a detail of observatory Photo

Photographer’s Note

for a while now (as I was running out of new photos I was happy with...) I knew I'd want to post this old photo. it's a scan from a 10-year old print showing a detail from Jaipur's observatory, Jantar Mantar - a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja Jai Singh II at his then new capital of Jaipur between 1727 and 1733. the instruments are in most cases huge structures, they are built on a large scale so that accuracy of readings can be obtained. the largest instrument is 90 feet high and its shadow is carefully plotted to tell the time of day - its face is angled at 27 degrees, the latitude of Jaipur. the sundial, for example, can be used to tell the time to an accuracy of about two seconds in Jaipur local time, and is considered the largest sundial in the world.

pasternak, azaf1, Joffre, photographer123, Hendrika, Flavia, JorgeCK, dlevy23, grantlp, danos, cfreire, Royaldevon, sayeed_rahman, postvikram, brevbrev14, zmey, steliosk, broglia, Amoxtli, niphredil76, scobert, Wandering_Dan, gunbud, plimrn, subhendu_bagchi has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

postvikram (1199) 2007-11-30 4:33

Hi Kristine,
Very nice picture.Great abstract composition.For a scanned print this is really clear and crisp.I like your POV ,nice informative note and the beautirul framing.
Thanks for showing.Have a great weekend.
Vikram

Morac (21113) 2007-11-30 4:34

Hello Kristine
Beautiful photograph with a beautiful development of the curve of the staircase and beautiful colors
Regards
Marc

flashpoint (3585) 2007-11-30 4:35

nice point of view and perspective
well seen and done Kristine

best regards sERGIO

sayeed_rahman (2325) 2007-11-30 4:44

Hello Kristine

10 years since you toured India..i presume ? :)

Jaipur is fascinating and has it own charm but this particular place has so much history and facts behind it..one could go on and on..good to see the jantar mantar on the pages of TE

Like the pov you had chosen to build the symmetry and present it..very sharp for a scan 10 years old :)

Cheers
Sayeed

Royaldevon (5978) 2007-11-30 4:58

Hel;lo Kristine,

What a great POV and wonderful composition!
It is so artistic! The buildings and shapes fit into your frame with perfection!

This has to be a favourite!
Kind regards,
Bev :-)

humanist (695) 2007-11-30 5:34

This is a very unusual composition, I think... but I find it very compelling. I like the repition of curved line, stairs and window shapes. I also really enjoy the closest texture. This is almost a study in some aspects of design. Thanks, I enjoyed this.

cfreire (11677) 2007-11-30 5:36

Hi, Kristine
Very interesting the point of view that you used for this capture that it gave to the picture a graphic aspect and some abstractionist. I liked the arrangement of the colors and of their contrasts. Very creative. Good work. Regards, Consuelo

danos (33680) 2007-11-30 5:36

Hello Kristine,
i was browsing and came across your fine image taken with a great perspective and with this manner is created a nice graphistic photo and at the some time a minimalistic one. The colours are outstanding and the light is perfect. I don't think you could better the quality or the sharpness, they are just outstanding. It's a superb capture,with the depth of field to be impressive.Informative your note too.Well done Kristine.

Have a nice weekend,Danos

grantlp (2104) 2007-11-30 6:07

Hi Kristine,
I really like the angles and colours reflected in this architectural image, and it definitely has an old charm to it. Very good POV and composition. Well done.
Cheers Grant

dlevy23 (2018) 2007-11-30 6:09

Hi Kristine, what a great photo. Love how the curves of the stairs make your eyes follow it to the sky. Love all the architectural forms. Amazing composition!!! great POV.
Like usual, great job.

Daniel

JorgeCK (2602) 2007-11-30 6:16

Hi Kristine,
Beautiful picture with an excellent angle. Love how the steps lead up to the beautiful sky. Also like the framing of your pictures a lot. How do you create the 3-D effect.
Well done Kristine
joRge

Flavia (10202) 2007-11-30 6:41

Hi Kristine,

Uau! Amazing place, extraordinary picture! The graphism here is really good with the curves used as a frame for the building o the background. Glad that you found this one in your old pictures and decided to show us!

Cheers,

Flavia

Hendrika (655) 2007-11-30 7:02

Hi Kristine,
Lovely lines and colours in this architectural composition.
TFS
Els

tAs (580) 2007-11-30 7:18

Hello Kristine,

Love the perspective, the lines. So good that you went back into your files and resurrected this shot. I visited Jantar Mantar two years ago myself, and your shot has inspired me to take a second look at my photos. If I have something good enough I'll post it soon. Great looking gallery, btw!

