Chapelle de la Madonne, Fleurie

[Donald]

Okay - we're back from our holiday/vacation and having a look to see what we got.

Have been fairly brutal with the first cut and am down to fifty from which I'd like to get 10 -12. So ... watch this space.

The chapel of the Madonna stands on a hill overlooking the village of Fleurie and is inexorbaly linked to the wine industry (which is what the main part of the Beaujolais area of France is really all about). The chapel was built at the time of the phylloxera epidemic that all but destroyed the French vineyard until the cure (grafting onto American vine rootstock) was found.

Beaujolais is even more beautiful than I knew it would be. And the early morning, before and during sunrise, was the most magnificient time of the day. This was taken at 5:18am.

It's amazing what you can do with one 580EXII Speedlite! Well, to be honest, the chapel was floodlit.


40D, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ 12mm. ISO100. 10s @ f16.

[Katy Noelle]

The much anticipated thread! (Well, for me, at least.)

I just don't want to be the first to comment, pleeeease! I'd rather leave that honor for one of the professionals! Well,.... (Shoot! Yikes!)

My first impression was that the spotlights were too bright. After I got over that, though (and, I did quickly), I was very taken with this beautiful, sweet, imposing, tiny, lonely, friendly, pretty structure. Interesting - it has a lot of character. I'm sure some of that has to do with it being a bright spot in the dark landscape - interesting, Donald! (oh, no! I said that already!) Also, I LOVE what the wide angle did to the shape of the church (which wasn't probably perfectly straight to begin with?) It looks like the angles that would be drawn in a wonderful book illustration. To me, it gives it a sense of being like a miniature. It's just interesting (Rats! I said that already, didn't I?!) I love the wrought iron "doors", too.

I can't wait to see more!

[Donald]

Thanks Katy.

I'm glad you thought it appropriate to use the word 'lonely'. It was that sense of isolation way at the top of the hill, not close to any other structure that I hoped would be captured. From all around the area below you can see the chapel - small but obvious.

When I took it, there was silence all around. Nothing was stirring. As dawn began to break the birds started singing. Then the business of daily life began to start up. The farmers/vignerons started to get out into the fields (June is the month for spraying the vines for mildew and the noise of the spraying units mounted onto the backs of tractors carried for many miles in the morning stillness). Movement slowly started in the village far below (I think one taken from here down over the village is going to be good enough to post up). One or two people could be seen walking to and from the village bakers shop. Occassionally a car or a van would drive out of the village on its way to somewhere else.

And then the sun glimpsed over the horizon and decided to start its daily journey across the sky.

And Donald? Well, Donald was very, very contented.

[ilovelucydog]

It's a beautiful image, Donald. You captured the quiet, stillness, isolated almost abandoned - but not quite - feeling. The lights are really bright... but it somehow fits... almost like the chapel is overlooking and looking out for the village that must be below or around... somewhere. It looks like a place where a person with a hurting heart may want to find refuge in the dark of the night or early morning. Thanks for sharing.

[Donald]

Thank you, Mary

almost like the chapel is overlooking and looking out for the village (and the vineyards) that must be below or around... somewhere.

Those words beautifully and exactly capture the mood and atmosphere that I felt in making this image. They are perfect, and I will use them whenever I refer to this image in the future. You have written the caption that shall forever be associated with this image. Thank you.

I am in no way a religious person, but the sense of this building and what it represents, casting its caring and watchful eye over the vineyard and the village far below, was immensely powerful.

[ilovelucydog]

Thank you, Mary



Those words beautifully and exactly capture the mood and atmosphere that I felt in making this image. They are perfect, and I will use them whenever I refer to this image in the future. You have written the caption that shall forever be associated with this image. Thank you.

I am in no way a religious person, but the sense of this building and what it represents, casting its caring and watchful eye over the vineyard and the village far below, was immensely powerful.

Donald,

If my words captured the mood and atmosphere that you felt, then that is a true testament to the quality of your photography. It made me want to quietly peek in... see if it was empty... and quietly walk to the front and drop to my knees... and sob.

When I take a photo, almost always it is because to me it means something... it is something that touches my heart. I don't have the technical knowledge, or skill - and really, don't think I ever will. But, I have a heart... a heart that is full of so much pain that it squeezes the love and good out. Your image made me want to go and leave all the pain and sorrow inside the iron door and let someone else watch over it for me.

It is a powerful image. You captured it perfectly. The bright light leads me in... and I know if I were there, when you were, it would have been peaceful and dark inside. And maybe, just maybe... I could leave the pain and walk back out into the light. At first the bright light seemed to be too much... but if it weren't for the light... would we really notice it?

[ilovelucydog]

I came back to this again, Donald. I was sorting some things in the garage and your image stayed in my mind. Then, I started thinking about the thread 'What is Art?'. Art is a lot of things it seems, different to different people. To me... your image is what Art is. You captured a place and time and it had feeling... not just an image. It touched a part of me... it made me think... it brought feelings to the surface. Your image is art. If I had seen your image while walking on the boardwalk during the Virginia Beach Art Festival, I would have stopped and looked at it... pondered it while browsing... and then gone back to purchase it... not something I do... but I would have.

[Donald]

If my work makes people stop for a moment and ponder, then that's got to be good. If it stirs some sort of emotion, then that's all that one can hope for.

We spoke above about the role and purpose of the chapel and of how it watches over the village and vineyard below. The image posted here was taken 1 hour 15 minutes after the one above and does exactly what the chapel does - looks out over the village and the vineyard.

[ilovelucydog]

Thanks for sharing that!

[waha]

Yes, there's power in that pic! No distractions here--just one solitary, single thing or theme. It's precisely this minimalism that makes the picture so potent. Thanks for posting it.

[ScoutR]

Lovely Donald, good to see you back

Wendy

[Crovean]

That looks like a BMW's headlight beaming to that church but a speedlite? Hehehehe. It's amazing how the little 580ex II can do.

Love the lighting on it Donald. bold and beautiful!