Patrick Civello Photography: Blog

Palace of Fine Arts at Night

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 17:42:17 GMT

One of the most iconic structures in San Francisco, the Palace of Fine Arts was built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in order to exhibit works of art presented there. It is reminiscent of Roman ruins and is favorite home and layover for a variety of birds, including swans and Great Blue Herons. It is especially striking and luminous at night.

Photo Settings:

Canon 7D

Canon 17-55mm lens

f/16 @ 30 sec

ISO 100

Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco

Hawaiian Sunset

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 17:13:45 GMT

Spent a week in Hawaii on the Big Island north of Kona. The Mauna Lani Resort is gorgeous! It has a private beach with cabana chairs and hammocks. Hawaii is the one place in the world where I feel maximum relaxation. I got this shot as Gabby and I were enjoying a sunset stroll. I love the golden tones and the detail in the palm leaves.

Photo Settings:

Canon 7D

Canon 17-55mm lens

F/8 @ 1/250

Hawaiian Sunset

Yosemite Tunnel View

Tue, 19 Jul 2016 16:30:00 GMT

I took a quick family trip to Yosemite a few weeks ago. We visited many of the Yosemite Valley icons, including Bridlevail and Yosemite Falls in the morning, spent some time at the museum in Yosemite Village, and picnicked near the Merced River for a late lunch. Afterwards, we drove an hour up to Glacier Point for the fantastic view (future post), and finished the day with this late afternoon vista as seen from the famous Tunnel View. This valley panorama showcases the icons El Capitan, Bridlevail falls, the Three Brothers, Cathedral Spires, and Half Dome. No matter how many times I see it, it still gives me the chills. What a masterpiece of nature!

Photo settings:

Canon 7D
Canon 17-55mm lens
f/8 @ 1/250

Yosemite Tunnel View

San Francisco View from Grand Hyatt hotel

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 23:16:59 GMT

Last week I spent a beautiful summer day doing a photowalk through San Francisco. I did some online research on great photo spots in the city, and learned from another photoblog about the fantastic view from atop the Grand Hyatt hotel. The post was from a few years ago, and stated the view was from a restaurant on the top floor, for which the photographer had to surreptitiously sneak around and setup his tripod for a shot. As such, I did not hold out much hope for getting a photo, but decided to try my luck anyway. So I hiked from the Embarcadero to the hotel, hopped in the elevator, and was whisked to the 36th floor. I peeked around the corner of the elevator and expected a hostess or some other such guard to sabotage my quest or only let me shoot the view in exchange for a hundred-dollar cafe au lait and a croissant. As it turns out, luck was on my side-the restaurant was not there, but the view was! Apparently the restaurant had been moved to the first floor and the space converted into a huge meeting space, complete with wall-to-wall windows showcasing the beautiful SF skyline. I was so pleased that there were no obstacles to traverse, no sneaking around to get my shot, and no four-figure pastries to purchase. I walked around the space, gaping at the magnificent 180 degree views of the city. This shot here showcases the downtown and North Beach areas of the city, including the iconic TransAmerica Pyramid and Coit Tower.

San Miguel Mission Church, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Fri, 04 Mar 2016 19:14:20 GMT

Santa Fe is a wonderful city for photographers. The quality of the light and thin air at elevation produce deep, saturated colors of landscapes and architecture. The city is know for its distinctive photogenic pueblo and Spanish architecture; some of the other highlights include the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Palace of the Governors, and the Loreto Chapel. The city was founded by Spanish colonists in 1610 and is the oldest state capital in the United States and the oldest city in New Mexico. While attending a three-day photography workshop there sponsored by Great Escape Publishing, one of our daily assignments was to explore the city and shoot photos for portfolio critiques. I captured this shot of the San Miguel Mission Church during the golden hour. The church is s Spanish colonial mission style church built between 1610 and 1626, and is claimed to be the oldest church in the United States. It was damaged during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and rebuilt in 1710 following the Spanish reconquest, serving afterwards as a chapel for Spanish soldiers. The wooden reredos, or altarpieces were added in 1798 and includes a wooden statue of St. Michael dating to 1709. Even though the church has been rebuilt numerous times, the original adobe walls are largely intact.

