Eglise Saint-Pierre d'Airvault, Airvault (Deux-Sèvres)

No..., if this one is the one you were speaking about, it doesn't look to me as too desaturated. It looks very natural to my eyes. The Madonna's coat and the yellow flowers have the colors one would think they should have! A perfect HDR image!

One thing I really find fantastic is the perfect prospective!!!

Another in the series of Romanesque churches. This one is a three-shot HDR.

Dennis... the dynamic range here is spectacular. Terrific mastery of the medium..Congratulations (again).

Bill G

I agree with the comment. I think a lot of HDR is overdone although they do create unique photos. In this one, it looks like the way the eyes see the dynamic range getting all the details while looking natural. Perfect HDR :-). Well done.

Excellent detail in all shadows,perfect geometry,superb clarity.

I really feel I'm inside there,looking straight at Madonna.

Wonderful!

Terrific, Dennis!

Great control of light and superb edition. I like very much your work. 7/7

Hi Dennis,

 

Quite a photo isn't it!

 

I note some of your technical inclinations and abilities too.

 

Most who use or more correctly try and use these methods fail miserably. I heard one commercial photographer say HDR is just another tool option, not a religion. I note this image seems to attract the "HDR fan group".

 

In this case with this photo, I must say I also like your perspectives perfection.

 

For me with this type of subject, one question I grapple with, is art vs the technical. I'll explain. Is the area where the chairs / Madonna are the centre of the image interest? Or is the it the whole architectural structure?

 

If it is the latter, the Madonna is a prop with which the rest of the structure competes. Of course, if it is a technical recording rather than an artistic interpretation this is not the case.

 

I played with your image as best as I could in its limited size and de detailed it, assuming the Madonna is it. I'd be interested to know your thoughts on the above matters.

 

Regards Peter

 

 

 

 

 

... know your work well, despite the size and watermarking :)

 

In all my pictures my primary goal is to document the church itself, to give a feeling for its scale, history, and even, if possible, sensibiility ... whether it is alive or just a relic of a prior time. In doing so, I look for features and structures that I find interesting. The shot of Saint Philibert of Tournus is interesting only because of the transverse barrel vaults ... there is no other reason that shot is interesting except for that technical structure. But I find it beautiful.

 

I am shooting every French Romanesque church that I can get access to ... have shot over 120 already, some multiple times (Vezelay, for example). In September we go to the Pyrenees to shoot another 30 or so, depending on how far into Catalan Spain we venture. I like to think of these shots as part of an oeuvre instead of individual shots, although some I like just that way. I think it is the oeuvre that speaks.

 

As far as this shot is concerned, what I liked about the perspective was the massiveness of the structure compared to the figure in the small transcept chapel. Yet all those pillars and stone were there to shelter that statue and the other votives like it. The reason for being of the church was the faith represented by the statue. If it would have been a sedes sapientiae madonna, at half the size, it would have been even better for me. So to answer your question, I guess it is the relationship of the madonna to the massive church that was my object here.

 

As far as the HDR crowd, there are several of us that are trying to get the utmost realism from the technique as applied to architecture. I guess we're like little children playing soccer, we tend to run around in a cluster chasing the ball.

 

Thanks for the comment and the thought that you brought to it, Peter. It means a great deal to me.

It's always interesting to see an alternate take on the original. Often, what others see in a shot and deem as important is quite different than the photographer. For me (and what do I know?), the original speaks in its subtlety. A quite alcove where one could sit on a simple chair and become lost in the moment. I don't see Mary and Jesus as the main figure in this shot as much as part of the scene, so spotlighting them in this instance seems to detract. In your original, the walls, the columns, the flowers, the floor, the muted warm light, and the figures don't compete, they meld into a meditative experience. I like how you are posting these one at a time, like a daily devotional.

I heavily disapprove Schnell's above comment and manipulation .

It's a truly ridiculous attempt.

A presence like this shouldn't have existed here.Have a look.

... daily devotional, wonderful reference. It is like a daily mediation for me doing these. I tend to sit at the computer in the evening and go to a folder containing shots of a church where I didn't think much had been found photographically. Then I look at each and every exposure of every shot. When I came to this set, was shocked at how much I liked what was there "in the negative", so to speak. It took about an hour of the HDR work to get where I liked it (with final processing in Lightroom). I posted it, Carlo commented within five minutes. BTW, look at his work, especially his realistic HDR interiors. Really fine work.

 

Thanks again, Jeff. Am travelling for a couple of days but may yet have another devotional for you. Meanwhile, take a seat in the back chapel there and may you find a moment of peace in what I know to be your full and hectic life.

... you have stepped in to my defense. No need, dear friend. I think that he was trying to take away the detail and what Peter posted was a "sketch" - at least that is how I interpreted the image. Thank you, though, for caring as passionately as you do, and of course for the implicit compliment to the image.

Kind of you to return a comment here.

You know the verb we use when we make "souvlaki" here.Most suitable in this case.

It is again a very delicate and profound image.Speaking by my personal sensitivy and in total ignorance for the technical stuff involved, I tend to agree with Jeff that by overdoing post photo manipulation the image presented by Peter has lost its original aura and charm. Nicolo'

Beautiful!

 

Dennis...

 

Let me offer another perspective of review from an avowed amateur. I can't write eloquent reviews about the artistry or technical merits of images, because that's not what I see in an image. Sure, rules of photography are important to make images present well, but what I see in your photographs is the visualization of "being there". You bring to me the reality of visiting these wonderful buildings; something most of us will never have the chance to do. That is a priceless gift for which I personally thank you.

 

So, when you get a one word comment, like "Beautiful", please note that I have stood where you stood and I have carefully observed the light coming from every portal, the position of each statue, the tones of color and texture, and yes, even those pesky speakers and found it... Just right! Thanks again for sharing... Mike

 

Beautiful, subtle composition. Excellent use of HDR; not too heavy, just enough to capture the actual "feel" of the cathedral.

Dennis, may I invite you to see my Divided Personality?

You bring it to a high level of perfection. So I just watch and enjoy. This wonderful places deserving the level you eternalize it. Respect!

Dear Dennis, I like the small window on the right side, I feel like it has a special place in your picture/structure of the church..Best regards, vf

... to me, it motivates the light on the Madonna.

A wonderful composition indeed. You succeeded in exposing the grandiosity of this place. The statue of the Virgin flanked by the two flower vessels provide a colorful break in this austere atmosphere. I can imagine silence permeating through this room and a sense of reverence taking place by just looking at your picture.

Dennis, what caught my eyes just looking at it was the huge contrast of the massivness and heights vs. how small and " fragil" the statue of Maria and Jesus look in the composition. I think that the angle taken is superb.Ilike the side light on the R, illuminating the statue, and the second window and stairs on the L, showing the way to another side of the building. Nice monochromatic hue of the whole with only the flowers and the statue's corner as points of colors.It radiates silence! It looks as the building was built to express majesty,and the Maddona, close to people's eyes... . Very nice image in your series.

This is impressive. You have a skilled eye. The fact that you haven't overdone this, for me, means that I feel like I'm drawn right into the space and can perceive the scale more fully. This a a beauty! Thanks for your help with my photos, too.

 

Regards,

Maria