Full Frame versus APS-C Cameras. What to shoot for.

I started shooting film 35mm in the 1970's. I knew there were other formats but those belonged in the studio with names Hasselblad or Rolleiflex and price ranges that could equal an average Joe's annual wage.
Full frame cameras expose one 35mm frame when the shutter opens and closes. We like that. If you are using a 50 mm lens you get everything the lens offers on the film. Use a 300mm lens and the result is similar. All is right with the world.
Learn the craft well and you will have little doubt that what you shoot will result in a fine print. You won't know if you captured what you saw through the lens (if using a single lens reflex) until either you or a lab somewhere runs your rolls through a chemical bath and sends you the prints.
So many things happen that are beyond your control between your pressing the trigger and seeing the finished photo...or even before. Consider the possibility of getting an old roll of film that wasn't quite up to par or that you misloaded or accidently exposed it while loading. Shooting for fun is one thing but if you were responsible for wedding, anniversary or birthday photos for clients, friends or family it could be devastating. I recall a wedding party that had to return to the church in order to recreate the shoot due to some "bad" film.

Almost a year ago I got my long awaited K1 full frame digital camera from Ricoh/Pentax and have been learning how to use it. It has so many features I haven't scratched the surface.
 I captured the seagull sextet about to become a septet. Notice their heartfelt vocal greeting! Didn't quite have the setting where I wanted it. We were on a crowded ferry leaving the dock so it wasn't optimal but the composition was too cool to pass up.

An Osprey was tending her nest and doing her best to keep the hot sun off her chick. Looks like Dad just sat this one out and hunkered down in the nest. She didn't look to be in great shape (having seen these birds of prey in action) but intent on performing her matronly task with no visible assistance from the mate. After all..it was rather hot. There is something about capturing a moment in time whether humorous, frightful or heartwarming. Love taking the camera outdoors.

Another passion is shooting live theater, which is fraught with problems for lighting and knowing where the next shot will be. Ragtime, The Musical offers delightful costuming and takes place at the turn of the 20th Century. It is loosely based on actual people and events that took place in New York around 1906. The photographic opportunities were spectacular as the director created staging that made for great picture stories.

I will post a few more pics. This is an amateur production currently being performed at Peninsula Community Theatre in southeastern Virginia.

The time depicted saw American industry booming as the rich were growing complacent in their mistreatment of immigrants who flooded into Ellis Island with hopes of escaping religious and/or political persecution and capturing a piece of the "American Dream".

The trick to shooting theatricals is knowing where you need to be in order to capture a moment...or being tremendously lucky through the lens. The lighting changes and people move and, usually, just as you trip the shutter. Not all cameras (or lenses for that matter) do well in low or uneven lighting. Out of 300 shots you might have 100 or so where you nailed it. You captured that moment, expression, action or emotion that projects from the stage and onto "film". Such are the joys of digital photography. 100 great shots and you can erase 200 that didn't quite measure up and go again. Using a full frame DSLR means that when using a 35 mm lens you are seeing what you actually are shooting. I haven't given up my APSC camera. It's still in my bag and I will use it for certain shoots but I am still learning how to use the features of my (Ricoh) Pentax K1 which has a bit longer learning curve than I anticipated...not for shooting photos but for actually using some of the very nice innovations and funtions to be found within its programming. It is somewhat disappointing being a Pentaxian here in the USA. The brand lost its standing when the digital age kicked in and they failed to embrace it thereby losing any meaningful share of the soon to be booming market. Their digital brand was a late blooming follower of fashion. They had no product to offer the world that could compare with Nikon, Canon and eventually Sony. My first digital camera was and RCA that looked a little like an SLR but sported 1 or 2 megapixels. Cost me $100 at Radio Shack. Left much to be desired. There was little software to handle the editing and/or printing of the photos...which was probably a good thing. If you have been following my blog over the past few years you have seen photos taken with a Sony A5000 mirror-less (Italy) Germany (soon to come) and a Pentax K5II APSC DSLR and the brand flagship Full Frame K1. I cherish them all. In the past I have traveled with the Sony due to it's small size and the fact it shoots in RAW format (uncompressed photographic files) which means you can really work the photos when editing. It also has interchangeable lenses. In future I will take the K5II on trips if there is room for it! So much to talk about and so little time. I will add a few more shots to this entry. Please enjoy.

I am less concerned that the Big Apple has taken up residence in the White House

I am more concerned about the worm in that apple!

