VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE

SICILY

IMAGE NUMBER 970

The Villa Romana del Casale is a large and elaborate Roman villa or palace located about 3 km from the town of Piazza Armerina, Sicily. Excavations have revealed one of the richest, largest, and varied collections of Roman mosaics in the world, for which the site has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 400. Exposure of 1/1250th of a second and an aperture of 5.6. Schneider Kreuznach 45 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

WAITING FOR THE TOURISTS

MARI DEL GOLFO DO CASTELLAMARI, SICILY

IMAGE NUMBER 959

Mari del Golfo do Castellamari, is a small port and beach near Palermo in Sicily. It was Atticus' first refuge after arriving by ferry from Sardinia. It was spring and the deck chair man was preparing for the arrival of the tourists.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 1/250th of a second and an aperture of f10. Schneider Kreuznach 80 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.

THE SULTAN'S QUARTERS

TOPKAPI PALACE, ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Image Number 558

The Topkapı Palace was one of the major residences of the Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years (1465–1856) of their 624-year reign.  It is now a museum and as such a major tourist attraction. It also contains important holy relics of the Muslim world, including Muhammed's cloak and sword. At its peak, the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people, and covered a large area with a long shoreline.  The palace complex has hundreds of rooms and chambers.  They contain large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armor, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, as well as Ottoman treasures and jewelry.  However the greatest treasure may well be the spectacular tiling in the principal rooms.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 400. Exposure of 1/17th of a second and aperture F3.2.   45mm Phase One lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

THE SULTAN'S QUARTERS

TOPKAPI PALACE, ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Image Number 557

The Topkapı Palace was one of the major residences of the Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years (1465–1856) of their 624-year reign.  It is now a museum and as such a major tourist attraction. It also contains important holy relics of the Muslim world, including Muhammed's cloak and sword. At its peak, the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people, and covered a large area with a long shoreline.  The palace complex has hundreds of rooms and chambers.  They contain large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armor, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, as well as Ottoman treasures and jewelry.  However the greatest treasure may well be the spectacular tiling in the principal rooms.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 800. Exposure of 1/15th of a second and aperture F3.2.   45mm Phase One lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

BELL TOWER, OIA

SANTORINI, GREECE

Image Number 496

Oia is a picture perfect village in the north west edge of the Santorini island.  It extends for 2 kilometres along the edge of the caldera that forms the island. It is built on the steep slope of the caldera and the houses and restaurants are built into niches carved into the cliff on the seaward side. Oia is an idyllic complex of white washed blue domed churches and charming, traditional Cycladic houses and cave houses.  It offers excellent views of the sunset over the caldera.  In summer over 120,000 visitors from cruise ships visit Oia every day and the tiny main street literally becomes impassable.  Oia no longer has a local population - almost all houses have been converted to pensions.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand held Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/400 second and aperture F9.   80mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

 

OIA WINDMILL

SATORINI, GREECE

Image Number 486

Oia is a picture perfect village in the north west edge of the Santorini island.  It extends for 2 kilometres along the edge of the caldera that forms the island. It is built on the steep slope of the caldera and the houses and restaurants are built into niches carved into the cliff on the seaward side. Oia is an idyllic complex of white washed blue domed churches and charming, traditional Cycladic houses and cave houses.  It offers excellent views of the sunset over the caldera.  In summer over 120,000 visitors from cruise ships visit Oia every day and the tiny main street literally becomes impassable.  Oia no longer has a local population - almost all houses have been converted to pensions.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/274th second and aperture F7.1.   45mm Phase One lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

TRADITIONAL SHIPYARD

SKIATHOS, GREECE

Image Numbers 439 (upper) and 440 (lower)

Skiathos is a small Greek island in the northwest Aegean Sea. Skiathos is the westernmost island in the Northern Sporades group.  In the 14th century the inhabitants moved the capital to Kastro (the Greek word for castle), located on a high rock at the northernmost part of the island.  After the War of Independence and demise of piracy in the Aegean, Kastro became less important as a strategic location. In 1830s, the island's capital was moved backto the original site — where it remains. Today, theruins of Kastro are a tourist attraction. During the 19th century Skiathos became an important shipbuilding centre due to the pine forests on the island.  A small shipwright remains north of Skiathos Town, which still builds traditional Greek fishing boats.  It is one of the few remaining in Greece.

