My interview on Farming Stars

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Aaron Douglas of Farming Stars about my passion for European Travel.

You can click on this link to hear it http://farmingstars.com/john-bragg-is-passionate-about-european-travel-20130405

John Bragg is Passionate about European Travel

John Bragg makes a living as a commercial photographer in Indianapolis, but his not-so-secret passion is traveling throughout Europe. Whether its meeting the people, consuming the food, or enjoying the fine art photography, John’s thirst for the European experience draws him back year after year. He is not terrified of Eastern Europe.

Iceland part II

A few more insights and pictures into the Icelandic culture:

-The Icelanders are very particular about their horses.  There is only one breed on the island and Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return.  With manes this long it gives them human-like characteristics.

-There are churches scattered all over Iceland and they are usually all about the same size.  You can see below that they are small and oftentimes have the same red and white color scheme. 

-There is one major road that circles the entire country and it's Route 1 which is also called the Ring Road.  It's 830 miles and many tourists rent a car and drive around the entire country.  If you are going to do this, it's suggested to spend about two weeks to really be able to take in the sights.

-The iceberg lagoon known as Jökulsárlón is an amazing sight to see.  When you arrive you see this entire lagoon filled with floating icebergs.  They are a result of the ice falling off of the glacier on the north end of the lagoon.  It's really amazing to watch these icebergs float by and at first they seem very serene just floating there and all of the sudden you will see one flip upside down and the underside of the iceberg is really bright blue because of the ice being so cold.  As it's exposed to the elements it starts to shift color and becomes more clear or white and then they float off to sea.  I took a boat ride in the lagoon and they pulled a piece of ice out of the water and it was crystal clear.  The tour guide broke it into pieces and we ate it.

Icelandic horses

Brunnholl church

The ring road

Icebergs at Jökulsárlón

Sólfar (Sun Voyager) sculpture in the harbor in Reykjavik

 Most of my blog posts are personal photos that give you some insight to my travels.  I make my living by being an advertising, magazine, architectural, and corporate photographer in Indianapolis, IN.

Iceland

This is the first in a series from my recent trip to Iceland.  A lot of people looked at me with a curious expression when I said my next trip was to Iceland.  It's not on most Americans radar for a travel destination, but I can tell you it's well worth the trip.  This first email is designed to clarify some things about Iceland.  First off, it's not icy everywhere in Iceland.  See, the story goes that the Norwegian vikings decided to call it Iceland when they were settling the country because they wanted it to themselves.  They figured if they named it something like Iceland no one would want to go there.  On the contrary, it's green in lots of areas and it's filled with natural beauty like waterfalls, geysirs, volcanos, hot springs, mountains, moss and lichen-covered lava fields, and, yes, glaciers.  But glaciers only comprise a part of Iceland.  The funny thing is that the vikings also gave Greenland it's name to get people interested in going there and if you know anything about Greenland its' about 80% ice covered.  So the saying "Iceland is green and Greenland is ice" is really true.  Clever vikings.  And the weather in Iceland isn't as cold as you might expect.  In fact, the average high in January in Reykjavik (the capital) is warmer than in New York City.  But, it doesn't exactly get hot here either.  The average high in July/August is around 55° but temps can get into the upper 70's.  The country stays temperate because of the gulf stream even though it's just outside the Arctic Circle.  And in the spring and fall the high and low temperature hardly changes at all. While I was there the forecast showed a high of 57 and a low of 54 for the whole week.  And Iceland is the easiest foreign country I've ever traveled in because everyone speaks English, they drive on the same side of the road as the US and they accept credit cards virtually everywhere.  Stay tuned for the next installment of this series.

Hallgrimskirkja cathedral in Reykjavik and the inspiration for the design is the naturally forming basalt columns you see on the right.

þingvellir national park is where the first Icelandic parliament convened in 930 AD

People photographing in lava fields

Kirkjufell mountain

If you have an interest in buying photos from my travels in Europe you can find them here http://www.europefineartphotos.com

Holiday Prints

Looking for unique ideas for holiday gifts?  Want to find something different without having to set foot in a shopping mall?   I have an extensive library of images from all over Europe as well as downtown Indianapolis landmarks that would make great gifts this holiday season.  I can do small 8"x10" prints that are easy to frame or create beautiful canvas gallery wraps as large as 40"x60".   