Dear European Friends,
     Those of us living the dream under the clown prince of reality shows (tremendously popular, super high ratings, highest ever rating in the history of television in the entire world...and the as yet undiscovered habitable worlds in the universe) where we have been treated to the spectacle of seeing Donald perform in that antithesis to reality pro wrestling video where he slammed Vince to the floor (only we saw it with CNN's logo covering his head) showing class all the way. The same class he showed at a recent meeting over there where he elbowed a "lesser" elected person out of his way so he could get his picture taken in the best light...or maybe he was looking for Putin...but that's a different story.
     Just the same as all Russians do not love Putin and not all Americans think Brussels is  the name of little tiny cabbages or that Brexit is a new men's deodorant or that a wall will stop illegals or that global warming isn't real, there are regular folks who wanted to give the self proclaimed maverick a chance to make good on his claims...even though we didn't vote for him. BANG! Ban muslims! BANG! Courts say NO! Calls courts biased due to heritage of a judge. Calls shame on the other judges. That was just the beginning. The last five months have been a circus. I don't care for the circus. I grew out of that joy years ago. Paranoid narcissists don't fare well in the fishbowl that is the American presidency. Thin skin gets torn too easily. Donald isn't a scholar and as I recall he doesn't like to read that much (might have been in  a fake news story I saw...). He's not suited to the office. He keeps asking for loyalty of those whose loyalty is to the people of the nation and not the president.
The Russia probe is going to rip open the financial skulduggery he is doing his best to hide. There are so many more shoes to drop...we wait with abated breath. We...us...who think for ourselves.
     We normal people are still here. We aren't despondent former Hillary backers, nor new fangled Republicans carrying religion as a guide, nor Democrats willing to grow a federal government so large as to support ridiculous administration on top of administration. We have faith in the 4th Estate, but think for ourselves. We cringe when he opens his mouth and laugh when his unqualified cronies he appointed have to spin some ridiculous tale to help interpret his muddled contradictions and fabrications easily proven false with videos of his own making (never met or heard of David Duke but there is recorded evidence to the contrary).
     We will win out in the end. Braggarts and hucksters can keep juggling the balls in the air for a time but the day will come when their cleverness fails them and the truth will out.
     President Donald has not managed to make us great again. So far as I can tell he has managed to become the clown prince of world leaders and again, pretty much singlehandedly, re-earned us the moniker The Ugly American.

No photos this time but let's talk film.

I know it's been kind of quiet around here lately. I've been busy finishing up a new photo project, but I did see a new movie and a new network TV show that made me want to ask...what's up with all this non hero stuff?

Have you seen Deadpool? If not, you are in the apparent minority. It broke the box office record for a film opening in February. My wife piped in that it's an unfair comparrison seeing how ticket prices are outrageously higher than they were in decades past. Don't be a buzzkill, dear. I'm sure they allow for that obvious discrepancy. Who knew that the unhero would be the next big "thing" (no Fantasic 4 reference intended).

Talk about the new anti hero? Then we need to mention the ultimate unhero as namesake for a new network TV series called "Lucifer." Yes. That Lucifer. Who in the hell had the notion for viewers to root for his satanic majesty as the lead character in a detective series? I can't imagine the network bean counters not worrying about Proctor and Gamble pulling advertising or the Tea Party vilifying the show or a lack of viewers in the so called bible belt.  Did the network executives get together after a black mass and decide it was time for their misunderstood master to have his moment in the sun?

Hero movies have always been a mainstay of film and tv studios. From the little man successfully defeating the forces out to destroy him (mean bosses, evil banks or corporations, coveting neighbors, etc.) to the super hero fighting evil aliens or geniuses, we the public have engorged ourselves at the trough of derring do (archaic english for heroic acts). Why stop there? When I was a kid there were the Italian made Hercules movies starring Steve Reeves. Oh boy! I loved those films. He was quite the man in his lion skin (?) and bare chest with rippling muscles as he fought his way through the Italian version of his namesake's mythology. He always got the girl too, must have been that 1960s Italian Greek mythology at work.

Remember the stop action monsters? They would photograph the model and then move it a bit and photograph it again and again making it appear alive and on the attack. The actor would be fighting air while the superimposed monster (usually giant spiders or scorpions or three headed wolves or cyclops) flailed back in their direction. Great stuff. It was all we had. We were expected to supply the imagination to accept it as real (well...you know what I mean).

