Rocamadour

[Jeremy Roussak]

Comments?

Jeremy

[Chris Calohan]

That little bit of sky tends to catch my eye more than I would like. Overall, I find the image pleasantly toned and composed, but I do not find myself emotionally involved..

[RSL]

It's pleasant, Jeremy, and well composed. But that's all.

[louoates]

Not much to focus on here so little interest beyond some nice colors.

[popnfresh]

This image is all about luminance and textures, not color. As such, I think it works better in B&W.

So I took the liberty of doing a quick and dirty conversion. Hope you don't mind.

[Bruce Cox]

Your photograph, Rocamadour, seems to me to be a fruitful object of contemplation.  It is an empty waiting room or passage to somewhere else, nevertheless, if the viewer moves no more rapidly than the sun, it can be revealing.  The balance of many parts [inside vs outside the cave, geometry vs stone, industrious construction vs completion, and light vs dark] provides a clean well lighted place where the elements can tell me new stories about much that I remmember.  Popnfresh's version works well and shows the pictures strength, but by increasing the drama of the light it removes the veil of the mundane and makes it more instructive rather than something you can feel you have found yourself.

Bruce

[Jeremy Roussak]

There are hits and there are misses. I wasn't sure about this one; the consensus is that it's a miss, which is fair enough.

Pop, I don't mind at all; I'd mused on b&w, as I very often do, but for some reason hadn't chosen to do it. Your conversion is perhaps a little too dark but I see what you have in mind.

Jeremy

[popnfresh]

Your photograph, Rocamadour, seems to me to be a fruitful object of contemplation.  It is an empty waiting room or passage to somewhere else, nevertheless, if the viewer moves no more rapidly than the sun, it can be Popnfresh's version works well and shows the pictures strength, but by increasing the drama of the light it removes the veil of the mundane and makes it more instructive rather than something you can feel you have found yourself.

I would call that the difference between making art and taking snapshots.

[amolitor]

I think I like the color version better, but possibly mostly because going b&w makes me think you're trying for a cheap Frederick Evans imitation and not reaching it. It might well be *better* as a b&w but I can't like it as well, for that reason.

The geometries and textures in here are truly wonderful subjects, but I feel like what's failing about this picture is precisely that. There's all this wonderful Stuff to Look At, and yet the photograph feels to me like it's trying to be about serenity and quiet contemplation. I think a tighter image, dropping some of the neat things that are so great and concentrating on the bench and the light and the soothing colors might play better for me, working that meditative serene tone. I spent some time fooling around cropping this and that it it did seem to work better for me.

[Rob C]

Jeremy, did you get a good one from the classical view from across the maid road that goes to Cales?

I tried it on two separate occassions, and on the first one I blew it: there was a convention of balloonists down in the depths of the valley below Rocamadour and they seemed to be milling about, taking forever to inflate their craft, so I gave up and just shot what film was in the bag with a few balloons rising slowly without forming any picture. Then, when I was all shot out, the shot happened: a couple of them rose together and made their way to right of camera and up over the chateau-like structure that's near the top end of the lift! Screwed, well and truly. My wife chastised me because she'd told me just to wait and be patient... and I was supposed to be the stock photographer. That was all Nikon. The next time we passed by it was Pentax 67 but no balloons.

That area's my favourite of the bits of France that we'd enjoyed together... often thought of going back, but she's no longer with us and doing it alone doesn't ring any insistent bells - so far.

In his book, France, Colin Baxter has a different shot of the village from right in front of it, up another cliff face (more or less!) and it's quite good in showing the houses etc. but fails to reveal the steepness as well. Anyway, he's a climber, so it's all academic insofar as Rob C was ever going to be concerned!

Thanks for the happy memories you just brought me.

Rob C

[Bruce Cox]

I would call that the difference between making art and taking snapshots.

Certainly the audience must be lead, but they will be more keen on an idea if they can be fooled into thinking it is at least in part theirs.  I think there is something in the advice of Spencer Tracy on a set to a young Burt Reynolds: "Don't let them catch you"  


Bruce

[popnfresh]

Certainly the audience must be lead, but they will be more keen on an idea if they can be fooled into thinking it is at least in part theirs.  I think there is something in the advice of Spencer Tracy on a set to a young Burt Reynolds: "Don't let them catch you"  

I disagree. Artists always lead and open viewers' eyes to new things. The public either likes it or doesn't.

[Jeremy Roussak]

Rob,

Sadly, no. The weather was dull and the light uninteresting. Next time.

I love that part (well, pretty much all, really) of France too. My wife's uncle has a place just south of Frayssinet, about 45 minutes from Rocamadour, so we stay there from time to time. There's some lovely scenery, pretty towns and, of course, jolly good food and wine.

Even though the photo wasn't worth much, I'm glad to have stirred some happy memories.

Jeremy

[Rob C]

Jeremy

Frayssinet, on the N20! Shit - we used to stop for a couple of days just a few clicks further north at Payrac! We both felt it was a haven for us after the hard driving either up or down to/from Scotland. We used to stay in the Hostellerie de la Paix, and sometimes at another place on the road from Payrac to Rocamadour, les Pages or (something close), at Cales.

The Hostellerie has now had a name-change to La Legende or whatever, which I assume means it's been bought over. I do remember the original people telling me it had become very tough since the advent of the motorway from Toulouse right up to Brive, because it took so much traffic and trade off the N20.

On our first trips we used always to avoid the motorways, but eventually, we did use them and felt very smug that we already had sussed out where to stop for the nights! I suppose you must have visited Domme, Sarlat and La Roque Gageac? Great views of the Dordogne from the edges of Domme. Another spot we enjoyed but didn't stay in was Monpazier and I often wish we'd stopped at the Chateau hotel in Lalinde; there's something lousy about the feeling of too late. Oh well - what can't be cured must be endured.

Ciao -

Rob C

P.S. Sorry, I didn't write this reply to feel blue; I intended to say that I was stunned that nobody - so far - suggested you should have removed the plaque! Maybe it needs stairs for that to be said, though it has been suggested to lose the colour... I feel another scream developing deep in my shallow mind!

[Jeremy Roussak]

Rob,

I'm ashamed to say that I've done depressingly little photography when I've stayed there (at a rather lovely chateau called Lamostonie); each time I've found myself in a frenetic family gathering with little time to idle away taking photographs. I'm hoping for a more leisurely trip there fairly soon. It used to be really easy to get there from Manchester: five years ago, there were almost daily flights to Toulouse, Limoges and Bergerac, but they've all shut down now and we have to go via London, which makes it more expensive and less convenient.

I have been to the beautiful St Cirq Lapopie, though. I'll find a photo or two and post them here.

I'm similarly interested in the lack of urging to get my fingers grubby with content-aware fill, particularly given the debate over the sign in ChrisC's lovely yellow stairs (and my enthusiasm there for erasing the sign). Perhaps my shot isn't salvageable by such trivial intervention.

Jeremy

Edit: I've added four photos of St Cirq to your "without prejudice" thread.