provincial town, a photo from Oost-Vlaanderen, Flanders

Photographer's Note

Ghent is a city with a population of a quarter of a million. Its size and position allow the inhabitants to enjoy a city with an interesting crossover between open cosmopolitanism and the quiet atmosphere of a provincial town. Ghent is thriving as many young people choose to live here instead of in the countryside or the crowded and disintegrating city centers of Brussels and Antwerp.

Ghent is a city of history. During the Middle Ages, it was one of the richest and most powerful cities in Europe. It was once considered the second largest city north of the alps, after Paris. The impact of this rich past can be clearly seen when viewing the imposing architecture of churches and the houses of rich traders. The whole of the city center is restored in this fashion, and still breathes the atmosphere of a thriving late-medieval city state. As the city council made the center free of cars, it is now a very welcoming and open area, which does not fail to impress even the people who live there.

Ghent is also a university city with more than 50,000 students. As such, its streets are filled with young people. But, unlike Leuven, another university town in Flanders, youth is not the only category of people living there. There is an interesting mixture of foreigners who came to live there, or artists, amongst the native people of Ghent. Interestingly, other than the smaller provincial cities or the bigger city of Antwerp, this mixture makes the people more tolerant and open-minded. This atmosphere seeps into every aspect of city life. Many people of Ghent truly see the place like home, and are very proud to live there, seeing it as a place that will always welcome them back home.
_________
source: wikivoyage.org

ChrisJ, timecapturer, PaulVDV, Romano46, delpeoples, macjake, adramad, Kielia, EstelleJ has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

mjw364 (3642) 2013-01-15 4:40

Hello Daniel

Great POV and lines. I really like the way you have rasied the yellow lights as to expose the buildings and provide focal points of interest right through the image.

TFS

Mike

ChrisJ (86818) 2013-01-15 4:44

Hello Daniel

Having lived in east China amongst many picturesque canal towns, I would have to concur that blue hour, after most of the big lunch time tour groups have left, is one of the best times to photograph them. Nice perspective, color, sharpness & framing with good repetition of the boats. Tfs!

Sergiom (39148) 2013-01-15 5:45

Bonjour Daniel

J'aime beaucoup cette ville . L'architecture des maisons sur la rive du canal est extraordinaire et me rappelle Bruges. J'aime les lumières éparpillées partout sur les façades.

Amicalement

Serge

JFS (32077) 2013-01-15 6:09

Daniel,
Romantic shot of Ghent, the lights are magic and the reflections too.
Regards,
Juan

timecapturer (30256) 2013-01-15 6:13

Hi Daniel
an accomplished execution this, with beautifully managed light and no loss of detail. The composition is inviting and there is a distinct post Christmas day laid back atmosphere pervading the image. Like it a lot!

Regards - Brian.

Kamilutka (3207) 2013-01-15 8:06

Hello Daniel,
this is a lovely view and you managed to capture it in nice and elegant way. I like the classic composition and the river leading the eye - nice depth. Beautiful light contributes very much the whole stunning result as well as perfect sharpness and well balanced colors.
I like it a lot!
Regards
Kamila

yquem46 (32229) 2013-01-15 8:12

Bonsoir Daniel
A simple but beautiful view under the golden lights and the cloudy sky
Much quietness in the scenery
Have a nice evening, best regards
Patrick

Nicou (97583) 2013-01-15 9:00

Hello

superbe compo à la tombée du jour quelle perspective et iamge quelle vue et captage avec ces façades de maisons et tons doux le plan d'eau une merveille.

Bravo et amitié

Nicou

PaulVDV (15017) 2013-01-15 9:40

Hello Daniel,
Very attractive and atmospheric picture of the historic center of Ghent. The yellow lights contrast well with the colour of the sky and the water.
The weather wasn't very nice at the end of December. So there weren't many people on the streets or on the water. But in summertime you can find a crowd of people here.
Best regards, Paul

dta (51334) 2013-01-15 9:53

Hello Daniel ,
Excellent caapture of this canal of Brugges at the blue hour . I like especially the cloudy sky , and the little yellow lights in the blueish tonalities .
Regards

eldancer1 (16984) 2013-01-15 9:56

Awesome capture of the blue hour. Even with the dark clouds in the background this place look beautiful. Good pov and dof with nice details. Wonderful colors. Well done, tfs.

