france A French Village

Any comments or ratings are appreciated! :-)

This isn't quite as sharp as I like, but the scene was just so charming and typical that I love it. I want to add that I was startled as I drove around France for two weeks to discover that in many cemeteries, the sarcophagi are kept above ground. I haven't ever seen that done before.

 

Technical point: I removed a robin's-egg-blue truck from behind one of the vinyards in the background. It was very distracting. I also rotated a tad based on the roof of the church.

 

In addition to general thoughts about composition, etc., I'd also appreciate comments about the color/contrast/saturation. Thanks!! :-)

I think it could use more brightness and sharpening. The new PS CS2 makes this task easier with the exposure command and the smart sharpening feature for correcting lens blur. I thought the bluish object over the top of the trees in the midground was distracting so I cloned it out. Hope you're not offended. This is just what I would do if this were mine. I really like the composition and colors in this image. It really exudes the charm of quaint French villages and the country side.

Thanks, Ken! I went back and forth with the brighter or darker question. I haven't yet figured out when I like one or the other. The original image, out of camera, was actually quite a bit brighter. I darkened it and worked on the contrast before doing anything else. I'll have to check into that cs2 upgrade ... that corrective sharpen feature sounds like a lifesaver!! Good to have your input! :-)

Lou Ann, you are right it is a charming scene. I like what Ken did in terms of adjustments. As for the little blue thing, didn't bother me that much. Too many other things to look at.

I too like what Ken did. It is a beautiful scene, though and I do like the way the houses fill the lower half with the fields and trees in the upper...the church off-center keeps the composition from being too symmetrical.

 

Too bad the light was flat. I would have loved this in the early morning mist...

That is a real nice scene Lou Ann.The atmospher of the French village is very nicely exposed.The red colors of the houses( roofs roofs.... )and green fields are complementary and very pleasing. the blue top of the church is like a " light house" that brings you in there...I like what Ken did, but it is a good image. Pnina

Good composition with the foreground buildings and fields beyond pivoting on the Church. In my travels I observed that, almost without exception, villages such as this were always anchored by a beautiful statement of faith.

Dr Ken's skillful resuscitation saved the patient. Regards.

I'm with you, Walt ... from the very first moment I got in the car, and for two weeks of driving the countryside, I noticed that at every angle one looks, you can see a steeple on the horizon. Every small village has a large cathedral. It was beautiful!! I took lots of pictures of them. Not all are worth uploading here at PN, but it really does not allow one to forget Who's in charge, and I wanted to capture a little bit of that on film.

 

Funny thing about the lighting that looked so flat. I took several pictures here (at a roadside picture stop on a hill above the town). When I first pulled over, the sky was blue and the sun was shining nice and bright. But within five minutes it was pouring rain, completely overcast. This was the last one or second to last picture that I took, so the light had already gone away. The weather was weird that day, but for most of the rest of the trip it was wonderful!

Very pretty shot. Great color and composition. I like what Ken did...

I like how the vineyards come down the hill to the village. Good colours and composition.

Very good image Lou, good composition very nice color. I also Ken's rendition. Looking for more.

Lou Ann, this is a nice little composition of village life, with a good blend of architecture and greenery. The houses look very pretty in their array of pastel colours. While I agree Ken's sharpening has lifted it, I quite like the dark tones in your version. Which lens did you have on the 300D for this?

Lou Ann, love the village with the fields beyond, beautiful. Cheers, Sondra

Hanna - looking at the other pictures I took from this same spot, it must have been my 75-300mm, fully extended. The village was quite far away, and I have several images at much, much wider angles of the entire area and you can just barely see the town or the church. The 300 just made it pop! :-)

Though I like Ken's sharpening, I agree with Hanna in that the dark tones are better; I like the richer colors. Beautiful, idylic shot here. Thanks for posting.

Very interesting picture!

This is truly beautiful, Lou Ann. You must have had a wonderful vantage point to get this shot.

 

--Lannie

I love it as is, but I?d like to see a bit more of the foreground, in order to have the image framed with the trees on the front. Anyway, it is a charming pic.

This is a very nice composition, Lou Ann. Presents the charme of France very well. I like how there is a green part framed by the church and roofs. Alsace? ... I presume.

These little towns just beg to be photographed, don't they?! I like Doc's version, too. Crisp & snappy. ^_^

I like this photo very much, you captured the spirit perfectly!