100th Post - Reunification Buddha Photo

Photographer’s Note

Tongilyak-sa center at Donghwasa

I had hopped to grab some wikipedia paragraph to explain what this is. I could find none and all the accounts were personal so I am reverting to writing my own.

This marble statue is dedicated to the reunification of the two Koreas. The statue is the largest original Buddha in the world and is 33 meters tall. In the statue are two fragments of Buddha’s bones donated by the government of Myanmar. Construction took place between 1980 and 1992 when it was completed

I will admit that while not particularly religious the site is wonderfully peaceful, and while I am told often of its beauty I think gaudy a more apt description. There can be no doubt of the sentiment of those visiting as pilgrims and fortunately for us outsiders they tolerate us and our cameras.

The countryside surrounding this site is relatively natural and unimproved though the infrastructure does offer regular bus connections to the city og Daegu, and good roads right up to the inadequate parking outside the site.

In many ways this is a political statement by the Koreans as much as a religous one. Some day hopefully in the not too distance future they will sign a peace with the north and all will change over night, the center will probably take on a new life of its own at that time.

jlbrthnn, Charo, Zelanda, feather, xkolba, adores, pablominto, stego, atus, pboehringer, Angshu, bakes888, terminus, jmcl, gunbud, ekinokswest has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

jurek1951 (25708) 2007-09-11 4:48

Hi Greg,
Great composition Greg, very vivid colours.Great perspective and and great quality of this shot.
Georg

bracasha75 (21560) 2007-09-11 5:02

Hello Greg
Wow ,this is very great place and really place for joining...and Budism is religion of 1/5 planet...
TFS
Cheers,Braca

dareco (17024) 2007-09-11 5:51

HUGE!! The note and picture are both very interesting. You did a great job on this. Colors are very clear, and very good detail. TFS

WepWaWet (3955) 2007-09-11 12:33

Hello Greg,
An excellent composition with perfect POV and details. Very natural colors and nice clarity. Regards,
Seref

jlbrthnn (36802) 2007-09-11 13:35

Greg good evening,
Indisputably, it is a great site of the belief and enthusiasm. This place is splendid by the colors and the size of works. Superb capture. Cheer.
Good Evening
Cordially
Joel

ckpark (10) 2007-09-11 18:43

As a society relatively new to personal automobiles (the new status symbol), Korea does have a lack of adequate parking spaces. Although transportation networks have improved greatly, it appears to me that the appropriate zoning laws have not kept pace with the rapid rise of private cars. Very nice picture.

Charo (31651) 2007-09-12 1:10

Hola Greg,
Preciosa foto con unos colores y luz magníficos. Al incluir a la gente en la foto nos da idea del gran tamaño del Buda. Excelente perspectiva y definición.
Buen trabajo
Cordialmente
Charo

feather (49848) 2007-09-12 6:37

Including the people was a good idea to show the massive size of the Buddha. Although it's due to perspective, it is somehow appropriate that he towers above the mountains. You handled the very strong light perfectly.
Congratulations for your 100th post.
Kath

xkolba (3166) 2007-09-12 13:52

Hello Greg,
A most impressive composition of this statue. Darkly blue color of the sky and green trees are wonderful and them strong contrast from bright statue is excellent. People adds scale to the whole very well. Interesting notes.

Congratulation with your 100th picture on TE!
Best regards,
Maciek

adores (15251) 2007-09-12 19:03

Hi Greg!
Congratulations for your 100th! Good shot of a beautiful place and you managed a very good note after all!
I like the pov with the budha in the centre, the mountains around and the people, so small comaring to the budha. Colours are great!

pablominto (39872) 2007-09-13 1:10

Hello Greg,
I was quite surprised from the thumbnail to experience the scale of the statue!
This is a most impressive site, and well captured...
Rich colours including this deep blue sky, which I haven't often seen fron S Korea!
Greetings,
Pablo -

Zelanda (5692) 2007-09-13 3:45

Hola Greg,
Estupendo contraste de colores en esta bonita toma. Excelente luz y perspectiva. Muy buena realización.
Saludos cordiales
Ros

stego (22318) 2007-09-13 14:20

Hi Greg,
Congratulations for your 100th post.
It's a great view over that place that stands as a symbol of hope and faith. I think you achieved capturing that peaceful atmosphere that you mention on the note. Despite the centred pov, I think that the compo is effective, even if reminds me a postcard, which is not necessarily a bad thing for such a subject.
I find curious how the statue doesn't look "huge" in an exaggerated manner - despite it is clear that it is quite big, it doesn't go against of a certain "oriental elegance" which is one of the charms of the place.
You did a good job with exposure considering that the garden is mostly white and it was sunny. It's remarkable having so much detail both in the shadows and highlights, but that came at the price of some unrealistic paleness of the whites. It is one of those cases for which there is no perfect solution.
Regards, José

atus (15452) 2007-09-13 15:28

Hi Greg,
congratulations for the achievement of 100 posts! You submitted us a nice and well captured interesting shot, accompanied by a very useful note. Tfs and best wishes!
Attila

pboehringer (770) 2007-09-13 21:10

Greg, this is certainly a quite adequate image to celebrate your 100th post and something that hopefully might happen as a surprise and soon and almost over night just as it happened with the two Germanys. The Buddha as a catalizator for this two torn apart pieces of a single country is the right.
Glad that you wrote your own text that seems so much more appropriate and authentic. Don't use Wikipedia, never!
Regards, Peter

Angshu (33215) 2007-09-14 0:36

Hello Greg
Very nice shot. The statue, which is tall, seems to tower over the mounatins in the BG. You've got nice colours & hence good contrasts too. The people in front of the statue allows us to understand the scale. I liked reading your note & am glad that you didn't dump info. there from Wikipedia.
A big congratulations on your 100th. Look forward to see more excellent posts from you.
With Regards from India
Angshu

mesutilgim (36210) 2007-09-14 8:48

Hi Greg,
COngratulations to your 100th entry.
Very nice composed, good pov. And the green and blue background gives to this shot a perfect 3D effect.
TFS and have a nice weekend
MESUT ILGIM

bakes888 (18055) 2007-09-17 1:52

Nice photo. You have captured an almost vivid blue in the sky that contrasts well with the colourless stonework of the monument. You have exposed well to retain detail in the bright stonework also. Nice work Greg and thanks for sharing.
Have a good week, Paul.

terminus (561) 2007-09-17 14:25

Hi Greg,
great shot! in more ways than one. Excellent composition showing the greatness of the statue as well of the wonderfull site. The people at the Buddha's feet really make you realise the size of the place and the statue. TFS!
Rafa.

jmcl (13721) 2007-09-17 16:25

Hi Greg,

Wonderful control of all this white. Great scale by the people and the mountain. Wonderful and thoughtful image.

take care,

John

gunbud (27515) 2007-09-18 20:09

Hi Greg,
Congratulations on your 100th post and what a fine image it is. The magnificent white statue contrast beautifully with the green hills and deep blue sky. Very clear colors and excellent shaprness to this beauty.
Regards, Tom

ekinokswest (2972) 2007-09-30 13:00

Hi Greg
This is glorious. simlpy it is , once it is too high and my mind doesnt take how it was built. also it is fantastic because of the view on the background, all green hills, thanks to rain Korea land gets. it lacks a bit of light though