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Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Travel, Landscape & Nature Photos of Europe, U.S. & Canada - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com

Notre Dame Cathedral at Sunset - Paris locals gather at dusk in circles of friends on the Seine riverbank across from the Cathedral. I post this as I follow the efforts of the French to rebuild this wonderful architectural masterpiece. - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com
Notre Dame Cathedral at Sunset - Paris locals gather at dusk in circles of friends on the Seine riverbank across from the Cathedral. I post this as I follow the efforts of the French to rebuild this wonderful architectural masterpiece - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com


Yellow Fields Under Cloud Cover in Luxembourg near the Roman Ruins... Actually, I was standing ON the ruins while shooting this scene, and the view won my interest. I guess I'll just have to go back again to shoot the ruins :)  - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com
Yellow Fields Under Cloud Cover in Luxembourg near the Roman Ruins... Actually, I was standing ON the ruins while shooting this scene, and the view won my interest. I guess I'll just have to go back again to shoot the ruins :) - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com


Moonrise Over Pont Neuf Paris France.  When visiting The City of Lights, my days usually begin and end here, my favorite place in Paris. It's a swirl of activity surrounded by dozens of cultural greats including the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Seine Riverfront walkways and the D'Orsay Museum with its van Gogh paintings to name a few. The list is endless. A wonderful place and a favorite of Thomas Jefferson, van Gogh, Monet and many other notables. You must visit... John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com
Moonrise Over Pont Neuf Paris France. Pont Neuf is a swirl of activity the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the D'Orsay Museum to name a few. You must visit... John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com


A Fashionable Stroller in the Rain on Pont Neuf, Paris   - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com
A Fashionable Stroller in the Rain on Pont Neuf, Paris - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com


Sacre Coeur Basilica and hillside artist colony in Montmartre, Paris. The Montmartre art colony was a starting ground for a long list of painters: van Gogh,  Dalí, Claude Monet, Picasso, Pissarro, and Modigliani to name a few... The history and stunning architecture make this one of the most visited attractions in Paris - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com
Sacre Coeur Basilica and hillside artist colony in Montmartre, Paris. The Montmartre art colony was a starting ground for a long list of painters: van Gogh, Dalí, Claude Monet, Picasso, Pissarro, and Modigliani to name a few... The history and stunning architecture make this one of the most visited attractions in Paris - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com


Moonrise over the Louvre Museum and I.M. Pei Pyramid in Paris France - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com
Moonrise over the Louvre Museum and I.M. Pei Pyramid in Paris France - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com


Ranch land near Calabasas, California. This is the former Home of the Chumash 'Indians', better known as Native Americans. The lands is, to a large degree, unchanged in a thousand years. Strange to know that just over those hills is a bustling town full of A-List Hollywood types. An odd contrast... John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com
Ranch land near Calabasas, California. This is the former Home of the Chumash "Indians", better known as Native Americans. The lands is, to a large degree, unchanged in a thousand years. Strange to know that just over those hills is a bustling town full of A-List Hollywood types. An odd contrast... John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com


A Tree Lined drive to a Mansion near Bruges, Belgium - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com
A Tree Lined drive to a Mansion near Bruges, Belgium - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com


Schooners Moored At Pont Neuf Paris. A Favorite Gathering Place For Young Locals, this bridge is a perfect place for travel, art, fashion and other beautiful photography - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com
Schooners Moored At Pont Neuf Paris. A Favorite Gathering Place For Young Locals, this bridge is a perfect place for travel, art, fashion and other beautiful photography - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com


Young Girl Plays on Swing in Tuileries Garden Paris with her grandfather. Near the Louvre and the Notre Dame Cathedral, This garden was a training ground for great artists like Vincent van Gogh and Monet, A must visit for both tourists and locals  - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Young Girl Plays on Swing in Tuileries Garden Paris with her grandfather. Near the Louvre and the Notre Dame Cathedral, This garden was a training ground for great artists like Vincent van Gogh and Monet, A must visit for both tourists and locals - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Cafe Les Deux Magots - This famous cafe on the Left Bank of the Seine, Les Deux Magots is popular with both tourists and Parisians, It has a long history as a meeting place for famous writers and philosophers. Deux Magots was once a favorite spot for existentialist writers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Bouvoir, and a favorite of Hemmingway and Picasso where he reportedly created cubism -  Image was taken with Canon 5D Mark III and a Series II 24-70 L Series lens  - JohnBrody.blogspot..com  / JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com
Cafe Les Deux Magots - This famous cafe on the Left Bank of the Seine, Les Deux Magots is popular with both tourists and Parisians, It has a long history as a meeting place for famous writers and philosophers. Deux Magots was once a favorite spot for existentialist writers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Bouvoir, and a favorite of Hemmingway and Picasso where he reportedly created cubism - Image was taken with Canon 5D Mark III and a Series II 24-70 L Series lens - JohnBrody.blogspot..com / JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com


This may put you to sleep, but I like this scene for the peaceful feeling of the birds at rest against the muted blur of lake and stones - The soft black, brown and taupe tones add to the mood, thanks to the kind weather and soft light... Well, that's an adjective loaded description, but it fits  --- White-Faced Whistling Ducks Resting By A Pond - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com
White-Faced Whistling Ducks Resting By A Pond - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com


A Little Rain Gives Solitude To A Stroller - He said the rain lets him enjoy peaceful strolls along Pont Neuf Bridge and the River Seine in Paris, an area usually swarming with people - AKA The Umbrella Man - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com
A Little Rain Gives Solitude To A Stroller - He said the rain lets him enjoy peaceful strolls along Pont Neuf Bridge and the River Seine in Paris, an area usually swarming with people - AKA The Umbrella Man - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com