For an even more personal approach, we offer printing and stretching services of your own images.  Surprise someone with their photos stretched on canvas!  Price lists for original artwork or printing and stretching services can be found here.  Please contact me for any print orders.  Links to Indianapolis and Europe images are below. 

Original wall art makes the perfect gift!       

Grand' Place- Brussels, Belgium

Belgium had eluded me from all of my previous Europe trips, but not this time.  Having seen photos of Brussels' Grand' Place in books, I was anxious to witness it in person.  It did not disappoint.  From the moment you enter the square you realize the grandeur of this place (hmmm....why do you think they call it Grand' Place?).  The Flemish Baroque architecture is so ornate and full of charm and character that you quickly understand why it's one of Europe's finest historic squares.  Most of the facades you see were guildhouses built by different trade guilds.  Some of them have icons above the doors that represent the original building that occupied the site.  The one you see in this photo has a wheel barrow above the door and it represents the tallow (candle) merchants. 

Lets go to Italy

If you enjoy travel, photography, adventure, trying new foods, seeing unique architecture or simply learning something new, then I think you will enjoy this series.  I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to travel extensively in Europe and I wanted to share that experience with you.  Enjoy and I hope this encourages you to explore new places and devote time to international travel.

If you have interest in purchasing a print from this series you can find my contact information below.  I have the capabilities to print very large prints and even print on canvas with a gallery wrap.  To see a price list click here

Italy  

While in Florence, my friends and I discovered a Fiat 500 driving tour that allowed us to drive the cars in and around the city.  The owner of the company was actually British and she was passionate about these little cars.  If you want to see a really cool website with an awesome example of quality branding, check out her site here. She owns 6 of the vintage 500's and would drive a lead car and speak to you through a headset that would broadcast into your car.  As you drove past landmarks she would tell you the history and significance of them.  The 500 is the Italians' answer to the Mini Cooper.  It's small, economical, basic, quirky and fun.  And these older ones can be finicky as well.  Of course, they are stick shifts and a treat to drive on narrow Italian streets. 

Let's go to Switzerland

Gruyéres, Switzerland

Gruyéres, SwitzerlandRiiiiicolaaaaa!  Yes, Ricola, the cough drop herbal remedy. That's what most people think when they see these guys with their alphorns.  Heck, I didn't even know what they were called until I went to Switzerland.  They were used for communication between villages in the alps.  Sometimes for people, sometimes for cattle. This is one of only two times I've ever seen them being used.  This is in the tiny town of Gruyéres.  This region in the alps is known for it's cheese and chocolate.  I ended up going on a tour of the cheese factory and it was very impressive.  The cows that they use for the milk roam the alps freely eating flowers, grass and herbs (some of the same herbs you find in Ricola).  This diet gives the cheese it's special flavor.  At the end of the tour they gave us 3 cheeses to try : each at a different stage of maturity.   It is definitely my favorite cheese.  Of course, every time I bite into a piece of it I remember the experience of being there.  I'm sure that plays into my love of this cheese.  At any rate, if you've never tried it, pick some up the next time you are in a good cheese shop. 
 

Norway

Bergen, Norway..........

The photo on the top is from Bergen, Norway a town on the western coast of Norway known for it's harbor and fish market and rich sea-trading heritage.  These buildings face the harbor and had some great weathered character to them and were anything but straight.  They all seemed to have a bit of a lean to them.  I liked the simplicity of the shapes and how they became a color study with the blue sky and the mountain of green trees in the background.  And the funny thing about the photo in the bottom is that it's from Epcot at Disney World.  They have a World Showcase area that highlights 10 different countries and Norway is one of them.  As soon as I saw these buildings I realized they were mimicking Bergen.  So to have some fun, I photographed the architecture from some of the countries in the showcase and I posted the images on Facebook.  I didn't say where I was but most people thought I was in Europe.  The architecture in the World Showcase is very believable.  I had German beer in "Germany" and ate French food in "France" and pretended, at least for the day, to be in Europe.

Paris, France

Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France

  France was the first country in Europe I ever visited.  I was on a summer study abroad program with about 40 college students and, needless to say, we had an amazing time.  The experience definitely gave me the travel bug for Europe.  I told myself on the flight home from that trip that I would do it again.  And I have........several times.  These kinds of experiences can be life-changing on many levels.  This photo depicts the Arc de Triomphe in a triptych form.  The Arc was commissioned by Napoléon to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz.  There are 12 converging boulevards which make for an interesting traffic situation and the view from the top of the Arc is awesome.  It's located on the Champs Elysees, probably the most famous street in Paris.

