Belfry Ghent F I Photo

Photographer’s Note

Ghent a very beautiful city on 50 mile of Brussels and 30 mile of the Belgian coast, 10 mile of the Netherlands borders.
With a very lovely centrum of the city.

History of the Belfry:

The construction of the Ghent municipal tower, symbol of the autonomy of the city, started in 1313. Repeatedly the works had to be suspended because of wars and other tribulations. The belfry was completed in 1380. During the course of the centuries, the building had 7 different crownings, adapted to the growing number of carillon clocks.
The silhouette was according to the then current architectural style. In the middle of the 19th century, the wooden spire was replaced by a cast iron campanile. Due to the lack of maintenance, the spire started to rust. The new stone bell tower, after a design of the 14th century, was finished just before the World Exhibition of 1913. The bad anchorage on the old work caused thorough restoration works, carried out between 1967 and 1980.

I hope you like it.

Canon EOS 5D
Shooting Date/Time
2/02/2008 13:54:14
Tv(Shutter Speed)
1/60Sec.
Av(Aperture Value)
F20
Metering Modes
Centerweighted average metering
Exposure Compensation
+1/3
ISO Speed
400
Lens
EF16-35mm f/2.8L USM
Focal Length
16,0 mm
Image size
4368 x 2912
Image Quality
RAW
Picture Style
Landscape

trekks, maltese, Dpbours, Floydian, belido, pierrefonds, John_F_Kennedy, Tue, AiresSantos, lilimih33, macondo, papagolf21, snunney, JCG, rigoletto, Muse, Gerrit, Hellas, carper, jwmunro, emjleclercq, jonathan_hart, Jean-Luc, ChrisJ, saylan-cb, jafadabret, leo61, pablominto, josepmarin, Philippe, jaywalker, Didi, gary91, stego, Emile, Loic_bzh, aloyho, jusninasirun has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

danyy (68672) 2008-02-11 23:45

Bonjour John,
beaucoup d'étendu dans cette photo très nette et bien exposée. Le sujet principal est un peu occulté. La photo rend bien l'architecture de la place.
Regards.
daniel.

carper (64746) 2008-02-11 23:51

mooie foto van Gent.
goede verdeling in de foto, het licht was niet gemakkelijk. Ik heb dat zelf ook een paar dagen geleden ondervonden. Maar U heeft het goed beheerst, zeer fraai werk John, prettige dag verder.
groet jaap

Hellas (5123) 2008-02-11 23:55

This is really very beautiful city! The architecture is great and well preserved, too.
You made a meticulous work, John. The perspective is superb thanks to the chosen PoV and the wide-angle lens. Beautiful colours!
Warm regrads,
Athanasios.

Gerrit (35661) 2008-02-12 0:11

Dag John,
mooi in de groothoek nog indrukwekkender plein. Prachtige kleuren bovendien.
Groeten Gerrit

Muse (30941) 2008-02-12 0:20

Hello John,
Un pov qui donne une belle profondeur et un tout bon cadrage.
Grand espace animé par la présence des promeneurs et une belle vue de cette belle architecture.
Excellente journée
Denise

rigoletto (26196) 2008-02-12 0:29

Flemish land and its belfries...
Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
Wonderful cities under a wonderful northern sky, it is almost impossible for a good photographer not to make such beautiful presentations of their architectural heritage. Thanks to the figures filling up the empty square, they are very important for the composition.
Cheers,
Deniz

JCG (25263) 2008-02-12 0:54

Hi John,

A quite typical central place of Belgium nicely highlighted here. I like much the depth and the prospect given by the wide-angle lens. The cloud arrived when it was necessary on the photograph to give relief to the buildings. The smoothness of the image is very pleasant. Pretty and interesting glance John, cheer and thank you for the note.

With all my friendships and a very good day,

Jean-Charles

snunney (34800) 2008-02-12 0:56

Hello John,
A great view across this vast square with its lovely architecture. Very good details and clarity.

papagolf21 (56305) 2008-02-12 1:29

Bonjour, mon ami John,
La grande place est parfaitement mise en valeur. Les édifices emblématiques, les immeubles aux façades d'une grande beauté, tous les ingrédients sont réunis pour avoir envie d'aller visiter et découvrir ces joyaux architecturaux.
Amitiés.
Philippe

hatti52 (12654) 2008-02-12 1:56

Bonjour John,
wonderful shot with very nice details,lighting and clarity
i like depth and clouds
well done
regards

barrufeto_77 (25783) 2008-02-12 2:08

Hi John.

One of the cities I want to visit. In fact, probably next year I'll be there 2-3 days.

Menwhile, I'll enjoy your pictures...