Louvre Museum And Pool Reflection, Paris, France  -  Always beautiful, the cloudless skies and the lack of crowds made this a stop and shoot moment. The visuals really seemed to 'pop' this night. This scene was as beautiful as the Mona Lisa inside  - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Louvre Museum And Pool Reflection, Paris, France - Always beautiful, the cloudless skies and the lack of crowds made this a stop and shoot moment. The visuals really seemed to 'pop' this night. This scene was as beautiful as the Mona Lisa inside - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Evening Sun on Pont Neuf. Shot from the Pont des Arts, the Bridge of Love in Paris - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com
Evening Sun on Pont Neuf. Shot from the Pont des Arts, the Bridge of Love in Paris - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Landscape Art? - A Slice of Moonrise Through Jagged Rusty Metal. Having shot two exposures to merge them with the distant landscape in focus, I found this Macro with background bokeh approach to be much more Interesting. A judgment call, but I didn't want just another landscape, so I improvised --- John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com - JohnBrodyPhotography.com
Landscape Art? - A Slice of Moonrise Through Jagged Rusty Metal. Having shot two exposures to merge them with the distant landscape in focus, I found this Macro with background bokeh approach to be much more Interesting. A judgment call, but I didn't want just another landscape, so I improvised --- John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com - JohnBrodyPhotography.com


Sunset Over Cemetery in Dijon France - I shot this unusual lighting as the sun was setting behind me, getting dark except for a beam of light on the trees. This hilltop path is to the cemetery in Dijon, France, the home of Gustav Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame, and, yes, Dijon mustard. I spent a week here and the town and surrounding countryside were quite pleasant and beautiful --- John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com
Sunset Over Cemetery in Dijon France - I shot this unusual lighting as the sun was setting behind me, getting dark except for a beam of light on the trees. This hilltop path is to the cemetery in Dijon, France, the home of Gustav Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame, and, yes, Dijon mustard. I spent a week here and the town and surrounding countryside were quite pleasant and beautiful --- John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com

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Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Autumn Colors in New England - Landscape, Travel and Art Photos

A cove from my latest trip, this one near Endicott College in Massachusetts  -  John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com - JohnBrodyPhotography.com
A cove from my latest trip, this one near Endicott College in Massachusetts - John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com - JohnBrodyPhotography.com


Photos from my New England autumn trip - Gorgeous season and great people! Here's one from a day down in Massachusetts, It's the church / town square from the classic movie Witches of Eastwick --- John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com
Photos from my New England autumn trip - Gorgeous season and great people! Here's one from a day down in Massachusett., It's the church / town square from the classic movie Witches of Eastwick --- John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com


Fisherman on the Distant Rocks at Lobster Cove near Manchester-by-the-Sea Massachusetts,. This site was exploding with Fall Foliage when we visited - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com
Fisherman on the Distant Rocks at Lobster Cove near Manchester-by-the-Sea Massachusetts,. This site was exploding with Fall Foliage when we visited - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com / JohnBrody.com


Harvard University Campus - A beautiful Rainy Day at Harvard at John Weeks Bridge across the Charles River and looking towards McArthur Hall and Soldiers Field - Near John F Kennedy Street and Memorial Drive - JohnBrodyPhotography.com --- John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com
Harvard University Campus - A beautiful Rainy Day at Harvard at John Weeks Bridge across the Charles River and looking towards McArthur Hall and Soldiers Field - Near John F Kennedy Street and Memorial Drive - JohnBrodyPhotography.com --- John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com


Autumn River on a Stormy Day in Massachusetts - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com
Autumn River on a Stormy Day in Massachusetts - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com



Autumn River on a Stormy Day in Massachusetts - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com
Autumn River on a Stormy Day in Massachusetts - John Brody Photography / JohnBrodyPhotography.com


Portrait of a Multi-Colored Sunset near Monterey at Point Lobos on the California Coast  -  JohnBrodyPhotography  - JohnBrody.com
Portrait of an Autumn Multi-Colored Sunset near Monterey at Point Lobos on the California Coast - JohnBrodyPhotography - JohnBrody.com



Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Portraits of Landscapes :) John Brody Photography at JohnBrody.com


Landscape Art? - A Slice of Moonrise Through Jagged Rusty Metal. Having shot two exposures to merge them with the distant landscape in focus, I found this Macro with background bokeh approach to be much more Interesting.  A judgment call, but I didn't want just another landscape, so I improvised --- John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com -  JohnBrodyPhotography.com
Landscape Art? - A Slice of Moonrise Through Jagged Rusty Metal. Having shot two exposures to merge them with the distant landscape in focus, I found this Macro with background bokeh approach to be much more Interesting. A judgment call, but I didn't want just another landscape, so I improvised --- John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com - JohnBrodyPhotography.com


Sea Reflections of Pelicans Over Sand Bar Fog Bank - Whiffing Spit - Vancouver Island British Columbia --- John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com -  JohnBrodyPhotography.com
Sea Reflections of Pelicans Over Sand Bar Fog Bank - Whiffing Spit - Vancouver Island British Columbia --- John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com - JohnBrodyPhotography.com


Duck Strikes a Pose in a Beam of Sunlight - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Duck Strikes a Pose in a Beam of Sunlight - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


A brownstone near Washington Square in New York City, NY - In the same neighborhood as the Home Studio of Annie Leibovitz - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
A brownstone near Washington Square in New York City, NY - In the same neighborhood as the Home Studio of Annie Leibovitz - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Something Bright and simple for a change! Is there anyone who's been to Paris and hasn't taken this shot? 😊 I doubt it, but here's another - My simple snapshot of the Eiffel Tower and surrounding grounds...
Something Bright and simple for a change! Is there anyone who's been to Paris and hasn't taken this shot? 😊 I doubt it, but here's another - My simple snapshot of the Eiffel Tower and surrounding grounds... 


