catedrales y cigüeñas

Image | February 18, 2024February 18, 2024 | andy townend

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all
– Emily Dickinson

Taking advantage of some mid February sunshine I took a walk yesterday from the centre of Salamanca along the banks of the Tormes river to the Isla del Soto, these images are from the start of that walk and feature some of the beautiful architecture of Salamanca, the golden stone and the cigüeñas that seem to make every rooftop their own. More images from the banks of the river to follow…

room with a view, open plan accommodation for two to three families…

domes and antenna mast (those who know my history may recall my ‘thing’ about TV distribution…)

dark thoughts…

homecoming…

x marks the spot…

penthouse suite…

caught on the balcony…

you lookin’ at me?

stoned…

are you sitting comfortably? (note – this is through the locked gates of an interesting museum to which I will return…)

dome (and this time) dishes…

imposing…

hidden…

*All images made with Nikon D850 and AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm 1:2.8E FL ED VR lens, and some glorious February sunshine!*

random wanderings

Image | October 21, 2023October 21, 2023 | andy townend

Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in
― Robert Frost

(Sometimes)

This city is where I live, as to where my home is, that’s a moot point.

Random shots on a cold autumnal day in Salamanca.

A practice shoot for a portfolio I am planning, over on salamancastreets.

*All images made with Nikon D700 and Nikon AF-S 50mm 1.4G lens – a blast from the past*

shades of salamanca

Image | September 18, 2020 | andy townend

It comes to this: like all of us who have not yet died of plague he fully realizes that his freedom and his life may be snatched from him at any moment”
― Albert Camus

The streets of Salamanca stay muted as Covid-19 shows little sign of receding – although even in the darkest shadows light can be found.

A brief snapshot of the streets of Salamanca in September as the summer slides slowly towards the autumn. The outcome of my latest experimentation with the settings on my Nikon D850 and AF-S Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 E VR lens.

More to follow.

Wherever you are, stay safe and look for the light in the shadows…

*Images made with Nikon D850 and AF-S Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 E VR lens*

plaza

March 18, 2018March 18, 2018 | andy townend

Another shot at this week’s WordPress prompt on the theme of ‘I’d rather be’ which features the streets of Salamanca, words by Murakami and some unedited mono photos from me and my trusty old Olympus OM10.

salamancastreets

“Look at the rain long enough, with no thoughts in your head, and you gradually feel your body falling loose, shaking free of the world of reality. Rain has the power to hypnotize.”
― Haruki Murakami, South of the Border, West of the Sun

We often spend time wondering who, where, or perhaps what we are.

What we’d rather be.

Maybe, our lives would be better if we simply accepted who we are, where we are.

And what we have.

Let the rain wash over us, cleanse us.

Make us whole again.

And maybe then, we’d rather not need to be anything that we are not.

Already.