Photo by Joe Newman

Last week, I decided to make my first visit to the MLK Memorial, which opened last year on the tidal basin, south of the National Mall. I figured I’d take some photos at sunset but the steady stream of tour bus traffic was a major turnoff.  The night wasn’t a total waste, as I stopped by the National World War II Memorial on the walk back. I didn’t have a lot of time but used my Gorillapod to take some long exposure shots.

Flickr photo by Moyan_Brenn

One of the great things about Paris is the low-rise skyline gives the city such an intimate feel. It also makes it easy to get some great, unobstructed views of the Paris skyline.

1. Notre Dame Cathedral in the 4th arrondissement. I love the photo above (Copyright by Moyan_Brenn) taken from the tower at the Notre Dame Cathedral. The cathedral’s iconic gargoyle casts a gaze across the city, with the river Seine, Eiffel Tower and the skyscrapers of La Défense business district in the background.

I had every intention of capturing something similar to Moyan’s photo but didn’t realize that the tower closes at 5:30 p.m. from October through March (last access to the tower is 45 minutes before closing). Ack. Don’t make the same mistake if you go. Check the schedule.

Luckily, there are plenty of other places to see the skyline. (See four more suggestions after the jump)

Photos by Joe Newman

From the UNESCO description: “From the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, from the Place de la Concorde to the Grand and Petit Palais, the evolution of Paris and its history can be seen from the River Seine. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame and the Sainte Chapelle are architectural masterpieces while Haussmann’s wide squares and boulevards influenced late 19th- and 20th-century town planning the world over.”

Photo by Joe Newman

Paris is a great place to visit any time of the year, but if you’re going to go in March, it’s probably a good idea to pack a raincoat and an umbrella. This picture was taken shortly after we finished a walking tour that was interrupted by a downpour. Lamia is standing on the north end of the Pont Alexandre III, looking toward Place des  Invalides, which houses Napolean’s tomb.

Cross-posted at Zenfolio.

Photos by Joe Newman

From the UNESCO description:“Rising above the modern lower town, the Alhambra and the Albaycín, situated on two adjacent hills, form the medieval part of Granada. To the east of the Alhambra fortress and residence are the magnificent gardens of the Generalife, the former rural residence of the emirs who ruled this part of Spain in the 13th and 14th centuries. The residential district of the Albaycín is a rich repository of Moorish vernacular architecture, into which the traditional Andalusian architecture blends harmoniously.”