort through and I intend to post some of the better ones next week.  In the meantime I am posting up pictures of a day trip we took to Montenegro.  The first stop was in Perast on the shores of the Bay of Kotor, where we took a short boat trip to "Our Lady of the Rocks" (a man made island in the bay with an incredible history).  From Perast we drove along the shore to the town of Kotor of which the old fortified town is a World Heritage Site.  Inside the walls is a labyrinth of passages and squares surrounded by Medieval buildings.  Even the doors and windows cried out to be photographed.  Our last stop was in Budva, the "Montenegrin Riviera", which was evident by the sheer number of multi-million pound yachts moored in the marina.  The old town is like a mini Dubrovnik and is border by beaches on either side.  From the walls of the old town you have great views of the coastline and the island of Sveti Nikola.  Below are just a few of the pictures taken on the day, I hope it gives you a feel for what Montenegro has to offer.

"Our Lady of the Rocks", Bay of Kotor

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed: 1/400

Island of St George, Bay of Kotor

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed: 1/160

Perast, Bay of Kotor

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/10

Shutter Speed: 1/200

The red roofs of Kotor

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/11

Shutter Speed: 1/100

Painter in the town of Kotor

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/4.5

Shutter Speed: 1/160

Beach near Budva

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/6.3

Shutter Speed: 1/320

The walls of Budva old town

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed: 1/250

Window shutters in Budva old town

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/7.1

Shutter Speed: 1/400

One of the locals

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed: 1/125

View of the island of Sveti Nikola

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/10

Shutter Speed: 1/200

Church in Budva old town

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/11

Shutter Speed: 1/200

The beautiful Bay of Kotor

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed: 1/200

London Icons

London has so many iconic buildings it's a struggle to choose my favourite ones.  There are some that I return to time after time though to try to capture them from the perfect angle with the perfect sky.  I have lost count how many pictures I have of the Gherkin, the London Eye and "Big Ben".  Below are a few of my favourites. 

30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin)

Canon EOS30D

Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/9.0

Shutter Speed: 1/160

St Paul's Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge

Canon EOS30D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/8

Shutter Speed:1/320

The Willis Building and the Lloyds Building

Canon EOS30D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/10

Shutter Speed:1/200

The London Eye

Canon EOS30D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 160

Aperture: f/8

Shutter Speed:1/125

Leadenhall Market

Canon EOS30D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/4.5

Shutter Speed:1/100

The Clock Tower of "Big Ben"

Canon EOS30D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 200

Aperture: f/9

Shutter Speed:1/640