Rome….buildings and their beauty
Ever wonder..why we don’t build them like we used to? Such beauty in the architecture from long ago….
Me and My Shadow
This was taken during a brisk afternoon just outside of The Pantheon in Rome. We have discovered that traveling to popular locations during off season has many advantages such as cheaper airfare, abundant accommodations and for a Photographer, fewer Tourists! Some locations are more suitable for this strategy than others – we wouldn’t recommend Greenland in the winter, but I do bet that it is cool (literally).
During the peak summer days, this fountain would not only have its share of the”regular” avian friends but throngs of people hanging out and enjoying the magnificence which is Rome! Here we set up a small inconspicuous tripod called a Gorilla Pod from Joby and shot three exposures to grab as much light as possible during this flat light day. As a bonus, we caught two frames of a pigeon and its shadow coming home after a long day at work!
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Hearts Locked
A tradition that was born in Europe has migrated to the US! Amorous couples seal their devotion by attaching a padlock to a bridge and throw the key into the waters below! I am not certain what the Municipal Crews think of this practice, but for now, makes for a cool shot!
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Onwards…upwards
There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.
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Vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must ascend the stairs!
Often there are times when we feel that we are spinning our wheels in terms of our progress. This can be especially true following a period of major growth in which we feel as if we’ve gained a lot of ground. In fact, this is the way growth goes—periods of intense forward movement give way to periods of what seems like stagnation. In those moments when we feel discouraged, it’s helpful to remember that we don’t ever really go backward.
It may be that we are at a standstill because there is a new obstacle in our paths, or a new layer to get through, but the hard work we have done cannot be undone. Every step on the path is meaningful, and even one that seems to take us backward is a forward step in the sense that it is what we must do to move to the next level.
This image is from the Barberini Museum in Rome, Italy. This was shot at night very soon before the gates of the grounds closed for the evening. Using a tripod to stabilize the camera, several exposure were taken to compensate for the hard lighting conditions. Luckily, we did not need to elude the No-Tripod Police of Rome as we were seemingly the only ones there.
Pete’s Brooklyn
I don’t know where this guy came from, but he jumped right into the frame as I was composing this shot of The Brooklyn Bridge! Folks in Brooklyn are aggressive!
Pete’s is a landmark restaurant for four generations of service since 1894. They offer exceptional Italian fare and warm service. Located in Brooklyn along the East River, it has one of the most spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline. The first generation restaurateur was the owner’s great grandfather Dominick Servino. He started out at 289 Hudson Ave, Brooklyn. The second restaurateur Peter Della Rocca married the daughter of Dominick Servino, Rachel. He opened his first restaurant on York Street and then later moved to 328 Myrtle Ave and Carlton. That restaurant has remained a popular eatery for 60 years.
Pizza is NOT on the menu at Pete’s! Afterall, you would not want to compete with Grimaldi’s which has arguably the Best Pie (Pizza that is) EVER from it’s coal fired ovens! www.kerstenbeck.com
Pete’s: http://www.petesdowntown.com/
Grimaldi’s: http://www.grimaldis.com/
That’s Amore!
Love Locked
This shot was taken during our walk from Brooklyn to Manhattan after the BEST Pizza ever at Grimaldi’s. Ok, here’s the story!
A pop cultural phenomenon that has turned an Italian bridge into a locksmith’s paradise has jumped across the Atlantic and is threatening to cover the Brooklyn Bridge in lovers’ padlocks.
The tradition of securing a symbol of amore to a bridge — and tossing the keys into the river below — dates back to a 1992 book by sugary Italian novelist Federico Moccia, but the tradition didn’t take off until the movie version of “Tre Metri Sopra il Cielo” came out in 2004.
That’s when Roman authorities suddenly had to deal with thousands of lovers clipping all manner of Master, Kryptonite and Medco locks to the Ponte Milvio — and throwing the keys into the muddy Tiber. Well, guess what, Brooklynites: the tradition is here!
One of God’s Creatures, Rome
This image was shot inside the Vatican Museum. The Vatican Museums originated as a group of sculptures collected by Pope Julius II (1503-1513) and placed in what today is the “Cortile Ottagono” within the museum complex. The popes were among the first sovereigns who opened the art collections of their palaces to the public thus promoting knowledge of art history and culture.
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Basilica of St. John Lateran, Rome
Dedicated to John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, the Basilica of St. John Lateran (Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano) is the first among the four major basilicas of Rome. Built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century, San Giovanni in Laterano was the first church to be built in Rome. It contains several important relics, a lovely 13th-century cloister and an ancient baptistery (San Giovanni in Fonte).
An earlier post details the spectacular interior!
More Rome updates on www.kerstenbeck.com
Zoom Zoom Zoom, Rome
Piazza della Repubblica is a semi-circular Piazza in Rome, next to the Termini Station and is close to the Teatro dell’ Opera. The long exposure emphasizes the speed at which the drivers zipped along this traffic circle which is around the Fountain of the Acqua Pia. What is funny is that, this being our first night in Rome, we convinced ourselves that this must be Fountain Trevi, and then the next fountain we discovered must be the Trevi…until we found the real deal and were stunned by its scale and beauty (Silly Tourists).
PS Many new additions to www.kerstenbeck.com today – check out all our Rome images!
Jump in, grab the shot, jump out
Stop and Go, Rome
The streets of Rome during rush hour are awash with local pedestrians, curious tourists, uncountable numbers of scooters, and the occasional car driving at breakneck speeds. Surprisingly, nobody seems to get run over.
