history – Matt Tilghman Photography

Beyond the Wall – Church Ruins near Kotor, Montenegro

Matt Tilg — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 12:19:49 +0000

Ancient church ruins languish in the mountain landscape, just outside of Kotor’s St’ John’s Fortress, in Montenegro.

In the famous town of Kotor, Montenegro, visitors may opt to take a grueling hike up the imposing city walls. These walls ascend straight up the steep Dinaric Alps, ending at the St John’s Fortress which overlooks Kotor. The vantage from the top offers stunning views of Kotor Bay, and for that reason the climb is a very popular – and crowded – activity. However, there’s a small hole in the wall that most visitors walk right by, since you will undoubtedly be out of breath, and staring at your feet to avoid tripping on the fallen rocks. I happened to notice this hole, and popped my head through. What I saw amazed me: stunning mountain scenery and ancient church ruins in disrepair, as if from some medieval fairy-tale. I instantly lost interest in the St John Fortress, and instead explored this scene in solitude.

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Walking the Walls – Castillo de San Marcos, St Augustine

Matt Tilg — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 13:29:16 +0000

Tourists walking the sea walls of Castillo de San Marcos, in St Augustine, Florida.

A lot of my friends in Florida say something similar: “Florida doesn’t have enough history!” I’m not sure where they get this idea, because Florida is full of history. It might feel “new” when you only stay in South Florida, but Florida is home to the nation’s oldest continuously inhabited city (of European origin): St Augustine. The city kept changing hands throughout America’s pre-revolutionary history (and after). Nations desired the city because of its extremely strategic position. It’s near proximity to the gulf stream, the main shipping route back to Europe, made it crucial. The fort pictured here, Castillo de San Marcos, protected the trading and naval ships (and defended against the pirates). It’s the oldest stone fort in the continental United States! How is that for history!

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Castillo At Dusk – Castillo de San Marcos, St Augustine Florida

Matt Tilg — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 13:12:11 +0000

Castillo de San Marcos and Sabal palm trees silhouetted at dusk in St Augustine, Florida.

If the general feel of this photograph seems familiar, it should. I’m not sure whether its an atmospheric quirk unique to the coastal regions where these Sabal palm trees also happen to grow, but this scene looks remarkably similar to the South Carolina license plate (with the notable addition of the Castillo de San Marcos). What I’m referring is the silhouette of the sabal palm, as well as the gradient in the sky. It progresses from a pastel red, to white, to a deep navy blue. Almost patriotic! Fitting not only for the topic of the image, but also since I was there on Memorial Day. I’m sure that this beautiful sky gradient is not unique to this region. But I’m also sure that it’s not the same gradient everywhere. In California, it was oranges and purples. I’d guess it has something to do with the particles in the sky, and how they scatter the light. The salty and water-saturated air here would be expected to scatter light differently than the dusty dry air in California.

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