Rustic Charm Renewed

This wonderful staircase is part of the hamlet in Marie Antoinette's domain at Versailles. A little hamlet created to give the Queen a taste of rural life without actually having to get close to poor people. It is quite beautiful but at the same time it is an obscene folly.

The last time that I had visited I photographed this staircase and it was quite fragile and close to collapse. So it was nice to see that it has been restored to its original condition.

In A Queens Garden

These shots of flowers are from Marie Antoinette's domain at Versailles. Aren't they pretty?

A Place To Sit And Think

So today's picture has taken quite a bit of time to prepare. I have recently been experimenting a bit with a technique (I don't know if it has a name) trying to highlight colour in a black and white image. Sometimes it works and others it doesn't. Today's effort is a work in progress rather than the finished item and I will be coming back to it at some point as I really want to get this right.

I love this image but in black and white it is lacking something and in colour the beautiful floor gets lost. So I tried something different. At first i actually wanted to make the chair pop out becaue the colour of the wood and the straw seat is really beautiful but in lightroom which is what I have used the process is quite tedious and not very precise so after three or four attempts I gave up and decided to bring out the floor which is also quite amazing. Again the process hasn't worked as well as I had hoped so more practice is needed. Maybe I need to try in photoshop using layers, if anyone can given me some pointers I would be very grateful.

In spite of its imperfections I hope you will agree that  the image is good and the overall effect is really nice and so worth striving for perfection.

Top Cat

Street life takes different forms, take this handsome cat for example. This little beauty approached me on the streets of Versailles and from it's plaintiff miaoing I could tell that he wanted someone to make a fuss of him. I soon realised when I miaoed back at him to invite him to come closer that my miaouing must have a distinctly English accent because as much as he wanted to be stroked he became more wary and he gave me this inquisitive yet slightly disdainful or disapproving look.

About Town

There is not much to say about today's selection of photos all taken around and about Versailles.

I really like the different styles of architecture which make this such an interesting city.

The Station is one of several in Versailles, the ticket hall is a vast space and I like the imposing clock in what I think is Art Deco style. 

The shot of the market was taken quite early in the morning as I walked to the bakery for fresh bread and croissants. As you can see there were very few people about other than the traders and I had a pleasant stroll enjoying the quiet and thinking about people at home and imagining how different this place would be in just a short while.

I love France, I just need an excuse to go back soon.

Street Life & Café Culture

A few more street shots from around Paris and Versailles and a couple more experiments with the technique of selecting colour highlights.

I really like the contrast in these pictures between the young people absorbed in their smart phones and the older people taking in the world around them. 

I love the joyful expression on the face of the girl in the café. 

I love the over the top style of the couple in the last picture.

I like all of these pictures and can't pick which I like best, let me know if you have a favourite.

I have in the past preferred landscape and wildlife photography but I really enjoyed my experiment with street photography, There is so much of interest to see in our cities and in the faces of the people around us. So keep coming back to see more.

On a side note I am a very private person and in my blog and in my social media I don't often post pictures of myself, but if you are interested you might catch a glimpse in the reflection in the café window #justsayin 

Back Street History

Today's shots were taken around the back streets of Versailles. Obviously when people visit the city the main thing they come to see is the fantastic royal palace but the grandeur of the palace spreads out into the surrounding streets as can be seen in the final  picture with its magnificent gold decoration and impressive lion head door knockers. I chose to share this image in colour because the gold would be lost in black and white.

The other pictures however work better in black and white because it gives them a better sense of history and given how old these buildings are I think it needs that. I had thought about a colour exposure for the first image to bring out the glorious wisteria however it was the patterns in the stone work that I wanted to highlight.

In For The Kill

I'm mixing things up a little today having posted street shots most of this week I decided to share a couple of wildlife pictures.

Still in France for these pictures of a beautiful heron. I had gone hoping to walk around the gardens of the palace of Versailles. I knew that the gardens are normally open without having to pay to go through the chateau  and to avoid the queues I had walked around to the side entrances where there are grand stone staircases leading up past the orangery. Sadly because of the terrorist threat the entrances were closed and padlocked and so I didn't get to walk the gardens on this trip.