Today we take so many things for granted in the movies it's hard to surprise a kid when they see a film. That first shot of the Imperial cruiser following the scrolling words in the original Star Wars was the cinematic deathknell of having to stretch your imagination while sitting in the movie house. It was the tip of the iceberg. The development of computer generated movie making has never looked back. Digital photography's (see, we are talking photography) constant technological improvement and drop in cost of high quality CGI (computer generated images) has made it too easy to suspend belief. It isn't required for anyone to ignore the wires controlling the scary beast on screen or two guys dressed as Godzilla and Mothra duking it out claw to claw while crushing a miniature Tokyo, to enjoy a scifi thriller. Imagination isn't required when you see the splattered flesh and blood of monster or hero generated before your eyes by high end computer generated magic. We are becoming immune to the thrill of cheering for the hero. How many Superman, Spiderman, X Men, Wolverine, Avengers, Captain America, Batman, Green Lantern, Iron Man and Fantastic 4 movies can we absorb without screaming, "Enough!" I haven't included the too many Star Wars or Star Treks. They are even rebooting movies that haven't been around long enough to be considered classics. As with all good things (the music industry comes to mind) the lust for gold has caused a glut of similar product being dumped on the public and we, due to human nature in the land of excess, are becoming numb and disinterested. No more super heros please! We want something else. Someone out there knows what we want. A computer is whispering to them.

Next time: More about the Non Hero and some photos of the lastest stage show.

Shooting Live Performances or Seeing Things In The Right Light

 I love photographing live theater. It's something I really enjoy doing and have been doing it for a couple of decades. Now if you're job is at a Regional (State), College or Professional house you have the best in theatrical lighting to work with. Your equipment combined with a top notch lighting plot will leave you only looking for that special moment to snap and not muttering under your breath when that moment is in semi darkness for one reason or another. Actors are notorious for not feeling the light or missing their mark so carefully planned and executed by the Director and Lighting designer. I've seen a few stand like the Phantom with half their face hidden in darkenss due to an errant step. Now software can work wonders but the time spent processing 300+ pics can make it a nightmare to meet your deadline. Also consider that if the stage light isn't consistant then you can't have a template that will work across the board. Each photo starts the process from scratch leading to inconsistent results. It reminds me of my golfing experiences. You practice at the driving range and you think you might have things under control. You then progress to the links and find you can't hit the boradside of a barn much less sink a 5 foot putt. Every T shot is worse than the previous and as you approach the 18th T you're missing your driver, putter and most of your irons which are now scattered all over the back 9. You promise yourself that after this hole you will never play the game again and then.... You hit the ball 300 yards down the fairway. Your second shot is on the green and you putt out with an Eagle. Your love of golf is renewed. One hole made you forget the hell that was the other 17. You rush back over the course to gather your clubs from the roughs and the water traps where they were flung. Tomorrow is a new day!





Some thing else you might find is that many actors perform with their eyes closed. Now, I'm not picking on actors. I am to be included in their number, but a blink is a blink. There's no way someone's eyes are closed in every single shot! But there it is, the perfect photo during a group scene and one or more have their eyes closed. AARRGGHH! Next!

 The result can be the same when shooting a performance. 250 of the 300 snaps might be unusable or mediocre at best, but those 50 really good ones make the hours spent worthwhile. And you can hardly wait to hang or post them. After all you're providing a record...a memory for cast and crew and their friends and family. Remember, it's a punishable crime to film a stage play without permission (and good luck getting that). The performers don't get a chance to see what the audience showed their appreciation for during the curtain call. We as directors, designers, actors and crew become like a family during the production. We share the ups and downs of auditioning, casting, designing, rehearsing, building, blocking, memorizing, sewing, working concessions.taking tickets,

seating patrons, working concessions, selling ads, overcoming stage fright and sometimes stage mothers. We usually swear fidelity and promise to get together and not be strangers. 9 times out of 10 it doesn't work out that way. We make friends (it's a small community after all) but time passes quickly and real life has a tendency to intervene.

