48
Horse of Marly at Place de la Concorde
It is hard to believe that this bustling centre of Paris was once infamous as the location where Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, Danton and Robespierre met the guillotine. It is the largest square in the city, flanked in the east by the Jeu de Paume and L'Orangerie of the Tuilleries, and to the west by the Champs Elysés. At the centre of the square stands the Obelisk of Luxor given by the viceroy of Egypt, Mohamed Ali, to Louis Phillipe in 1829. The obelisk once marked the entrance to the Amon temple at Luxor. One of the two Horses of Marly holds centre stage in this picture. Taking this photo was all about timing. Camping on my chosen spot to wait for dusk I was rewarded with a few moments of sunset colours that delivered a warm purple glow.
Overall 450 x 395
33
Rothenburg Town Square from above
The timeless quality of centuries-old architecture is always appealing. Brugge is a wonderful city to explore on foot or by canal boat. In this image the uniform geometry is softened by the warm pastel colour of the buildings
Overall 515 x 450.
52
Windswept pines, Trail Ridge Road, Estes Park, Colorado
High up in the Rocky Mountains above Estes Park in Colorado, the trees eventually give way to barren treeless hilltops where it is too cold for them to survive. But right on the edge of the timber line the weather is cold and harsh. These Limber Pines are the last trees you find as you climb to the top of the Rockies. Strong winds drive snow and ice that carve the trees into unusual shapes and strip the bark, but these trees have flexible branches that don't break with the strongest winds. This was a chance photograph taken on a hunch that a short trail would lead me to a wide vista where I could see all the way down to the beaver ponds in the distance. I was rewarded with this view. It shows the harsh conditions and their impact on the trees that live at the top.
Overall 760 x 600
53
“Two Skiers”, Jungfrau, Switzerland
There are two pictures here... the one that you first see, which is a view to the distant mountain through the clouds, and the second one, when you take in the two skiers. It immediately alters your viewpoint to recognise the vast distances involved with the glacier that stretches for kilometres down the valley.
Overall 700 x 870
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51
Grand staircase, Opera Garnier, Paris
It was hard to resist featuring another picture of the Grand Staircase in the Paris Opera. The myriad lights create a wonderful warm glow that amplifies the timelessness and grandeur of this building with its solid marble staircase, ornate candelabra light fittings and overall sense of grandeur.
Overall 660 x 560