TECHNICAL NOTES

Both images were taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 1/80th of a second and aperture F10.   80mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

 

FISHING BOAT

ZAKYNTHOS, GREECE

Image Number 384

Zakynthos is the third largest island in the Ionian Sea, located off the west coast of Greece. The west and north coasts are extremely mountainous often with cliffs dropping many hundreds of feet straight into the sea.  The beautiful white cliffs that plunge into azure seas have to be seen to be believed; the water is wonderfully clear.  Zakynthos is an extremely lush island; the Venetians (who conquered it) referred to it as Il fiore del Levante-- the Flower of the Levant. Zakynthos, like its neighbour Kefalonia, was heavily affected by the massive earthquake of 1953 (only three buildings on the island survived) and subsequently a lot of its stunning Venetian architecture was destroyed. Ruins still lay in some parts of the island due to this. The main town was completely rebuilt.  Today tourism is the most important source of income, and Zakynthos is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Greece.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand held Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 1/350th of a second and aperture F5.6.   45mm Phase One lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

THE GRAND CANAL FROM THE RIALTO

VENICE, ITALY

Image Number 240

The Grand Canal divides Venice into two parts, like an inverted letter S, and is about two miles long. It is the main thoroughfare of Venice and is constantly traversed by gondolas, launches, private boats and ferries.   The Grand Canal is intersected in all directions by one hundred and forty-six small canals and is crossed by three large bridges, two of which are iron, the third, the famous Rialto, being of stone.  This image was taken from the Rialto Bridge at about seven am. 

TECHNICAL NOTES

Captured by Atticus Webb on a Zeiss Contax 645 medium format camera with a Zeiss medium telephoto 210mm lens at f22 with an exposure of three seconds.    The image was registered on a transparency using Fuji Velvia 100 ASA film.  It was then scanned in high resolution by Bond Imaging.  The image has been cropped to remove extraneous detail but has not been significantly manipulated. 

TITANIUM WALL

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM, BILBAO, SPAIN

Image Number 237

When the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao opened in 1997, it was hailed as one of the world's most spectacular buildings and described by some as "the greatest building of our time".    Atticus Webb was so taken by the swirling organic forms and the play of light on the titanium cladding that he spent six hours photographing the exterior.  The museum closed for the day before he could make it inside.

TECHNICAL NOTES

Captured by Atticus Webb mid afternoon on a Zeiss Contax 645 medium format camera with Zeiss 55 mm medium wide angle lens at f11 with an exposure of 1/45th of a second.    The image was registered on a transparency using Fuji Velvia 50 ASA film.  It was then scanned in high resolution by Bond Imaging.   

GONE TOMORROW

RUTLEDGE LANE, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

Image Number 235

Hosier and Rutledge Lanes are bluestone cobbled laneways and the precinct is a celebrated landmark in Melbourne mainly due to its diverse urban art.       The graffiti-covered walls and art-installations have become a popular backdrop for fashion and wedding photography.   Hosier Lane is also known for its avant garde cocktail lounges.  

No graffiti, however creative, remains in place for long.  New street artists obliterate the work of their predecessors.  This means that any photograph of Hosier Lane is truly a snapshot in time.

TECHNICAL NOTES

Image captured late morning after rain on a Zeiss Contax 645 medium format camera with Zeiss 55mm medium wide angle lens at f32 with an exposure of 11 seconds.   The image was registered on a transparency using Fuji Velvia 50 film. 

"CASCADE"

ANTELOPE CANYON, PAGE, ARIZONA, USA

TECHNICAL NOTES

Image Number 220

Antelope Canyon is a “slot canyon” carved by wind and water from sandstone.   It is only a meter or two wide.   Located on Navajo Nation land just outside the town of Page in Arizona, Antelope is the most visited slot canyon in the USA, and perhaps the world.  Through a narrow slit in the cliffs, visitors enter one of the most beautiful of all natural formations.  The sunlight filtering down the curved sandstone walls makes magical patterns and shadows.  Some sections are wide and bright while others are narrow and secretive.  Pictures taken here adorn camera shops and photographic manuals throughout the world. Despite its tiny size Antelope Canyon receives up to 20,000 visitors each day.  There are always people jostling to compose the perfect shot and grumbling when others walk in front of their exposures.  Atticus Webb was no exception.  It took several visits and a deal of negotiation to set up for medium format on the tripod.   Interestingly, the colours in the canyon are not discernible to the naked eye.  They emerge only when photographed.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 32 seconds at F11.   55 mm Zeiss lens.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

 

JOHN FORD'S POINT

MONUMENT VALLEY, UTAH, USA

Image Number 218

Monument Valley in Arizona presents one of the most definitive images of the American West.  It has featured in over 47 movies, notably the John Wayne movies directed by John Ford.   This image was captured from John Ford’s most iconic location - John Ford’s Point, from which he filmed “The Searchers” and “Stage Coach”. Monument Valley is located within the Navajo Tribal Park which is the semi-autonomous homeland of the Navajo Nation.  The Park occupies an area greater than the state of Connecticut.  All owners of this photograph should see Monument Valley once in their lives (and stay in the View Hotel – reservations need to be made up to a year in advance).

