Szechenyi Chain Bridge

We had a great river cruise down the Danube River to Budapest.  There are so many wonderful spots.  I captured this photo with my drone of the 19th-century suspension bridge connecting Buda to Pest with the Buda Castle and Palace complex in the background.  The castle housed the Hungarian Kings of Budapest.  It was completed in 1265 and was expanded/renovated in 1749 and 1769.  In the past it was referred to by Royal Palace or Royal Castle.  Today Hungary uses it for their National Gallery and History Museum.

To view a larger version, click HERE

Mariyinsky Palace

This beautiful palace sits on a hilly back of the Dnipro River in downtown Kiev Ukraine.  Blair and I had a hard time capturing a photo of this building without hundreds of military soldiers around it.  They were expecting protesters, so they called in the military to guard this and many other spots in the city that day.  Let’s just say it made for an interesting day within the city.

This is the official ceremonial residence of the President of Ukraine.  It was originally built between 1744 and 1752 for the Russian empire royalty.  It also serves as the residence for Governors-General in the 18th and 19th centuries.  Sadly, it was burned down by a number of fires in the 19th century but was reconstructed later using old drawings and watercolors as their guide.  In the early 1900s, it was part of an agricultural school and museum.  It was badly damaged in World War II and restored again in the late 1940s.  Today it serves for official functions for the Ukrainian President.

To view a larger version, click HERE

Palace of the Grandmaster

Officially known as The Palace, the Grandmaster’s Palace is in the walled city of Valletta Malta.  It was built starting in the 16th century and they finished it in the 18th century.  It was originally built as a palace of the Grand Master of the Order of St. John, who ruled Malta and at that time, they called it the Magisterial Palace.  Today it serves as the Office of the President of Malta and as a museum.

I took this photo inside the Palace.  I just loved the mural painted around this entrance and how it worked (matched) with the marble flooring. 

To view a larger version, click here:  https://500px.com/photo/200207087/palace-of-the-grand-master-by-brook-ward?ctx_page=1&from=user&user_id=3695440

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Palace of the Grandmaster

Palace Of Fine Arts Reflection

This unique complex is fairly close to the Golden Gate Bridge.  I’ve posted a picture from this location in the past and explained the history in the prior post.  So tonight, I’ll keep this short and just say I like the reflection and the blue in this photo.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.

Palace Of Fine Arts 2

Okay.... so I posted a version of this yesterday.  I liked the photo, but I wasn't in love with it.  So I went to work on it after posting it to see if I could pull some magic out of it.  I don't know if I achieved "magical status", but I like this version better.  What do you think?

Palace of Fine Arts

Maybe it’s because it has been a long week.  Or maybe I just can’t think of anything to say.  But as I sit here looking at the computer screen, I can’t think of anything to type for this photo…..

Anyway, I took this 7-exposure auto-bracketed HDR photo at the Palace Of Fine Arts in San Francisco last year at about this time.  I had four great days in SF with MJ.  We explored a ton of areas while we were there including Muir Woods National Monument (Redwood trees), Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, the bay, Alcatraz, China town, Financial District, Conference Center, a bunch of churches, etc, etc, etc.……  Basically we packed a lot into our limited time. 

The Palace Of Fine Arts is a very cool spot in this wonderful city.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, please click the photo above.

Palace of Fine Arts

This cool looking structure was built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in the marina area of San Francisco.  It was one of several structures built for this exhibit and the only one to not be destroyed afterward.   Some local citizens formed a group to save it.  It has been renovated a few times over the years and has a city park with a pond around it making it a very cool location.  It’s popular for weddings and I can see why.  As a “temporary” structure only meant for displaying art during the 1915 exposition, it is a timeless classic for the city of San Francisco.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.

Porsche 911 Carrera

Yesterday, I took MJ’s car into the dealership to get a quote for some repair work.  I knew from prior a visit, that right down the street is a Porsche dealership.  I packed my camera gear knowing I would have a long wait at the dealership.  What I didn’t know was whether or not the Porsche dealership would let me in the door, let alone take pictures of their cars. 

Well as it turned out, they didn’t seem to care I was even there.  Matter of fact, none of the sale men even got out of their seats when I walked in and stood in the showroom.  So either they are lazy (which I doubt) or they knew from a glance that I wasn’t a potential client. 

Regardless, I snapped a ton of pictures moving in and around the showroom floor (I never touched a single car).  Today’s picture is a close up of the left front headlight on a Porsche 911 Carrera. 

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the picture above.