Ireland

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin, Ireland

  This photo is taken in the Temple Bar district know for it's trendy and touristy nightlife scene, shops, galleries, theatre, cafe's, pubs and restaurants.  It's a great spot for live traditional music and dancing.  On several occasions in the pubs I would see a table of friends hanging out and all of a sudden one of the guys would break out into song.  He would sing loud enough for the others in the pub to hear and sometimes his friends would join in but oftentimes he would finish his verse all by himself.  And this wasn't when music was being played.  He would just belt out a tune acapella.  This was always amusing to me because I can't recall ever really seeing Americans do this back home, but it's very commonplace in Ireland.  I'm not sure how much of it was prompted by Guinness consumption or just a desire to sing.  It seems like I remember seeing this in other parts of Europe, but seemed more prevalent in Ireland.  It's a great country with lots of friendly people and it's entertaining to get around by car since they drive on the other side of the road.  And it's not as bad as you might think.  I managed to drive in Dublin without any problems and it's the best way to get around the country since they don't have an extensive train system.  And, yes, I thought the Guinness tasted better over there than here at home.  I had lunch one day in Galway and saw an older gentleman (probably pushing  80) come in and drink a pint of Guinness in about 4 minutes.

Old Town Square, Prague, Czech Republic

I've been hearing for years how interesting the city of Prague is and how I need to visit.  Well, just a few weeks ago I had my first opportunity to visit Prague and I understand what everyone was talking about.  One of the big draws for me when traveling to Europe is to see and photograph all of the striking architecture.  It's architecture that has been standing for hundreds of years and has a sense of style, character, ornateness and history that you can only find in the older cities in Europe.  I went to the top of the Old Town Hall Tower to get this perspective on the square.  I rode the glass elevator to the top of the tower and once I was outside and looking down on the city I couldn't help but think that the inspiration for the scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when Willy and Charlie go flying around the city in the Wonkavator came from experiencing this very thing.  The scene in the movie was actually filmed in Nördlingen, Germany but you would think you were in the movie when looking out from the top of the tower.

I make my living by doing advertising, commercial, magazine and fine art photography work while living in Indianapolis.

Appenzell, Switzerland

Cows, Alp Horns, Chocolate and that Stinky Cheese! Welcome to Switzerland!   Appenzell, Switzerland is a story book town in northeastern Switzerland.  It has a great small-town feel with great architectural character and charming streets.  When I was there I got to witness the processional of cows through the town.  In late August and early September the cows process from the mountains through the town and are guided by whistling and singing herders wearing formal traditional attire.  The cows are wearing either massive cow bells or flowers.  It's a pretty entertaining site to see.  One of the other funny experiences I had while in Appenzell was while purchasing some of the local cheese called Appenzeller.  Before I even set foot in the cheese shop, I was overwhelmed by the smell emanating from the shop.  There was a very pungent smell akin to smelly feet.  My friends and I forged ahead and stood inside the shop and we stood there just laughing.  I couldn't believe how they could work in this place.  But, part of the experience is to eat like the locals so I purchased some cheese for a picnic we were going to have in the Alps.  We took the bag of cheese with us on the train and it was funny watching the people who were considering sitting across the aisle from us.  Several people looked at us and smelled the cheese and went and sat somewhere else.  Finally, an elderly woman sat across from us and proceeded to look out the window.......with her finger covering her nostrils.   Priceless.  The cheese is simply called Appenzeller and you can find it in finer cheese shops.  It's great stuff and the kind I have bought in the states doesn't smell that bad.  Try it some time.   My all time favorite Swiss cheese is Gruyere.  Try the cave-aged kind and you will understand what truly great cheese tastes like.

Undredal, Aurlandsfjord, Norway

Undredal, Aurlandsfjord, Norway   My dad is really into geneology and he has traced the Bragg name back several hundred years to Norway.  Knowing for some time that I wanted to go to visit the land of my forefathers, I decided it would be interesting to visit it right around the time of summer solstice since Scandinavia is known as the "land of the midnight sun."  So I went during that time but never actually got to see midnight sun because we weren't far enough north.  But, the sun did set around 11:00 pm and would rise again about 3:00 am.  Because of this, the sky never got pitch black at night but just looked like dusk.  The town of Undredal was very briefly seen while riding in a boat through the Aurlandsfjord.  Norway is known for their fjords and for good reason.  They make for a strikingly beautiful backdrop with deep waters and lush mountains.

