Villa Vignamaggio and the Mona Lisa controversy
Villa Vignamaggio is a charming restored renaissance villa just outside the town of Greve in Chianti. It’s a beautiful location, is exceptionally photogenic and they
Chateau de Biron: Story Behind The Picture
Chateau de Biron is in the Dordogne region of France, south of Bordeaux in the South-Western corner of the country. Started in the 12th century, the
Clos de Vougeot: Story Behind The Picture
The chateau of Clos de Vougeot is nestled in the vineyards of Burgundy, the area of Eastern France close to Dijon that brings us delightful
Royal Salt Works: Story Behind the Picture
My sister-in-law lives in The Jura, an area of Eastern France near the Swiss border. It’s not a particularly well-known part of the country and you’ll have to
Car rental agencies and recommendations
Some have asked for recommendations of websites or agencies they should try for car rentals in Europe. Not all rental car companies are equal —
Stonehenge: the story behind the picture
It has to be one of the most famous places on Earth, never mind the United Kingdom: the prehistoric stone circle that is Stonehenge. But
Renting A Car In Europe — A Summary
When I first wrote a blog posting about car rental, I wasn’t sure it was useful. However, the amount of email it and follow-up postings
Traffic circles (or roundabouts)
Driving in Europe continues to be something that generates a lot of email, so on to another popular driving topic: traffic circles — or, roundabouts
The story behind the picture: Fireworks over the Bay Bridge
The Bay Bridge over San Francisco Bay, and fireworks bursting in the distance. Who could have planned it better? Well, not me, that’s for sure!
The story behind the picture: Joust Of The Saracens
On the front page of Lodge Photo is a crop from a photo showing a man on a horse with a lance, tilting at a
Malbec, the “Black Wine” of Cahors
Ask for a glass of wine in any bar in South-Western France, and the chances are you’ll get Vin de Cahors (pronounced “Ca-hoares”), which will
Renting a car in Europe: a traveler’s guide
Millions of people rent cars every year, but if you’re not familiar with renting in Europe there are a few things that will smooth the
Photoshop scripting with Javascript
I process my images using a combination of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, in common with just about every other photographer on the planet. To maximize time
An afternoon in San Gimignano, Tuscany
I uploaded some new photographs of San Gimignano recently, a small town between Florence and Siena (on the road to Volterra) that has become famous
Should I really rent a car in Italy? What about the price of gas, parking, license etc.
I got some follow-up questions to the article on renting a car in Europe. It seems this is a topic that causes some anxiety, so
Amex rental car insurance revisited
In a previous posting, we’d discovered that American Express Card rental car insurance covered a lot less than in it has in the past. And
Happy New Year
We’d like to thank all of our customers for their business this year, and wish them a prosperous and successful 2009. For Lodge Photo, 2008
When credit card rental car insurance leaves you uncovered
I’m a fan of not paying for rental car CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) insurance, because it’s usually unnecessary and expensive when many credit cards already offer
How the credit crunch makes going to Europe easier
Just how is it that the freezing of the world’s credit markets can help you go on vacation? There are two answers: changing Dollar currency
Two compact cameras with good photo quality
Most compact cameras are designed to fit in your pocket and take a basic photo with the minimum of fuss and fiddle. Picture quality is
European car rental gas rebate
Don’t let this happen to you With gas prices at record highs, the folks over at Auto Europe are running a timely promotion where they’ll
Front Cover of “The Green” Magazine, London
This picture of the gardens at Chiswick House, London was used for the front cover of this month’s “The Green” magazine. Strand-on-the-Green is an area
Front Cover of Cadogan Italy Property Guide
One of my images of Villa Vignamaggio appears on the front cover of the Cadogan / Sunday Times guide to buying property in Italy. Here it
Tufte Sparklines Photoshop Script
A sparkline is a small line graph designed to be used in-line within text to illustrate a time series; the concept was developed by data