Notre Dame cathedral

Notre Dame cathedral, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

I've wanted to be inside Notre Dame cathedral since I was a child. I had seen pictures, of course, but they cannot do justice to the majesty of this monument. We found ourselves outside the cathedral just after they opened the doors to visitors. It was a Sunday morning, and mass was just getting underway. It was ethereal to be in this space with the music, and for the intended use of the building.

Paris - Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Manteaux

Paris - Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Manteaux, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Some of the old churches in Paris are very charming. Typically, the lighting levels are very low, which gives the photographer an opportunity to play with light in a bit more challenging way.

I found the setting here at Notre Dame des Blanc Manteaux (the church of the white coats is the translation) to be very interesting. The woman in the glass booth was serving as an information receptionist, I think.

Paris at night

Paris at night, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

May 24, 2013 - walking back from the final class dinner at the Brasserie Isle Saint Louis....

Night photography can be so charming - especially in Paris.

Streets of Paris - near Notre Dame

Streets of Paris - near Notre Dame, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

The French greet friends with a kiss on each cheek. I always thought that was a cliché, but that is the way it works.....

Gare de Lyon - A decisive moment

Gare de Lyon - A decisive moment, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Paris walkabout May 23, 2013. Henri Cartier-Bresson was famous for his street photography in Paris where he captured a decisive moment. I was inspired by his work to try to do the same in making this photo. At Gare de Lyon - a train had just disgorged its passengers. I noticed all the gaps between the people as they were making their way to the head of the platform, and I thought to myself how cool it would be if someone would walk the opposite direction. When I spotted the guy in the dark coat at the head of the platform, he was the one who could make this photo special. Voila!

Gare de Lyon

Gare de Lyon, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

This is the train station that was the setting for the movie "Hugo."

Rainy Day in Paris

Rainy Day in Paris, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

It may not be pleasant for being out in all day, but the rain yields wonderful photo opportunities in Paris. This is from Esplanade Trocadero. Steve and I worked this area for more than an hour and enjoyed the challenge. I have a few more from here that I will eventually post to the blog.

Notre Dame from the bridge of locks

Notre Dame from the bridge of locks, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Paris - the city of love. I always thought that was a cliché, but it seems to be accurate. There are so many lovers, kissing, cuddling, and, at this particular bridge, expressing their love via padlocks inscribed with their names.

Waiting for "Mom"

Waiting for "Mom", a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Yes, they have dogs in Paris, too.....

OSU Titan Arum

OSU Titan Arum, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Woody bloomed again! First bloom was April 25, 2011. The spathe started to unfurl beginning around noon yesterday, and was fully expanded about 12 hr later. The height was about 2 m.

Columbine

Columbine, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Aquilegia canadensis - in full bloom at Magee Marsh. Yesterday we did our annual pilgrimage to Magee Marsh. Yes, I loved the warblers, but this lovely columbine caught my eye as well.

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.0-5.6 L; 1/80, f/9, ISO 400, 400 mm

Penstemon virgatus

Penstemon virgatus, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

I've been working on updating my "News from the Wolfe Lab" website, which means that I've been going through my photography archive to find images of Penstemon. For many various reasons, I've not processed my backlog of photos from 2009 onwards. I'm starting to catch up a bit, but it will be a long time before I get through the entire archive. However, here's a photo from the 2012 American Penstemon Society field meeting in Wyoming.

Spring ephermeral series - something in Brassicaceae.

Spring ephermeral series - something in Brassicaceae., a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

I need to look up the identification stuff on this delicate mustard family plant. I love the subtle shading on the corolla. This was at Blendon Woods, April 27, 2013.

Spring Beauty

Spring Beauty, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Claytonia virginica, I think. I'm not sure what species of Claytonia occur in Ohio, though. This was from my walk last weekend at Blendon Woods Metro Park.

Les Fleurs Jaunes

Les Fleurs Jaunes, a photo by Stephen A. Wolfe on Flickr.

Steve took this lovely photo of our front garden. During spring, the front yard is a riot of color, and I love coming home to the view.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Look who's back? I love it when the grosbeaks make it back to central Ohio during the spring migration. We always have a few in the yard for several days, and then we don't see them until fall as they move south again. There have been several visiting our feeders the past day or so. This one was very cooperative, placing himself in the sun and waiting for me to get my big lens on the camera.

Details: Canon 5D Mark III, EF 100-400 mm f/4 L, 1/125, f/8, ISO 500, 400 mm

Phlox

Phlox, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

This is one of the species of Phlox seen in central Ohio. I don't know the species - if anyone can help me out, please comment on this post.

This was spotted along a trail at Blendon Woods Metro Park last weekend.