Thursday, December 18, 2008

12.18.08

"la Seine"

"Monsieur chez le Rodin"

"Lighting a Candle"

"Column Detail"
Musee Carnavalet


22 comments:

Julie said...
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Julie said...

The 254 on the column detail is not just on your image, is it? I wonder what it indicates? Something as prosaic as a cattledog number?

Jill said...

Another genteel Frenchman! And another beautiful bridge. The column at Carnavalet looks as if it has weathered many years, but retained much detail. Your candle shot is very expressive.

alice said...

The first one is one of my favorites but I like them all!

Unknown said...

I'm with Alice, the river water seen through the gorgeous bridge railing is my favourite!

Virginia said...

Thanks Julie. Post party posting is dangerous!HA The numbers were on all of the architectural pieces. I have many more! We thought it a way to catalog.

Jane Hards Photography said...

254 your time is up. So just how many did you take? Another set of beauties all warmth and structure, fine detaing rather than the big picture. A part can say more than the whole at times. The gentleman has a very British look, not sure what it is maybe the paper. We do have an (unhealthy) obsession with newspapers.

Virginia said...

B., I took approximately 1100 photos. At Musee Carnavalet a LOT. I have many more of these fragments that I thought very intriguing but not sure anyone else will. I will share a few more and see how you all like them. Monsieur was intently reading a card at the Musee Rodin that explains the artwork in each room. He never noticed that I took 4 photos of him. The "Old Men of Paris" fetish continues on....

Alice and JM, I like this one and debated for too long about the color vs sepia tones. In color the leaves at the bottom showed but the day was so gray the whole photo lacked any pizzaz.

I find this very interesting. My last trip, most of my photos were so very well suited to sepia. This time, more to color/BW. Anyone want to weigh in on that? BTW, you can see my Paris 2007 photos on my photography website on the sidebar. I am too busy feeding my two blog babies to put my new Paris on the site just yet.

Wayne said...

I like the portrait. The chap looks completely at ease.

Eki said...

That "Monsieur chez le Rodin" is wonderful, V.

Nathalie H.D. said...

Virginia, your photos are such a joy to see. Each batch comes with new gems. But I also have to tell you that I ADORED the Paris metro station shot you posted on Peter's blog on subway theme day. What a great composition you achieved!

Nathalie H.D. said...

PS - I'm still open to the photo swap project, but I'm not sure how I can help with the choice LOL !!!

jb said...

Wow, this is COOL STUFF, Virginia..

Knoxville Girl said...

I like the candles, lots of visual interest with the different lengths. Very well done!

Jane Hards Photography said...

Ok I will behave and wade in with proper photography advice. Sepia is lesst favoured with photographers - and here's why. If an image contains anything modern ie car, building, clothing it looks out of context, thus conflicting. Sepia images that aren't contextual tend to lack authenticity because they are out of time and look contirved rather than jutxtaposed. Black and white is timeless/retro/ageless. Colour is modern, real time and punchy. Sepia works best on anything genuinely vintage or certain portraits- girls with curls and victoriana ect.

Ooh dear I was in danger there of being sensible. Don't get used to it. Does the above make any sense?

Virginia said...

Yes it makes perfect sense and I agree. My sepia photos fit your criteria. I loved it for many of my photos were shot on such dismal days that they lacked any real color. I don't think BW always works everytime either. I know this sounds hokey but I think a photo "tells" you what it needs to be. Does THAT make any sense???

Julie said...

The creativity involved in photography may work in a similar way to the creativity involved in writing: the artist is led by the muse. Writers do not necessarily know where the story or the character is heading and can be quite surprised come the end of a session just where they have ended up.

I think this elusive concept is what we regard as "creativity". What do you think?

Ken Mac said...

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....these are more like it! top to bottom lovelyness!

elsa said...

Lovely pictures of the candles in the Church

Jane Hards Photography said...

You listen to photos? Don't you ever call be mad again. No I agree each image instinctively slips into a genre. I will try and work the idea onto a post like my streaming light one this week. I must have something sepia somewhere.

Virginia said...

Oh I just found these remarks. I am constantly trying to find my niche but I don't know if I want to find ONE. May I have several s'il vous plait? I struggle with the idea that I must be "just right" and then want to strut off and do my own thing. I guess with your guidance I will find my way. Help me along??? Your expertise is so appreciated. Each of you provide me with what I need to be better. Merci!

Julie said...

I enjoy discussing ideas like this - but please dont attribute expertise to me. That only makes me more insecure than I already am and I back right off! okay ...

One of the reasons that I trashed Sydney Eye was because the voice that I had created did not feel authentic - to me, authentic to me. But my new blog is even worse: there is no definition, no boundaries and no voice. The trifecta ... What you say about "niche" may be something similar, you can comment upon that. However, you need to do "things" because YOU want to do them not because the readership requests it. If you don't think the pictures are of the quality that you crave (hard word to chose there) then do not post them. If you only have 2 more weeks of muse left, then let it go fallow for a while. The idea of cooperation between bloggers is one to pursue, if that gives you artistic pleasure not if it puts a noose around your neck.

The last month has maybe been a rollercoaster - meditate on what YOU want out of it and your next direction. As you say, two blogs are not easy to maintain. To me it is important that I post on stories that move me - I can have no idea what to do and I really really struggle but whamo - suddenly it is there. There is a poem by Ted Hughes called The Thought Fox. Artistic creativity is the subject of it and the whammo is the last two lines. You know KNOW when the muse has just hit you over the head with the back of an axe. And this will give you more insight into moi - what scares the shit out of me is if I suddenly get more readers or more comments. Then I wonder in what way I have compromised my values. You see, I do not have photographic skills nor writing skills - but I would like to have. And that is my aim from 60 to 80. To know what I want to say and find a voice and a medium that helps me say it. Having a small likeminded readership would be kinda okay too ...