Good news! My wife Ali just called to me from the loft with the enticing words "I've found something you might be interested in". I walked onto the landing to find her hand dangling a very tatty looking "Prince Cigarettes" bag from the loft hatch. Inside were my long-lost black and white prints and travel diaries from the... Continue Reading →
Mindful Monday Mood Lift: I've added a new page of photographs that I shot on film in Israel and other countries during the early 1990's to Mindful Photos. It's a "select" group of images that I'll be adding to as and when I come across more negatives and prints. Please do take time out to have a look. It's amazing... Continue Reading →
Mindful Photos Sunday Reflection: Does the taking of certain types of photograph contradict Buddhist or Mindful ethics? Any introductory book on Buddhism would be likely to mention the Five Precepts. They're ethical guidelines designed to help us avoid harming, and to create conditions helpful to the arising of wisdom. At number two is "not taking that which is not given"... Continue Reading →
Wow! Yesterday Mindful Photos achieved the highest viewing figures it's had since I started the blog two years ago - Three Hundred and Eight views by Six P.M. and Twenty "likes"! Thanks for all the interest 🙂 I've started to add gallery pages at the top of the website. Do have a look. There are pictures that haven't made it into... Continue Reading →
It was my interest in "street photography" that caused me to pick up a stills camera again five years ago after a twenty year hiatus from taking photographs (in the 80's and 90's it was how I made a living - but that's another story). Even in a place as picturesque as Venice I can't pass... Continue Reading →
I spent a relaxing afternoon yesterday meditating with friends who I'd first met on a "Breathworks" mindfulness course last year. Breathworks run 8 week courses designed to help people living with pain and illness. I've completed 2 of the courses (never one to under do things!). If I didn't have the tools that I learned... Continue Reading →
My last post showed just how crowded Venice can get. Amazingly, it seems that most visitors don't move very far from St Mark's Square, so it's actually easy to reclaim some personal space by taking a short walk or water bus ride away from the area. Venice is famous for beautifully crafted glassware. The most famous (and... Continue Reading →
We were visiting Venice in summer, so we expected lots of other tourists. But we didn't expect this - It seems that the big cruise liner companies have the right to steer their vulgar monstrosities as close as they dare to some of the worlds most exquisite architecture and art. Perhaps this is so their customers don't have to... Continue Reading →
Photographs taken with an Olympus OMD EM1 and 12-40mm f2.8 or Olympus OMD EM5 with Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8 - In my opinion the perfect mirrorless travel photography kit. All photographs © all rights reserved, Miles Pilling
All photographs © all rights reserved, Miles Pilling
All photographs © all rights reserved, Miles Pilling
All photographs © all rights reserved Miles Pilling
All photographs © all rights reserved Miles Pilling In Venice you cannot avoid gondolas. They are one of those "got to do" things for a lot of visitors. Personally, we made the decision to spend our hard earned money on nice Italian food and water bus fares to parts of the lagoon further away from Basilica di... Continue Reading →
Each of these pictures were taken near Venice's Lido water bus stop on the way to the beach. It was a wonderful surprise to find that Venice can be a sunbathing and sea swimming holiday. The beach was beautiful. As we relaxed, ordinary Venetians carried on their working lives. I like the similarities and the differences of these two pictures of... Continue Reading →
I didn't literally "pap" these newly weds, but I couldn't sit by and let them have their wedding pictures taken in such a beautiful location without grabbing some candids myself! (Click on the images to see them in higher resolution) Heavy full frame camera gear there - I wonder if he's considered going mirrorless? If you've seen... Continue Reading →
A dog level view of artist Heinz Mack's Sky Over Nine Columns. (Click on the image to see it in full resolution) . While my family walked around exploring this part of Venice, I was quite happy to rest on some steps with my Olympus OMD EM1 watching life pass by. I hope you like this photographic... Continue Reading →
Another image captured at German artist Heinz Mack’s The Sky Over Nine Columns in Venice. It was a beautiful day with warm light reflecting off the gold of the Nine Columns and the blue sky was doing its thing - over the nine columns 😉 This cream suited man and his dog brought Graham Greene novels to... Continue Reading →
A friend recently told me, with a bit of sadness, that she found the streets of Venice were not garlanded with colourful washing anymore. I may have been lucky, but just a few water bus stops away from the main tourist spots we found areas where the washing lines were works of art. . I spent a very enjoyable hour in... Continue Reading →
Following yesterday's picture that I captured through the doorway of a Venetian café, here are a couple of candids that I took from inside. A different café, but same camera and lens set up. Olympus OMD EM5 with the Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8 OIS lens - I just don't see the point of lugging around a heavy DSLR... Continue Reading →
The occasional rainy weather during our Venice trip made for great umbrella pictures! This lady had remarkably found a comfortable spot to dream and contemplate life right next to the San Zaccaria water bus stop. She'd done well, because San Zaccaria is always thronging with tourists on their way to Saint Mark's Square or waiting for a gondola... Continue Reading →
mindful photos 