Belvedere backlit
Photo Information
Techn. comments welcome in special way regarding far background and overexposed areas....useful to hide a few cars and factory buldings. Camera on tripod and shutter release cable to avoid vibrations. See EXIF for more infos(Lens is PENTAX 55-300mm). I have managed several files (15) using Photomatix and then I moved final work in TOPAZ BW using my fav Warm Tone III setting and just a little bit of "diffusion": 0,10. This is the first time I have been in front of this scenery even if I know very well this place. First time in front of falling sun during sunset. This is an unusual way to take a picture of this well known Villa, named Belvedere. Place: San Quirico d'Orcia. The history of this building is very original and 2 ya I read on old papers that the owner was my grand-grand-grand pa: that is the father of my grand-grand ma. She got married (many years before 1900) to my grand-grand pa. They had several children and among these my grand pa: the father of my father. Well, part of the estate around Belvedere went to my grand-grand pa after the marriage: dowry. What happened later is still difficult to understand because all was lost. We know a strange story about this matter that links my grand-grand pa to the Chiesa of Vitaleta (inside his own estate. He was the person in charge that gave the order & money to the most famous architect of that time to build that Church). We didn't know anything about this matter and so other peoples in that area as well in offices of cultural heritage. Strange. In 2016 I found an extremely old newspaper (printed before 1890) telling the history of "opening" of that Church(in this paper I read that Pope Leone XIII sent a gift to my grand grand pa: Gold Cup and Chasuble so thanking my ancestor for his effort. Grand Grand pa gave all to this new Church). Really a strange history covered by "oblivion". I can add "normal oblivion" from our side but why the same on the others? Something very bad occurred to us. No one came back in this area....Life, wars, working, marriages brought us in different parts of Italy...till to Argentina. No one investigated in the past. 3 ya I started because it was time to know and to tell. I found and I'm still finding a lot of troubles...strange "stops"...but I'll go on. Sorry for my boring words but it is true when we say that a picture well worth thousands words. PS Till 3 ya no one inside our family knew where and when grand-grandpa and grand-grand ma died. Unbelievable but true. I solved this matter but what came later it is more strange: why non one among us knew this? My grand pa has never been onto the stone of his parents!(a stone is still upright!!!! and readable).... Parents died....or murdered as someone suggested? By the way: inside family lives (or lived)this tradition: all first newborn males bring the name of grand grand pa. All first newborn female bring the name of grand grand ma. Next part of history will follow as soon as I 'll upload a picture of Chiesa of Vitaleta. I'm proud to share this "novel" with PENTAX members and this is first time I explain something and well detailed about this matter....well about that "dog Day afternoon" as grand-grand pa died at 17:00 of "sudden death"as I read on a special paper.
25/10/2018 - 20:06GIULIO57
CategoryBlack & White
LensN/A
ISO100
Focal Length150mm
Views/Likes123/9
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Posted 25/10/2018 - 22:00
Giulio - Magic!
You've broken lots of rules with the levels of the blacks and the highlights, but it works so well as a whole image. The undulations in the landscape are fantastic! Your story just adds to the whole.
One of your very best - Liked
Phil
K-5iiS; K-r; ME Super; ME; DA* 16-50 f2.8; DA 18-135 WR; DA 55-300 WR; HD DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited; FA 50mm f1.4; A50mm f1.7; DAL 18-55mm; M40mm f2.8; + assorted non-Pentax lenses
My Flikr Page link
You've broken lots of rules with the levels of the blacks and the highlights, but it works so well as a whole image. The undulations in the landscape are fantastic! Your story just adds to the whole.
One of your very best - Liked
Phil
K-5iiS; K-r; ME Super; ME; DA* 16-50 f2.8; DA 18-135 WR; DA 55-300 WR; HD DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited; FA 50mm f1.4; A50mm f1.7; DAL 18-55mm; M40mm f2.8; + assorted non-Pentax lenses
My Flikr Page link
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Posted 25/10/2018 - 22:44
Gorgeous punchy mono landscape. Interesting read too.
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Posted 25/10/2018 - 23:58
Wonderful image... strong and very bold conversion... brave photo, and great story...
Best
Bill
BillWardPhotography
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Best
Bill
BillWardPhotography
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Posted 26/10/2018 - 10:44
MikeInDevon wrote:
You have captured/created a spectacular image!
And what an intriguing story to go with it, it sounds like the basis for a novel.
Regards
Mike
You have captured/created a spectacular image!
And what an intriguing story to go with it, it sounds like the basis for a novel.