Autumn Colored Leaf by the Pond - Simple shot of a backlit leaf with water droplet bokeh in the background. Big image but a tiny leaf, maybe an inch at most. Portrait Orientation - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com


Autumn Colored Leaf by the Pond - Simple shot of a backlit leaf with water droplet bokeh in the background. Big image but a tiny leaf, maybe an inch at most. Portrait Orientation - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com


Portrait of Light Beams from the Eiffel Tower over Pont des Arts Paris --- More Info FYI - All visitors to Paris take photos of the nightly light show from the Eiffel Tower; I have hundreds :)   For some reason this particular image stood out from the rest of my shots. It may be the location, where it's seen over the Pont des Arts Bridge and the d'Orsay Museum ( just an FYI, the D'Orsay is the best location other than Amsterdam to see the works of Vincent van Gogh), or simply the blaze of light with an unusually strong glow due to the soft fog of the evening. Whatever the reason, I liked it, so I thought I would share - Portrait Version ---  JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Portrait of Light Beams from the Eiffel Tower over Pont des Arts Paris --- More Info FYI - All visitors to Paris take photos of the nightly light show from the Eiffel Tower; I have hundreds :) For some reason this particular image stood out from the rest of my shots. It may be the location, where it's seen over the Pont des Arts Bridge and the d'Orsay Museum (just an FYI, the D'Orsay is the best location other than Amsterdam to see the works of Vincent van Gogh), or simply the blaze of light with an unusually strong glow due to the soft fog of the evening. Whatever the reason, I liked it, so I thought I would share - Portrait Version --- JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Sunset Over Cemetery in Dijon France - I shot this unusual lighting as the sun was setting behind me, getting dark except for a beam of light on the trees. This hilltop path is to the cemetery in Dijon, France, the home of Gustav Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame, and, yes, Dijon mustard.  I spent a week here and the town and surrounding countryside were quite beautiful. (updated image) - John Brody Photography
Sunset Over Cemetery in Dijon France - I shot this unusual lighting as the sun was setting behind me, getting dark except for a beam of light on the trees. This hilltop path is to the cemetery in Dijon, France, the home of Gustav Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame, and, yes, Dijon mustard. I spent a week here and the town and surrounding countryside were quite beautiful. (updated image) - John Brody Photography


Gothic Backstreet in Dijon France  -  I could feel the centuries passing by  as I walked further down this back alley. Some of the buildings are hundreds of years old, a few dated as old as 1,000 years...   John Brody / John Brody Photography
Gothic Backstreet in Dijon France - I could feel the centuries passing by as I walked further down this back alley. Some of the buildings are hundreds of years old, a few dated as old as 1,000 years... John Brody / John Brody Photography


A Butterfly Caught My Eye  -  This little lady was polite enough to pause for a portrait  :-)  Taken at the botanical gardens  - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
A Butterfly Caught My Eye - This little lady was polite enough to pause for a portrait :-) Taken at the botanical gardens - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Tulip Trail in Holland - A rainy day at Keukenhof Gardens near Amsterdam. The rain would stop for a few minutes now and then and I'd shoot the rain soaked flower rows and beautiful tree canopy. Miles of tulip trails, lakes and forest  - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Tulip Trail in Holland - A rainy day at Keukenhof Gardens near Amsterdam. The rain would stop for a few minutes now and then and I'd shoot the rain soaked flower rows and beautiful tree canopy. Miles of tulip trails, lakes and forest - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Small Village in Belgium or Germany between the Spa Francorchamps and Nurburgring Formula One race tracks. I crossed the border so many times that day it was impossible to know what country I was in... A good day of exploration and race track adrenaline :)   - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Small Village in Belgium or Germany between the Spa Francorchamps and Nurburgring Formula One race tracks. I crossed the border so many times that day it was impossible to know what country I was in... A good day of exploration and race track adrenaline :) - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Statue and Reflections at the Paris Opera House - While composing this shot of the Opera House and this statue, an architectural light show of red, blue and white strobes lit up in the windows' reflection. It's a busy image, with a lot going on, but it just highlights the vibrancy and mood of of this part of Paris. This scene had a feeling that attracted a crowd of close to a thousand people - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Statue and Reflections at the Paris Opera House - While composing this shot of the Opera House and this statue, an architectural light show of red, blue and white strobes lit up in the windows' reflection. It's a busy image, with a lot going on, but it just highlights the vibrancy and mood of of this part of Paris. This scene had a feeling that attracted a crowd of close to a thousand people - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Mystical Lighting and Cloud Cover Over Church - This scene seems like a composite, but it's not... The church was completely covered with clouds except for the small fingers of cloud breaks and light that pointed downward. I found it quite fascinating... John Brody Photography
Mystical Lighting and Cloud Cover Over Church - This scene seems like a composite, but it's not... The church was completely covered with clouds except for the small fingers of cloud breaks and light that pointed downward. I found it quite fascinating... John Brody Photography


Yellow Fields Under Cloud Cover in Luxembourg near the Roman Ruins - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Yellow Fields Under Cloud Cover in Luxembourg near the Roman Ruins - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Otter Posing during a  rare moment standing still. I waited for ages while he swam and dove and chased his friends, Finally he climbed a stunt and posed perfectly in front of some bokeh creating sunlit leaves. All in all I think it was worth it :)   -   John Brody Photography
Otter Posing during a rare moment standing still. I waited for ages while he swam and dove and chased his friends, Finally he climbed a stunt and posed perfectly in front of some bokeh creating sunlit leaves. All in all I think it was worth it :) - John Brody Photography


Pelicans Over Cove at Point Lobos California - - John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com
Pelicans Over Cove at Point Lobos California - John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com


Pelicans Over Sand Bar Fog Bank - Whiffing Spit - Vancouver Island British Columbia - John Brody Photography
Pelicans Over Sand Bar Fog Bank - Whiffing Spit - Vancouver Island British Columbia.
 John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com


Lone Cypress Seascape with Pelican Formation  - Carmel California. The rain storm brought out pelican formations by the hundreds  -  JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Lone Cypress Seascape with Pelican Formation - Carmel California. The rain storm brought out pelican formations by the hundreds, JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


A Very old and Very rustic church in Bruges Belgium -  JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
A Very old and Very rustic church in Bruges Belgium - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


A Puddle In Paris Holds The Eiffel Tower - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
A Puddle In Paris Holds The Eiffel Tower - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography




Monday, August 27, 2018

Stunning Skies Over Architectural Wonders by Frank Gehry & Parisian and Belgian Designers - John Brody Photography

Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles - High-Res HDR Image - The Rachmaninov concert inside was as great a work of art as the architecture was outside... JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles - High-Res HDR Image - The Rachmaninov concert inside was as great a work of art as the architecture outside... JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Sacre Coeur Basilica and the hillside artist colony shot from a nearby rooftop in Montmartre. The Montmartre hillside artist colony was a starting ground for a long list of painters including Vincent van Gogh, Salvador Dalí, Claude Monet, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro and Amedeo Modigliani to name a few. This history and the stunning architecture make this one of the most visited attractions in Paris - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Sacre Coeur Basilica and the hillside artist colony shot from a nearby rooftop in Montmartre. The artist colony was a training ground for many painters including Vincent van Gogh, Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Monet, Mondrian, Pissarro and Modigliani to name a few. The history and architecture make this one of the most visited attractions in Paris   -   JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Portrait of Light Beams from the Eiffel Tower over Pont des Arts Paris --- More Info FYI - All visitors to Paris take photos of the nightly light show from the Eiffel Tower; I have hundreds :)   For some reason this particular image stood out from the rest of my shots. It may be the location, where it's seen over the Pont des Arts Bridge and the d'Orsay Museum ( just an FYI, the D'Orsay is the best location other than Amsterdam to see the works of Vincent van Gogh), or simply the blaze of light with an unusually strong glow due to the soft fog of the evening. Whatever the reason, I liked it, so I thought I would share - Portrait Version ---  JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Portrait of Light Beams from the Eiffel Tower over Pont des Arts Paris --- More Info FYI - All visitors to Paris take photos of the nightly light show from the Eiffel Tower; I have hundreds :) For some reason this particular image stood out from the rest of my shots. It may be the location, where it's seen over the Pont des Arts Bridge and the d'Orsay Museum (just an FYI, the D'Orsay is the best location other than Amsterdam to see the works of Vincent van Gogh), or simply the blaze of light with an unusually strong glow due to the soft fog of the evening. Whatever the reason, I liked it, so I thought I would share - Portrait Version --- JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Moonrise Over Pont des Arts Paris - This bridge is never a boring place. During my last trip I saw so many types here; locals and travelers, the friendly and the pick-pockets, painters and musicians. On my last night there, three motley guys pulled out instruments and broke into a blazing version of Sunshine of Your Love followed by a string of well played classics. They then bowed to the crowd and headed off into the night... I can't think of anywhere that would happen in Los Angeles. This footbridge is a very special place... JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Moonrise Over Pont des Arts Paris - This bridge is never a boring place. During my last trip I saw so many types here; locals and travelers, the friendly and the pick-pockets, painters and musicians. On my last night there, three motley guys pulled out instruments and broke into a blazing version of Sunshine of Your Love followed by a string of well played classics; a wonderful performance. They then bowed to the crowd and headed off into the night... This footbridge is a very special place... JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Mystical Lighting and Cloud Cover Over Church - This scene seems like a composite, but it's not... The church was completely covered with clouds except for the small fingers of cloud breaks and light that pointed downward. I found it quite fascinating... John Brody Photography
Mystical Lighting and Cloud Cover Over Church - This scene seems like a composite, but it's not... The church was completely covered with clouds except for the small fingers of cloud breaks and light that pointed downward. I found it quite fascinating... John Brody Photography


House on a Canal in Bruges, Belgium - I first saw the 500 year old house in the movie In Bruges, and I wanted to see the house and the village ever since. It was worth the trip - John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com
Mansion on a Canal in Bruges, Belgium - I first saw this 500 year old house in the movie In Bruges,  and I wanted to see the house and the village ever since. It was worth the trip - John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com


Louvre Museum And Pool Reflection. Louvre Museum Paris  -  Always beautiful, the cloudless skies and the lack of crowds made this a stop and shoot moment. The visuals really seemed to 'pop' this night. This scene was as beautiful as the Mona Lisa inside  - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Louvre Museum and Reflecting Pool in Paris - Always a beautiful location, the cloudless skies and the lack of crowds made this a stop and shoot moment. The visuals really seemed to 'pop' this night, as beautiful as the Mona Lisa inside - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Moonrise Over Pont Neuf Paris France.  When visiting The City of Lights, my days usually begin and end here, my favorite place in Paris. It's a swirl of activity with dozens of cultural greats surrounding it; the Louvre,  the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral, the Seine Riverfront walkways and the D'Orsay Museum to name a few. The list is endless. A wonderful place you must visit. - John Brody Photography
Moonrise Over Pont Neuf Paris France. When visiting The City of Lights, my days usually begin and end here, my favorite place in Paris. It's a swirl of activity with dozens of cultural greats surrounding it; the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral, the Tuileries Gardens and the D'Orsay Museum to name a few. The list is endless. A wonderful place you must visit.
John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com


The Eiffel Tower and Pont Alexandre III at Sunset - A stormy dull day in Paris until the sun wedged itself out from between two clouds, and Pont Alexandre lit up. Dull skies replaced with blue white tones and light beams and the shadows moved across the sky like spotlights. From drab to beautiful in minutes. Just carry a camera and wait... JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
The Eiffel Tower and Pont Alexandre III at Sunset - A stormy dull day in Paris until the sun wedged itself out from between two clouds, and Pont Alexandre lit up. Dull skies replaced with blue white tones and light beams and shadows moved across the sky like spotlights. From drab to beautiful in minutes. Just carry a camera and wait... JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Schooners moored At Pont Neuf in Paris - Pont Neuf is a favorite gathering place for young locals on nights and weekends. The first time I saw this place on a Friday night, it was vibrant to say the least. While it's active day and night, I'd never seen it so crowded. I could barely see the cobblestone riverside walkways which were covered by swarms of locals, mostly late teens and twenty-somethings. They sat in circles of friends, sharing wine and just hanging out from sunset to midnight, when the lights go out and the famous City if Lights goes pitch black, the night over. While peaceful and friendly, the mood was very playful and 'alive', a friendly feel to the whole crowd. Even a stranger with a sack of camera gear wandering through their crowd (me) was treated politely. I can't think of anything to compare with it here in the U.S. - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Schooners moored At Pont Neuf in Paris - Pont Neuf is a favorite gathering place for young locals on nights and weekends. They sit in circles of friends, sharing wine and just hanging out from sunset to late night. The mood was very always playful and vibrant, friendly even to a stranger (me) hauling a sack of camera gear along the riverside. I can't think of anything to compare with it here in the U.S. - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Small Village in Belgium or Germany between the Spa Francorchamps and Nurburgring Formula One race tracks. I crossed the border so many times that day it was impossible to know what country I was in... A good day of exploration and race track adrenaline :)   Square Aspect Ratio -  JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Small Village in Belgium or Germany between the Spa Francorchamps and Nurburgring Formula One race tracks. I crossed the border so many times that day it was impossible to know what country I was in... A good day of exploration and race track adrenaline :) Square Aspect Ratio - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


