[Zig]

These 3 are the last you'll see of mine for a few weeks, as I'm off to Italy on Wednesday.
Sounds terribly louche(and I am of course looking forward to it) but despite my quirky projected persona here, it has been a personally difficult few months(which is why I busy myself by regular posts here I guess).
Anyway, without slipping into maudlin, here are 3 new ones from the town of Bath earlier in the summer.
They are all around Royal Crescent and taken with the 21mm.

[Irma]

Very beautiful pictures Zig... Is the first one a pano? Beautiful sky! Your bw images are great but the last one takes my heart... very beautiful treatment and picture.

I wish you all the best in your trip to Italy... I envy for the pictures, and also for that delicious Veranccia you most probably will have the chance to try...

You will be missed....

[matthew]

Very nice. The hue, tones, and the overall wispiness to the first image leaves me thinking of pencil crayons. It's a very pleasant palette.

Of the two monochrome, I think I prefer the moodier conversion of the final image, but I really don't know enough to have a reliable opinion on it. I also enjoy the humour of the lion.

And have an excellent time in Italy - I'd be interested in hearing anything else you have in mind.

[Toad]

I am enjoying the etherealness (?) of your recent work. The lighter contrasts and stylistic processing suit this stuff very well. As others have commented, the humor of the lion is a treat.

Enjoy yourself in Italy - I am going there in May, so look forward to your travelogue. Best of luck in your personal life as well - keep the faith!

[Zig]

Bless you all.
Rob,I'd be delighted if you could PM me and lemme know your itinerary, as Italy really does get me going.
You know, that's so spot on, Matthew: I had in mind "les baigneuses" (is that Matisse or Gaugin?...Matisse I think)...which I realise is pointilliste but has a pastel-crayon texture and palette that is so redolent of summeriness. I wanted to convey that same sense of carefee bathing, if you like, in the sun. The position of the people seemed at once both natural yet so sculptured, and with the backdrop of the loooonnng crescent, just begged to be taken.
Ah Irma, no, not a pano, just a completely horizontal crop...I got rid of 70% of the vertical detail but the width is as shot. If you look a bit closer, you'll see that whereas the edges are sharp, there is some light fall-off at both the right and left edges.

[NT73]

Very fine set. I take it the lion just happened to be there, or do you carry one around for opportunities such as this.

[Zig]

Global warming.

Actually an interesting point. This year has seen a veritable plethora of these stylized plastic lions emerge on the streets of Bath: I gather it's some kind of theme-thing with symblic meaning that the town council has done. Presumably to sell Bath as "fun" and hip in some way, though I confess the arcana of it all is lost on me. There are scores, maybe hundreds of the blessed things scattered around, poorly painted by various groups and stuck around ruining many a decent shot with lamentable anachronism. I mean, ...Regency architecture, Roman roots = plastic stylized lions, right...
On the odd photo, like this one, it can work in a shot to convey that "humour"(just about) and generate an "ah factor"...mostly they're just an embarrassing eyesore, permitted(even lauded) because they demontrate the poor decorating skills of various politiaclly-correct self-help groups.
Wouldn't be surprised if there's one that's the Sistine-chapelline output of Islamic Lesbians Against Racist Dolphins.
(Wonder how long this post'll last until the Thought Police zap it... )

[Toad]

Rob,I'd be delighted if you could PM me and lemme know your itinerary, as Italy really does get me going.

Not much of an itinerary yet. I fly into Naples and fly our of Milan a bit more than 3 weeks later. I'm trying to keep the trip as free form as possible and not book anything beyond the first couple of days lodgings in advance.

[matthew]

This year has seen a veritable plethora of these stylized plastic lions emerge on the streets of Bath: I gather it's some kind of theme-thing with symblic meaning that the town council has done. Presumably to sell Bath as "fun" and hip in some way, though I confess the arcana of it all is lost on me. There are scores, maybe hundreds of the blessed things scattered around, poorly painted by various groups and stuck around ruining many a decent shot with lamentable anachronism. I mean, ...Regency architecture, Roman roots = plastic stylized lions, right...

I blame Chicago. They're the ones who brought the idea over from Zurich, and it's Chicago that Toronto decided to copy with its fiberglass Moose caricatures that it installed around the city a year or two later. The mayor at the time, who was something of a fiberglass caricature himself, thought it would make people take the city more seriously. They were funny for about a week, and rapidly degenerated into vandalized visual blight.

[NT73]

Rob,I'd be delighted if you could PM me and lemme know your itinerary, as Italy really does get me going.

Not much of an itinerary yet. I fly into Naples and fly our of Milan a bit more than 3 weeks later. I'm trying to keep the trip as free form as possible and not book anything beyond the first couple of days lodgings in advance.

I recommend 'solfatara', the twin of 'vesuvius'. Not for photography, particularly but for walking on the crust of the earth a foot thick, above boiling lava. And then going into a very high temperature sulphur-fumed cave for the relief of rheumatism. Of course you may prefer the beach.

[Toad]

Rob,I'd be delighted if you could PM me and lemme know your itinerary, as Italy really does get me going.

Not much of an itinerary yet. I fly into Naples and fly our of Milan a bit more than 3 weeks later. I'm trying to keep the trip as free form as possible and not book anything beyond the first couple of days lodgings in advance.

I recommend 'solfatara', the twin of 'vesuvius'. Not for photography, particularly but for walking on the crust of the earth a foot thick, above boiling lava. And then going into a very high temperature sulphur-fumed cave for the relief of rheumatism. Of course you may prefer the beach.

Actually, that sounds pretty good to me - you forget I am also planning to hike Iceland...

[NT73]

Iceland, Oh right. Cool.
It is a long while to May though.

[nia]

I think you are leaving today for Italy Have a nice and enjoyable time there, dear Zig! Greetings and love from me too to my Italy (Milan and Venice, especially, ah!)

These are wonderful photographs... The blue sky is amazing in this photograph but my favurite one is the last one! I haven't been in Bath but I passed several times by train when I was in UK, Anyway, well captured,

Thank you and yes, we will be missing you,
with my love,
nia

[nia]

Actually, that sounds pretty good to me - you forget I am also planning to hike Iceland...

sounds amazing and exciting dear Robert