Regards
Mike
Thank so much. Your idea of a novel is intriguing. Other peoples told me the same and just for this I'm writing down this history "step by step" each time I find or read something interesting. I "was obliged"to do so about 3 ya after a phone call. A person told me "using simple, fast, hard words not to investigate this matter". I'm still sure he knows something. I don't know why this story is still dangerous after 130 years. In these last years I read and found important well known second-names in this matter......
PPG
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Posted 26/10/2018 - 10:49
swarf wrote:
Giulio - Magic!
You've broken lots of rules with the levels of the blacks and the highlights, but it works so well as a whole image. The undulations in the landscape are fantastic! Your story just adds to the whole.
One of your very best - Liked
Phil
Giulio - Magic!
You've broken lots of rules with the levels of the blacks and the highlights, but it works so well as a whole image. The undulations in the landscape are fantastic! Your story just adds to the whole.
One of your very best - Liked
Phil
Thank you very much. Middle tones (readable) live in the central part of compo so I have found intriguing to keep black shadows and overexposed lights as foreground & background. Pure Bs & Ws are very important in the dynamic range of a monochrome, IMHO. It was necessary to break rules. I've been lucky!...When you went to Italy it was impossible for me to tell this story. I was starting....
PPG
Last Edited by GIULIO57 on 26/10/2018 - 10:51
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Posted 26/10/2018 - 11:17
You dont exhibit many photos to the gallery Giulio but when you do, they are always special and most come with very interesting history. Super shot by the way and Best Regards for the future...tt
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Posted 26/10/2018 - 13:05
Two things stand out for me in this unusual photo: the vectors going in many different directions, and the unusual textured effects produced both by the backlighting and the pp. A grand photo that deserves a spot on one of your walls. Like a lot.
Last Edited by go4IT on 26/10/2018 - 13:06
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Posted 26/10/2018 - 15:14
go4IT wrote:
Two things stand out for me in this unusual photo: the vectors going in many different directions, and the unusual textured effects produced both by the backlighting and the pp. A grand photo that deserves a spot on one of your walls. Like a lot.
Two things stand out for me in this unusual photo: the vectors going in many different directions, and the unusual textured effects produced both by the backlighting and the pp. A grand photo that deserves a spot on one of your walls. Like a lot.
Thank you and much appreciated.
PPG
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Posted 26/10/2018 - 16:18
The comments above cover it well:
A wonderful first class image enhanced with the 'story' to be even better!
A wonderful first class image enhanced with the 'story' to be even better!
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Posted 27/10/2018 - 14:34
A beautiful image Giulio and interesting narrative. Contender for POTW? Liked
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Posted 27/10/2018 - 21:21
I would love to see this in colour - or am I missing the point?
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Posted 29/10/2018 - 22:51
Wonderful photo and wonderful story Giulio! Isn't family history interesting! I started researching mine about five years ago to discover that a number of my great greats were clergymen. It didn't rub off on me!
Paul.
Photography is not a sport. It has no rules. Everything must be dared and tried! (Bill Brandt)
PPG
Paul.
Photography is not a sport. It has no rules. Everything must be dared and tried! (Bill Brandt)
PPG
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Posted 30/10/2018 - 05:04
pauljay wrote:
Wonderful photo and wonderful story Giulio! Isn't family history interesting! I started researching mine about five years ago to discover that a number of my great greats were clergymen. It didn't rub off on me!
Wonderful photo and wonderful story Giulio! Isn't family history interesting! I started researching mine about five years ago to discover that a number of my great greats were clergymen. It didn't rub off on me!
Thank you Paul.
I have known my grand-pa. He died in 1968. My father and me knew that he was an Official of Italian Army. He was in the Staff (Major State) during WWI and he faught even in WWII......but after his parents died (he was 4 years old)he was inside an hospice for homeless. He has been an homeless till 1907 when Catholic Church peoples helped him. So he became a friar. Crazy...we didn't know and he told us nothing about his past! Among his brother and sisters most of them became nuns and priest. In special way one Servite that went to Canada for 9 years (about 1913). We have lost all infos about a nun: where she lived or died. When I started 3 ya this research my family was "The Family with no Past"...even if our origins live in Montalcino where still a street brings "second-name" of our family (different branches with same second name)...and where a Palace(building) still reminds of our roots in that town. A branch still lives there but they know nothing about us! We know that our Family is among the most Antique in that place.....but our branch has "no roots" due to that "bloody-story" at the end of 1800....
PPG
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Posted 30/10/2018 - 12:08
Spotting your colour version has brought me here.
You have photographed what is a very beautiful scene and through your processing/development turned it into an almost magical or mythical scene which seems most appropriate given your accompanying story.
