A walk with Flektogon 4/20

[Orio]

Well, I used this lens so many times, it probably didn't make sense to take it out again... but somehow it always ends up in my bag!

50D:

The first three are inside the Oratorio della Madonna delle Grazie (in the castle of Vigoleno).
Fourth one is a view of the castle.









These are two larger files, click on thumbnail to enlarge:

in the Oratorio again:


near the exit from the castle:

[estudleon]

Really greats pics. Orio, I tell you always the same, but your locations and taste for the photo act are impressive. (in my taste, of course).

On the lens quid, I have ambivalent feels. I'm not definite about it. I will take more pics with it.

Rino.

[Orio]

[Laurence]

It is always a pleasure to read your posts, Orio!

The Flektogon just SINGS, with its beautiful rectilinearity,
and the coloration that is picked up with the combination
of the lens and the 5D processor.

Your prediliction for "seeing" is awesome, Orio.

The doorway shot (#2) belies a feeling of exit.
I feel as if I'm actually standing there, and the angular
view is perfect for contributing to that feeling.

The anomalous outside view of the disc and the black
object leaves me guessing, and draws me through
the doorway.

The hint of architecture on the background
building makes me want to explore. Couple this with
the beautiful shadows of the interior, and especially
the filigree on the left hand side is stunning with its
hint of scalloping and form.

Also, the textural changes on the floor and steps and
street are adding to the sense of reality.

Finally, the lack of distortion brings the image
to a climax of beautiful thought that went into the image.

[Orio]

Thanks Larry for taking the time to such a detailed comment!
It's uncommon and surely helps me a lot to read what others see in my photos in such accurate detail.
SO thanks very much!

I love photographing in these ancient places such as castles and churches, because they were built by people who know how to use light to an effect.

Today, buildings are built without the awareness of the light. They just think that to lighten a room means to place a window in the most "useful" place, or for God's sake, just turn on that damned bulb light!

Ancient builders instead were very conscious of the illumination in the different hours of the day and mostly aware of the psychological effect of the light on the people inside.

This makes the job of a photographer so much more interesting.
I could photograph for hours in a mediaeval church. And I could do any genre in there, from still life to nudes - well, the priest must be distracted for the latter to be possible

THese places are the triumph of light as as you know better than me, cameras and lenses are important, software manipulation is powerful, but there is nothing as decisive for a photograph, than a great lighting on the scene while you shoot.

[Laurence]

You are welcome Orio....when a posted image really HITS me, I love to tell my feelings about the image.

Orio wrote: or for God's sake, just turn on that damned bulb light!


I can certainly see what you mean about the placement of openings
to take advantage of the light, especially in a dark castle environment.

I would think you could spend literally years just photographing
the nooks and crannies of these structures. And always...that
available light sings forever.

I'm taking a look at the image looking out to the parapets. (#4).
This is another image that makes me look for a long time. You
were very fortituous to move left the way you did, not only to
create a fairly even border for the archway, but also it takes
advantage of the curving wall. By having that wall curve out and
away to the left, I feel two things: 1) a feeling of balance - the curve
adds more mass to balance the splendid parapets and massive
stonework on the right side. 2) the curvature provides me with a
pathway "out of the scene", and pushes my eye to the woods
beyond. Brilliant.

Speaking of balance, I am seeing in a majority of your work, the
balancing of masses to provide a footing for the scene. I tend to
guess that this is probably a benefit of your time spent painting, as
well as observing the paintings of the masters through all the years.
Their paintings invariable had a balance of sorts, even if a mass
was "balanced" by open space.

The coup de grace here though, is the mimicry of the overhead
arch with the two openings. What a great benefit of the wide angle
lens! This section of the image finalizes the feeling of looking out
and through the whole image, and is a SPLENDID example of the
very thoughtful placement of openings that you described in the last
post.

In the final analysis, you are staying true to your words in allowing the
shadows to be "what they are", rather than using HDR or some other
manipulations. These shadows are superb, and give depth to the image
that would be lost if they were blandly brightened up.

There is a prominent sense of dimensionality here. You certainly
have a wonderful environment for creating your images, Orio. I
imagine that this would be true for black and white as well as
color. The light is the benefactor here, so the coloration or desaturation
of the color, would not matter so much. But the ability to SEE the
light and USE the light, which you exhibit so efficiently, is the
combination that pushes these images over the top and leaves a
conscious impression of beauty to me.

I have to say it again: brilliant, Orio.

[patrickh]

Orio

Impossible to compare with Laurence's analysis - so thorough and right on the money. I know we tend to post those pictures we like best that we take, but you are able to post so many of them! And I for one enjoy them all (well almost all).



patrickh

[poilu]

I wanted to write exactly the same as Larry but he was faster

[LucisPictor]

Wow, Orio!
Wow, Larry!

This could have been a photo discussion in a university course. This is a very high level we're dealing with here!

Actually, Orio, esp. your fourth shot makes me want to take my Flek and go for a walk!

[Carlsson]

Thank you for this very nice and detailed set.

[peterqd]

Great set Orio, I would love to be able to express my feelings as well as Larry, so just because you don't always get such glowing praise, please don't think there is any less appreciation.

About the picture of the vaulted ceiling, I'm curious to know if you have corrected the perspective. With such a wide lens and steep elevation I would have expected to see far more convergence of the verticals. Or is that the Flek in action?

If you'll allow me to say so, your criticism about modern achitecture and light is a little unfair in my view. It's not that we don't know how to use light (although that may sometimes be true), but our hands are tied by so much regulation, at least they are here. A window has to be at least 5% of the floor area for light and 2.5% openable for ventilation. Yet it must not be too big to lose excessive heat. The window must not be too low off the floor that someone is in danger of falling out, nor too high that someone might fall off a ladder cleaning it. There is a minimum permitted amount of visible sky yet it cannot look directly into a neighbours' window or even overlook their garden...... and so on, you get the picture. I don't think the old builders had any of those problems to think about.

[Orio]

Thanks guys!

[Orio]