What I like about this shot is the luminous quality of the adobe walls, the wispy clouds, and the shadow of a tree on the right wall. The camera settings are as as follows:

Camera	Canon XSI
Lens	Canon 17-55mm
ISO	200
Focal Length	17mm
Aperture	f/8
Shutter Speed	1/200
Altitude	7,199 ft

Cathedral Beach Sunrise, Yosemite

Sat, 30 Jan 2016 18:23:22 GMT

On a Meetup trip a few years back, our group of shutterbugs spent a glorious few days shooting sunrise and sunset shots of Yosemite icons. The location here is Cathedral Beach, which is named for two rocky spires nearby- Cathedral Spires- which resemble the twin towers of a Gothic Cathedral. The beach is easy to miss as it is marked by a small sign and dirt road leading off the Yosemite Valley loop road. The difficulty of finding the spot makes it a less crowded option for swimming, picnics, etc. It was a fun shoot despite the early morning frigid temperatures. I love the abstract quality of the reflections of the trees on the shore and the branches in the water juxtaposed with El Capitan. Camera settings:

Camera	Canon 5D
Lens	Canon 16-35mm
ISO	100
Focal Length	35mm
Aperture	f/16
Shutter Speed	0.5 sec

Cathedral Beach Sunrise, Yosemite.

Great Wall of China

Sat, 09 Jan 2016 16:27:25 GMT

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, and wood that winds for more than 5,500 miles across China from Dandong in the east to Lop Lake in the west. Complete with guard towers & walkways, the wall was opened in 206 B.C. as protection from raids and invasions from the various nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe.Today, the only invaders are tourists, and on a tour of China several years ago, my brother and I visited the Badaling section. Near Zhangjiakou, Badaling is the most famous stretch of the Wall. It was the first section to be opened to the public in the People's Republic of China, and serves as the showpiece stretch for foreign dignitaries. It is the most commonly visited and best maintained of the many sections of the wall, which are in various states of disrepair across the country. One thrilling, less-maintained section is the Simatai stretch, located northeast of Beijing, which boasts precipitous drops and glorious vistas, and is a good section to hike over a couple of days. My brother and I hiked the Simatai section and actually camped on the Wall. Not a very comfortable way to spend the night, but it was thrilling to experience sunrise atop one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In this photo, I wanted to give a perspective that invites the viewer to take a walk back in time on this magnificent wonder of the ancient world.

Great Wall of China.

Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Cusco, Peru

Sun, 03 Jan 2016 17:00:00 GMT

While visiting Peru, my home base before hiking the Inca Trail was the ancient Incan capital of Cuzco. This ancient city stands at 11,200 feet high in the Andes mountains, and was the capital of the Inca empire before being conquered by the Spanish in 1537. The main area of the city is the Plaza de Armas, which is dominated by the Cathedral of Santo Domingo. This beautiful Gothic-Rennaisance style cathedral was built in 1654, and is a prime example of churches built during the Spanish conquest of South America. Most of the stones from the cathedral were taken from Saqsaywaman, an Inca holy and defensive structure located on the hills above Cusco. The cathedral has become a major repository of Cusco's colonial art, and holds many archaeological artifacts and relics. The cathedral was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the City of Cuzco listing in 1983.