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Tuesday, January 19, 2016

A Great Photo Trip - Paris and a Loop Through Europe - JohnBrodyPhotography.com

The trip was overly ambitious, ridiculously complicated, and as it turned out, perfect. Two weeks in Paris then three weeks driving a loop through Europe, then two more weeks in Paris.  The driving loop went through France to Belgium, Amsterdam, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Dijon France then back to Paris. Problems did happen, but even they  turned out to be blessings. For example: No little funky economy sedan at the rental house for our loop through Europe? No problem - we'll give you this fully loaded 5-Series BMW instead at the same price as an apology. No first floor no-view reasonably priced room in Switzerland? Very sorry sir, we'll give you a top floor view room overlooking Lake Lucerne and the Alps for six days... Yes, that really did happen.....

I have to say that the BMW fluke gave the trip a whole new dimension. It took us to places and heights that the car we had asked for could never have handled. Beyond that, what were planned as simple visits and tours to a couple of Formula One racetracks became very different events when I found out we could drive the circuits with no speed limits and I had the "Beemer." I have a whole new appreciation for the Nurburgring track in Germany now. M'lady was not be so fond of the track, but I loved it :) She may not have liked the drive on the tracks, but after 3 weeks and 4,000 miles in the car she's hooked and says her next car will be a BMW...

Paris, as always, was beautiful - the Tuileries Gardens, the Louvre and D'Orsay Museums were their usual artistic treasures. Pont Neuf and Pont des Arts (bridges) were perfect for people watching and just taking in the French culture. Also, coming from L.A. and the 106 degree high temperatures, the cool Paris weather was a welcome relief staying in the seventy-degree range. We also made many forays into the countryside using my favorite trick for finding new places - just drive without watching a map or roadsigns, and intentionally get lost - I find some of my favorite locations that way, like the second image below.

There have been a few previous photo posts here. The photos below are a few new ones - random shots in random locations...

Small village near the Nurburgring Formula 1 Race Track in Germany - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Small village near the Nurburgring Formula 1 Race Track in Germany - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography



Night Photo of the Louvre Museum and Pyramid, Paris France --- JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Night Photo of the Louvre Museum and Pyramid, Paris France --- JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography



Field in Clery-sur-Somme in Northern france - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Field in Clery-sur-Somme in Northern france - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography



A Little Rain Gives Solitude To A Stroller - Pont Neuf Bridge over the River Seine in Paris, an area usually swarming with people - The Umbrella Man - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


The Umbrella Man --- A Little Rain Gives Solitude To A Stroller - Pont Neuf Bridge over the River Seine in Paris, an area usually swarming with people until the rains chase them indoors A Smart Man :) - JohnBrodyPhotography.com / John Brody Photography



https://photos.smugmug.com/Travel/Favorites/i-tf4b4kW/12/M/Bird-At-Pond-in-the-Tuileries-Paris-France-----IM3_7643-M.jpg


The Alpha bird at a pond in the Tuileries, Paris. Caught mid-flight at 1/2000th of a second shutter speed --- JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography



Intense game of chess at Luxemburg Gardens in Paris - Furrowed brows and dead silence. The gent at left won with only 3 seconds left...  JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Intense game of chess at Luxemburg Gardens in Paris - Furrowed brows and dead silence. The gent at left won with only 3 seconds left... JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography



Autumn Colored Leaf by the Pond - Simple shot of a backlit leaf with water droplet bokeh in the background. Big image but a tiny leaf, maybe an inch at most. Portrait Orientation - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com


Autumn Colored Leaf by the Pond - Simple shot of a backlit leaf with water droplet bokeh in the background. Big image but a tiny leaf, maybe an inch at most. Portrait Orientation - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com



Eiffel Tower and Pont Alexandre III at sunset - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Eiffel Tower and Pont Alexandre III at sunset - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography



Friday, October 3, 2014

Moonrise Over Pont Neuf, Paris France - John Brody Photography

Pont Neuf Bridge, my favorite place in Paris - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography

Pont Neuf Bridge, my favorite place in Paris - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Pont Neuf is my favorite place in Paris and maybe my favorite place on the globe. It's my personal "Heart" of the city, the center around which the rest of the city branches. An architechtural gem, it has been painted by greats like Vincent van Gogh, Renoir, Pissarro and countless others. It's surrounded by the Notre Dame Cathedral, Pont des Arts, the Eiffel Tower, the Opera House and hundreds of other monuments and attractions. It always has something to offer; great views, interesting people, a nice place to relax after a long day of shooting.

--- What most people don't know is Pont Neuf's odd and often deadly history. All through the 1700s, Pont Neuf was the center of Paris, busy with both crime and commerce. Benjamin Franklin wrote to his friends in America that he had not understood the Parisian character until had visited Pont Neuf. Several other writers describe how, even before the bridge was completed in 1607, gangs hid out under and around it and robbed and murdered people. It remained a dangerous place even as it became busier. For a long time, the bridge even had its own gallows for instant justice. This didn't keep people from gathering there, drawn by various street performers, acrobats, fire-eaters, musicians, etc., (much as they still do when I visit now). Prostitutes, pickpockets, and scam artists were ever present. There were respected tooth pullers, sellers of glass eyes and stones to beautify the face, wrinkle removers, wooden leg salesmen, news-vendors, jugglers, showmen, loungers, and thieves... I didn't mean for this to sound like a history lesson, I just find it all quite interesting. If you haven't been there, you must visit if you get a chance...

Per request, some basics... Called Pont Neuf (meaning New Bridge) during construction, the name stuck. Construction started in 1578. It's length is 781 feet or 238 meters. The Architect was Androuet du Cerceau....... Also per request I'm adding photo data: Canon 5D Mark II, Shutter 1.6 seconds, Aperture 9.0, ISO 1600, Focal Length 68mm. Cheers. --- John Brody Photography

Friday, March 21, 2014

Ballet Dancer in a Backstage Setting - John Brody Photography

I often find that some of my favorite photos from a trip are scenes that I had no idea I'd be shooting; a kid playing on a swing with her grandfather, a chess match in the Luxembourg Gardens, and in this case, an idyllic scene of a ballet dancer in a pre-performance setting. Maybe I'm biased, but I get a good feeling from the scene...

