Hearty Welcomes & Salutations! Originally an action-packed travel blog from a globe-trotting Scotsman, An Ache for the Distance has, over the years, slowed down (I post less often), mellowed out (domestic life has found it's way way on here) and become more of an expat/photo blog. Take a look around, leave a comment and share the love if you like something.
Stuart Mathieson, Lübeck, Germany

Friday 28 January 2011

An Edited Italia - Jan. 2011

To edit or not to edit? That could have been the question...

Had Shakespeare lived in the digital age perhaps he would have been interested in capturing the "being" as well as pondering the being, if you you know what I mean... Perhaps whilst being, he would have wanted to eternalise that perfect "kodak moment" like thousands of other camera wielders swarming over tourist sites across the globe.

What would he have then done when faced with the disappointment of shit photographs? Would he be logging his good self onto amazon to buy photoshop and dismay at how cheaply his books are selling? Or would he accept that his photography skills are somewhat lacking and that perhaps he should stick to the sonnets?

For a man that gave the English language an abundance of new words & idioms, he would probably be learning the intricacies of contrasts and adobe's visual effects... Why then, if it's good enough for Shakespeare, do I feel guilty about editing photos......?

Sometimes though, editing a photo can give a new lease of life to what would otherwise be the photographic equivalent of a beige cardigan.

After a recent day-trip to Como north of Milan, I found myself in the possession of nothing but digital beige cardigans. Disappointing considering the charm of the old town's winding lanes and the postcard perfection of lake Como bordered by alpine foothills.

However, after playing around with google's Picasa editing program, I found myself with an image that, in my opinion, typifies modern Italy. A country which is covered in historical buildings fit for a Walt Disney movie but surrounded by the modern clutter of the 21st century...


Monday 24 January 2011

New Beginnings - Italia Jan. 2011

The summer sunshine is gone, the daily chicken masalas are a thing of the past and a true "hero" status acquired in a second class train carriage is simply unobtainable in Europe for a Johnny average like myself. How do you console yourself after Incredible India? Move to Milan, reacquaint yourself with crazy driving habits, exaggerated body language, fantastic food, fanatic sporting tendancies and all of those little differences that make life interesting...

From An Ache For The Distance
Via Dante Milan

From An Ache For The Distance
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II