Youngsters Dancing in the Evening Light

[Donald]

Another one, for your comment, from my recent visit to France.

These very young vines were right next door to the house in which we were staying. The leaves caught the evening light wonderfully, dancing in the breeze. With all the darker mature trees surrounding them they reminded me of a bunch of children, laughing and playing in the fields, singing and dancing, with the adults 'tut-tutting' around the edges.

A magical moment.

Your views are always welcomed.


Canon 40D, EF 24-70 f2.8 L @ 68mm. ISO400. 1/90s @f4

[Mike Buckley]

Your capture and post-processing work very well, Donald. I would prefer a little less at the top, but that might be because I'm a fan of relatively tight crops.

Do you know what the grape is?

[Donald]

Mike

Thanks for your comment.

I would prefer a little less at the top, but that might be because I'm a fan of relatively tight crops.

I take your point. However, for this one the darker, mature trees, in the background were an important part of the final picture I had in my mind.

Do you know what the grape is?

I never did get a chance to confirm that with the Vigneron on whose estate we were staying, but given it's the Souhern Rhone, It's either Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah or Cinsault.

The old vines beside the chapel on the estate that are used to make Chateau de St Cosme's top wines were glorious old gnarled object.

What was interesting, compared top other vineyards, are that these vines are planted in very small patches of land. There are no huge fields of vines in the way you see in the New World or even the likes of the Languedoc/Rousillon area of the south of France, stretching forever into the distance. This was all labour-intensive, hands-on stuff (hence the prices!).

[bhurley]

Lovely. I like the composition, and there is a feeling of invitation: I want to walk down that alley between the vines. How, I wonder, would this image look in colour? I sometimes have a hard time deciding myself whether a particular photo works better in B&W or colour, but I have a feeling that a colour version of this one might be very effective, especially since it's not a very contrasty image.

[wlou]

Great picture to look at in this rainy morning. The scene is inviting, and private at the same time. As I walked away from my laptop to make my coffee, I glanced back at the screen sideway and a strange thing appened. The colour changed from black and white to sepia, sort of an old picture effect, and the light coming from the top seems to glow on the middle rows of leaves. The effect was more pronounced at a 30 to 45 degree angle. And no, a had no grappa this morning. My laptop has a mat screen. Anyone else care to try this and let me know if a different coloration appears on their screens?

[Mike Buckley]

Donald,

There are at least a dozen grapes other than those that you mentioned commonly grown in the Southern Rhone. As an example, Chateauneuf-du-Pape is regulated to allow wine made from any of 13 designated grapes.

I hope to see more images of vineyards from your trip!

[Donald]

Mike

You're right about the number of varietals and I should have been more specific. I think you'll find that these are the 4 red grape varieties grown in the Gigondas AOC area. There may be others in miniscule quantities and none on Chateau de St Cosme. And even in CdP where there are indeed 13 different grapes allowed, the reality is that that it is these 'big 4' plus a couple of others in small quantities that really are what is grown.

[Donald]

How, I wonder, would this image look in colour?

Brad - In the evenings when I sat outside the cottage, glass in hand, with this view just 10 yards in front of me, I did look at it as a colour image (I have, I think, made 4 colour images from my trip to France). But the more I studied it the more I 'saw' the B & W emerging and that is what I shot it for. The colour was what I'd call 'pretty', but it diluted the impact, for me, of the bright leaves of the vines dancing in the breeze against the darker background

I glanced back at the screen sideway and a strange thing happened.

I'll have some of that coffee!

Thank you fro your comment Louise. There is a tone applied to it, but it is not Sepia. It is maybe the effect of this that you have been seeing. Anyway, just keep taking that coffee.

[Daisy Mae]

Hi Donald ,

This is splendid and although I don't see a tint as such, Louise and her post made me walk away and look back at this shot from a distance... and wow!

This needs to be on a wall to be truly appreciated in all it's beauty. It is lovely close up... but it is dazzling from a slight distance.

* Off to Plockers on Friday!

[Loose Canon]

I'm not sure which I liked best, Donald.

Your photo or your description!

Both together did indeed make for a magical moment for me.

Very nice work.

[Mike Buckley]

Very interesting stuff about wine grapes, Donald. Unlike you, I don't much about the various parts of the Southern Rhone. I would look forward to sitting down with you at a table and talking wine and photography.

[Donald]

I'm not sure which I liked best, Donald.

Your photo or your description!

Both together did indeed make for a magical moment for me.

The wonderful thing about holidays/vacations like this is that you can let your mind be cleared of all the clutter with which it is usually filled, let your imagination play and start to see things in different and more beautiful ways. Thank you for commenting, Terry

I would look forward to sitting down with you at a table and talking wine and photography.

I would like that very much. I just keep regretting that, for some reason, I was attracted to two such expensive hobbies/interests!

[Mike Buckley]

I just keep regretting that, for some reason, I was attracted to two such expensive hobbies/interests!

I completely understand. My wife likes to remind me that my photography hobby generates a net expense and her singing hobby generates a net profit.