Timeless Respect

[Sailorstu]

I am just back from a wonderful vacation to the Algarve in Portugal and Provence in France. Just starting to process my bags of photos. This photo of a small community (Les Arcs) memorial to French soldiers who perished in WW I is one of my early favourites. C and C welcome.

[Shadowman]

Nicely exposed, a bit too tight on the crop of the foreground planter.

[Rebel]

Nicely exposed, a bit too tight on the crop of the foreground planter.

+1 to John's comment.

Its a lovely photo but I might of been tempted to take a step or two to the right to get more of that memorial in?

[Geoff F]

Quite reasonable, but I agree with stepping back a fraction and I appear to be seeing curved verticals on the image edges. A bit of lens distortion?

[Sailorstu]

Thanks John, bone headed of me not to pick up the crop. I have found a better shot and will post in this chain.

[Sailorstu]

John, Matt and Geoff,

Thanks for the excellent critique. As it happened I had another shot that included the entire planter that I am posting below. Unfortunately I don't think the sky is quite as nice in this one, but c'est la vie as they say in France. Geoff - the curves are due to the 6.5 mm Opteka fisheye I was using. Again, thanks for the advice/critique.

[Geoff F]

That looks better, not so cramped in the foreground; and the sky is quite acceptable.

[johnlarsen]

You present this as a photo showing the memorial, but comments go about the planter as this takes way too much attention. Why not go closer on the memorial to present it on the dramatic clouds and forget about the not very interesting yellow box with the plants?

[Sailorstu]

You present this as a photo showing the memorial, but comments go about the planter as this takes way too much attention. Why not go closer on the memorial to present it on the dramatic clouds and forget about the not very interesting yellow box with the plants?

This certainly would have been an option but I chose to include the planter to add the splash of red in the photo. Additionally, there was little space between the planter and the bottom of the monument as I think the planter is considered part of the monument. I have a few more photos from different angles so I'll see if I can come up with a better composition.

[Geoff F]

I think you had two options with this scene, Stu. Include the whole planter as an integral part of the scene, as with this edit, or find an angle which totally excludes the planter.

Looking at the area, you might have managed a side shot alternative but I suspect that would lose as much as it gained; so you probably made the correct choice with the current image.

[IzzieK]

I was thinking you must be using a fisheye lens here...Now the scenery -- tell me more about this memorial...why are there so many of them? more like a cemetery site...just a thought...

[Geoff F]

At the moment I'm seeing a substituted first image. A motorbike. That sort of problem does sometimes occur with Tinypics but hopefully it will soon clear itself.

[Sailorstu]

I think you had two options with this scene, Stu. Include the whole planter as an integral part of the scene, as with this edit, or find an angle which totally excludes the planter.

Looking at the area, you might have managed a side shot alternative but I suspect that would lose as much as it gained; so you probably made the correct choice with the current image.

Geoff - I have looked at all of the other shots and I really think this one is the best angle. I took one shot on the far side of the monument but all you see is the back of the cross with very little colour, nor do you have the striking sky in the background.

[Sailorstu]

I was thinking you must be using a fisheye lens here...Now the scenery -- tell me more about this memorial...why are there so many of them? more like a cemetery site...just a thought...

Izzie - Les Arcs is a very small and old village in the low mountains of Provence. The village has a small but beautiful cemetery and in the middle of the cemetery site is where the memorial is located to honour those from the village who died fighting in World War I. The memorial honours approximately ten men but this small number isn't surprising considering the population of the village which is perhaps 300.

[IzzieK]

At the moment I'm seeing a substituted first image. A motorbike. That sort of problem does sometimes occur with Tinypics but hopefully it will soon clear itself.

I had checked it all day here and I see the same motorcycle...when I came back tonight, it is back to normal.