EILEAN DONAN CASTLE

SCOTLAND

IMAGE NUMBER 1121

Eilean Donan (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Donnain) is a small tidal island where three sea lochs meet - Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh, in the western Highlands of Scotland. A picturesque castle dominates the island, which lies about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the village of Dornie. Since the castle's restoration in the early 20th century, a footbridge has connected the island to the mainland. The castle was founded in the thirteenth century, and became a stronghold of the Clan Mackenzie and their allies the Clan MacRae. In the early eighteenth century, the Mackenzies' involvement in the Jacobite rebellions led in 1719 to the castle's destruction by government ships. Lieutenant-Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap's twentieth-century reconstruction of the ruins produced the present buildings.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 1/250th of a second and an aperture of F8. Schneider Kreuznach 80mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

CHATEAU DE TANAY

FRANCE

IMAGE NUMBER 1097

Chateau de Tanay is a one thousand year old chateau in the Beaujolais region of France. It has extensive gardens and has maintained its original character. The chateau was converted to a B&B about 20 years ago and restored.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 50. Exposure of 1/20th of a second and an aperture of F8. Schneider Kreuznach 45 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

ST. COLOMAN

SCHWANGAU, BAVARIA, GERMANY

IMAGE NUMBER 1077

Standing alone in the middle of a green meadow near Schwangau, Germany, is the pretty little Pilgrimage Church of St. Coloman. The church was named after an Irish pilgrim who, en-route to the Holy Land, is said to have rested and grazed his cattle here. St. Coloman is now honoured as the patron saint of horned cattle and horses. Later in his travels, Coloman was mistaken as a spy. He was tortured and hanged at Stockerau, near Vienna. Miracles were reported at his grave and Austrians soon realized that he was indeed a holy man, wrongfully hanged. The locals then proclaimed him patron saint of Austria.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 125th of a second and an aperture of F14. Schneider Kreuznach 150mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE

BAVARIA, GERMANY

IMAGE NUMBER 1076

Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and in honour of Richard Wagner. The castle was intended as a home for the king, until he died in 1886. It was open to the public shortly after his death. Since then more than 61 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with as many as 6,000 per day in the summer.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 100th of a second and an aperture of F6.3. Schneider Kreuznach 45mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE

BAVARIA, GERMANY

IMAGE NUMBER 1075

Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and in honour of Richard Wagner. The castle was intended as a home for the king, until he died in 1886. It was open to the public shortly after his death. Since then more than 61 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with as many as 6,000 per day in the summer.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 1/320th of a second and an aperture of F6.3. Schneider Kreuznach 45mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

ROTTENBUCH ABBEY

BAVARIA, GERMANY

IMAGE NUMBER 1073a

Rottenbuch Abbey was founded as an Augustinian monastery in 1073. The Abbey church was constructed between 1085 and 1125 in the Romanesque style. The design of a crossing transept and free-standing tower is unusual for a Bavarian church. Under the patronage of Emperor Louis the Bavarian in the 14th century, together with its location on the pilgrimage route to Italy, Rottenbuch became the most influential house of Canons Regular in Germany. In the 18th century the medieval interior of the church was redecorated in the ornate High Baroque style by painter Matthäus Günther and stuccoist Josef Schmuzer. With the secularization of the Bavarian monasteries under Montgelas in 1803 the monastic buildings were pulled down and the noteworthy library sent to a paper mill; the Abbey church became a parish church, which it remains to this day.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 50. Exposure of 3 seconds and an aperture of F20. Schneider Kreuznach 45mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

ROTTENBUCH ABBEY

BAVARIA, GERMANY

IMAGE NUMBER 1073

Rottenbuch Abbey was founded as an Augustinian monastery in 1073. The Abbey church was constructed between 1085 and 1125 in the Romanesque style. The design of a crossing transept and free-standing tower is unusual for a Bavarian church. Under the patronage of Emperor Louis the Bavarian in the 14th century, together with its location on the pilgrimage route to Italy, Rottenbuch became the most influential house of Canons Regular in Germany. In the 18th century the medieval interior of the church was redecorated in the ornate High Baroque style by painter Matthäus Günther and stuccoist Josef Schmuzer. With the secularization of the Bavarian monasteries under Montgelas in 1803 the monastic buildings were pulled down and the noteworthy library sent to a paper mill; the Abbey church became a parish church, which it remains to this day.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 50. Exposure of 3 seconds and an aperture of F20. Schneider Kreuznach 45mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

ST PETER’S

SALZURG, AUSTRIA

IMAGE NUMBER 1043

The Petersfriedhof or St. Peter's Cemetery is - together with the burial site at Nonnberg Abbey - the oldest cemetery in the Austrian city of Salzburg, located at the foot of the Festungsberg with Hohensalzburg Castle. It is one of Salzburg's most popular tourist attractions.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 1/320th of a second and an aperture of F5.6. Schneider Kreuznach 45mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