Photo of the Day - Golden Gate Golden Hour

Sat, 02 Jan 2016 17:00:00 GMT

A couple of days ago, I headed over to Baker Beach in the Presidio area of San Francisco to get a nice sunset shot of the Golden Gate Bridge. I wanted to get a photo with the white-capped surf crashing against the rocks, maybe some reflections of the bridge towers in the wet sand, and have the bridge in all its glowing majesty in the background. When I arrived, I felt fortunate to have such beautiful light and conditions! There was an eclectic crowd in attendance, complete with tourists, native San Franciscans, couples hand in hand sauntering along the sand, as well as the obligatory naked people soaking up the sun or taking a dip in the bracing water. The section of Baker Beach closest to the bridge is an unofficial nude beach, so the photographer gets a mixed bag along with the fantastic view. I setup in a few different spots and thought about clambering over the rocks at the end of the beach (while toting my monster tripod) to see what was on the other side. I decided to stay put, however, after watching a fellow photographer trying to unsuccessfully scale the outcropping. After playing tag with the tide and trying to avoid getting myself and my tripod soaked, I snapped several frames. My settings for this shot were my aperture at f8 and 1/320 shutter speed with a 17-55 mm Canon lens set at 50 mm with ISO 100. As you can imagine, I was rather pleased with the results.

Golden Gate Bridge at Sunset

Cinque Terre, Italy

Sun, 27 Dec 2015 22:45:00 GMT

A very popular tourist destination, the Cinque Terre is a rugged coastal area of the Italian Riviera located in the Liguria region of Italy. "The Five Lands" comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Part of the charm of these villages is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach the villages from the outside. Several years ago, while vacationing in the city of Vernazza, I was on my way out to dinner at sunset when I spied this harbor scene bathed in golden light. Knowing I had little time before the light faded, I quickly surveyed the scene and snapped off a few shots. The rich, golden light only lasted a couple of minutes. I was absolutely at the right place at the right time, and was so thankful I brought my camera to dinner!

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

Sat, 21 Nov 2015 18:57:11 GMT

After finishing a summer internship with the US State Department in Paris several years ago, I spent a couple of weeks touring Italy, Greece, and Egypt. During my tour, I discovered that one of my favorite places on Earth is Rome. I love the Eternal City! The history, the architecture, the magnificent ruins, the fabulous food, the famous fountains, and the overall joie de vivre of the Romans was enchanting. Some of my favorite daytime photography subjects in the city included the view of the Forum and Coliseum from the Capitoline Museum, and Vatican City. At night, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the Piazza Navonna with its beautifully lit Bernini fountains flanking the ancient space ringed with cafes and artists' stalls, as well as the magnificence and romance surrounding the spectacle of the Trevi Fountain. It is certainly a stunning city, and I was amazed at how the well the ruins from different epochs fit harmoniously together, and how Rome can still modernize without sacrificing its past.

For this photo, I was lucky to have my hotel right near the entrance to Vatican City. After touring the Vatican and admiring the School of Athens by Raphael and the divine Sistine ceiling of Michelangelo, I wandered around the Vatican enclosure and snapped this shot with a Nikon film camera and a 24-120 lens. The view is stunning, but I remember that I was looking for something unique to include in the foreground, something to make the shot standout from other generic photos of this sacred space. At that moment, two nuns dressed in white passed by, and I hurriedly snapped the shot before they exited the frame. I would like to think the coincidence was divinely inspired.

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.

Yosemite Sunset

Fri, 13 Nov 2015 17:22:29 GMT

I captured this shot at sunset during a Meetup trip to Yosemite a few years ago. I spent a few days there with a fantastic group. Our shoot itinerary included Horsetail Falls, Cathedral Beach, Yosemite Falls, and Valley View. When we arrived at the Valley View location, I was stunned to see so many photographers! Their tripods were strewn along the riverbank like an army of insects getting ready to invade the park! I remember everyone was jockeying for position, taking test shots, trying to setup the best composition. After neurotically moving closer to the river then off to the left, then right, and then back again, I finally settled on a reasonably centered perspective. It was pretty cold as well, with snow on the ground and the temperature hovering somewhere in the 40-degree range. Everyone was bundled up, with coats, gloves, and scarves, and I was wearing some gloves with cutoff fingers and a removable mitten flap so that I could manipulate the camera settings. I used a Canon 5D Mark II with a 16-35mm Canon lens, and my aperture set at F22 in aperture priority mode.

