Blog launched: November 10, 2009

Saturday, May 6, 2017

The Cathedral of Athens

802_6445 [Athens cathedral]

The Cathedral of Athens is centrally located, very close to Syntagma Square, and constitutes a major landmark of the city. It is 40 m long, 20 m wide and 24 m high. It’s construction started on Christmas Day of 1842 and was completed 20 years later. On May 21, 1862 it was dedicated to the Annunciation of the Holy Virgin Mary at the presence of the King Otto and Queen Amalia who had laid the cornerstone 20 years earlier.
 

Throughout its history, it has been the venue of all sorts of official ceremonies ranging from coronations to royal weddings and to funerals of prominent figures of the Greek society.

Photographed in Athens on July 20, 2016




 

802_6597 [Athens Cathedral: Interior]

 The interior of the Cathedral seems to impress all visitors who have the opportunity to admire the plethora of Byzantine-style icons and frescoes, treasures like a part of the chain that Romans used to chain up Paul the Apostle in Rome, or the tombs of two saints: Agía Filothéi and Patriarch Gregory V to name a few.
 

While the night-shot of the exterior of the Cathedral was easy to take with the use of a tripod, photographing the interior proved problematic. Huge dimensions, dim light, and no tripod permitted were only some of the problems any photographer would face. The problem was partially solved with 18 pictures HDRed into 6 and then stitched into the above hand-held 2x3 panorama.
 

Photographed in Athens on August 18, 2016
 

Please click on both pictures for a better view.

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Orchis purpurea

IMG_0010-2 [Orchis purpurea]

Photographed on Mt. Geraneia on April 25, 2011

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Alectoris chukar

802_8382 [Alectoris chukar]


Photographed on Mt. Hymittos on April 01, 2017


Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Tragopogon sinuatus

802_8404 [Tragopogon sinuatus]


802_8424 [Tragopogon sinuatus]

Both photographed on Mt. Hymittos on April 01, 2017


Sunday, April 16, 2017

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Fritillaria graeca

802_8208 [Fritillaria graeca]

Photographed on Mt. Hymittos on March 17, 2017


Saturday, April 1, 2017

The west pediment of the Parthenon

_8012090 [The west pediment of the Parthenon]

The themes of both east and west pediment representations on the Parthenon derive from the Greek mythology. On the west pediment specifically, representations depict Athena and Poseidon at the center of the composition competing with each other to become the patron of the city. Poseidon has just struck the earth with his trident and produced a spring of water for the city, while Athena did the same with her spear and produced a live olive tree. Poseidon - feeling defeated - appears to be retreating in fright. On both sides of the contestants, the horses that pulled the contestants’ chariots stood on their hind legs also frightened by what was happening. The composition is completed to the corners with other personalities from the Greek mythology.

Photographed in the Acropolis Museum in Athens on January 30, 2014
and then
heavily processed in software to eliminate unpleasant window reflections
and to give prominence to the figures.


Please click on the picture for a better view.
 

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Himantoglossum robertianum

802_8124 [Himantoglossum robertianum]

Photographed in Lavrio on March 14, 2017


802_8138 [Himantoglossum robertianum]

 A close-up shot taken to reveal details

Photographed in Lavrio on March 14, 2017