Instead of queuing up I went across the road to walk around some parkland with an ornamental lake and a nice view of the chateau. Part way round I spotted this heron and tried to get a coupe of shots but it was a bit too far away. But patience paid off because a bit further round I saw it again and this time I was able to get much closer and I watched it carefully stalking some prey. It was clear that it was eyeing up something tasty and so I had my camera ready and captured the moment that it struck. When it brought its head back up I was expecting to see a frog or toad clasped in its powerful beak. I was surprised to see it was a rodent, perhaps a vole or maybe a small rat I can't be sure. Whatever it was it quickly flipped it up into its gullet and swallowed it whole. In the second image you can maybe make out the slight bulge in its neck as its lunch is working its way towards its stomach.

The third shot is a simple close up of the magnificent head an its shiny eye. 

I was disappointed to  miss out on the palace gardens but these shots help make up for that to some extent.

Produits régionaux

Yesterday I posted all black and white images so today I have gone for a bit of colour, after all the fruit and veg, the cheese and the flowers would look quite flat in black and white.

I love the sights, sounds and smells of a good market. For a number of my teenage years and into my mid twenties I lived in Lincolnshire in and around the market town of Boston. On Wednesdays and Saturdays the town was taken over by the market traders selling clothes, sweets, bags, and all manner of fresh produce. Now when I visit the town the market seems to be somewhat diminished and I feel sad that it doesn't have the prominence that it once had.

Today's pictures taken in the Friday market in Versailles highlight some of the things I love about the market. I love the neatly arranged vegetables, just look at how large and fresh the aubergines and broccoli are.

I posted a similar picture to the second shot here on Friday but that was taken on my phone, this shot from a slightly different angle brings out the richness of the colours and I can almost smell the cheese. 

The final shot shows some of the selection of cut flowers on sale. Perhaps not the greatest picture but I love the colours and again it feeds the memory of the beautiful fragrances of the market place.

Street Life

This past week I have had some fantastic photo opportunities. Firstly on Wednesday I did a photo shoot for a local firm of architects (SDA Architecture) and hopefully I will be able to share some of those images in the near future. Then over the weekend I have been in Versailles and Paris and I have taken hundreds of pictures, enough to keep my blog going for weeks although it is likely that I will mix things up and come back to these pictures at different times.

I had gone to Versailles to visit the new LDS Temple which has recently been completed. It is a beautiful building and such a tranquil and spiritual place;  it was definitely worth the trip to see it.

I also spent a day in Paris and as well as having a wonderful lunch with good friends I went walkabout with my camera, oh yes and treated myself to a box of Debauve et Gallais chocolates (it has become a bit of a habit/tradition when in the City of Lights).

I have lots of shots of the famous landmarks from my previous visits to these two fine cities so I wanted to try something different and so I went with the intention of trying street photography. I have wanted to do this for some time but I have been wary in case people took offense or became angry at having a camera pointed at them by a random stranger. So I took it gently at first taking pictures of the activity in the market square and surroundings but I got braver as the weekend went by. Happily only one person objected, and I will have fun sorting through and sharing some of my favourite moments with you.

The first picture was actually my first attempt at pointing my camera at a stranger, he looked straight at me and asked if I wanted to take his picture and the moment was gone because I didn't want a pose but as he walked by speaking to me I captured this shot which works well and we both went away smiling.

The second image was lovely scene I spotted as I walked along an avenue of trees. I saw this man and small girl perhaps a grandfather and his granddaughter , looking out of their apartment window, watching the world go by. I lifted my camera to capture the scene just at the point they spotted someone they knew across the street and reached up to wave. I think it tells a lovely story.

The third shot caught my eye as I like the orderliness of the stacked tables and chairs in the shade of the trees bordering the Place D'Armes in front of the chateau. 

For the last of today's images I had spotted this cafe/restaurant, I love the exterior and thought it would make a great picture for my blog and just as I prepared to take the shot the door opened and this girl stepped out followed by her boyfriend. I think the shop front would have made a great shot on its own but the addition of the girl brings the picture to life.

I hope that you have enjoyed these pictures and if so please come back over the coming days to see some more.