I spent a good thirty minutes or so constantly uncovering, blowing on, and then covering up my freezing fingers while I adjusted my camera settings. It seemed like an eternity, waiting for the sun to set, bouncing around to keep warm and noticing the steamy breath of my fellow shutterbugs on the shore. Finally, the rays of the sun started to descend across the valley, lighting up the seven sisters, Half Dome, and El Capitan. I remember I let out a whoop as the sunset show began. I thoroughly enjoyed this spectacular scene as the sun's rays slowly crept across this magnificent valley, bathing these iconic granite monoliths in a deep orange glow.

Eiffel Tower, Trocadero, Paris

Tue, 03 Nov 2015 01:02:28 GMT

As a foreign service intern with the US State Department several years ago, I was like a kid in a candy store with all the travel opportunities and photography subjects Europe has to offer. Paris obviously abounds with photography subjects; from the bounty of ancient to modern architectural gems to the ample street photography opportunities, this city is a photographer’s dream. On this particular night I was on a mission to get a keeper shot of the Eiffel Tower at night. Years earlier I had spent a few days in Paris but my photography skills were not nearly as developed. As a result, after gallivanting around the city all night with a film camera and shooting all the postcard sites without a tripod, I was greatly anticipating my award-winning photos once I got them developed back in the States. Much to my chagrin, however, the majority of my night photos were underexposed. In fact, I did not have a good Eiffel Tower at night shot in the whole bunch! That day I made a promise to myself that if I ever returned to Paris I would know what I was doing with a camera and get that shot. Little did I know that I would not get another opportunity for another thirteen years.

Fast-forward thirteen years to a cloudless, balmy, night in the City of Light. I took the Metro to Trocadero, strolled around the grounds, and then spotted a viewing deck in the distance. Amidst the throngs of tourists and amorous Parisians, I had the good fortune to find an open space on the ledge of the deck directly across from the tower. I used a gorilla pod to steady my Nikon SLR and 24-120 lens, closed down my aperture, and used a slow shutter speed. The result was this frame with the magnificent, golden tower in the distance and the milky fountains bathed in blue in the foreground. It took thirteen years, but it was so worth it.

Eiffel Tower from Trocadero.

Sunset, Alexandria, Egypt

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 17:15:48 GMT

On a trip through Egypt several years ago, I spent the day in Alexandria touring ancient sites and sampling flavored tobacco at a local hookah cafe. As my two guides and I were visiting the area where the famous Pharos Lighthouse once stood- one of the ancient wonders of the world-, we meandered over to a bridge overlooking this amazing sunset scene complete with a lighthouse on the right and the famous Al-Haramlik Palace on the left. In the foreground is the patio of an outdoor restaurant with some patrons enjoying a sunset swim in the harbor. Unfortunately, I did not have a tripod with me, so I quickly set my Nikon with a 24-120mm lens on the bridge, opened up my aperture, and was fortunate to capture this frame before the sun set behind the lighthouse. I love the relaxed feel and rich hues of this photo, including orange, yellow, red, and some green hues above the lighthouse. It was such a balmy, laid-back evening, which capped off a whirlwind country tour in which I visited Cairo, Memphis, and Alexandria. I had the good sense to reserve a couple of guides while in Athens, and they were fantastic. They took me through the Pyramids at Giza; I had special access to the Cairo Museum (loved the mummy room), the museum at Memphis, and the new library in Alexandria. I was lucky to visit the country before the recent turmoil, but I hope to return someday to this beautiful, ancient land of the pharaohs.

Alexandria, Egypt, at sunset.

