pichettejennings

April 4, 2016

A different landscape…

by mjpichette

We’re in Switzerland this week. Back in the old neighbourhood (Vevey / Montreux) for work and to visit friends. When we lived here we never tired of the views. The Swiss Riviera is just stunning! This week I’ll be posting photos of a different landscape, and hopefully some street scenes. It has been overcast since we arrived, but warmer than Brighton. The colours on offer are shades of blue and grey… hopefully we’ll get some sun later this week. Until then, I hope you enjoy the view.

Sailboat and mountains
The Commune of Montreux keeps the lakeside in full bloom throughout the year
Weeping willow lakeside

Here are a few shots I took while walking from Clarens to Montreux. We boarded the General Guisan at the Port of Montreux and cruised around the lake for a couple of hours. One of our favourite things to do!

I love the reflections you see on the lake
Château Chillion
Château Chillion
Villeneuve
This tree had its own island
I just loved the colours here

While strolling along the lake in Vevey today…

Back soon with more flowers and some street scenes…

8 Comments
April 1, 2016

An unconventional stroll by the sea…

by mjpichette

This shot was a gift. As we walked out of the house yesterday, I saw this young gentleman practicing his parkour skills on the rail. Luckily, I had my camera with me. There is a double triumph here. He is able to stroll along the rail with ease… I was able to get my camera out fast enough to document it! I didn’t actually change the contrast here. The sun had already taken care of that for me.

A young man walking along a rail at the seaside

Parkour Triumph!

Here are some more photos of his practice.

Practice
Makes
Perfect!

It is amazing what we can see just outside our door!

16 Comments
March 31, 2016

Two lonely feathers among the stones…

by mjpichette

 

Standing Up
Lying Down

 

 

 

 

3 Comments
March 30, 2016

On the Edge

by mjpichette

For these shots, I tried to line up several visual lines against an edge. It wasn’t always easy to choose which edge to focus on…

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Edge of the Promenade, Edge of the World

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Edge of the Sea

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Between the Huts

We were in London this past weekend and were able to avoid Storm Katie… This bench was not so lucky!

Storm Window
Find the Right Angle

Three views of the West Pier from under an old beach shelter

West Pier
Shelter

I just love the texture created by peeling paint…

Brunswick Square in Focus
Railing in Focus

Another shot of my favourite building…

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Courtenay Terrace

11 Comments
March 29, 2016

Glass

by mjpichette

Candle from Iceland
Handmade water glass from Kamakura, Japan
Sake glasses and candles
Sake glass with gold leaf
Taken with a slow flash
Taken with a fill flash

I started collecting handmade glass when I lived in Japan, and most of what I have is from that time. The glass candle holder is from Iceland. I love the way the glass plays with the light.

Reflection of living room lights on a very dirty window
Brighton pier is in the background

We live right on the seafront, which is mostly good, but also especially windy and cold in winter. Also, the windows are constantly covered with sea spray. Here are some pictures of the Brighton Pier at night through a very dirty window. You can see the reflection of things  on the wall in our living room.

 

5 Comments
March 29, 2016

Precious

by mjpichette

Handmade wedding rings with their boxes
Side by Side
Local wood and silver
A surprise of reflected light
It was a joy to help design our rings!

Paul and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary this Easter weekend. It seemed only fitting to choose our wedding rings as our Treasure. Our rings were designed by a local artist in Lausanne, Switzerland. They are made from silver and local wood, and we had the pleasure of helping to design them. The boxes that hold them are made from the same wood.

4 Comments
March 25, 2016

Palmeira Square

by mjpichette

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It Feels Like Spring Today

It’s Good Friday today. The first day of the Easter holidays and the first day it has really felt like spring. It is still a bit chilly, but the promenade is full of people walking, and families are enjoying the beach… Perhaps that is why the nearby park at Palmeira Square is almost deserted today.

5 Comments
March 24, 2016

A Good Book and a Glass of Wine

by mjpichette

Small angel figure on windowsill with view of sea

Angel by the seaside

I wanted to take this little angel outside for her photoshoot, but it started to rain. So here she is sitting on the windowsill. After that she came in for a glass of wine.

Big Books

Tiny Angel

Medium Books

Medium Sized Angel

Small Books

Big Angel

And here are the stars of the show… Books and wine glasses of various sizes!

Angel with a variety of wine glasses and books

I paired the angel with different sizes of books and wine glasses to make her appear smaller or larger.

4 Comments
March 23, 2016

Moment & Motion

by mjpichette

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Getting an interesting shot of a subject in motion was really challenging! I tried panning my camera across the scene to follow this bicyclist. I’m pretty happy with this shot, but it took dozens of attempts before I could get anything decent. There were lots of cyclists out tonight… so lots of opportunity to practice photographing people in motion.

5 Comments
March 22, 2016

Monochromania

by mjpichette

I love this exterior spiral staircase
The staircase from another angle
View of the beach-side face of the building
This rock wall separates the building from the bike path
Much-photographed for their colours, these Victorian houses and beach huts also look great in monochrome!

I didn’t have far to walk today… these houses, which were built in 1840, are just next door. I am especially enamoured with spiral staircases. The Victorian houses in the last picture also have spiral fire escapes running up the sides. I do like the houses, but I think I like the photo of the wall the best.

5 Comments
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