ARGI (3418) 2007-11-30 8:08

Dear Kristine
F A N T A S T I C ! !!
Your shot is really a piece of art
A BIG BRAVO
best regards Argyris

photographer123 (5817) 2007-11-30 8:39

hi..
good shot..pattern and perspective of the shot are very good...but sharpness is liitle low,although that does not matter here.its very good one...best wishes...subir

rushfan2112 (2965) 2007-11-30 9:47

Hi Kristine. Wonderful use of the elongated vertical curves to frame the stairs. The colours are superb and I could look at this shot all day. Super. Regards, Paul.

chriswhitley (1494) 2007-11-30 11:20

Hi Kristine,
A simple subject taken very well to produce a great shot. You have the eye. Nice colours and light. Chris

Polonaise (5638) 2007-11-30 16:10

Photographing architecture...!!!!

A gigantic task...
Equall to those who create the architecture itself.

Don’t know anyone better on TE…!

(Don’t get too excited, Kristine… It could be due to my dumbness !)

george

Joffre (527) 2007-11-30 17:29

Hiya Kristine, wonderfully spotted shot, great natural colours, could be a touch sharper, really love how the sundial(?) beautifully frames the stairway, iconic capture!

partha (13677) 2007-12-01 7:17

Like a poetry. Great choice of the elements. Nice geometrical curves.
Great shot.
Partha

toto (18783) 2007-12-01 12:37

Belle photo de ces batiments,jolies couleurs et bonne netteté,Très bon POV qui nous montre beaucoup de formes géométriques. Bien vu, bien pris.
Amitiés Thomas

azaf1 (15615) 2007-12-02 0:38

Hello Christine
A splendid capture and frame! The curves unwind beautifully and take the eye to the sky!
regards
Argiris

PS Thank you for your visit and nice comments

Signal-Womb (11757) 2007-12-02 5:57

Hi Kristine, a fantastic capture which really catches the eye with this strong abstract curve. Love the muted tones also. Very nice work you have. Regards Steve.

brevbrev14 (372) 2007-12-04 1:30

Hi Kristine!
this architecture composition is so good!
i like a lot the game of the lines here...
very good work and note too!
ciao!
Valeria

pasternak (13756) 2007-12-04 1:41

Excellent presentation, Kristine, the two curves work really well here, there is something Escher-esque in all these stairs and planes...

Cheers
Alexander

zmey (7282) 2007-12-04 10:19

hey :) you know i really like this photo of yours. very compelling, directed atmosphere. nice contrasts between the smooth marble surface and the stairs; alsot between the gray of the marble and yellow of the walls. i like the inclusion of the second stairway too: a nice accent for the background and repetition of the foreground rhythm.

well done!

TFS
kristaps

steliosk (4784) 2007-12-04 11:46

another great photo of you Kristine, might be too soft like a dream, but somehow thats charming

Your exposure, details, and colour are splendid, but the POV is the one on top :)

Many Regards
Stelios

ayansadhu (1499) 2007-12-05 19:51

What a nice framing!
What a nice composition!!
Cheers!!!
n Regards,

Ayan

archimatica (13460) 2007-12-06 0:38

Hi, Kristine.
Excellent composition and interesting note.
This is really a creative angle!
Bravissima
Renzo

vedra (0) 2007-12-06 0:52

Hi Kristine,
Excellently captured light, which appears so soft and warm thanks to different tones of yellow colour. The curve of the stairs is well chosen and gives special touch to this composition. I only wish the image is a bit sharper, but I guess that's really a matter of personal preferences.
Vedrana

sonkai (1017) 2007-12-06 10:40

What a winding travel from top to botton..
Hi Kristine,
Realy some buildings deserve to be photographed,and much more with this perspective..
Saludos

toni_al (15476) 2007-12-06 14:53

Salut Kristine
Très bonne utilisation du graphisme, avec un joli mélange entre les courbes et les droites.
Belle composition
@+
Toni

Bluejeans (33391) 2007-12-07 15:04

Ola Kristine ,
Que bela foto artistica muito bonito o ponto de visão , belo efeito visual criado com estas escadas em curva , gostei muito das cores, parabens!!!
Um abraço Gonçalo
Bom fim de semana

melmcree (2261) 2007-12-09 10:59

Hello Kristine,

First wanted to say your new profile pic looks really great! Did your husband take it?

