Lose the selfie stick – somewhere

I freely admit that I have a thing about selfie sticks. To my mind their only possible useful purpose would be in the execution of a self-administered colonoscopy. There again, the heavy selfie-stick user is probably already so far up themselves that a camera would scarcely be necessary for said purpose.

Why go somewhere interesting and picturesque – like, in this case, the island of Burano – and just take photos of yourself? Bah, humbug.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Cameras and Photographers

Reading the map

A tourist couple decide what to see next during their visit to the island of Burano in the Venetian lagoon.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Candid

Wooden walkway, Burano

A covered wooden walkway on the island of Burano, in the Venetian lagoon.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Things Made From Wood

Living Colour

The island of Burano, in the Venetian Lagoon, is noted for the bright colours that the residents paint their houses.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Places People Live

Weekly Photo Challenge: Pedestrian

Pedestrians, but hardly a pedestrian setting.

In Venice, and also on the islands in the Venetian Lagoon, if you’re not in a boat then you have to be a pedestrian. These particular examples of the species are walking alongside one of the small canals on the island of Burano.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Pedestrian

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Alley

Frank’s theme of ‘Alley’ for this week was, you might say, right up my street. I particularly enjoy photographing old -= sometimes very old – urban architecture, so I have plenty of alleyways in my collection.

Very often, of course, it’s impossible to see right to the end of a medieval alley or passageway, which adds a sense of mystery to the image. On the other hand, though, they are also typically quite dark and gloomy.

However, I think I’ve found a compromise here. The island of Burano in the Venetian Lagoon is especially noted for the bright colours with which most of the houses are painted – even those down a mysterious dark alley like this one:

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Alley

Thursday Doors: Burano

Things have stayed pretty local as regards Thursday Doors over the past few weeks, so just for a change, somewhere a little more exotic – and colourful – this time.

There are two principal islands in the Venetian Lagoon: Murano, which is famous for its glass-making and Burano, something of an artists’ hangout and probably best known for its brightly-painted houses.

burano4

which of course means colourful door surrounds, even on the more decrepit examples:

burano1

burano2

Albeit that there’s a reassuring drabness about  this example:

burano5

Although this must be the hands-down winner – Charlie Chaplin and all:

burano3

Thursday Doors 19 January 2017

Tuesdays of Texture: Landing Stage

Staying on the island of Burano, where that church door from last week needs a lick of paint, is this little wooden stage that allows boat-owners to avoid getting their feet wet when boarding or disembarking from their vessel. I was struck by the contrast between the glassy (anti-texture?) water and the rough surface of the wood. Complementary colours, too.

jetty

Tuesdays of Texture: Week 41

Tuesdays of Texture: Paint

This door – of a church on the island of Burano, in the Venetian lagoon – could really do with a fresh coat of paint.

paint

Tuesdays of Texture: Week 40

Contrasting colours

Well, I learned something today. Did you know that colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel, when mixed, produce black? There’s a fact to be added to the store of useless information.

However, on this occasion we’re not looking to mix opposing colours but to juxtapose them. Essentially there are three ‘pairs’ of opposing colours, so here are a couple of images of each set:

Red and Green

Two roses, the first from Monet’s Garden, the second from outside our own back door (this one hs a wonderful, heady scent. Madame’s grandmother had some of these in her own garden and it brings back happy memories).

Orange and Blue

Two photographs taken on the island of Burano, in the Venetian lagoon

Purple and Yellow

I had to get a bit creative here, as I don’t seem to have many images featuring this pairing in my library.

The first is an imposing building in Bruges, where the yellow detail on the columns contrasts with the indigo shade of the reflected sky in the windows. The second is a detail of a window display in a quilting supplies shop in Sarlat. The purple and yellow are among the threads at the top, in case you’re wondering.

Cee’s Compose Yourself Photo Challenge: Contrasting colours