Well done

Rgs, Oscar

japiey (9493) 2008-02-12 2:11

AMAZING SHOT, JOHN :)

Beautifull and sharp..
Excellent quality.
All the best.

jean paul

hay_kes (28562) 2008-02-12 2:16

Hi John,
Very nice panoranic view.Excellent architecture.Good POV, colours, sharpnes and perspective.TFS.
Regards.

hAyAti

macondo (13079) 2008-02-12 2:16

Hello John.
I know this belfry and the position of your photo very well. The wide angle view is great, and the people fill the foreground space very well, one going and two coming. Your exposure handled the light and shade very well. The cloud formation right behind the tower looks great.
Regards,
Andrew

lilimih33 (9872) 2008-02-12 2:22

Hello John!
Beautiful colours and good light in your nice picture from Ghent!
Lovely sky and very good point of view!
Best regards!
Lili

AiresSantos (42010) 2008-02-12 2:25

Hi dear John
Wonderful view and colours in this excellent composition of the beautiful Ghent.
I like your POV, vivid colours and details
TFS and greetings
Aires

gilou530 (35156) 2008-02-12 3:00

salut john
une place bien rendu par le grand angle,beaucoup de profondeur et belle couleur, néanmoins ca manque de netteté ou c'est moi qui vieilli
amitiés
gilbert

Tue (25608) 2008-02-12 3:05

Goedemiddag John,
Dit deel van Gent kan ik me nog goed herinneren. Er is veel te zien op de gevels langs het plein en natuurlijk is het belfort in het midden ook heel mooi. Prachtig winterlicht ook!
Groeten,
Lars

cbrman (18833) 2008-02-12 3:10

Hello John,

Une perspective très belle et très bien cadrée ! Je trouve que les batiments forcent agréablement le regard surle befroi ! Une très belle carte postale de cette ville !
Bravo !

A+

Dominique

John_F_Kennedy (31355) 2008-02-12 3:27

Absolutely beautiful! I like the colours. Absolutely wonderful capture. I had only seen this place full of people., well done.
Best wishes,
Achim

pierrefonds (26231) 2008-02-12 3:58

HI John,

A nice image of the place and of the Bellfry of Ghent, the point of view is giving depth to the photo. It is receiving a good luminosity which brings out the colors. The picture is clear and precise. Well done, have a nice day.

Pierre

belido (16411) 2008-02-12 4:37

Hi John,

beautiful capture of the square. I like the perspective provided by your 16mm and the details of the architecture thanks to the efficient sharpness. The human inclusion is always welcome to this kind of shot. You placed them very well. Great work!
Regards,
Carlos

evanrizo (456) 2008-02-12 5:05

Hi John,
I like the position of the people in the front they are few steps after and before the frame on the ground.
The two on the right look like they are in a hurry in this square looks very good.
The light control is excellent.
Cheers
Evangelos

Floydian (30970) 2008-02-12 7:33

Hallo John,
Mooie ansicht van deze mooie stad. De huizen rechts met al hun kleuren fleuren de boel behoorlijk op wat de foto alleen maar ten goede komt.
Prima diepte gemaakt met het perspectief aan beide kanten, prima werk.
Groet, Henk

mortijo (12210) 2008-02-12 8:16

Hallo John,
Het is ontegenzeggelijk een heel mooie foto en het gebruik van de groothoeklens doet het Sint-Baafsplein alle eer aan. Het Belfort valt een beetje klein uit en ik zou dus een andere titel genomen hebben.
Hartelijke groeten uit Luxemburg,
John

Cormac (26449) 2008-02-12 8:19

Beautiful shot! The extra wide view of the square is excellent, with the buildings visible on both sides as well as in front, and yet this doesn't feel crowded at all - very spacious. Well done!

Dpbours (220) 2008-02-12 8:29

Hoi John,

Mooie weidse plaat!! Gent. Moet meteen aan Houtekit denken die vroeger altijd een programma had op Studio Brussel. Het was altijd op woensdag, net na de middag, dat hij een soort van verzoekplaten programma had, waar je dan kon bellen om een plaat aan te vragen voor iemand. En als er dan iemand belde van Ghend, of van Bruhhuh, ;-) dan zat ie altijd maar grappen te maken over het accent. Grappig, behalve als je zelf uit Bruhhuh of Ghend komt. ;-)

Groeten! Dennis

maltese (21535) 2008-02-12 8:36

Hello John
ne bonne utilisation de grand angle pour donner beaucoup d'espace à cette place. La présence des personnes rajoute une touche dynamique à cette photo.
Du bon travail, amicalement
Hervé

trekks (14282) 2008-02-12 8:41

Hi John

Well balanced color and contrast in this great shot of architecture and street view.