Acquiring the ability to be in the exact position to capture the essence of a "moment" whether comedic or dramatic is the road to the money shot. You know it when you see it. Those who have no theatrical background can do it as a technician; one who understands the construct (geometry) of a properly framed photo. Take enough and you are bound to capture that moment. The advantage of knowing how something is staged allows you to anticipate and be ready when that moment arrives.
Of course there are no guarantees. Remember, someone's eyes might be closed. To tell a story on myself, I conscientiously managed to reload my SD card holder in preparation for a session and forgot to put it back in the camera bag before I headed to the shoot. I got
set up and went to test my lighting and NO CARD. I dashed to  the only place open and paid what I pay for a 32gig card walking out with 4 gigs. No worries. No one knows but you.

Go to the theater.See a show. It doesn't have to be a musical. Some folks love them and some do not.
The experience can be life changing no matter what you see. Magic happens up on that stage and I love trying to capture just a moment of it.

Please enjoy the few pics I've sprinkled throughout the post. You might be able to guess the titles of the shows (if you don't already know) and if you have any questions drop me a line care of the blog.

It's In The Library, Siena Farewell

If you recall, when last we met high in the little Italian town of Siena, we were still in the Duomo gawking at the floor and the statuary works of Donatello and Michelangelo while being gawked at in return by the heads of many Popes and Emperors peering down (Siena style) from the high reaches of the cathedral. Sounds about right? Good.

We were guided through a rather small carved marble arch which served as an entrance on the left side of the nave which led into the Piccolomini Library which is a repository for beautifully illuminated books of religeous music (possibly written for choir voices). The preserved texts lie protected under glass in cases that surround the room. However the feast for the eyes surrounding one far surpasses gilded illustration, stave, notes and text. The frescos adorning the walls are beyond description, not just for their colorful depictions of events in the life of Pope Pius II (Siena's native son Enea Silvio Piccolomini), but for the use of depth of field. Look at the fresco in the far right corner. The artist used a vanishing point tricking both eye and brain into seeing a ceiling perspective that isn't there. Look at left and right and you can see the actual depth of the panels. The shot below makes the effect easier to see. I'm afraid my little Sony A5000 couldn't capture the scene in greater detail, but you get the idea.

Light entered the hall from the opposite side of the room and cast a bright glow augmented by flood lights situated around the room...not the best situation for other than casual photography.
The room also featured sculpture (visible above) with a Roman copy of the famous Greek statue the Three Graces occupying the center of the library. A Pieta by sculptor Alberto di Betto graces the room as well.

In doing a little research I found some of the books on display are psalters which simply means they hold the book of psalms written and illuminated by artisans of the day. All the books and manuscripts were the property of  Pope Pius II who, not so amazingly during that time period, was the uncle of Pope Pius III who commissioned the library in 1492 (when Columbus sailed the ocean blue...sorry...hard to resist) after his death.

Lastly and certainly not least(ly) is the ceiling. I know. I know. After a while all description of points of interest begin to blend becoming indistinguishable and lose their charm. Another ceiling in another church? The sistene chapel it isn't, but taken as a whole the Piccolomini Library is colorful and adds the sprinkles on top the ice cream cone that is the cathedral tour. The Duomo has riches enough and then, after walking through the carved marble entrance, another marvel greets your eyes. It's almost too much.

I realize that we in the modern world whose home country, which in my case offers a history under 300 years (Columbus had just sailed when the work on the library began), find it hard to wrap our heads around the riches poured by the Popes into seemingly countless cathedrals and basilicae while at the same time funding the so called crusades in the Holy Land.

Enter a cathedral in the US and you might find some riches of art or decor, but you will more likely be in a dark hall with votives flickering in a corner and a solemnity not apparent in Siena, Florence or Rome. That's considering only three cities in Italy. I'm sure it doesn't end there.You can understand a Martin Luther in rebellion of a church which allowed the rich to buy their brothers, sons, nephews or uncles positions in the clergy from priesthood to bishopric to cardinal. The accumulated wealth gathered from tithes used to add to the glory of the sitting Pope, wage war and/or fill church coffers.

It isn't about the church. It's about the opportunity to see the things only experienced in books or on TV.  To see the David up close can't be compared with the best HD photograph or video. You stand in the place where a young Michelangelo painted the sistene chapel ceiling. You walk into the coliseum and stand and see what the plebian and patrician Roman citizen saw (save for the combat between men and beast).  It permeates your hide and you feel it in your bones. We take so much for granted today. We are handed so much knowledge. We can live our lives without worrying about inventing the wheel or oil lamps for light or developing the concepts of philosophy or medicine. We can live our entire lives without having to consider man's nature and where he fits in the world.
The ruins of Rome and the vestiges of an ancient religion that has survived and flourished for over two thousand years are alone worth the time to see and experience.