It is beautiful and grabs ones attention as being an individual interpretation of the scene, which I think is great.
Now you ask for opinion on the over exposed highlights. If viewing in a dark room they cause me to think " This is great but......." When I view in daylight there is no but.
I think that sometimes having something that some might not see as technically correct can actually make an image stronger. Possibly you could darken the very top just a fraction and it would do no harm, would it be an improvement, I don't know. Love it anyway.
Sorry if this does not make complete sense, the best I can do. Now I'll head to your colour version.
You have photographed what is a very beautiful scene and through your processing/development turned it into an almost magical or mythical scene which seems most appropriate given your accompanying story.
It is beautiful and grabs ones attention as being an individual interpretation of the scene, which I think is great.
Now you ask for opinion on the over exposed highlights. If viewing in a dark room they cause me to think " This is great but......." When I view in daylight there is no but.
I think that sometimes having something that some might not see as technically correct can actually make an image stronger. Possibly you could darken the very top just a fraction and it would do no harm, would it be an improvement, I don't know. Love it anyway.
Sorry if this does not make complete sense, the best I can do. Now I'll head to your colour version.
Link
Posted 31/10/2018 - 05:37
Nigelk wrote:
Spotting your colour version has brought me here.
You have photographed what is a very beautiful scene and through your processing/development turned it into an almost magical or mythical scene which seems most appropriate given your accompanying story.
It is beautiful and grabs ones attention as being an individual interpretation of the scene, which I think is great.
Now you ask for opinion on the over exposed highlights. If viewing in a dark room they cause me to think " This is great but......." When I view in daylight there is no but.
I think that sometimes having something that some might not see as technically correct can actually make an image stronger. Possibly you could darken the very top just a fraction and it would do no harm, would it be an improvement, I don't know. Love it anyway.
Sorry if this does not make complete sense, the best I can do. Now I'll head to your colour version.
Spotting your colour version has brought me here.
You have photographed what is a very beautiful scene and through your processing/development turned it into an almost magical or mythical scene which seems most appropriate given your accompanying story.
It is beautiful and grabs ones attention as being an individual interpretation of the scene, which I think is great.
Now you ask for opinion on the over exposed highlights. If viewing in a dark room they cause me to think " This is great but......." When I view in daylight there is no but.
I think that sometimes having something that some might not see as technically correct can actually make an image stronger. Possibly you could darken the very top just a fraction and it would do no harm, would it be an improvement, I don't know. Love it anyway.
Sorry if this does not make complete sense, the best I can do. Now I'll head to your colour version.
PPG
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Posted 20/11/2018 - 22:02
An amazing image and an amazing story, Giulio.
I hope you are doing fine.
Regards,
Nezih
I hope you are doing fine.
Regards,
Nezih
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Posted 26/12/2018 - 10:30
What a magnificent image, the over-exposed areas do not matter, it is all part of this wonderful scene. I love your story too Giulio, every family has something to tell.
Regards
David
Flickr
Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu
Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
Regards
David
Flickr
Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu
Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
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Posted 15/09/2019 - 09:19
Enchanting work 
The sinuous flow of the trees encourages a slow, gliding journey into this high contrast vista... to enjoy the textures, undulations, forms and tones. I can imagine that a big print of this would be a grand thing to see Bravo
https://www.philhemsley.co.uk/
The sinuous flow of the trees encourages a slow, gliding journey into this high contrast vista... to enjoy the textures, undulations, forms and tones. I can imagine that a big print of this would be a grand thing to see Bravo https://www.philhemsley.co.uk/
Link
Posted 03/02/2020 - 13:36
morpheus71 wrote:
Enchanting work The sinuous flow of the trees encourages a slow, gliding journey into this high contrast vista... to enjoy the textures, undulations, forms and tones. I can imagine that a big print of this would be a grand thing to see Bravo
Enchanting work
The sinuous flow of the trees encourages a slow, gliding journey into this high contrast vista... to enjoy the textures, undulations, forms and tones. I can imagine that a big print of this would be a grand thing to see Bravo Thank you very much and sorry for delay in my reply
PPG
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Posted 22/08/2020 - 04:09
There are lots of things competing in this image which I thought was well handled. It's a powerful photograph well scene and handle, almost surreal. Your eyes are compelled to wonder through the scene and explore. Superb tones and depth throughout. The story is good too!
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Posted 19/09/2023 - 07:41
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MikeInDevon
8 yearsPlus Member
Devon
And what an intriguing story to go with it, it sounds like the basis for a novel.
Regards
Mike