Romano46 (4806) 2013-01-15 10:00

Ciao Daniel
Mi piace la tua foto per la bella composizione e le luci tipiche del momento tra il giorno e la notte che danno una bella nota di colore alle case immerse nel grigiore di una brutta giornata.
Interessante e completa anche la descrizione allegata
Romano

rbassin (11087) 2013-01-15 10:59

hello Daniel
Belle présentation de la ville de Gand, photo prise à une heure intéressante avec l'apport des lumières.
Bonne soirée
Roland

brianmcc (5536) 2013-01-15 12:31

hi daniel,
this is a lovely atmospheric and moody image with the lights illuminating the scene and appearing through the evening drakness. i love your viewpoint looking along the canal with the boats on either side.
have a lovely evening,
brian

carlo62 (12518) 2013-01-15 14:00

Ciao Daniel
la luce è molto dolce e l'esposizione eccellente, le luci della città si riflettono sull'acqua delicatamente.
Saluti
Carlo

ACL1978 (5755) 2013-01-15 15:20

I was just mentioning Ghent in class to my US History students today, as the city where the treaty ending the War of 1812 was signed - I should, as usual, have called up TE in class to show them this lovely shot!

You show the beautiful architecture and inviting nature of the city well with this blue hour shot, Daniel, and the lights on the facades are lovely all the way through the frame. Thanks!

Andrew

jjcordier (62280) 2013-01-15 21:53

Daniel
J'aime beaucoup la ville de Ghent et, en particulier, ce quartier le long du canal. Cette photo à la tombée de la nuit est de très belle qualité et ne manque pas d'attraits.
Amicalement
JJ

delpeoples (44904) 2013-01-15 23:10

Dear Daniel

Sorry I have not been on TE much lately, work is crazy. A beautiful Blue Hour shot of this most romantic and picturesque town. The waterways remind me a little of the Netherlands. Excellent perspective and angles. The exposition is spot on and you have been able to retain the beautiful colours and details of that amazing architecture. Excellent work.

Have a great day
Lisa

macjake (39207) 2013-01-16 3:44

Hi Daniel
interesting to read about how Brussels and Antwerp are 'disintergrating'...i'd like to learn more about that.
as for the photo, at first glance in the small thumbnail I thought it was a Venice scene.
I really enjoy the pale blue style of blue hour here, its very soft and attractive.
thsi part of town looks to be on the higher end i suppose.
A new area of Ghent for me!
nice work
cheers
craig

Silvio1953 (98051) 2013-01-16 6:45

Ciao Daniel, fascinating blue hour, lovely composition with great parade of beautiful facades and lovely boats, excellent perspective, beautiful reflections, splendid light and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

claudeD (24173) 2013-01-16 7:13

Hello daniel,

I think that Bruges and Ghent are two wonderful cities for photographers. I like your blue hour shot here very much. Very good light managment.Very well done.TFS.

With regards from Luxembourg

JC

adramad (27548) 2013-01-16 8:21

Hello Daniel.
Fabulous composition of this idyllic town, superb image channel in this light that adds the end of the day and the first lights of the night.
Beautiful job well done.
Have a nice day.
Best regards.
Luis.

dale54 (4920) 2013-01-17 9:18

well hello daniel,what a lovely looking town,with this river going thru it.great early nite shot,amazing light in this,very nice! dr

fabbs99 (5370) 2013-01-17 12:06

Hi Daniel,

Great view of the waterway.Lighting and exposure are perfect.Well done.

Cheers
Farhat

jcpix (3235) 2013-01-19 16:08

Hi Daniel,

Love the mood captured in this scene with the last bit of natural light in conjunction with the "street" lights, it feels so inviting and peaceful. Strong composition that leads the eye right through the frame on either side. Subtle colors and sharp detail make this very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,

Jason

Kielia (20411) 2013-01-20 6:49

Hi Daniel,
a well known but still a very fascinating place and a wonderful impression. The colors are very pleasant but it is the excellent perspective that makes this image very attractive. The management of the difficlt light is outstanding. My compliments!
Warm regards
Harriet

divail (7211) 2013-01-20 14:40

Bonsoir Daniel,
C'est une très belle scène, avec les belles maisons illuminées et la courbe du canal. L'heure bleue fait ressortir toutes ces lumières. L'endroit semble très agréable.

Diane

EstelleJ (921) 2013-01-24 10:49 [Comment]

Show Comment

cornejo (17990) 2013-03-19 5:19

Hi Daniel, nice and interesting view of the canal at dusk, very well captured with good photography, good sharpness, depth, interesting and beautiful light color. A nice and interesting picture of the daily life of this beautiful place made with very good quality. Very good and nice job perfectly done, congratulations my friend. Thanks for sharing this beautiful work.

Good afternoon and happy week.
Good wishes and greetings from southern Spain.
Angel.