The colorful and different aspects of architecture bringing this shot to draw viwer's attention.

Well done. TFS

Cheers, bill

hdl (6735) 2008-02-12 8:41

Dag John. Deze kant had ik nog niet gezien. Het belfort is mij uiteraard wel bekend. Het wordt zo langzamerhand een toeristische gids, je foto's van Gent. Mooi, breed zicht; aangename kleuren en goeie balans. Groetjes.

yedirenk (7331) 2008-02-12 9:40

Hi John,
amazing sharpness and very well light.good perspective,good POV.

Cevdet

Paolo (40700) 2008-02-12 10:15

Hi John, amazing one, with excellent quality and a great POV, a so long depth of field and beautiful colours too.
thanks, ciao

lousat (15302) 2008-02-12 12:10

Hi John,great way t show this belgian city,excellent details and colours,i like the corner of view,thanks for share,Luciano

jwmunro (6571) 2008-02-12 13:16

Hello John -

This is very nice and appealing image - I can imagine what this town square looks like on a summer day or on market day. This winter view allows us to look at and appreciate the architecture of the old city. The tower stands tall against a beautiful blue sky and the people in the FG gives some reference for size. I like how you have managed the contrast and light. Well done.

Thank you for sharing.

John

emjleclercq (14270) 2008-02-12 14:29

Very nice view on this very wide place, with excellent details on the surrounding buidings. Beautifull sky in the background.

All the best,

Emmanuel

jonathan_hart (22576) 2008-02-12 14:44

hi John
depth and space, fine light, interesting colours of the lightened houses, a beautiful place, well captured
regards
jo

lukie (0) 2008-02-12 15:02

Dag John,

ééntje van mijn geboortestad, mag ik niet aan voorbijgaan.
Heel goede scherpte ! Je was daar op het gepaste uur, want in de winter is het belfort maar zeer tijdelijk zo door de zon belicht.

groeten,

Luc.

Jean-Luc (5488) 2008-02-13 1:44

Bonjour mon cher john,
Un beau cadrage de cette place qui nous laisse découvrir la beauté de cette architecture si typique des villes du nord.
Les promeneurs, bien que dans l'ombre, apporte la touche animée à cette vue.
Amicalement
Jean-Luc

ChrisJ (70165) 2008-02-13 2:57

Hi John

I like the colour contrast, between the red jacket, & blue sky. Superb sharpness, & well composed. Tfs!

Burberry1 (6041) 2008-02-13 4:25

Beautiful postcard which atracts the eyes.

Agnieszka

mikeo (12113) 2008-02-13 6:15

Hello John,

The city looks really very nice...I almost feel here the atmosphere of it...Great buildings shown in a good light, beautiful sky...Very good POV and framing.

Well done!
Greez
Mikeo

jafadabret (39541) 2008-02-13 8:27

John, ton 16mm a fait merveille pour prendre cette magnifique place et son beffroi. J'aime la lumière qui vient spécialement sur le fond de la place et sur le côté droit. Les passants animent les lieux et donnent l'échelle. Du très beau travail.
Jacques

leo61 (43398) 2008-02-13 9:47

Hi John!
I like the sharpnes here and the blue tones of the square.Good composition with the people walking into different directions.
Regards,Leo

pablominto (40578) 2008-02-13 11:20

Hello John,
This is a fine point of view to the square, surrounded by fine architecture!
Good lead-in by the open space, and the fact one side is in the shade adds excitement...
Impressive details and a fine feeling of depth!
Greetings,
Pablo -

saylan-cb (12726) 2008-02-14 2:53

Hi John
Wonderful place and great colours,light.POV is very good.
TFS/Regards

jemaflor (39305) 2008-02-14 4:06

Hi John,
Nice perspective with your shot, well to show us this place with a good human presence, well taken and beautiful architecture.

jean-marie (3088) 2008-02-14 5:44

Hello John,
Joli cadrage avec la part belle au pavement de cette place. Les couleurs sont belles, naturelles, le piqué excellent et la focale utilisée propice.
Amicalement
Jean-Marie

Fis2 (45725) 2008-02-14 7:17

Witaj John!
Curious place. Very interesting belfry. Good frame, curious light and colors.
Regards
Krzysztof

josepmarin (33785) 2008-02-14 8:41

Hi John,
A setting with a good angle where we can see the impressive square, with a beautiful architecture, and the belfry that gets up elegantly on the sky in background.
I like much the quality of the image, its depth and perspective, as well as the magnificent graphism of the set.
The people help to have an idea of the scale of this place, and add good dynamism and a bit of life to the composition.
Excellent work.
Friendly regards,
Josep

Miha2ou7 (4913) 2008-02-14 9:52

Hey John,

Great photo. A very good POV and composition, lovely cloud definition in the background. The wide angle works very well.

