When I lived in Aix-en-Provence, I noticed the same thing. Though there it was on a much smaller scale...gargoyles on buildings, the magnificent fountain in the rotunde. Then in Dublin, I got some funny looks because people were wondering what I was photographing from across the street.
I love the statues and all the detail, but what strikes me more is the minimalist result. All that sky and a teensy statue. Kind of makes you realize how small we really are and places perspective square on our tiny shoulders. 😁
One of my favorite things about photographing in public is having people look at me, then look at where the camera is pointed, and wondering what the hell I’m looking at. 🥸
You’re right about the sense of perspective. This happens to me, especially when I’m in Rome where I feel like my little piece of lifetime is just a blip.
Thank you very much for sending this set of photos Jeff, q lot of very outstanding ones , Example where the statue is on the left side of the photo composition and the rest of the photo becomes more important because the statue was relegated in your composition to playing
"second fiddle" ,,I also enjoy your words that explain and add so much to the photos,
Thanks for the nod to points of view, in this case looking up. Like Lewis I was taken by the hand blocking the sunlit wall. A bit of humor among the ancients. The sky does lend itself to black and white and the hand and sunlit wall demand color.
Thanks, Steve! There's some apocryphal story about the hand blocking the sunlit (church) wall - that the sculptor (Bernini) was horrified by the "ugly" facade of that church (which he'd lost a competition to design) and made his statue so that it looked like the figure was aghast. Unfortunately, the timing of the events didn't quite work out to make it true, but we love thinking of it that way.
What a visual treat and prod to thinking. Not only statue and sky, but a dramatic set of juxtapositions across the centuries. # 2 – the man/hand v. the bright light that he seems to fear from the building -- a church? # 6 – the Roman and his horse, the possibly Egyptian obelisk, and the cross on its top. # 7 – Baroque Rome and modern Rome of scooters and sales. Plus, in # 8 what a neat way to combine the shadow of Bernini’s elephant [Google is useful] with the light and the little pieces of windows for some mystery.
Which ones would have worked as well or differently in black and white?
Luigi! Grazie tante per leggere! That's a great question on the B&W vs. color. Just looking now, I think all the ones with significant sky in them (and there are several) would work well in B&W, mainly because the clouds could become a bigger part of the image. But, the Bernini (correct!) elephant against the orange church wouldn't... for me anyway.
When I lived in Aix-en-Provence, I noticed the same thing. Though there it was on a much smaller scale...gargoyles on buildings, the magnificent fountain in the rotunde. Then in Dublin, I got some funny looks because people were wondering what I was photographing from across the street.
I love the statues and all the detail, but what strikes me more is the minimalist result. All that sky and a teensy statue. Kind of makes you realize how small we really are and places perspective square on our tiny shoulders. 😁
One of my favorite things about photographing in public is having people look at me, then look at where the camera is pointed, and wondering what the hell I’m looking at. 🥸
You’re right about the sense of perspective. This happens to me, especially when I’m in Rome where I feel like my little piece of lifetime is just a blip.
Yes. That's exactly it.
Thank you very much for sending this set of photos Jeff, q lot of very outstanding ones , Example where the statue is on the left side of the photo composition and the rest of the photo becomes more important because the statue was relegated in your composition to playing
"second fiddle" ,,I also enjoy your words that explain and add so much to the photos,
Thank you for sending !,,,AKJ in WA
Andrew! Thank you for reading and thanks also for your kind and insightful observations!
Thanks for the nod to points of view, in this case looking up. Like Lewis I was taken by the hand blocking the sunlit wall. A bit of humor among the ancients. The sky does lend itself to black and white and the hand and sunlit wall demand color.
Thanks, Steve! There's some apocryphal story about the hand blocking the sunlit (church) wall - that the sculptor (Bernini) was horrified by the "ugly" facade of that church (which he'd lost a competition to design) and made his statue so that it looked like the figure was aghast. Unfortunately, the timing of the events didn't quite work out to make it true, but we love thinking of it that way.
Ciao Jeff
What a visual treat and prod to thinking. Not only statue and sky, but a dramatic set of juxtapositions across the centuries. # 2 – the man/hand v. the bright light that he seems to fear from the building -- a church? # 6 – the Roman and his horse, the possibly Egyptian obelisk, and the cross on its top. # 7 – Baroque Rome and modern Rome of scooters and sales. Plus, in # 8 what a neat way to combine the shadow of Bernini’s elephant [Google is useful] with the light and the little pieces of windows for some mystery.
Which ones would have worked as well or differently in black and white?
A presto
Luigi
Luigi! Grazie tante per leggere! That's a great question on the B&W vs. color. Just looking now, I think all the ones with significant sky in them (and there are several) would work well in B&W, mainly because the clouds could become a bigger part of the image. But, the Bernini (correct!) elephant against the orange church wouldn't... for me anyway.
beautiful
Thank you for reading, Tammy!
Thanks for this ‘eye opening’ perspective, Jeff!
Thanks for reading, Cindy!