This has been quite the exciting week, and I'm guessing that this post is going to be rather lengthy... my apologies in advance!
Last weekend, I went with my friend, Helga, to London! Some of the highlights of our trip included: Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London, and Running a 5K for charity! I took lots of pictures, per usual, so let me just start with that:
This first one I took somewhere around Piccadilly Circus. It was such a humdrum shot when I took it, but putting it in black and white really made the composition come alive! I love this photo!
Helga and I also popped in to see the National Portrait Gallery (below is a picture of the outside of it, unfortunately they don't let you take pictures inside). It was a really beautiful museum and I loved looking at all the different types of portraiture. I think it was especially meaningful to me since that is the type of art that I really enjoy.
This next photo is another from Piccadilly Circus, and I really like how this one turned out as well. The way the sunset and clouds were reflecting in the windows of that building was really incredible. Ever since I've come to England I think I've developed an eye for little details like this.
Next is another photo from the same night, another which I really love the composition and colors.
Here is a picture that I snapped of Big Ben, and for some reason, every time I go to see Big Ben, or London really, the weather just decides to cooperate. My family is going to start to think that it doesn't really rain that much here after all!
These next two photos are taken of Westminster Abbey, which was my hands down favorite part of the trip. The church itself was extremely beautiful, but it's history is even more incredible. I had no idea how much was actually there. I saw the burial places of royalty from centuries ago, monuments of famous writers and poets and composers (including Handle and Lewis Carol and Jane Austin). And oddly enough, I saw the burial places of Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. They are buried each on one side of an alter in one of the chapels. I was initially really surprised to see Darwin there. I would have thought that the church wouldn't have wanted to pay homage to a scientist whose theories one could argue try to disprove the existence of God. But Helga (who happens to be a history major, which is handy) told me that she thinks he may have made nice with religion on his deathbed. Interesting, isn't it?
The second picture here is looking up from the exit of the Abbey. I don't know how I lined it up so well, but I find the architectural lines in this photo mesmerizing! (I'm going to have to make this a multi-part post, because apparently I've reached my picture quota for this one!)
