Sandals

I enjoyed viewing this image (on 7/6/01) immensely, and am astonished at the niggardly ratings awarded to Joel. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they were computer-generated. Joel, maybe think of cropping some of the left - nevertheless a fine image; well done.

I too am totally confused by the ratings here. The exposure is good, the lighting great. I would love it even more in black & white I think, as the colour of the people in the back wouldnt be so distracting. Surely low ratings should be reserved for poor results? I don't get it.

I've come back for a 2nd look here today. For some reason this image stayed in my minds eye. I have 2nd thoughts about B&W, as the colour of the stone (marble?) is very beautiful & it would be a shame to lose it. Also I saw another sculpture since on tv & it was nothing next to this! The sculpting is beautiful, refined, and the posture of the man is so graceful. It would be interesting to know more about these sculptures you photograph.

What do you think of this treatment Joel? The brighter colours in the bgrd have been desaturated. I will remove the file following your response. Hope you didn't mind ;)

"It would be interesting to know more about these sculptures you photograph."

 

I was interested in statues long before I took up photography. The ones I've photographed are generally classical Graeco-Roman statuary, with some Renaissance work (which was largely done in imitation). Most of them are Roman copies of Greek originals, which are largely lost.

 

There was an Athenian sculptor called Praxiteles whose work only survives in classical copies. Given that copies are usually a pale imitation of the original, and Praxiteles is one of the big five or so sculptors even just in copies, the originals must have been sublime.

 

[That tree stump/branch you see adorning many statues is the sculptor's way of saying "this is a copy"; it's a code that's understood.]

 

"I have 2nd thoughts about B&W, as the colour of the stone (marble?) is very beautiful & it would be a shame to lose it. "

 

I also like the colour of the stone walls and marble floor in the Louvre, and the wonderfull sense of light and space in there. Now I've seen it I plan to try and capture it better the next time I'm there.

 

"What do you think of this treatment Joel? The brighter colours in the bgrd have been desaturated."

 

As for the people in the background, I specifically like the small splashes of colour. It gives me a sense of there being people wandering around, not a set of dusty statues in an empty room. Ah well...

 

Perhaps this only works for me because I was there, and I remember walking around surprised an pleased and seeing other people looking surprised and pleased. If you only have the photo, not the memory of the atmosphere to go with it, it might not work so well.

 

Also I'm fairly colour blind, so maybe my delicate little splashes of colour are big distracting globs of it to you. :-)

 

I tend to think of this picture as travel photography, a memento of my trip to the Louvre. It would perhaps be at its best in combination with some travel writing, each complimenting the other, rather than as a standalone photograph.

 

"I will remove the file following your response. Hope you didn't mind ;) "

 

Please, leave it up so others can see what you meant.

 

Thanks for the bkgrd info Joel. I wonder where the surviving Greek originals are. Yes I agree about the stone walls too. A very pale sand colour, which is enhanced by the light as you say.

"I wonder where the surviving Greek originals are."

 

Start with the British Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris, the Capitolene museum in Rome and the archeaological museum in Naples.