Palio afterparty, the winners (2)

 a very clean looking shot. the 3 buildings in the background make for a great backdrop!

a fine balance, a perfect composition

I like to first look at a photo without knowing anything about the setting or circumstances.  Which would be the case for me here.  The tone variance, from the near solid white of the top part of the building at the foot of this alley (street?), to the darker, shuttered brick of the side walls, has a nice range and feel of light.  The crowd of people at the bottom, some dressed in contemporary clothes, and at least one man in what appears to be Rennaissance, is intriguing.  There is also an interesting gap between you, the photographer looking down upon the approaching crowd, and the multitude who seem to be making their way upward.  We're certainly not in Kansas here.  It has a nice overall energy and old world appeal.

Ah!  The Palio di Siena!?  Of course.  One of my brother-in-laws, who is an artist, has a series of old photographs displayed in a long hallway.  Each photograph is a portrait of a different rider from the race.  I should ask him how old the photos are.  They look to be 1920's or 30's, or perhaps even older.    Lucky you to have been there!