Now before we say goodbye to Italy...
There is always more to see. I have some shots of the very interesting Baptistry of the Duomo in Florence I will be willing to share. So, maybe one more trip in Italy. Back to Florence! If I can locate those shots. Stay tuned.

Going Going Gone?

David Bowie's death came as something of a shock to me.  I had just watched 5 Years the night before and had found the video Lazarus for the new recording and was amazed at how out there Mr Bowie was in reinventing his "sound" for the album. I did notice he looked rather gaunt and surprisingly aged, but put that off to video purposed character make up. I made plans to purchase the new recordng the following day.

I was stunned when the news reached me. I was hurt. We had lost another icon and one who was unique in the entertainment world. There won't be another. It's not possible.

My only chance to see him perform was on the Diamond Dogs tour while on assignment for the paper. I was unable to set up an interview but was in the audience to write a review of the show. The arena was filled with men, women and (somewhere in between) all raving fans of Ziggy and The Spiders.

No photos of the show allowed, please. It was magical from the dimming of the lights to David stepping out among the decaying slyscrapers their searchlights peering into the darkness of the arena. Bowie came on stage solo, the band sequestered stage left but didn't interact with the star. It was different. Things had ch...cha...changed. No more Ziggy. No more Spiders.
But what a band! Mike Garson played piano and keys. Earl Slick replaced Mick Ronson on lead guitar. Tony Newman was on drums with Herbie Flowers handling the bass chores. Additional players for the tour included: David Sanborn, Carlos Alomar, Doug Rauch, Luther Vandross, Willie Weeks and on and on. The players changed throughout and the weight of the production almost crushed the star (figuratively, physically and financially) it was daring in scope and dramatic in tone.

With  his death we are left with few if any of the other aging standout artists making relevant noise.
Rod is still going but offering jazz standards and classic post war songs appealing to...? He's certainly lost what little cutting edge he's had since the Maggie May days. Mick and the Stones are still there but in a geriatric form. I'm waiting for them to open for a lengthy run in Vegas at Caesar's. Neal Diamond? Sorry not a rocker since 1967 and even then, not much. The Who? When they perform today what was done by 4 now takes 12. It's more of a history lesson. Sting just bombed on Broadway and Peter Gabriel is so far out in left field he's hard to find. Sir Paul is still recording but with little impact on music. I don't mean to leave out the likes of James Brown, Hendrix or Freddie Mercury. They are included in the list of icons who had a hand in shaping popular music.

So let's leave those products of the 1960's and 1970's behind and get to the real question. Who is there to pick up the mantle? Is there someone out there ready to lead whether by accident or design? What little Pop/Rock innovation that started in this country left decades ago. The recording industry's desire to catch lightning in a bottle over and over led to stagnation and hundreds of same sounding groups and releases. Greed was and is in full bloom.

The joke is the industry changed. Listeneners have almost stopped using CD's as their main source of musical entertainment and now stream to  their very sophisticated MP3 devices picking and choosing songs and artists for their vast mix libraries. Add the fact that anyone with a little money, talent and the internet can record, release and sell their own music on the web without being controlled by lawyers or contracts. Anarchy!

The most powerful individual artists appear to be the ladies. Forget Madonna (old news but still packs them in...a future in Vegas?) but Pop queens like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga tour in monster shows as does crossover star Taylor Swift, but it's not the same thing. Pink on tour crosses genres and bangs out a powerful rendition of Queen's Bohenian Rhapsody as well as a couple of Led Zeppelin tunes. But homage isn't innovation. The ostentatious if not outrageous nature of their shows may be entertaining however the music hasn't caused a shift in the timeline or sent popular music in a new direction (no, not referencing that boy band).

Being the geezer that I am and having been a newspaper columnist covering records and artists over a 13 year period starting back in the 1970's I had the pleasure of personal discovery. Every day was like Christmas with record companies sending me their new releases. I was hearing the artists before they were famous or radio stations added them to their playlists. When they were on tour I was invited to interview them and review the concerts. It was a dream come true. But over the years the dream has faded as those musicians pass away and I have yet to hear anyone come along to replace them.

