74/365 challenge

CEVA rail link opened the doors for a day ... and children found a new playground to enjoy themselves

The CEVA project is the outcome of a joint venture involving the Canton of Geneva and SBB/CFF (Swiss Federal Railways). Construction work of the 16km CEVA rail link got underway in November 2011 and was expected to be completed in 2017. This week-end CEVA organized an open-house of some of the stations and tunnels. 

If you want to see more pictures of the same CEVA series go to the "Construction/ Industrial" page on this website

73/365 challenge

Arganzuela Bridge by French Architect Dominique Perraud, built 2012

The burying underground of the highway that ran along the edges of the Manzanares river provided the opportunity to open up a new urban territory to the inhabitants of Madrid: the Manzanares Park. A series of bridges over the river allow passage from one side of the park to the other. Designed to link the neighborhoods on the right and left banks of the river, the Arganzuela Footbridge is the longest of all the bridges across the river.

Canon 5d Mark III, Lense: Canon Tilt & Shift 17 mm, ISO 100, 

72/365 challenge

Madrid Río

Madrid Río Urban Project: In January 2008, the Madrid Río project was unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Madrid. Due to the move underground of a large section of Madrid's inner ring-road, the M-30, 820 hectares along the Manzanares River have been converted into a long park, including an urban beach, rowing lanes on the river, walks, bicycle paths, kiosks, cafés and restaurants, terraces, cultural and sports facilities, areas for pensioners and children's play areas.

Here in the evening, after a day working in the city, people enjoy running around Madrid Río.

Canon 5D MarkIII, Lense: Canon Tilt&Shift 17mm

71/365 challenge

Lights  and Shadows a the (former) Slaughterhouse

Matadero Madrid is a former slaughterhouse converted to an arts centre. Built in 1911, it is one of the most singular industrial establishments of 20th-century Madrid architecture. The buildings were in use as a slaughterhouse until 1996 when  Madrid City Council decided to turn this space into a laboratory for contemporary artistic creation.

Architect: Luis Bellido

The beauty of the place is the conceptual simplicity of it all and the faboulous shadows reflected on the pavement if you go there around midday on a very sunny day. 

70/365 challenge

Today it was a special day since a friend from childhood came to visit after many years of not seeing each other. Here after the party at the family living room, after the last visitor left before midnight. Everything looks emptier after a party...

Canon EOS 5D MarkIII, Canon Tilt and Shift 17mm, ISO 500, shutter speed 1/10, f/5 filter for "canvass effect" added in Photoshop

69/365 challenge

Up and Down

Caixa Forum by Swiss Architects Herzog & de Meuron is already an iconic building in Madrid. It holds two wonderful sets of stairs on the inside, an extravagant vertical garden on one of its fassades and sculptural metalic entry level. 

On the picture a school class running up and down the magnificent white staircase, breaking the usual tranquility of the place.

Canon EOS 5dMark III, Canon Tilt &Shift 17mm, ISO 160, f/8, shutter speed; half a second. 

68/365 challenge

Shadows dressing architectural spaces

A pattern of shadows, under a glass fassade, pure magic in one of Madrid's main roads. We had a splendid end of summer light throught the day, perfect for photography. Thanks to my unknown model, a perfect match for my pattern.

My handy mini Lumix did an extremely good job. 

50mm, f/4,shutter speed 1/500 ISO 80

67/365 challenge

Madrid runs

Madrid corre por Madrid (Madrid runs through/for Madrid is a run through Madrid most beautiful streets. I litterally ran into this running crowd totally unaware of this event, as I was looking for quiet places on a Sunday morning. I took the challenge, and was pleased to discover interesting patterns of lights and shadows, plus some diagonal movement which gave a special dynamic to the picture. 

Canon 5dMark III, f/8 1/320, ISO 100. Lense: Canon TS 17mm

66/365 challenge

Llegadas (Arrivals)

Arriving tonight at the old Terminal 2 at Madrid-Barajas Airport, which looks quite derelict in comparison with the flamboyant Terminal 4. Dim lights and run-down fassades don't look excesively welcoming. although I really like the yellow color. I was lucky to have my familly picking me up.

Canon 5D MarkIII, Canon 85mm lense

65/365 challenge

H2O

Playing around with my camera trying to get some drops of water. Not an easy task. One has to persevere, well, I guess as in everything in life.