The shot of this traffic signal is somewhat contradictory. The light in the foreground indicates Stop, whereas the light across the road facing the same direction indicates Go. The net result (I presume) is that they cancel and everything just moves along at its own natural pace.
Stop...or Go!
Arco di Costantino, Rome
To the Emperor Caesar Flavius Constantinus Maximus
This triumphal arch was erected by the Senate in honor of the Emperor Constantine, “Liberator of the city and bringer of peace”, after his victory over Maxentius in the battle of the Milvian Bridge A.D. 312. It is the largest (21m/69ft high, 25.7m/84ft wide, 7.4m/24ft deep) and best preserved of Roman triumphal arches.
The arch, with three openings, is decorated with reliefs taken from earlier structures, which the sculptors of the early fourth century were unable to equal.
Get Off My Head, Rome
Hey Pigeon, SCRAM!
Plaza Della Rotonda in Rome is the square in which the Pantheon stands. The plaza also contains a majestic fountain with a Obelisk at the center. As the Pantheon is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Rome, the square is very busy almost all the time. In the evening it is a fantastic place to come and have a meal in one of the many restaurants that line the square.
The fountain is frequented by scores of Pigeons (And Tourists). I can hear these figures yelling, “Hey, get off my Nose” and “Pigeon, off of my head!”
Honey…Build Me a Temple, Rome
This is another view of a previous post which “The Green Door” was highlighted. This shot gives some perspective to this amazing Temple. I can somehow hear Faustina mentioning to Antoninus, “Honey, I’m sick of this Castle, can you build me a Temple?”
The building stands on a high platform of large peperino blocks. The later of two dedicatory inscriptions says, “Divo Antonino et Divae Faustinae Ex S.C.” meaning, “To the divine Antoninus and to the divine Faustina by decree of the Senate.”
The ten monolithic Corinthian columns of its pronaos are 17 m. tall. The rich bas-reliefs of the frieze under the cornice, of garlanded griffons and candelabri, were often copied from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries.
The Long Walk, Rome
In the past, Castel Sant’Angelo (Hadrian’s Mausoleum) was sadly notorious for functions of a much more grave nature. Its courtyards were the scene of executions by decapitation and the heads of the condemned were then hung for days along the bridge as a terrible warning. In the small, damp and dark cells, the prisoners died of hunger and thirst or due to terrible tortures. It was here that Benvenuto Cellini, Cagliostro and Giordano Bruno were imprisoned before being burnt on the stake in Campo dei Fiori square.
This shot is one of the upper passageways which leads to the courtyards and other grim places… www.kerstenbeck.com
Roman Version of The Green Mile
Behind the Green Door II, Rome
The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina is the best preserved building in the Roman Forum. The Emperor Antonius Pius lost his wife Faustina. After her death the Emperor built a magnificent Temple in her honor in 141 AD. This Temple was changed in the middle ages into the church of “San Lorenzo in Miranda”.
Once again, another imposing building with the infamous Green Door… www.kerstenbeck.com
Knock Knock
We Can See You, Rome
This was shot inside Hadrian’s Mausoleum. It’s circular plan owed much to the Mausoleum of Augustus. It was begun about AD 130, but was not yet completed by the time of Hadrian’s death, the Emperor being buried in another place until the Mausoleum was ready.
Of note are the sweeping arches and ceiling paintings and also, the security camera staring right at me – a modern Sentinel?
Mausoleum Door, Rome
The Roman Emperor Hadrian built this Mausoleum to house his and his family remains in 123AD. The ashes of Emperor Hadrian were placed here when he died in 138AD, along with his wife and his adopted son, and so are other Emperor’s ashes. The Mausoleum became a military fortress in 401AD, then a castle in 14th century…then as a prison.
This red door beckons you to enter…
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Enter if you dare
Behind The Green Door, Rome
This was taken at the Roman Forum. The Forum was the marketplace of Rome and also the business district and civic center. It was expanded to include temples, a senate house and law courts. When the Roman Empire fell, the Forum became forgotten, buried and was used as a cattle pasture during the Middle Ages. Wonder what once took place behind this imposing green door?
Who Goes There?
The Portal, Rome
The Roman Forum is situated in the area between Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world.
This shot is from outside of one of the museums where we were once again busted for Tripod Usage…no problems outside? Shot looking up at any old portal…the hanging and entwinded vines must look great in the Spring!
3 shot HDR, Sigma 10mm on a Nikon D90, handheld http://www.kerstenbeck.com
Vatican Pillars, Rome
These imposing pillars greet your entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica. They say that everything is bigger in Texas, but after visiting the Vatican, I must disagree!
Vatican Cherubs, Rome
These two Cherubs can be found cavorting inside St. Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican….a very Merry Christmas to All !
Kathleen & Erik
Eternal Flame, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Rome
This is from the Eternal Flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Rome. It is guarded day and night Italian Security Forces. To those who have fallen, and will never be forgotten!
Tomb of The Unknown Soldier, Rome
The Victor Emmanuel Monument holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with an eternal flame, built under the statue of Italy after World War I following an idea of General Giulio Douhet. The body of the unknown soldier was chosen on October 26, 1921 from amongst 11 unknown remains by Maria Bergamas, a woman from Gradisca d’Isonzo whose only child was killed during World War I. In this image you can see several students taking measurements and composing sketches of the intricate architectural details.
Three shot HDR, 10mm Sigma on Nikon D90, No Tripods (naturally)
Fantastic Details
Kerstenbeck Photographic Art 
