The Sphinx & KFC Photo

Photographer’s Note

The Sphinx is well photographed but what you don't always see is what the Shinx is looking at. A Kentucky Fried Chicken! When you see photographs of the Shinx and the Pyramids what you do not always realise is how close you are to Cairo City. Before visiting there I did not realise that the Pyramids are virtually in Cairo.

paulw, peter1892, banyanman has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

klennon79 (0) 2006-08-27 9:52

Hi Colin.
What an amusing contrast :)
Great POV. Normally, one would have shot from the front--but, you saw another opportunity. Great eye to have seen such an opportunity.
Kirsten

paulw (2014) 2006-08-27 13:11

Wow, interesting photo. Very good angle and view. I guess it shows how the new closes in on the old. Well captured.

peter1892 (3201) 2006-08-27 13:15

A refreshing & different view of a familiar & famous place. It really does highlight the proximity of these monuments to the city itself. KFC...that's either bad planning or a great statement of convenience!

banyanman (7691) 2006-09-13 13:46

An out-of-the-ordinary POV, Colin, but a well spotted photo op. Like you, when I first visited the Pyramids I was surprised at how the urban sprawl had almost engulfed them. The tourist photos cleverly give the impression that they were out in the desert. The other thing that surprised me was how small they were compared to what I expected. Cheers . . . David

rewshearer (682) 2006-09-17 20:12

Excellent!! As with your Empire State Building photo, I truly admire the fact that you photograph revered symbols in their real context. To have the mighty Sphinx gazing out over a KFC restaurant (and let's face it, on a good day he/she can probably smell it)is a poignant sign of our times.
Very well seen and captured
Rew

scalerman (24192) 2006-10-06 17:00

Yeah, Colin, I can see it now. some pictures just deserve to be on TE for the expose of it. Does the urban proximity change your impression of the ruins? regards, c

USErin (445) 2006-11-10 22:34

Not at all as I had pictured. I pictured miles of desert. You would think that they would keep the city far away, as pollution is destroying the parthenon in Athens.

mafegan (2826) 2008-07-15 17:05

Hello Colin
I have added this photo of yours to the theme "twins" as I have recently posted a photo where I must have been standing - 4 months earlier - in the same position you took this from.
In my notes I was was trying to point out how the multi-national fast food shops have infiltrated even the most ancient sites of this world. However all my critiques are about the proximity of the Sphinx to Cairo. I notice you also mention this. I had been to Giza once before - infact 30years earlier - and so this was no surprise in 2004. However in these intervening 30years I had forgotten that the pyramids are on a small hill.
Thanks for sharing, Marlene