denmark Rundetaarn (1637)

I loved this round, white hallway. I almost decided to do this image with a blue-ish duotone or tritone. :-) Anyway, is the window too hot? Is it framed well, compositionally?

This is the same building from the outside. We went to the top and took a look out at the entire city of Copenhagen ... the view was gorgeous! I seem to remember Bente telling me something about a horse brought up through this hallway sometime back in history. Bente, what castle is this again? (Can't believe that I didn't write it down ... I usually do that!)

Here's a link I just found on a Copenhagen tourist website. They just call it the round tower. I'm sure that Bente will have some interesting comments for us on this. :-D

Any comments or ratings are appreciated! :-)

This is great work, Lou Ann. You continue to astound me.

 

--Lannie

The tone is OK, I think. Maybe you'd better try with sepia tone than bluish!

 

PDE

Very nice composition and excellent exposure. About your idea to do this image with a blue-ish duotone or tritone, the day before yesterday I have seen on the critique forum a similar composition (perhaps of the same place ?) which was in a blue duotone, and it was very beautiful.

Hi Lou Ann, I like the textures, the range of shades, and with two small exceptions, the pleasing arrangement of the simple shapes. The left could be cropped slightly to remove the corner of the sill, and the tapered sliver on the right is distracting because it differs from the rest of the shapes. I don't think colorizing it blue or sepia will add anything, but making it a black and white would remove the faint pink and blue shades that have crept in that I doubt were part of the original scene. I also think that making the midtones slightly lighter (leaving the highs and lows where they are) would enhance the whiteness of the room and the texture of the floor. Also, you have some Lake Tahoe/ Emerald Bay photos that should be in California rather than the Nevada sections of your site. Cheers, Fred

Thank you for your detailed comment, Fred. First of all ... duh, me! I knew that Emerald Bay is in California. I'm going to fix that right now. Secondly, will you please help me find that "tapered sliver on the right" ... I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about, and I think this is an image that I'm going to work with some more. Thank you again!

I agree with Fred's advice to remove that small corner. Apart from that I believe the image is just perfect in its balance of shapes, proportions and colours.

Actually, it's, IMHO, one of your best architectural images, Lou Ann. A lesson in composition(save that minor corner that got into frame, probably, because your viewfinder doesn't cover the 100% of the real frame).

I smiled when I read your question to Bente because you didn't write down the info...

I used to do the same (and have to come back to the good old habits) until when, in last November, I got robbed of all my bag with the full equipment in it, including my little small notebook with notes dating back to January 2004 (notes on some 500 slides of something like 200 different small villages all around Spain with the name of the place, the building, the camera, film, lens, aperture and speed).

The insurance paid me a new equipment -the Nikon D 200- but that notebook wasn't insured...!!

;-(

Alberto, your comments are always treasures to me! And, I think that it was you who first inspired me to start writing down information about my photos ... before I went digital, I would write down what lens I used and the exposure settings if I remembered to do so, as well as the name of the place and the time of day, etc. When I went to digital, I knew that a lot of that information was stored in each image file (although I always forget to change the time in my camera......), but have tried to write down places and related information. I'd cry if I lost my notebook!!! Thank you for all of your inspiration!

Beautiful work. Instead of commenting on the photograph, may I take this time to comment on the detail information you provide with each image? I think you excel in documenting each shot. Adding other version of the same image and [some times] links for further information are great.

 

J3

You've got it just right here LouAnn.

Julius - I'm glad that you appreciate that. It's the mathematician in me! I find that when someone here on PN puts up a photo that is obviously of a unique *place* yet they don't identify the place, I get anxious to know what it is that I'm looking at. Maybe that keeps my photographic eye in the "tourist photo" stage, but that's okay with me. :-)

Lou Ann, The 'sliver' I tried to describe is formed by the first and 2nd curved lines on the right side. It is the last visable section of the rear wall on the right side. -Fred

Thanks, Fred. I see. I wish I could go back and reshoot ... maybe some day! (sigh...)

The textures and curves here are so inviting...I think the tones you've used are just right...I'm not sure about trying the blue tones, I'd have to see it, but I would be afraid to lose the warmth you've achieved here. As for the window light...maybe slightly hot, but not distractingly so...I'd leave it unless it really bothers you. Looks like a beautiful and interesting place to visit. Now I'm just waiting to hear what Bente has to say! :)

 

Leslie

Very nice form, Lou Ann - one of your best, I think, once that little edge is removed. Nice light and shadows. You just keep getting better and better!

I have found again the composition about which I was talking above, probably from the same place, here . What do you think of it ?

I like his image a lot! And, yes, it is definitely the same place. Interesting. :-D Thank you so much for pointing me out to it. He's got some other wonderful stuff in his portfolio ... I'm having a good time looking at it all!

I followed the link, and although I find his image appealing, I still favor yours for its warmth. Just so ya know :)

 

L

Thanks, Leslie - I'm not really very objective. ;-)

This indeed "Rundetaarn" (the round tower) in Copenhagen in the centre of the old city with a beautiful view from the top. The link that was given above tells the story. It is one of the constructions of Christian the Fourth, who ruined the kingdom be wars.

Lou, I would suggest to change the title of the photo, this not being a "hallway".

I like the photo that you managed to take without tourists ! I would not suggest to change anything. I find it very well made and seen.

 

Thank you, Anders. You're right - I found the right moment without other people in the immediate area. This is the only photo that I have, though, because there were an awful lot of people around. :-)

 

So, Anders, please suggest a new caption to replace "hallway" (I'm not very creative!) :-D

A little late - but of course I have something to say here. First of all I remember our conversation short before we entered The Round Tower. We came down the street and I showed you the tower and told you we were to go up there. You looked up and then you asked me what we called the building. "The Round Tower" I told you and you laughed. It was too surprising simple that it didn't have another name.

 

The Round Tower is not a part of a castle but a part of a church even it's not a church tower. The tower was completed in 1642 and was build for the use as an astronomical observatory. Now a days we can smile of it and lots of buildings are so much bigger than this tower but imagine in 1642 this tower might have been something very unique in Europe and today it's the oldest observatory in Europe still in use.

 

The spiral walk - the one here shown in your photograph -is unique in European architecture. The 209 m long spiral ramp winds itself 7,5 times round the hollow core of the tower, forming the only connection between the individual parts of the building complex.

 

In 1716 The Russian Tsar Peter Teh Great was riding up the spiral walk on horseback and his wife The Tsarina took the way up in a coach.

 

Inside the architecture is special and together with the light coming from the windows it invites to be photographed. Your picture is very true to the reality and I prefer it the way you have toned the color.

 

Also the Danish fairy tale writer was inspired of The Round Tower and in one of his fairy tales : "The Tinderbox" the biggest dog has eyes as big as The Round Tower.

 

The Tinderbox: http://hca.gilead.org.il/tinderbx.html