There is an old saying,"there's nothing new under the sun." In music there are a finite number of notes that can be arranged in a finite number of patterns. Certain musical styles restrict the number and arrangements even further. The chance for a "new" thing or person to have the impact of a Bowie or Freddie Mercury or Marc Bolen or John Lennon or Jim Morrison or Janis Joplin or James Brown is astronomically small.  Maybe it will be happen but most likely not in my lifetime. Hopefully, dear reader, it will happen in yours.

Next time:

Say goodbye to Siena.

Siena Part 3: It's What's Inside That Counts or It Remains To Be Scene.

Welcome back Dear reader. When last we left Siena there was much said about the marble ediface of the Duomo di Siena. We even learned a new word for old world painting of ancient marble things, but we have yet to set foot inside the place. That we will do in Part 3 of our visit to the Tuscan town of Siena.

Walking through the bronze doors and after taking a moment to adjust to the change in light, your eyes behold an architectural and artistic visual assault of massive proportions. The lack of a single mind guiding the hands that crafted the interior of this temple of the faithful high above the town doesn't diminish the amazing sights within. Somehow parts of it reminded me more of what I had seen as decoration inside a mosque in the Holy Land...but that's another story.

The black and white striped marble motif was repeated on the interior columns (we must be in Siena) and when you look up a gaggle (what's a group of Popes called? Wait. There can't be a group of Popes. One  passes away prior to another being chosen.) of Popes are staring down as if to make sure you don't misbehave when attending mass!







Aside from statuary, pulpits, stained glass, altars and the dome itself there is the floor. The floor of the Duomo is a precious work of art in itself. It took over 200 years to finish, meaning the artist who conceived the design didn't live to see it completed. The floor is made up of intricate mosaics and is rarely seen in its entirety. Sunlight and human traffic would have eroded what is a marvel of craftsmanship and design.

So for the moment we look down. Not easy to do it photgraphic justice with difficult sight angles and the glare from above, but you can appreciate the craftsmanship seen at left. The 56 panels reach from nave to apse creating an interlocking carpet of stunning proportions. Some of the mosaic work was done with cut pieces of various colored marble fitted together to create a scene and others done by carving the design into the marble and then filling it with black stucco and pitch. The floor was the work of over 40 artists and artisans. and was begun in the 14 century.

Photo credit  Tuscany Arts

It so happened that our visit came during the only time last year the entire floor was uncovered. Seeing I was unable to shoot from the ceiling I borrowed a shot from the Tuscany Art website (credited above) in order to give you a better idea of how incredible an accomplishment it is.





Next we look up. I'm sure you recall those watchful plaster busts (172 torsos with 344 carved eyes)starting with their sitting Pope Lucius III going all the way back to Saint Peter staring down from high above. It still seems kind of creepy if you ask me.  Just below them (and for a change of pace) are the heads of 36 emperors (above). You can see a star motif decorates the ceilings eliminating the need for frescos (there are frescos, but not on the ceiling). The stars also decorate the dome all the way to the the top ring surrounded by winged cherubs. Just looking at the photo of the dome seems to draw one  up and raises one's spirits.

 As a place of worship for the simple townsfolk the ostentatious display of riches had to be overwhelmingly glorius. The power of the church on display. The cathedral was built on the grounds of a 9th century church and Bishops house. According to my research in 1058 a synod was held there and Pope Nicholas III  was elected deposing Benedict X. The history of the building of Duomo di Siena is dramatic and over the span of centuries it has weathered war (both archaic and modern) as well as the Black Death, but I'm not a historian nor do I want to bog you down with lots of references so if you're interested hit the wikipedia under Siena Cathedral or go to the Tuscany Art  site I cited earlier. They will do a much better job than I could ever hope to.



I want to get to the artistic contributions made by two namesakes of the Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles. First, a young Michelangelo was commissioned to complete the statues in the altar at left. Our guide said he never finished, moving on to better paying, grander if not greater things. Apparently no one was available over the centuries to get the last piece done. The spot upper right, stands empty centuries later.

About the stripes...there is no joke such as: What is black and white and black and white and black and white? A nun falling down the stairs. (Knuckles got smacked with a ruler for that one at St Martin of Tours School) Black and white are the offical colors of Siena and are supposed to represent the black and white horses of the city founders, Senius and Aschius. There's that horse thing again. I'm just glad it didn't become the fashion statement responsible for 20th Century prison garb. Also, I kept thinking zebra.



Turtle namesake number two Donatello contributed far more of his artistry in sculpture and paint than did Michelangelo.

But we will save that for the final segment of our trip to Siena. We haven't been to the library yet!