HEILIGENBLUT

AUSTRIA

IMAGE NUMBER 1041a

One of the most photographed places in Austria, the village of Heiligenblut is one of Austria's most picturesque Alpine villages. With the majestic Grossglockner—Austria's highest mountain—for a backdrop, the town cradles the pilgrimage church of St. Vincent. Nowhere else does a steeple seem to find such affirmation amid soaring peaks. Some say the best time to experience this little slice of Alpine nirvana is after a leisurely dinner at one of the many Gasthöfs, gazing out at the starry firmament over the Hohe Tauern range. Others relish standing around an early morning fire used by hikers setting out to conquer the mighty foothills of the Grossglockner peaks.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 50. Exposure of 1/30th of a second and an aperture of F12. Schneider Kreuznach 45mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

THE BELVEDERE PALACE

VIENNA

IMAGE NUMBER 1034

The Belvedere is a historic building complex in Vienna, Austria, consisting of two Baroque palaces (the Upper and Lower Belvedere), the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. The buildings are set in a Baroque park landscape in the third district of the city, on the south-eastern edge of its centre. It houses the Belvedere museum. The grounds are set on a gentle gradient and include decorative tiered fountains and cascades, Baroque sculptures, and majestic wrought iron gates. The Baroque palace complex was built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy. The Belvedere was built during a period of extensive construction in Vienna, which at the time was both the imperial capital and home to the ruling Habsburg dynasty. This period of prosperity followed on from the commander-in-chief Prince Eugene of Savoy's successful conclusion of a series of wars against the Ottoman Empire.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 200. Exposure of 1/320th of a second and an aperture of F14. Schneider Kreuznach 80 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

ST. STEPHEN’S CATHEDRAL

VIENNA

IMAGE NUMBER 1033a

St. Stephen's Cathedral (more commonly known by its German title: Stephansdom) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedral, seen today in the Stephansplatz, was largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV (1339–1365) and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first a parish church consecrated in 1147. The most important religious building in Vienna, St. Stephen's Cathedral has borne witness to many important events in Habsburg and Austrian history and has, with its multi-coloured tile roof, become one of the city's most recognizable symbols.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 50. Exposure of 1/200th of a second and an aperture of F8. Schneider Kreuznach 45 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

ST. STEPHEN’S CATHEDRAL

VIENNA

IMAGE NUMBER 1033

St. Stephen's Cathedral (more commonly known by its German title: Stephansdom) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedral, seen today in the Stephansplatz, was largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV (1339–1365) and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first a parish church consecrated in 1147. The most important religious building in Vienna, St. Stephen's Cathedral has borne witness to many important events in Habsburg and Austrian history and has, with its multi-coloured tile roof, become one of the city's most recognizable symbols.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 200. Exposure of 1/640th of a second and an aperture of F6.3. Schneider Kreuznach 80 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM

VIENNA

IMAGE NUMBER 1031

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (lit. "Museum of Art History", also often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on Ringstraße, it is crowned with an octagonal dome. It is the largest art museum in the country and one of the most important museums worldwide. It was opened around 1891 at the same time as the Natural History Museum, Vienna, by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary. The two museums have similar exteriors and face each other across Maria-Theresien-Platz. Both buildings were built between 1871 and 1891. The two Ringstraße museums were commissioned by the emperor in order to find a suitable shelter for the Habsburgs' formidable art collection and to make it accessible to the general public. The building is rectangular in shape, and topped with a dome that is 60 meters high. The inside of the building is lavishly decorated with marble, stucco ornamentations, gold-leaf, and paintings.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 400. Exposure of 1/20th of a second and an aperture of F2.8. Schneider Kreuznach 45 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM

VIENNA

IMAGE NUMBER 1029

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (lit. "Museum of Art History", also often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on Ringstraße, it is crowned with an octagonal dome. It is the largest art museum in the country and one of the most important museums worldwide. It was opened around 1891 at the same time as the Natural History Museum, Vienna, by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary. The two museums have similar exteriors and face each other across Maria-Theresien-Platz. Both buildings were built between 1871 and 1891. The two Ringstraße museums were commissioned by the emperor in order to find a suitable shelter for the Habsburgs' formidable art collection and to make it accessible to the general public. The building is rectangular in shape, and topped with a dome that is 60 meters high. The inside of the building is lavishly decorated with marble, stucco ornamentations, gold-leaf, and paintings.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 5 seconds and an aperture of F10. Schneider Kreuznach 45 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM

VIENNA

IMAGE NUMBER 1028

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (lit. "Museum of Art History", also often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on Ringstraße, it is crowned with an octagonal dome. It is the largest art museum in the country and one of the most important museums worldwide. It was opened around 1891 at the same time as the Natural History Museum, Vienna, by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary. The two museums have similar exteriors and face each other across Maria-Theresien-Platz. Both buildings were built between 1871 and 1891. The two Ringstraße museums were commissioned by the emperor in order to find a suitable shelter for the Habsburgs' formidable art collection and to make it accessible to the general public. The building is rectangular in shape, and topped with a dome that is 60 meters high. The inside of the building is lavishly decorated with marble, stucco ornamentations, gold-leaf, and paintings.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 400. Exposure of 1/30th of a second and an aperture of F2.8. Schneider Kreuznach 45 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

ST. PETER’S BASILICA

ROME

IMAGE NUMBER 1017a

Situated on Vatican Hill in the UNESCO world heritage site of Vatican City, St Peter’s Basilica dominates the skyline of Rome and attracts millions of visitors. It has a capacity of over 60,000 people, covers 22,300 square meters and is one of the world’s largest churches. You can climb the 491 stairs to the top of Michelangelo’s dome. A church only becomes a basilica when the pope designates it, usually because of historical significance or if it houses sacred relics. Globally, there are over 1,400 minor basilicas; however, St Peter’s Basilica is one of only four Major Basilicas in the world. The three other major basilicas are also situated in Rome: St John Lateran, St Paul’s outside the Walls and St Mary Major. St Peter’s Basilica achieved its basilica status due to being built on the site where St Peter is said to be buried in 64 AD.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 800. Exposure of 1/200th of a second and an aperture of f2.8. Schneider Kreuznach 45 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

ST. PETER’S BASILICA

ROME

IMAGE NUMBER 1017

Situated on Vatican Hill in the UNESCO world heritage site of Vatican City, St Peter’s Basilica dominates the skyline of Rome and attracts millions of visitors. It has a capacity of over 60,000 people, covers 22,300 square meters and is one of the world’s largest churches. You can climb the 491 stairs to the top of Michelangelo’s dome. A church only becomes a basilica when the pope designates it, usually because of historical significance or if it houses sacred relics. Globally, there are over 1,400 minor basilicas; however, St Peter’s Basilica is one of only four Major Basilicas in the world. The three other major basilicas are also situated in Rome: St John Lateran, St Paul’s outside the Walls and St Mary Major. St Peter’s Basilica achieved its basilica status due to being built on the site where St Peter is said to be buried in 64 AD.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 800. Exposure of 1/200th of a second and an aperture of f2.8. Schneider Kreuznach 45 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

ST. PETER’S BASILICA

ROME

IMAGE NUMBER 1016

Situated on Vatican Hill in the UNESCO world heritage site of Vatican City, St Peter’s Basilica dominates the skyline of Rome and attracts millions of visitors. It has a capacity of over 60,000 people, covers 22,300 square meters and is one of the world’s largest churches. You can climb the 491 stairs to the top of Michelangelo’s dome. A church only becomes a basilica when the pope designates it, usually because of historical significance or if it houses sacred relics. Globally, there are over 1,400 minor basilicas; however, St Peter’s Basilica is one of only four Major Basilicas in the world. The three other major basilicas are also situated in Rome: St John Lateran, St Paul’s outside the Walls and St Mary Major. St Peter’s Basilica achieved its basilica status due to being built on the site where St Peter is said to be buried in 64 AD.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 1600. Exposure of 1/200th of a second and an aperture of f2.8. Schneider Kreuznach 45 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

THE VATICAN MUSEUM

ROME

IMAGE NUMBER 1015

The Vatican Museums are Christian art museums located within Vatican City. They display the immense collection amassed by popes throughout the centuries including several of the most renowned Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The museums contain roughly 70,000 works, of which 20,000 are on display, and currently employ 640 people who work in 40 different administrative, scholarly, and restoration departments. Pope Julius II founded the museums in the early 16th century. The Sistine Chapel, with its ceiling decorated by Michelangelo and the Stanze di Raffaello decorated by Raphael, are on the visitor route through the Vatican Museums. In 2017, they were visited by six million people, which makes it the 4th most visited art museum in the world. It is one of the largest museums in the world.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 800. Exposure of 1/200th of a second and an aperture of f2.8. Schneider Kreuznach 45 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

THE VATICAN MUSEUM

ROME

IMAGE NUMBER 1014

The Vatican Museums are Christian art museums located within Vatican City. They display the immense collection amassed by popes throughout the centuries including several of the most renowned Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The museums contain roughly 70,000 works, of which 20,000 are on display, and currently employ 640 people who work in 40 different administrative, scholarly, and restoration departments. Pope Julius II founded the museums in the early 16th century. The Sistine Chapel, with its ceiling decorated by Michelangelo and the Stanze di Raffaello decorated by Raphael, are on the visitor route through the Vatican Museums. In 2017, they were visited by six million people, which makes it the 4th most visited art museum in the world. It is one of the largest museums in the world.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 3200. Exposure of 1/200th of a second and an aperture of f2.8. Schneider Kreuznach 45 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.