The D8 to Vacquerays

[Donald]

Hello world. Just back from my wonderful holiday/vacation to the Southern Rhone wine area of France. Was staying beside the little village of Gigondas to be precise. It was glorious.

It was also hot. For some of you it probably would have registered as just nice and warm. For a young lad raised in the wilds of the north-western fringes of Europe, it was like getting thrown into an oven. During the day it hit 36.5 degrees C (97.7F). For me, that it overwhelmingly hot.

Given that I drove 1,100 miles (1,770kms) + an overnight ferry journey to get there, I thought I'd post up my 'road' picture from the area.

As you can see from the shadow, it was quite early in the day. But I wanted to try and get a sense of the heat. Given that this is a wine growing area and the whole environment is crucial to the success of that activity, I wanted to balance the land and the sky to show them as parts of a whole. So the placement of the horizon was deliberate. It was also, I thought, the best placement in order to emphasise size and scale.

As always, your views and comments are welcomed.


Canon 40D, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ 16 mm. ISO100. 1/125 @f11

[gregj1763]

Very nice Donald,
The placement of the horizon works really well showing the vastness of the area.
I have been working on B&W photo's of late. Do you have any tips or links regarding adjusting tone.
Ps, Also a list of all the nice wines you sampled on your trip.
Cheers, Greg

[kdoc856]

Donald,

Welcome back. I looked over your image before I read your narrative, and initially thought it a bit over-exposed, but it serves your stated purpose perfectly. The more I viewed this image, the more I admired it.

It could be titled "Convergence". You have layer after layer of converging lines, including road edges, lane lines, parallel trees. electric wires, and symmetrical crops (agricultural, that is) all converging at an infinite vanishing point at the horizon line. Rarely does a cloudless sky work, but it's crucial to this shot. The placement of the horizon and the 1:1 perspective both reinforce a sense of infinite symmetry. Color would ruin the effect. The viewer is virtually pulled headlong at full speed up the road.

I noticed that you kept some of the wide angle keystoning distortion. I am certainly no slave to the notion that all distortion must be corrected, and I think leaving it here contributes nicely to the gravitational pull of the shot- was this a deliberate or difficult decision? And, why take the shot from the left side of the road rather than the exact middle (assuming you could do so without being splattered across someone's windscreen)?

I think this shot is brilliant.

Kevin

[Mike Buckley]

I have never enjoyed this style of photography, but that doesn't deter me from appreciating that it's evident that you have mastered it. Great to have you back, Donald!

[Donald]

Thanks for your comment, Greg. Re your question,

I have been working on B&W photo's of late. Do you have any tips or links regarding adjusting tone.

I always think the important thing about tone is to 'see' it in the image you're about to capture. I think that is part of that thing about 'seeing in black & white'; i.e. being able to decide how the various colours are going to translate into tones of grey in the final image. If your original colour capture is of a scene that does not have a range of tones in it, then you're starting, in my opinion, from an almost impossible position in terms of making a B & W image

Ps, Also a list of all the nice wines you sampled on your trip.

Got myself a reasonable selection of 2007 Gigondas reds that will be dipped into over the next couple of years. Also discovered Beaume de Venise Muscat (a sweet/pudding wine). Didn't know that the area made such a thing.Did a tasting of 8 of them in the cave of the producers' association and bought 3 bottles (50cl) each of 4 of them. Now just got to wait, in fear, for the credit card bill coming in!

Welcome back. I looked over your image before I read your narrative, and initially thought it a bit over-exposed, but it serves your stated purpose perfectly. The more I viewed this image, the more I admired it.

Thanks Kevin

I noticed that you kept some of the wide angle keystoning distortion. I am certainly no slave to the notion that all distortion must be corrected, and I think leaving it here contributes nicely to the gravitational pull of the shot- was this a deliberate or difficult decision?

Yes it was deliberate and, no, it was not difficult. I did correct the distortion just to check what it looked like, but as I had predicted it, in my opinion, weakened the image. So, I reverted to my original plan to retain the distortion .. for exactly the reason you gave.

And, why take the shot from the left side of the road rather than the exact middle (assuming you could do so without being splattered across someone's windscreen)?

Given the way a lot of French people drive, that was a distinct possibility! But it was a quiet road.

The first thing I decided was NOT to do one right in the middle. I wanted the convergence, as you have described, but I didn't want total symmetry. That would have been ... well, too symmetrical. I wanted to vary the angles so decided on the shot from the side. I did try one using the edge between road and grass on the left as the line going straight away from me into the distance. But that was too much the other way (from total symmetry) and didn't give, for me, a nice balance.

I have never enjoyed this style of photography, but that doesn't deter me from appreciating that it's evident that you have mastered it.

Thank you Mike. I am very glad to read someone coming in and saying 'No, this is not my sort of thing'.

[Carl in Louisiana]

Welcome back Donald,
It reminds me of the vast cane fields we have here and the back roads that wind their way through them with long straight stretches that seem to go on forever at times. You just gotta love all the different tones of a good B & W, great shot!

[jiro]

A very nice image, Donald. It's great to see your images again.

[Dave Humphries]

I can't add to Kevin's summary of; "I think this shot is brilliant."

Welcome back,

[Donald]

Carl, Willie, Dave

Thanks for the comments.

Carl - I have to confess to having thought about Hollywood B & W movies when I saw that road stretch into the distance. What I wanted to to do was give it a French twist.

[Markvetnz]

Donald

Absolutely one of your best.

Mark