Ballet Dancer backstage - Reflection on photo of living and still life mix in France. National Ballet Pre-Performance setting - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com

Ballet Dancer backstage - Reflection on photo of living and still life mix in France. National Ballet Pre-Performance setting - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Walt Disney Concert Hall - A Frank Gehry Masterpiece - John Brody Photography

The Walt Disney Concert Hall, A Frank Gehry Masterpiece - Home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and one of the most beautiful modern buildings I have ever been in. I found out after I got home that the unusual cloud formation was due to brush fires in the nearby drought singed hills - A beautiful scene from an unfortunate cause. John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com

Click Image for Hi-Res
Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles - High-Res HDR Image - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography
Walt Disney Concert Hall - A Frank Gehry Masterpiece - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Night Photo - Louvre and the IM Pei Pyramid
John Brody Photography

I've come to enjoy the grounds of the Louvre Museum and the adjoining Tuileries almost as much as the Artwork inside. Many nights I'd buy dinner and bring it to the steps in front of the museum, and I'd find myself surrounded by dozen of circles of locals doing the same. Great place to watch the sun disappear and the Museum lights come to life.


The Louvre Palace and Musee d Art and the Louvre Pyramid. Photo taken from The Tuileries Jardin - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography

Monday, September 9, 2013

Sacre Coeurs Basilica on Montmartre Hill through d'Orsay Museum Clock
John Brody Photography

The Museum d'Orsay is one of my favorite places in Paris. Unfortunately, they've changed their policy and cameras are no longer allowed inside the art display rooms. Very unfortunate, because I always used to shoot my favorites by Vincent van Gogh, Degas, Pissarro, Monet, Miller, Bouguereau and many others... The good news is that you can still use your cameras on the balconies and a few other areas in the museum. This may not seem like much, but the vantage points from the d'Orsay balconies and other areas let you take photos of the Louvre and the Tuileries gardens that you can't get from anywhere else. The photo below of the Sacre Coeur Basilica seen through the d"Orsay clock was shot from the cafe inside the museum.

The Museum d'Orsay now has the policy that no cameras are allowed inside the art display rooms. Very unfortunate because I always used to shoot the works by Vincent van Gogh, Degas, Pissarro, Monet, Miller, Bouguereau and many others... The good news is, you can still use your cameras on the balconies and a few other areas - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com

Sacre Coeurs and Montmartre hill shot through the d'Orsay Museum Clock - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Vincent Van Gogh Photos From My Travels. Also Biography and Facts About Vincent van Gogh - John Brody Photography

Letter From Vincent's Brother Theo to his fiancé Jo Bonger - 1889:
"That head of his has been occupied with contemporary society's insoluble problems for so long, and he is still battling on with his good-heartedness and boundless energy. His efforts have not been in vain, but he will probably not live to see them come to fruition, for by the time people understand what he is saying in his paintings it will be too late. He is one of the most advanced painters and it is difficult to understand him, even for me who knows him so intimately. His ideas cover so much ground, examining what is humane and how one should look at the world, that one must first free oneself from anything remotely linked to convention to understand what he was trying to say, but I am sure he will be understood later on. It is just hard to say when."

Vincent van Gogh - Stairway at Auvers - Two Women - Oil on canvas - Auvers-sur-Oise late May, 1890 AKA Village Street and Steps in Auvers with Figures --- JohnBrody.com
Stairway at Auvers by Vincent van Gogh - Photo by John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com
Photographed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art NYC by John Brody
  Click image for Hi-Res Version and more van Gogh works

Vincent Van Gogh Biography

Vincent Willem Van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853, in Groot-Zundert, a village in the south of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border. He was the eldest son of Theodorus Van Gogh, a handsome preacher, and his kind-hearted wife, Anna Cornelia Carbentus. He was named Vincent Willem after his two grandfathers. He was followed by a sister, Anna, born in 1855, and in 1857, his brother, Theodorus (Theo), was born.

Vincent van Gogh - Olive Trees - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com
Vincent van Gogh - Olive Trees - John Brody Photography --- JohnBrody.com
Click image for Hi-Res Version


Vincent attended the village school until his parents, worried that the peasant children might make their son rough, hired a governess to teach their children at home. Vincent was only eleven when his parents sent him to boarding school. The separation from home made a deep impression on Vincent and was the beginning of a life lived in loneliness and isolation.

Eventually, at age 16, like many young men of his time, his parents decided that he'd had enough schooling and Vincent was apprenticed to learn a trade. Three of his uncles owned successful art galleries. Vincent was apprenticed to the most successful, Uncle Cent (Vincent) and began work in The Hague branch of Goupil, Cie.

After Vincent had been in The Hague three years, his brother Theo came to visit him. A brief note, thanking Theo for visiting, is the first surviving letter from Vincent Van Gogh to his brother. The letter is dated August 18, 1872.

Noon Rest by Vincent Van Gogh - I shot this at the d'Orsay Museum, Paris, France - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com

Noon Rest by Vincent Van Gogh - I shot this at the d'Orsay Museum, Paris, France - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com

Vincent Van Gogh was doing well in his work at the art gallery when his brother, Theo, also began his apprenticeship with the firm. The director wrote to the Van Goghs expressing his confidence in Vincent and notifying them that he was to be transferred to the London office as a promotion. He noted that both the clients and painters enjoyed dealing with Vincent and expected him to have success.


Vincent van Gogh - The Mulberry Tree - Photographed - John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com
The Mulberry Tree by Vincent van Gogh - Travel photo by John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com / John Brody - Click image for Hi-Res Version


Vincent developed an affection for the daughter of the landlady of his boarding house, Eugenie. Eugenie was slim, dark-haired and charming. She was also engaged to be married. Shy, twenty-years-old with no experience with women, Vincent was brokenhearted. There was a sudden, dramatic change in Vincent's personality after this rejection. He turned silent, moody and difficult, and refused to go out. For the first time, people called him "eccentric".

