Ruined Tree
I reached my goal and posted one new picture every weekday for the entire month of May. I’m ending the month of May with a picture that is one of my favorites. It is an HDR photo of a dead tree I saw amongst the ruins in Turkey. A dead tree amongst the ruins of an area full of such history felt poetic to me.
Light Through the Window
Taken in the Sultan’s Harem at Topkapı Palace. The light coming in was so beautiful against the blue tile.
Sleepy Kitty
This cat was sitting out in the sun but didn’t really enjoy the attention. I only took three pics because he looked me, closed his eyes, and put his head own. and then left it alone.
Psittacula Parakeets
Commonly referred to as ring-necked parakeets, brightly colored Psittacula and the Alexandrine parakeets, named after Alexander the Great, fly over Turkey’s different regions each year, with their population on the rise. These outgoing and independent Afro-Asian parakeets adorn trees in parks and recreational areas, mainly in Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir. Yet, it is possible to see them...
Medieval Architecture Oil Drops
I can’t remember which building this was, but it’s definitely from a building in Istanbul. From what I remember from the tour guide’s explanation, back in the day, soldiers would drop hot oil on invading enemies using the drops on either side of the wall and then set their enemies on fire. I tried searching for more information on the building and how it was used but I...
Hot Air Balloons
Another shot of Hot Air Balloons in Kapadokya. As the morning progressed, the skies and fog cleared up and the shots got brighter and brighter.
Seagull over the Bosphorus River
As part of the tour, we boarded a cruise ship to tour Istanbul on the Bosphorus river. Most of the photos didn’t turn out great as the boat was moving too fast and the weather was drab, but I did manage to snag this picture of a seagull. I thought it was interesting because of how translucent the features look at the edges of the wings.
Hot Air Balloons in Turkey
This photo was taken from the air over Kapadokya. Kapadokya and the balloon ride was the highlight of the trip, and I still cannot believe how beautiful everything was. We missed the sunrise launch due to a faulty balloon, but I still managed to get some pictures that made me happy. The weather was also foggy and hazy, but I was able to salvage many photos using Lightroom’s dehaze...
Genuine Fake Watches
This stall’s sign made me laugh when I saw it so naturally, I had to take a picture. At least they were honest!
Giant Wheel of Schwarma
As I was walking through the streets of Istanbul with the tour group and noticed many vendors had set up Shawarma wheels and grabbed a few pictures of them in action as I walked through, but this was the largest wheel I saw by far. The food smelled delicious, but sadly we didn’t get to try any of it as we didn’t have enough time to stop. I always wondered if the vendors were...
Ruins From Turkey in HDR
A photo I took of some ruins and used the in-camera HDR on my Canon 5D Mark III to capture, handheld. I believe this was taken at Ephesus but I can’t be sure.
Tabby Cat
Another one of the many cats that I found during my travels in Turkey. This one didn’t seem to mind the closeup. Most of the other cats would either close their eyes or look away if I tried to take their picture.
Squirrel
I find it fascinating how the Squirrel coats are different colors in different parts of the world. Taken somewhere in Turkey.
Mountains and Sun
Taken while wandering through Turkey as part of the tour. I have no idea where this was.
Sleeping Puppy in the Ruins
I found a adorable sleeping puppy while wandering the ruins.
Temple of Artemis – Archway
Just an archway that framed a doorway which I thought was interesting.
Temple of Artemis – Ruins
Another shot from the Temple of Artemis.
I Wish Upon a Leaf
I don’t remember where in Turkey I took this picture but the leaf stood out and the message made me smile. I hope Rachel had her wishes come true.
Temple of Artemis
I had a tough time remembering where this photo was taken and had to do a lot of location searching to find it. It turns out that the tour stopped at the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t remember anything the tour guide said because I was too busy trying to get photos of the mostly empty ruins before the place filled up with other tour groups. I...
Interior of the Hagia Sophia
One of the things I loved most about my trip to Turkey was the fact that I was able to connect two things I love – video games and history. I am a huge Assassin’s Creed fan, especially the Ezio series. Assassin’s Creed Revelations takes place in Constantinople, which later became present-day Istanbul, and I had learned so much about the region from the game. Having played it...