June 2010
The story behind it
01/06/2010
I go by this tree after many times having passed by, walking around the place but not actually seeing it. I am at the heart of Gerês, less touristy but more "real", of the local people, of the animals and of local life cycles, of great rocks and great trees, centuries old.An expert told me that it should be around 600 or 700 years old. It is the oldest cork tree I know! Older than many great monuments, it is a monument that has endured difficult times.
I am just a simple observer, on its path. And I photograph it.
Text also available in audio (below, #1).
Comment
Technical issues
01/06/2010
It resulted from several photographs stitched together in 2D, taken with DSLR Nikon D700, lens Sigma 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 HF Macro, at 80mm, ISO at 400, with f8 aperture and exposure of 1/350s. With tripod, but carefully! The superposition and sequence, with practice, can lead to a good quality final job. It ended up in a photograph that printed is over 80cm (31.5in) on its sides, with no up-sampling and at the best quality.It was converted to B&W, adding a bit of a laugh, colouring some leaves as if in gold (yellow).
Text also available in audio (below, #2).
Critial review
01/06/2010
This time I bring up full realism, in the execution and in the final work (with the exception of the golden leaves touch!). Details are absolutely exceptional, transmitting scale and the texture of the coppice and of the trunk. The back-lighting and the shining in the contours provide unique richness, with volume and sense of scale. The direct shinning of the Sun is broken into 3 light sources, as if there were 3 Suns. This shining shows that the diaphragm was at f8. Beautiful. With meaning and all quality in its execution, for printing in good paper.Text also available in audio (below, #3).
Where you should place it
01/06/2010
This photograph carries great meaning on its background, great history, the transmission of energy and sense of great physical and temporal scales. It should be printed large, not only for its quality, but for transmitting all its content.It should go well with a place that transmits solidity, strength and sense of existence and of concrete ways of being. It is in B&W, so it fits and colourful place well, providing global contrast.
Text also available in audio (below, #4).
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