This image is also available in a 150 degree panorama (Image Number 218a).

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 1/45th second at F11.   120mm Zeiss lens.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

THE LAST OF THE SUN

MONUMENT VALLEY, UTAH, USA

Image Number 217

Monument Valley on the Utah-Arizona border provides the most enduring and definitive image of the American West.  The isolated red mesas and buttes surrounded by empty, sandy desert have featured in over 47 movies, most famously the John Wayne movies directed by John Ford. This image was captured from the View Hotel which was built in 1998 on the site of one of John Ford’s most iconic filming locations.   The elevation at The View Hotel is approximately 1,582 meters.  The “Mittens” (buttes which resemble fingerless gloves) rise over 328 meters above the desert floor.  Monument Valley is located within the Navaho Tribal Park which is the semi-autonomous homeland of the Navajo Nation.  The Park occupies an area greater than the state of Connecticut.  The View Hotel, owned by the Navajo Nation, is the only hotel in the Park.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 200. Exposure of 1/45th second at F11.   120mm Zeiss lens.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

THE MITTENS FROM THE VIEW HOTEL

MONUMENT VALLEY, UTAH, USA

Image Number 215

Monument Valley on the Utah-Arizona border provides the most enduring and definitive image of the American West.  The isolated red mesas and buttes surrounded by empty, sandy desert have featured in over 47 movies, most famously the John Wayne movies directed by John Ford. This image was captured from the balcony of the View Hotel which was built in 1998 on the site of one of John Ford’s most iconic filming locations.   The elevation at The View Hotel is approximately 1,582 meters.  The “Mittens” (buttes which resemble fingerless gloves) rise over 328 meters above the desert floor.  Monument Valley is located within the Navaho Tribal Park which is the semi-autonomous homeland of the Navajo Nation.  The Park occupies an area greater than the state of Connecticut. 

The View Hotel, owned by the Navajo Nation, is the only hotel in the Park.  Few, if any, hotels in the world are more aptly named.  To stay at the hotel, it is generally necessary to book up to six months in advance.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image at the top was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/6th second at F8.   55mm Zeiss lens.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

The image below was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 1/60th second at F11.   210mm Zeiss lens.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

TOO POOPED TO PUMP

CANNONVILLE, UTAH, USA

Image Number 203

Cannonville is a small town with a population of 148 in Garfield County, Utah, United States.  Just outside Bryce Canyon national park, it is on Utah Scenic Byway 12 one of the most spectacular roads in the United States.  The old Shell petrol pump is in the main street.

TECHNICAL IMAGES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/180th second at F8.   55mm Zeiss lens.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

BRYCE CANYON, FROM SUNSET POINT

UTAH, USA

Image Number 199

Bryce Canyon is a national park in southern Utah. Small by National Park standards, its 56.2 square mile occupy the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau.  The park is not a canyon, but a spectacular series of amphitheatres, each of which is carved at least 1,000 feet into the chromatic limestone of the Plateau.The geology, unique in the world, has been caused by erosion.  The colourful limestone rock has been shaped into bizarre slot canyons, windows, fins, and spires called "hoodoos."  Tinted with colours too numerous and subtle to name, the whimsically arranged rocks create a wondrous landscape. Ponderosa pines, high elevation meadows, and fir-spruce forests border the rim of the plateau and abound with wildlife. This area boasts some of the world's best air quality, offering panoramic views of three states and approaching 200 miles of visibility. 

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/15th second at F11.   120mm Zeiss lens.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

 

VINTAGE AUTO RANCH

MOUNTAIN HOME, IDAHO USA

Image Number 188

Vintage Auto Ranch, Mountain Home, Idaho.  The Vintage Auto Ranch is at the entrance to the municipal airport.Mountain Home is the largest city and county seat of Elmore County, Idaho. The population was 14,206 at the 2010 census.   The airport is littered with abandoned military aircraft.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 50. Exposure of 1/125th second and aperture F11.   120mm Zeiss lens.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

AIRBASE, MOUNTAIN HOME

IDAHO USA

Image Number 187

Mountain Home is the largest city and county seat of Elmore County, Idaho. The population was 14,206 at the 2010 census.   The airport is littered with abandoned military aircraft.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 50. Exposure of 1/500th second and aperture F5.6.   80mm Zeiss lens.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.