Spaten Tent at Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

This was day one at Oktoberfest and it was fun to see how decorative they made each "tent".  We spent the majority of our time at this tent (Spaten).  There were no available seats inside (at 11 a.m.) so we found some seats outside.  The weather was perfect and so was the beer.  The rotisserie that you see on the outside above the entrance was even animatronic.  The Germans don't mess around when it comes to throwing a party.  I don't speak any other languages, but I always learn to say "Cheers" in whatever country I am in.  Prost!!!

London, England

Food and wine bar in SoHo district of London, England

London, England

  The SoHo district of London, England is a trendy area with upscale eateries and this food and wine bar is no exception.  You can check out their website here.  I didn't actually eat there, but I liked the facade for it's simple, charming and weathered look.  And I like how this illustrates the city life of these people and shows the various conversations taking place.  Being a big fan of Walker Evans' photography, this image reminds me of his photos of facades taken in the 1930's for the Farm Security Administration.

Indianapolis Star article on my live/work space

View this gallery at The Indianapolis Star: HomeFinder: - John Bragg's warehouse home

Monterosso, Italy (Cinque Terre)

This seemed an appropriate post today to serve as a brief daydream.  In Indianapolis, it's currently 16 degrees outside, but it feels like 5 degrees.  And we are expecting 5 inches of snow.  So I thought I would post a photo from a warmer, sunnier day.  This is the "beach" in Monterosso, Italy.  I think Americans have a different idea of what to expect when they see the word "beach".  This beach primarily consisted of rocks.  No soft sand like we come to expect in the states.  But, I found the form, color, and repetition of the beach chairs and umbrellas to be interesting.  The lines and stripes tie into the comments from my last post.

Stein am Rhein, Switzerland

Just going through some of my images today and came across these photos from my time in Stein am Rhein, Switzerland.  I'm always impressed with the attention to detail in Europe when it comes to design, style, color and form.  They make almost everything with equal attention to both function and form.  Check out these shutters and the garage door.  Not just a simple paint job for this house.  The stripes add a really interesting design pattern to the facade.  And if you look really close you see a heart shape cut out of the shutter.  And you can see the hardware on the wall by the shutter designed to hold them in place.  Yes, these are actually functioning shutters.  Most of what we have in the states are screwed to the side of the house and don't serve a function.  I think I'll go eat some Gruyere cheese now.

Greece

Santorini, Greece

Thira, Santorini, Greece

  With all of the reports about Greece's financial problems in the news, I thought I would post a photo from my trip to Greece.  The island of Santorini in Greece is fantastic in October.  The temperatures were in the mid 70's and the tourist season is winding down.  Five days of my ten day trip to Greece was spent on this island and it was time well spent.  There is a reason this is the most popular of the Greek Islands.  The villages are dramatically perched on the top of the cliff and they overlook the volcano and the sea.  I stayed in the village called Thira, but it's a relatively short hike to get to the other villages.  And there is an amazing sunset view in the village of Oia.  It was funny trying to navigate around the outskirts of the island because they didn't seem to care too much about street signs.  So, trying to follow a map was comical.  But, it wasn't really frustrating because there weren't a lot of road options anyway.  I spent time on the black beach (called this because the sand is black volcanic sand), rode a donkey down the side of the cliff, and ate plenty of greek salads and drank my share of Mykonos beer.  A side note on the salad: a true Greek salad consists of tomatoes, cucumbers, green bell peppers, red onion, kalamata olives, olive oil and a slice of feta cheese.  No lettuce on this salad.  If you ever have a chance to visit Greece be sure to spend at least a few days in Santorini.  Opa!!

Mürren, Switzerland

People often ask me what is my favorite country in Europe? I would have to say Switzerland. It's the most beautiful, quaint, clean, and friendly country I've visited. I enjoy the food and love the architecture for it's sense of style and warmth. It's an easy country to relax and take in the surroundings. To me it is heaven on earth. This is the hotel I stayed in recently. And the other photo is taken from our balcony on the 3rd floor. It was a huge wrap around balcony that works very nicely when you want to sit back and drink a beer and be awed. You can find some of my European photography for sale on both Etsy and Discovered Artists