Nikon d3300, Nikon 35mm lense, Flash, 200 ISO, shutter speed: 1/200, f/8

64/365 challenge

A night at the Victoria Hall

Today we had the great pleasure of listening to Russian classics by the St. Petersburg Philarmonic Orchestra. The public was totally thrilled. Me too ! 

The venue: The Victoria Hall was designed by the Geneva architect, John Camoletti, built between 1891-94. Its façade is characteristic of the French "Beaux-Arts" style, inspired by classical and renaissance architecture. A quite simply decorated foyer leaves concert-goers totally unprepared for the decorative extravagance of the auditorium in a neo-baroque style verging on the rococo.

Canon 5dmarkIII, Tokina Fish Eye Lense 10-17mm, Iso 2500, f/4,  1/13   light conditions were quite dfficult, and in the absence of tripod I had to adjust the other parameters, the result wasn't as sharp as I wished. 

63/365 challenge

Portrait: François Revaclier, Actor

Swiss-French actor François Revaclier after his outstanding performance of "Le Poisson Belge" in the Alchimic Theater, Geneva, Switzerland.  A must see if you are in Geneva. 

62/365 challenge

Unexpected playground

This colourful passageway is located in some of Geneva's busiest aereas, crowded during peak hours from the outside, it is quite peaceful from the inside. The structures and the differengt colours make it look almost like a playground. 

Photographed with my little Lumix-Panasonic automatic camera

61/365 challenge

With my fish-eye through the night. Geneva

Night life in my neighourhood is not really exciting, just the odd  car and passer-by. I took my tokina Fish eye to give a more interesting touch to the pic and just waited till some movement arose in the empty streets.

Canon 5dmark III, Tokina 10-17 mmm, fisheye at 14mm, 1/13 seconds aperture, f/4 ISO 6400

60/365 challenge

Neoclassic meets pop art...

At the Journées du Patrimoine you get to discover all hidden secrets. Here a beautiful staircase boasting a great reflection on the floor, a black and white classic game of ligfts and shadows

Taken with my Tilt and Shift Lense, Canon TS 17, ISO 100, f/10, 1/20, handheld

59/365 challenge

Classic elegance

Following the golden rule of photography with this very classy Staircase. This week-end  Geneva celebrated Les Journées du Patrimoine, an European day when you get the chance to visit private houses and other architectural hidden places. 

This staircase belongs to a private residence close to the Old Town.

Canon 5d MarkIII, 24-105mm

58/365 challenge

After swimming, nude photography

First try at nude shooting. Wasn't sure about posting it, but I am so thrilled with the picture that I wanted to share it and to make it the pic of the day for my challenge. Thanks to my beautiful model as well. 

Taken on the boat after swimming on a very sunny afternoon with my Canon 5d mark III and my lense 24-105 mm. ISO 100, shutter speed: 1/1250, f/4

57/365 challenge

A Mario Botta creation, Geneva

The Julius Bär bank in Geneva was designed by Mario Botta (b. 1943), an internationally renowned Swiss architect from Ticino, the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. He is  known for using relatively inexpensive traditional materials, such as bricks, and simple geometric forms, like circles, squares and rectangles, in multiple combinations.  One of his best known works is the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco (1995).  

Taken with my little Lumix automatic and edited with PS

56/365 challenge

Le Cirque KNIE is in town!

We can enjoy the wonderful KNIE Circus in Geneva for one more week. I liked the happy colors on this very sunny day. There is a mini circus zoo to visit as well. KNIE is a Swiss Circus, almost 100 years old. They give 340 shows a year !

Taken with my little LUMIX in landscape mode, final touch with PS

55/365 challenge

Stolen portrait.

I was having lunch on the peaceful terrace of the Ariana Museum and some visitors came in to take some pics of the views. I though she looked so interesting on her attire, and the lights were so special that I couldn't resist the occasion.

Photographed at the Musée Ariana, devoted to ceramic and glass artwork with around 20,000 objects from the last 1,200 years: Built between 1877 and 1884, the museum is shaped by Neo-Classical and Neo-Baroque elements. It was built to house the private collection of the Swiss art collector and patron Gustave Revilliod, who named it after his mother, Ariane de la Rive, and later bequeathed it to the city of Geneva.

Lumix- panasonic automatic camera