Looking a bit quiet

Santorini is an awfully popular place, but even it can be quiet during the off-season.

Personally, I really preferred it quiet and nearly empty (late February). No trinket shops were open, the open restaurants were ones the locals liked, and we had no crowds to deal with.

EXIF:
Olympus E-M1III, M.Zuiko 8-25mm Pro lens
f/11, 8mm, 1/320 sec, ISO 200

Temple of Apollo

One of the marquis attractions at the ancient ruins of Delphi in Greece:

Temple of Apollo

According to tradition, this is actually the 5th temple built to honor Apollo at Delphi, being erected in 510 BC. Even then, it had to be reconstructed in 330 BC after an earthquake, and then partially restored after its destruction by Roman emperor Theodosius I in AD 390. The famous oracle at Delphi was centered on a subterranean chamber below this temple.

EXIF:
Olympus E-M1III, M.Zuiko 8-25mm f/4
f/11, 13mm, 1/80 sec, ISO 200

Ready for an audience

The Tholos of Delphi, an ancient structure in the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia in Delphi, Greece.

Ready for an audience

Originally domed, the Tholos (circular temple) of Delphi would have been seen by a visitor before they reached the Temple of Apollo (thus the sanctuary’s appellation Pronaia, “before” the temple). It originally had twenty Doric columns on its exterior diameter (three have been reconstructed for modern visitors), and ten Corinthian columns on its interior diameter.

The Tholos was built between 380 and 360 BC, and badly damaged in antiquity — first by earthquakes, and later by people salvaging its stonework for building material. Its original purpose is currently unknown.

EXIF:
Olympus E-M1III, M.Zuiko 8-25mm f/4 Pro lens
ISO 200, 25mm, f/7.1, 1/200 sec

A Tale of Two Grips

The Olympus OM-D E-M5III can be the basis of a fantastic small photography system. You get good performance and good features (including weathersealing) in a lightweight, compact package.

But for those of us with larger hands, an E-M5III can be a little too compact.

E-M5III in-hand

And then, of course, people have been reporting problems with the durability of the camera’s mounting plate. So, both usability and camera protection could drive you to adding some sort of grip to an E-M5III. But preferably not something large and/or heavy enough to make the camera as big as its larger brothers in the E-M1 series. Continue reading

Row on Row

Since today (8 May) is the 75th anniversary of VE day, I thought it would be a fitting time to post this photo (taken 2 days before the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings) from the Normandy American Cemetery, near Colleville-sur-Mer in France. The tombstones of Medal of Honor winners are distinguished by the gold leaf lining their engravings. Front and center in this shot is the grave of Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. — eldest son of President Theodore Roosevelt.
Row on Row
Gen. Roosevelt was the only general to land by sea on D-Day with the first wave of troops — and at 56, was the oldest man in the invasion. Despite arthritis and a heart condition, he led the assault on Utah Beach. He died a little over one month later of a heart attack. His brother Quentin (who was killed during World War I) is buried just to the left of him in this shot.