Two years later, Goupil transferred Vincent to Paris, hoping the change of scenery would improve his outlook. Vincent did spend time in the Louvre and the Luxembourg Palace, but was not attracted to the lively Parisian nightlife. He began to attend church regularly, for the first time since he'd left his father's parish. Van Gogh began to read the Bible in all his spare time. He seemed to his family to be bordering on the fanatic. He even suggested to Theo that he burn all his books except his Bible.

Eventually, Goupil's art gallery had enough of Van Gogh's frequent absences, his rude treatment of clients and his strange choices in clothing. He was fired.

Van Gogh managed to land a job teaching young boys at a London boarding school for room and board. And then moved to another similar teaching job where he was given room and board plus a small salary. More interesting to Vincent, however, was the fact that in this second teaching job, he was allowed to preach. His letters home were full of religious aphorisms and meditations. His father didn't have any objection to his son becoming a preacher, but he wanted him to start the necessary studies rather than dabbling in such an unpractical way.

Vincent van Gogh - House and Ploughman - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com

Mulberry Tree by Vincent van Gogh - Click image for Hi-Res Version

In the spring of 1889 van Gogh committed himself to an asylum at Saint-Rémy.During his lucid periods, between periodic attacks of what seems to have been epilepsy, he was constantly working, creating dazzling compositions of vigorous brushwork and energetic spontaneity. This painting was of particular interest to van Gogh, who wrote about it three times in letters to his brother and sister, commenting that he believed it was the best of his mulberry tree paintings.

When Van Gogh returned home that Christmas, Vincent's sister Elizabeth found him "groggy with piety." At the age of twenty-four, Vincent announced his intention to become a clergyman. In order to become a pastor in the Dutch Reformed Church, Vincent would need to pass state entrance exams. Because he lacked a high-school diploma, this would mean at least two years of tutoring. Then, once he passed the exams, he would have to train for six expensive years at the theological seminary in Amsterdam. Without all this, Vincent would be unable to acquire a meaningful job in the church. The whole extended Van Gogh family pitched in to help Vincent with room and board and tutoring.

Vincent didn't enjoy his studies. He began to feel constantly anxious. He felt he was letting down his family. He began to punish himself by beating his back with a rope. Sometimes he locked himself out of his uncle's house and slept in the cold shed without even a blanket. After a year of struggling, Vincent gave up. He would never pass the entrance exams. As a compromise, Vincent and his father enrolled him in an evangelical course that took three years instead of six. Vincent was accepted on a trial basis. After six months, realizing even this trial was a failure, Vincent landed an assignment as an evangelist and left for the grim mining district in southwestern Belgium called the Borinage.

Vincent began trying to identify with the miners. He moved into a hovel where he slept on a straw mattress. He gave his warm clothes to the needy and stopped washing the coal dust from his face. Vincent's determination to follow Christ's example made people uncomfortable. The mission sponsors refused to renew his appointment. This began a period of time when Vincent was homeless and hungry. He lost touch with his family, refusing to write even to Theo for nine months.

Photo taken at the d'Orsay Museum in Paris - Vincent van Gogh - Thatched Cottages at Cordeville - Oil on canvas - Auvers-sur-Oise June 1890 - Paris: Musée d'Orsay or d'Orsay Museum Paris --- JohnBrody.com - John Brody Photography
Photo taken at the d'Orsay Museum in Paris - Vincent van Gogh - Thatched Cottages at Cordeville - Oil on Canvas - Auvers-sur-Oise June 1890 - Paris: Musée d'Orsay or d'Orsay Museum Paris --- JohnBrody.com - John Brody Photography
Click image for Hi-Res Version


During the summer of 1879, Vincent wrote to his first boss at Goupil to request some watercolors, a sketchbook and two manuals on learning how to draw. Vincent began trying to sketch the miners and peasants. He made slow progress but persisted. Eventually, hungry, tired, and desperate, he went home.

His earlier desire to help his fellow man as a clergyman gradually developed into an urge (as he later wrote) to leave "some memento in the form of drawings or paintings—not made to please any particular movement, but to express a sincere human feeling." His parents, however, did not support this plan and financial responsibility for Vincent passed to his brother, Theo. Throughout Van Gogh's life, Theo provided material and emotional support. Finally, Van Gogh came to regard his work as a kind of a collaboration with Theo, based on the support and kindness Theo offered him.

When Vincent van Gogh decided to become an artist, no one, not even Vincent himself, suspected that he had extraordinary gifts. He progressed rapidly from inept novice to a truly original master. His work was eventually characterized by bold, harmonious colors and simple but memorable compositions.

Van Gogh went to Brussels to study at the academy to prepare for his new career. He left after only nine months. In April 1881, he went to live with his parents and taught himself how to draw. Extracts from two letters at this time below:

I think all the fellows in the drawing class all work badly and in an absolutely wrong way... it is correct, it is whatever you like, but it is dead." --- Letter to Theo
I still remember telling you... that I would sooner be with a bad whore than be alone." --- Letter to Theo

THE HAGUE

Van Gogh moved to The Hague to learn drawing from his cousin, Anton Mauve. However, in addition to Van Gogh's prickly personality, Mauve and the rest of Vincent's family disapproved of Vincent's relationship with Sien Hoornik, a prostitute pregnant with her second illegitimate child. For Van Gogh, this was a brief idyllic period, when he had a little family and access to a live model. Eventually, Van Gogh broke off the relationship with Sien and ended up living with his parents again, this time in Nuenen.

In Nuenen, Van Gogh began painting in the style of one of the artists he most admired, Jean-Francois Millet. Millet was famous at the time for his scenes of the harsh life of peasants and this theme struck a resonant chord with Vincent. Van Gogh painted and drew a major series of heads and peasant hands in preparation for The Potato Eaters, which he completed in 1884. It took Van Gogh a while to convince the peasants to pose for him as they worked, they wanted to wear their best and sit stiffly for portraits. Not too long after, however, a rumor that Van Gogh had fathered a peasant girl's illegitimate child caused the local priest to forbid his parishioners to pose for Vincent. Undaunted, Van Gogh turned to landscapes instead.

In 1885, Van Gogh decided he would try formal schooling again and enrolled at the academy in Antwerp. He reveled in the museums but found the lessons tedious. It was here that he discovered the work of Rubens and also discovered Japanese prints.