Sweet Treats

It seemed rude not to. After lunch a sweet treat was needed and these hit the spot.

Back Streets

This morning I went out early for bread and croissants from a local bakery, they made a delicious start to the day. I can hardly wait til breakfast time so I can do it again.
As it was early the streets were quiet except for a few traders getting set up in the market square. I walked through this narrow passage and decided to capture the calm of the city before it wakes up...

He's the Big Cheese

So today I have been in Versailles, I had gone to see the new LDS Temple which has been built just outside the city. It is a beautiful and elegant design in keeping with the historical architecture all around.

But while I have been here I have spent some time trying my hand at street photography. I think I have one or two decent images but I can't share them just yet as I only have my phone to work with. So the picture I have shared today is on I snapped on my phone. The market here in Versailles is absolutely amazing and walking around the stalls this display of cheese caught my  eye. Determined that I would post something today in spite of being away from home I took a quick shot using my phone. I hope you will agree it's a nice picture and give a flavour of the street market here in town.

Tomorrow I am going into Paris to meet up with some very special friends but after lunch I will have another go at photographing people on the streets. I will let you know how that goes. I'm

For Her Majesty's Pleasure

A field, a pond and a shoal of greedy fish. All of these scenes are what Marie Antoinette would have looked upon on a daily basis as she explored her domaine.

I like the contrast of the miniature sunflowers interspersed with the barley and the tranquility of the view across the lake which is in stark contrast to the frenzy of the fish in the final picture as we were feeding them scraps of bread left over from lunch.

Fabulous Fountains

One of the things that Versailles is famous for is the array of fabulous fountains and so for today's offering I have chosen a few shots of some of the fountains in action. They are not turned on all the time so it was a case of being in the right place at the right time to get these shots. That's often the way it goes with photography and many opportunities can be missed if our timing is off...

Ecclesiastical Perspective

If you Google "Ecclesiastical Perspective" (or use any other search engine for that matter) you will find images of churches, inside and out.

Here are a few shots of my own. Like yesterday's pictures these are from the Palace of Versailles. The first and third images are of the Royal Chapel which is quite fantastic.

The second picture is of one of the long corridors and not strictly ecclesiastical although the statues lining the corridor are religious figures (at least I think they are).

The final picture is of the chapel in the  Petit Trianon in the Domaine de Marie Antoinette.  It is still quite opulent with the marvelous marble floor and the fine sculptures but it is quite simple and understated.

I've left the description of the fourth picture til last, because its not a religious building but it is a feature of several French Chateaux that I have visited and it is a "Cathedral" of trees, walking through it is like walking through the nave of a grand cathedral and it is very peaceful.

All About Curves

Today's pictures are connected by the theme "curves" but they are also connected because they were taken in 2010 at the Palace of Versailles, more specifically in the Domaine de Marie Antoinette a less formal private parkland with small palace, a grotto, a temple of love, a theatre, a farm and a small village.

The first of these pictures shows the interior of the theatre, it was difficult to get this picture because of the lighting and the fact that I wasn't supposed to take pictures inside. Apparently Marie Antoinette performed on this stage. 

The second shot is of the interior of the summer house, a place where she entertained her many visitors.  The beautiful tiled floor, the highly decorated walls and columns and the beautiful domed ceiling are reminders of the extravagant lifestyle of this most famous royal family.

The final two images are taken at the Queens House which is a rustic house set far into the park away from the Petit Trianon which is the formal residence.  I love the curving staircase on the exterior and the wooden bench which matches the curves in other parts of the building.

Spiral

Spiral Staircase at Versailles

Just one picture for today.

This was taken  on my old 450D using a Sigma 10 - 20mm EFS lens at 10mm f4. ISO 200 in aperture priority mode.  I loved that lens but it doesn't fit my new camera body so a good wide angle lens will probably be the next bit of kit I buy.  

Anyway enough of the geeky stuff, this staircase is in the Palace at Versailles.  I love the warm colour of the stone and the workmanship was outstanding.  I  also love the form as the stairs lead upwards to nothing. I like to imagine all the people who would have climbed these stairs in their fine clothes back in the day...