View from the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France.

View from the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France.
Originally uploaded by ingrr.

I have a scarcely concealed obsession with aerial images. I just ADORE them. Given half a chance I'd float around above cities, towns, national parks and what have you...just shooting rafts of images no one really wants. I suppose because in a way, the abstraction of it starts to remind me of maps. If you were here, high up on the Eiffel Tower, you too could plot the twists and turns of narrow Paris streets, follow commuters home from one pool of light to the next, and wonder what goes on in the tiny courtyards and alleys barely in view.

Sunset, Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park, Wa.

Sunset, Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park, Wa.
Originally uploaded by ingrr.

One of the best/worst things about shooting until well after sunset is being the last person on the beach. It can be a little spooky to walk through the darkness to your car parked in a wide, empty lot. Sometimes though, you have company. On my way back up the hill to my car this night. I half-saw a shape swooping along above me. A moment later, another one. Waitaminnit. The next bat nearly hit me square in the forehead, before zooming past above me. They jerk around erratically in the sky, exactly like the little rubber bats on elastic strings that they sell around halloween. Only these ones are aiming for your head.

Bixby Bridge, Big Sur, California.

Bixby Bridge, Big Sur, California.
Originally uploaded by ingrr.

I couldn't resist posting one more Big Sur image. Bixby Bridge is such a classic California view. The land around here was privately owned until a few years ago, when it was purchased by the Trust for Public Land and transferred to the US Forest Service. A surprising amount of the land out at Big Sur is still private, tied up in large ranches that were once spanish land grants.

Palm trees on the waterfront of Trogir, Croatia.

Waterfront of Trogir, Croatia.
Originally uploaded by ingrr.

Okay, this might be the last one, really. This time for sure. I'm not even sure this image is my style. It feels a little "National Geographic Traveler" for me; I think that's caused by the framing using the trees. The effect would be even more pronounced if I was shooting with a wider lens, but still. It looks like someone else took this.

Cat walking through the door of a loggia, Korcula, Croatia.

Cat walking through a loggia, Korcula, Croatia.
Originally uploaded by ingrr.

I really am coming to the end of these Croatia pictures.. really!

Hvar town in the evening, Island of Hvar, Croatia.

Hvar town in the evening, Hvar, Croatia.
Originally uploaded by ingrr.

This is Hvar looking chic. This is about as chic as you can make Hvar look, by the way, in case you were wondering. It is adorable though, a kind of beach town without the beach....they are on the outlying islands. People take taxi boats out there and spend all day in the sun. During the middle of the day, Hvar is pretty much empty. Once the taxi boats start coming back at 5 or so, the place becomes quite lively- outdoor restaurants, cafes, gelato stands all bustling with sunburned europeans.