Ian Bramham's Photoblog
Montmartre, Paris
Posted by Ian Bramham (Manchester, United Kingdom) on 4 January 2008 in Cityscape & Urban and Portfolio.
This is another photo taken during my recent visit to Paris....the building is the Sacre Coeur church which dominates the top of the hill at Montmartre.
The weather was very misty and I thought this street performer's attire went well with both the mist and the white stonework of the church.
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Links to the websites of other photographers whose work I love and who have all helped me enormously over a long period of time. I find the work of all 3 to be inspirational.
@KMF: Thanks very much!
Michael Skorulski from Cigel, Slovakia
A really satisfying arty photo. I really like it.
4 Jan 2008 9:37am
@Michael Skorulski: Thanks very much Michael....arty always sounds good to me :-)
While I was in Paris I went to a major exhibition of Steichen's photographs......wow!...it was one of those defining moments. What a truly fantastic artist he was with a camera. The photos he produced before the start of the first world war were especially overwhelming in their dramatic artistic impact. The negative side of seeing his work was that it made me wonder why I was bothering to even try taking photos when photographers like Steichen were producing such fantastic work 90 - 100 years ago.
At the moment I'm trying not to think about it too much in case I just give up.....I guess we can only do the best we can with the ability we have been given or can pick up along the way.
Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada
Outstanding, 10 point's worth of Outstanding!!!! '...made me wonder why I was bothering...' are you nuts?
4 Jan 2008 12:35pm
@Lorraine: Thanks Lorraine......I tend to go through phases with photography where I feel like I'm getting somewhere and others when it all seems enormously frustrating. Steichen's photos, especially the early work, were so powerful that I came away from the exhibition not knowing whether to laugh or cry....completely overwhelming.
Guillermina from Buenos Aires, Argentina
Completely agree with Lorraine. The thing is, if you think about it, it seems everything's been done already (and much better than one could ever do it). But the fact is, there are no two identical subjectivities, so... You better not give up, Ian!
(In case I wasn't clear enough, your photos bear witness to a unique artistic sensitivity. That's that.)
4 Jan 2008 12:43pm
@Guillermina: Thanks Guillermina - I often wonder where we, as humans, are going with all these photos that we take......but I guess that in the final analysis we all take photos for ourselves, in my case its a wonderful outlet for a bit of artistic expression and if it wasn't deeply personal then it would be a waste of time. I guess that's why I tend to experience a lot of both frustration and elation with the whole thing.
@scotfot: Thanks very much!
Photo Snapshots from Stockholm, Sweden
Thats a great shot. I like how you lined up the performer with Sacre Coeur in the background, and also the almost B&W look to it with the red rose as a nice accent.
4 Jan 2008 8:53pm
@Photo Snapshots: Thank you very much - how kind of you!
Yakumo1890 from Japan
This is of course a wonderful shot. What particularly pleases me is the shapes echoed between the performer and the Sacre Couer. They both have a dome-shape that is nicely repeated as well as the white color. A very ncie image. Thanks for sharing.
6 Jan 2008 12:41pm
@Yakumo1890: Thanks very much GJC!
I've played up the dome theme on another shot thats posted on this mini-series here if your interested...http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1034&thread=26330034
Michael from TX, United States
This is a really great shot! You captured it in a way that makes the performer appear to be a statue. I know that was probably what he was striving for, but your composition really pulled it off. The flower is a great touch as well.
13 Jan 2008 5:50am
Nikon D40
1/500 second
F/5.3
ISO 200
69 mm (35mm equiv.)