Lake Pukaki and Mt. Cook, New Zealand

Tue, 20 Oct 2015 05:15:47 GMT

On a five-week hiking and photography odyssey through New Zealand in 2009, I had the good fortune to book a bus trip from Christchurch to Queenstown, where I traversed the glorious Mackenzie Basin of the South Island. I remember being enraptured at the astounding natural beauty of this country of 4.4 million people, of which only 1 million inhabit the South Island. I remember gazing out the left side of the bus, and seeing rolling, green pastureland dotted with sheep, while on the right, I was in awe at the majesty of the Southern Alps, with Mt. Cook, dominating the horizon at 12,218 feet. Edmund Hillary, the first climber to scale Mt. Everest, practiced on Mt. Cook before his historic ascent in 1953.

A key feature of this region are the iridescent, turquoise-colored glacial lakes, commonly referred to as the Southern Lakes, which include Lake Pukaki, Lake Tekapo, Lake Wanaka and and Lake Wakatipu, among others. Peter Jackson used this area three times as the backdrop for scenes from his Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, with Lake Pukaki being used as the surrounding area for Lake Town in “The Hobbit, the Desolation of Smaug”.

The surreal light-blue color of these lakes results from the glacial silt runoff that carries finely ground rock particles called glacial flour. The bus driver was kind enough to stop at a few of these glimmering blue jewels, but this shot was actually captured from the window with my Canon Rebel XT and a 17mm-55mm lens, as we meandered through this magical picture postcard landscape.

Lake Pukaki with Mt. Cook, New Zealand.

Emerald Lakes, Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 03:14:08 GMT

Several years ago on a five-week hiking trip through New Zealand, I was fortunate enough to pick a glorious day to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, near Lake Taupo on the North Island. It is one of the most popular day hikes in the entire country and is a World Heritage Site. It was a lucky day because the winds can often be too strong, the wind chill factor too high, and the weather too unpredictable to allow a successful hike of the 12.1 mile trail, which is located at 3,670 feet. Much of the walk is characterized by sharp-edged new volcanic rock or loose and shifting tephra. There are three active volcanoes on the trail- Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe, and Mount Ruapehu-and the terrain reflects this volcanic activity. Solidified lava flows, loose tephra, and solidified lava flows abound on this lunar landscape. Large amounts of minerals are brought to the surface and are highly visible in the palette of reds, oranges, purples, yellows, and greens which paint the rocks and ridges. Active fumaroles can be found on several sections of the walk, which are constantly emitting steam and sulphur dioxide gas into the air and depositing yellow sulphur patches around their edges. The lakes and pools on the walk are deeply colored by the volcanic minerals dissolved in them, especially the famous Emerald Lakes.

On this day, after enjoying lunch at the snow-capped summit of Mount Tongariro, I was trudging over a gusting wind-whipped ridge, when this awe-inspiring view came into sight. I was struck by the variation of colors in the landscape and the by the surreal quality of the these aquamarine jewels in the stark, Martian landscape. After fighting with the wind to get my tripod setup and stable, and trying to avoid slipping on the loose scree underfoot, I got this shot which nicely captures the colorful otherworldly terrain of this special place, which was also used extensively to represent Mordor in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

Fri, 09 Oct 2015 00:08:20 GMT

While on a bus trip several years ago from Christchurch to Queenstown on the picturesque South Island of New Zealand, the driver was kind enough to stop by the iridescent Lake Tekapo. I was able to capture this frame with a group of tourists in the lower left of the photo for scale, which also served to balance the composition with the tree on the lower right. It was truly a glorious moment to witness the striking setting of the luminous lake in the foreground with the magnificent Southern Alps in the background. The turquoise color of the water is created by glacial silt runoff that is suspended at the surface of the water and reflects the sky. Lake Tekapo is the second-largest of three roughly parallel lakes running north–south along the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island of New Zealand (the others are Lake Pukaki and Lake Ohau). It covers an area of 83 square kilometres (32 sq. mi), and is at an altitude of 700 metres (2,300 ft) above sea level.The lake is fed at its northern end by the braided Godley River, which has its source in the Southern Alps to the north. The lake is a popular tourist destination, and several resort hotels are located at the township of Lake Tekapo at the lake's southern end.