Secondly, this is a really kick a$$ photo! I love all the lines, you did an absolute fantastic job with your composition. Not sure what else to say but its perfect.

Fantastic!!

Mel

lasscor (7637) 2007-12-09 14:05

Hi Kristine,
Wonderful architectural composition.
Wonderful framing, nice pov, colors and light.
TFS,
Corinne

Mistral (13848) 2007-12-21 11:11

Hi Kristine,
little to add to this successfull shot, but your PoV is really well chosen and eye-catching!
A smile
Luca

broglia (3379) 2008-01-10 8:48

Hi Kristine, I've just taken a stroll through your gallery and found those delightful car badges I commented on all those months ago! Doesn't time fly!

This shot from '98 is well worth posting. All those lines and curves nicely compressed by the tight portrait format. Colours too are natural and earthy.

Best wishes for your travels, Roberto

scalerman (25787) 2008-01-11 14:06

K: I think the scan from your print came out superbly. And the composition itself can stand on its own legs nicely. Well seen image from some old film... regards, c

jorgi (3804) 2008-01-18 2:04

Hi Kristine,

this capture has such a original POV. It embraces the motive so well, giving it dynamic and feeling of 3D space. Great compliment to this architectural creation. Definitely a very unique and different point of view.

Kind regards,
Jeri

Amoxtli (93) 2008-01-18 13:48

Hi Kristine,

Very unusual and interesting image. I'm glad you added the description. I would've never guessed what it was. The composition is interesting in that it is bracketed by the two curved walls and these lines are followed by the stairs. This makes the image dynamic and the eye roves around. The little stairs on the left enhance the image substantially in that they repeat the larger stairs. If you cover them with your hand, you'll see what I mean. The colors are wonderful and contrasted well. One criticism one may have are the highlights on the right of the image, but I think it does not distract too much. It would help if you would display the EXIF information. I don't even know what kind of camera or lens was used.

Best Wishes, Walter

scobert (5333) 2008-04-05 22:16

Hi Kristine,
This photo is simply fantastic! The image is a real stunner and the composition is fabulous. Your photo and your notes go to show the scientific and engineering genius of these brilliant people long before computers were invented. As Mr. Spock from Star Trek would say about this observatory, "Fascinating!".
Stan

AnaRita (1494) 2008-07-20 7:10

Olá Kristine!
Thanks for sharing this old photo, it's precious: great composition and pov.
I made a workshop to improve sharpness. Hope you like it.
Congratulations,
Ana

[workshop] [compare]

Greg1949 (8539) 2008-08-19 13:36

Kristine, these are really amazing lines. Great detail and the color is alive. Nice capture.

Greg

Wandering_Dan (3325) 2008-08-20 12:46

Hi, Kristine -

Great shot and decent scan. It looks distorted, but I was there and I know this is really how it is. In fact, you captured it better than I remember doing (I will now have to go back and see what I've got).

Best,
Dan

gunbud (28261) 2008-10-10 8:15

Hi Krtistine,
This lovely vertical shot came up randomly and instantly caught my eye with the elegant lines to this beautiful 18th century Indian architecture.
The muted yellow colors are beautifully complimented by the vivid blue sky.
Excellent note about the purpose of this unique structure.
Regards, Tom

plimrn (19856) 2008-11-10 20:01

Hi Kristine,
This popped up in random and the lovely curves called me to open it. The curves convey a real feeling of harmony. I thought you might be interested a more recent post of these fantastic instruments.
HLJ, Pat

Angshu (34219) 2008-11-24 19:57

Hello Kristine
You'd been to my country!!!! 10 years ago, which means you were in your teens! A fantastic view of the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, with the frame so well chosen, accentuating the geometry of the place! Something so different from you...you got the eye alright right from those days...Quality maynot the best, but compo. wise this is excellent!
Regards
Angshu

batalay (21408) 2009-04-20 18:08

Hello Kristine,

I had only rudimentary knowledge of the enlightened ruler, Maharaja Jai Singh, and his astronomical constructs. The smooth curves integrate form and function, and your note goes a long way to shedding some light on the device. This 11 year old photograph came up in the random order in which you've arranged the images on your intro page, and I am lucky to fortunate to see it

Warm regards,

Bulent

subhendu_bagchi (3762) 2009-08-12 8:09

Namaste Kristiane, a good shot of jantar mantar with a nice composition. Fantastic geometric framing. it looks like painting. Well done. TFS.
Subhendu.

redwaters (12) 2009-08-13 7:41

i think i need to take lessons from you in architecture photography