theonlyD800inthehameau
Photography by theonlydeadheadinthehameau
Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 29 – Open
Posted on June 15, 2016
This open book, suspended in mid-air, was part of an artistic installation in the Visitor Centre at the Oradour-sur-Glane memorial. If books survive, and they can still be opened, then perhaps there is some hope in that.
Thursday Doors: Oradour-sur-Glane
Posted on May 5, 2016
There is a story behind this week’s post for Thursday Doors and it’s not a pleasant one. This was taken in Oradour-sur-Glane. It’s about twenty miles from here and in June 1944 over 600 of its residents were massacred by a detachment of SS troops, as a ‘reprisal’. The site is now a national monument and has deliberately been left exactly as it was. A grim reminder, indeed, but also a very powerful one.
Thursday Doors 5 May 2016
Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 11 – Rust
Posted on February 7, 2016
My first time participating in Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge and it’s on the subject of rust.
Oradour-sur-Glane was the scene of a massacre of over 600 French civilians in June 1944, and ever since the village has been left as it was, as a memorial and open-air museum. Inevitably, there’s a lot of rust about, including this car and petrol pump.
Cropping
Posted on February 1, 2016
There aren’t many photographs I take that don’t go unedited – especially those that make their way onto this blog – and almost all of those begin with cropping (and straightening where necessary, of course). I agree with Cee very strongly on the importance of cropping: as she writes, it can make a mediocre photo good and a good one great.
(NB: The images in this post have only been cropped, with no other post-processing. In this way, it’s possible to isolate the impact of cropping alone from the overall editing process.)
Eliminating Distractions
This first image was taken from the observation lift that provides panoramic views over Sarlat. The roofs are interesting and colourful but (a) you don’t need to see all of them to get the picture, so to speak and (b) although it’s a medieval town that doesn’t mean that they don’t have access to modern technology. Like satellite dishes; lots of satellite dishes. The cropped version removes all but one (partially obscured) dish – which could be eliminated altogether with further editing, as well as cars, streetlights etc.
As another example of removing distractions, here’s a picture of a nice foxglove, which doesn’t really need the roofline behind it.
Cropping for Composition
Cropping can also be helpful in improving the composition of an image, as in this photograph of the distinctive seedpods of the ‘monnaie du pape’ (‘Honesty’) plant, which in the cropped version are placed on a ‘Rule-of-thirds’ intersection.
Finding a new image
Sometimes, close cropping can reveal a ‘new’ image nested inside the original that isn’t immediately obvious – as in this view from Oradour-sur-Glane.
Taking more than one picture
And finally, as per Cee’s advice always to take more than one photograph, here are two shots of a set of decanters and glasses from a museum in Sarlat. The second is not a crop of the first, but just a close-up: same subject, completely different image.
Horizontal Lines
Posted on November 14, 2015
I have to saythat I’m completely in agreement with Cee when it comes not only to horizons but also other horizontal lines actually being horizontal; I use the Straighten Tool in Lightroom to correct my own errors – as far as possible.
Oradour-sur-Glane, with the Monts de Blond in the background.
Some other images featuring strong horizontal lines:
Finally, a couple of other images with multiple horizons:
Cee’s Compose Yourself Photo Challenge: Horizontal Lines and Horizon
Weekly Photo Challenge: Abandoned
Posted on March 5, 2014
Oradour-sur-Glane is a village not far from here. In 1944 it was the scene of a Nazi atrocity, which can be read about here.
A new village was built nearby after the war, but the original is now preserved as a permanent museum and memorial to the 642 named victims.
Top Posts & Pages
theonlyD800inthehameau 