Van Gogh went to live with Theo in 1886 in Paris. He was at last confronted with the full impact of modern art and the work of contemporary painters, both Impressionists and post-Impressionists.

Impressed with the brighter palette of the Impressionists he continued to experiment with Impressionist styles, post-Impressionist, and Japanese-influenced painting. By the end of the two years spent in Paris, Vincent van Gogh had forged his own highly personal style.

ARLES

In early 1888 Van Gogh moved south to Arles, in Provence. He was attracted to the area because he believed the stronger light would enable him to paint more truthfully. His hope was to create a working community of artists who would revolutionize color.

Van Gogh was enchanted by the landscape around Arles and began to make a personal contribution to modern art with his daring, exaggerated color combinations. It was typical of his confidence in his work that Van Gogh chose not to try to sell any work until he had thirty top-class pictures with which to announce himself to the world.

His ambition for an artist's colony seemed to take a promising turn when Gauguin arrived to live with him in October 1888. By the end of the year, however, his hopes were shattered when the first signs of his illness appeared. Diagnosed as a kind of epilepsy, it was characterized by delusions and psychotic attacks. During these episodes, Van Gogh ate paint or dirt. He saw things. It was during one of these seizures that Van Gogh cut off his earlobe. Gauguin quickly moved out.


Vincent Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles - D'OrsayMuseum Paris - The painting shown here is actually one five versions he did: three oil on canvas and two letter sketches --- JohnBrody.com - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com
Vincent Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles - D'OrsayMuseum Paris - The painting shown here is actually one five versions he did: three oil on canvas and two letter sketches --- JohnBrody.com - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com

Final note from John: The photo below is one of my favorite works of van Gogh's. I was able to visit this site and was amazed that absolutely nothing had changed - The stairway was still there, the walls, the houses, the windows, everything. Other than a few repaired roofs and tree growth as will happen in 125 years, it was all the same. Standing in the same spot where VVG had to have been standing when it was painted, it was a strange and sad feeling since 20 feet to my right was the attic bedroom where Vincent last lived and also died. Walking to the right of the stairway and up a winding small town hillside road, you reach another location full of mixed feelings. It's the field where Wheatfield with Crows was painted, and also the field where, if the stories I read and also heard from the townsfolk were true, the field where he shot himself. He has buried next to his brother Theo in a peaceful countryside graveyard next to the wheat field. The end of a brief but memorable life.




SAINT-RÉMY

Van Gogh, hounded by the villagers in Arles for his illness, decided to move to nearby Saint-Rémy and check himself into the asylum as a voluntary patient. Thanks once more to Theo's continued support, the asylum wasn't so bad. Vincent had a bedroom and a room for a studio. The only treatment was "hydrotherapy" which consisted of two-hour long baths twice a week. When Vincent wasn't suffering from his illness, he was clear-headed and able to work on his art.

His use of intense color became more muted and his brushwork began to resemble the hatchings and scorings of graphic work. He had the beginnings of professional recognition here when two of his paintings were shown at the fifth exhibition of the Société des artistes indépendants.

Van Gogh made a large number of "translations in color" of prints by his favorite artists. These paintings were both good practice for Van Gogh and were consoling. In January of 1890, Van Gogh's first critical acclaim was published in an article by Albert Aurier who praised Van Gogh's work.


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Vincent van Gogh - Irises In A Vase 1890 also named 'Iris Dans Un Vase - Painted during his Saint-Remy stay at the sanitarium. Photographed in New York, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art -
 John Brody Photography - JohnBrody.com



AUVERS-SUR-OISE

Van Gogh left the asylum in May 1890 for the village of Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris. He stopped for a few days to visit his brother, Theo, his wife Joanna, and their infant son, Vincent Willem Van Gogh.

Van Gogh was only in Auvers for two months, but he produced around eighty paintings. But the burden of living had become too great to bear. On July 27, 1890, he shot himself in the chest. Two days later, he died of an infection caused by the bullet which hadn't been removed.

Van Gogh's funeral was attended by many of his artist friends and supporters—including Bernard, Laval, Lucien Pissarro and Père Tanguy. Bernard described how the coffin had been covered with yellow flowers "his favourite color ... a symbol of the light of which he dreamed both in his heart and in his work." Van Gogh was buried in a sunny spot among the wheat fields. Theo was heartbroken. A month later, he became ill and six months later, Theo died.

From that point on, Theo's young widow, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger became the champion and hero of Vincent's life. She returned to Holland with the collection of Van Gogh's art, which had been left to Theo, and dedicated herself to getting the recognition that Vincent van Gogh deserved.

Johanna wisely held Vincent's letters back from the public. She insisted on first having Van Gogh's stature as a master of modern art established. Finally, in 1914, she published the correspondence between the two brothers.

Vincent Van Gogh - Starry Starry Night 1889 - Museum of Modern Art, New York City - John Brody Photography --- JohnBrody.com
Starry Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh - Travel photo by John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com / John Brody - Click image for Hi-Res Version


Note on source of biography components: The text is largely from a Wikipedia article. Most of the images were taken by me (the D'Orsay in Paris a primary source, also the Met in NYC, the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and the Getty and Norton Simon in L.A.) The few that weren't my photos were downloaded from museums, the Vincent van Gogh museum in Amsterdam a primary source. None of the images are to be used for commercial purposes or resale. This is for interest or information only.


Note from Top photo above: The Stairway at Auvers is of one of my favorite works of van Gogh's. I was able to visit this site and was amazed that absolutely nothing had changed - The stairway was still there, the walls, the houses, the windows, everything. Other than a few repaired roofs and tree growth as will happen in 125 years, it was all the same. Standing in the same spot where VVG had to have been standing when it was painted, it was a strange and sad feeling since 20 feet to my right was the attic bedroom where Vincent last lived and then died. Walking up a winding small-town hillside road, you reach another location full of mixed feelings. It's the field where Wheatfield with Crows was painted, and also the field where, if the stories I read and also heard from the townsfolk were true, the field where he shot himself. He is buried next to his brother Theo in a peaceful countryside graveyard next to the wheat field. The end of a brief but memorable life.