British Museum - the Great Court

The Great Court of the British Museum is a square surounded by the

original museum buildings. It has been covered in an amazing glass

roof and a round building added in the middle. Some statues are also

there such as this lion which I think is ancient Egyptian. All

comments welcome.

Nice composition: I like the geometry of the picture and shadows too.

I always love photos I see of this roof. (Which makes me wonder why I chose to go to the Tate Modern instead of the British Museum ... I'm not so smart sometimes!) :-D

 

It's wonderful how you added the lion statue here for interest. I really like the way the roof is repeated in the shadows on the rouded wall. Nice shot, Colin.

I like it, but would it be even better with more contrast?

Hello Colin, after Lords and Kew, this is my favorite place in London.

 

Here's one I prepared earlier

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=3547178

 

Best wishes. Pete

hi there colin. great shot and an inspired use of B/W. i dont know if you are aware of this fact but evry single pane of glass in that celing is a slightly different shape. there are no two the same. what a nightmare for the glasiers.

Thanks Massimiliano, Lou Ann, Johanna, Peter, Martin.

 

Masimiliano, thanks, it is difficult to take a bad shot in this palce as the architecture is so strong.

 

Lou Ann, both the Tate Modern and the British Museum are stunning architecturally but I love all the antiquities in the BM. The lion sits on its plinth in this space so it is just a matter of lining him up with the background. (Up early again?)

 

Johanna, I know what you mean but the overall light level in the Great Court is bright (as I see you are aware from your own shots of the place!). This was my best shot at trying to communicate that bright daylight effect.

 

Peter, Yes, indeed, I had a look at your BMus shots before I went as I did not want to come back and find I had taken exactly the same! What is your favourite bit? I am an Assyrian Royal Lion Hunt man myself but the Sutton Hoo treasure comes a close second. The Great Court is an inspired bit of architecture and a clever use of the space.

 

Martin, yes, all the glass panels different - one of the good things about the digital world we live in.

Fascinating glass roof with all the 'lines' whcih is beautifully reflected on the wall to complete the gemetry. Placement of the the lion fg gives one a sense of majestic feel.A very nice museum.

Hello Colin,

 

It's difficult not to like all of the BM, but I particularly like the books. On one occasion, I saw one of Robert Hooke's notebooks on display, one of the very foundation stones of modern scientific thought. I also love the ancient Greek galleries, I put that down to hearing the Iliad on the radio when I was in primary school. I also like the Nimrud and Nineveh rooms.

 

We ought to meet up some time over the winter, and snap untill our fingers and cards wear out.

 

Pete

6:00 a.m. is never early for me. :-)

Colin,It really opens up.I am stunned and taken by it. Curves and reflections,light all over,the powerful lion as contrast hold everything beautiful together.I like it very much.

Exceptional B&W tones and dynamic range. Curves and diagonals are used in a very aestethic way. Lovely depth and dimension.

 

How do you find your 5D refering to range and experienced picture quality?

 

Kind regards J O

Hi Colin, slowly back to business...I love the play of light and shadow, of the semi circled forms and the lion for ballance. Very skilled composition using the lions head, and choice of B/W.

Cherlyn, thanks, I liked the expression on the lion's face myself.

 

Peter, yes, lots of wonderful things! nice idea about meeting. I will email you.

 

Lou Ann, 6 am is prime snooze time :-)

 

Alix, yes, I saw the lion as a contrast to the rest of the image.

 

Jan Olof, thanks, I like the 5D a lot. The detail in the images is very good indeed but whether it is worth the extra over the 30D has to be a personal choice. They are both excellent cameras.

 

Pnina, good to see you back! thanks for your comment - I spent some time trying to get the right angle on the lion in relation to the other elements.

Besides the incredible pattern that roof creates, I am struck by the lion's expression: maybe wondering why not in a pyramid. Excellent angle, BTW.

Well seen, Colin and well framed. Placing the lion as dominant foreground gives the image tremendous impact. Well done.

Great composition. I like the graphism and the clear tonalities. Nice idea of the lion in the foreground.

Great composition and play with light and shadows. 7 & 7 have to wait for a while. Best regards, Baldur

Very nice shot. Great mood and play with shadows.

Did try to take a look at 'larger' but that had no result.

Maybe in the future you can upload a little larger so that we can realy 'jump-in' the image? For example 1200pixels wide?

Success.

Colin, these wide angle, architectural shots are really yours. This one works all the way -- lines, composition, tonality. Yep, this one is yours...

Colin, I was going to give you a rating higher than what I did but I'm not permitted to at the moment. This is easily one of your best images. The intersection of lines, shapes, shadows. The lion statue in this architectural space adds a really amazing dimension. The next time I visit the BM, I must figure out where you shot this.

Paula, thanks, he looks a bit perplexed doesn't he?

 

Alberto, I had to get that lion in the shot!

 

Henri, glad you like the b&w

 

Baldur, thanks for the thought!

 

Hans, thanks for your comment. I usually upload 700 width for copyright reasons.

 

Wilson, thanks!

 

David, good to see you back again and glad you like the shot.

 

Amar, if you visit the BritMus you can't miss the Great Court. It is clearly signposted and they will sell you books, souvenirs, food, drink.....

I would love to see this place! I've seen several shots of it here on PN and each one intrigues me even more. I love all the glass and wonderful lines. Great idea to include the lion. It adds so much to this shot. Nicely done.

 

Leslie

quality shot.. intriging and perfectly taken.

The roof patern continues on the round wall by the shaddow. I love the bright grey tone. So many things have changed in London since I left! 'Change' was a bad word before.