Enjoy.

gracious (20017) 2008-02-14 10:48

Hello John,
superb composition of this awesome architecture with a good low pov!
the exposure and focus always spot on from you with total sharpness, vivid colour and details
great job well done
best regards
Tony

Gdouble (5245) 2008-02-14 13:50

Prachtige foto John,
Je geeft ons een goede idee van de opervlakte van dat mooie plein.
Vriendelijke groeten
Guy

Philippe (11773) 2008-02-14 14:27

Dag, John. De gebouwen aan beide kanten van het plein leiden ons naar het belfort dat goed op de lucht uitkomt. De voorbijgangers brengen wat leven en kleur op de voorgrond en geven een goed idee van de schaal.

jaywalker (12190) 2008-02-15 2:26

Hi John, A very good view across this city square to see such a marvelous piece of architecture, a very impressive & proud clock tower dominating the scene, the sky makes a lovely backdrop &, the sharp focus is excellent, TFS, kind regards Wilson.

Didi (36074) 2008-02-15 10:21

Bonsoir John
Comme c'est admirable de pouvoir photographier sans voitures.
J'apprécie cette vue générale et je constate une parfaite gestion de l'exposition car la place ombragée par un soleil masqué aurait pu contribuer à une surexposition du beffroi, ce qui n'est pas le cas ici.
Bon weekend.
Amitiés.

Silvio1953 (41659) 2008-02-17 0:36

Hi John, lovely view of splendid place, i like great square and beautiful architecture of cathedral and great buildings, good composition with excellent perspective, wonderful colors and superb sky, very well done, have a good week end, ciao Silvio

batalay (20882) 2008-02-17 13:25

Hello dear john,

This photograph of Ghent is evocative of Piazza San Marco in Venice, and just as magnificent. I see that you used a +1/3 exposure compensation, and the usual 400 ISO. The result is superb! The colors, simple but elegant composition, and the resolution are all flawless.

Warm regards, and have a good week,

Bulent

giorgimer (21116) 2008-02-18 14:18

Hi John,

very beautiful place, I like the wide view and the beautiful details

TFS

Gio

gary91 (15321) 2008-02-18 22:10

Hello John,
A very good composition where people passing by on the place nicely fill it. The sky is as wonderful as it can be quite often in northern coutries and the preconception of centering the belfry is very good here.
Have a nice day.
Best regards, Christian

stego (22352) 2008-02-19 10:17

Hi John,
A fabulous photo of a wonderful and charming town. Very clever use of the wide angle to produce a very attractive perspective of the square.
Regards, José.

Bluejeans (32173) 2008-02-21 11:02

Ola John ,
Que bonita praça é bem grande , fantastica a igreja do fundo gostei da arquitectura das casas , bom enquadramento da foto, parabéns!!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

Angshu (33627) 2008-02-21 19:59

Dag John
Beautiful picture of the central square of Ghent. I remember having visited the city on many occassions & your pictures brings in memories of the fantastic architecture, shown in your special way in very fine light. Like the people filling in the FG...the two on the right look like Indians. Excellent!
Best Regards
Angshu

devimeuxbe (55865) 2008-02-22 3:52

Bonjour John
Elle est très belle cette image. Il y a une impression d'immensité.
Joli travail de composition
Bertrand

Emile (19947) 2008-02-23 14:09

Hola John.
Beautiful view of the plaza in downtown Ghent, lovely daily life shot, the impressive architecture of the Belfry located in the middle of your photo produces a very good composition with the rest of the colorful and old houses, good POV, colors and sharpness are great. Very well captured.
Well done.
TFS.
Best regards.

Bruno40 (6440) 2008-02-24 5:39

Hi John,
Nice wide angle capture, the exposure is amazing having many details even in the shadows.
very good work
Jorge

Matthew-Watt (4463) 2008-02-26 3:59

Hello John,

Ah yes, I really like this photo - very European! The square looks like the perfect place to start the exploration of this city. I like how some light is included to brighten up some of the building facades, but not others. The weather looks to be very favorable, a delight to any traveler or local alike. Most buildings are ordinary in colour but you highlight here a few that are painted in a more vibrant way. I am glad that you have included this. The incorporation of people into the scene is a lively touch and shows that this place is appreciated by some who enjoy a walk through it.

Matt

Loic_bzh (7027) 2008-02-26 6:01

Hi John,

nice photo of a place I definitly need to visit next time I'll be in the area. Beatiful sky & light...

Cheers,

Loïc

aloyho (6109) 2008-03-04 18:34

Hi John,
The three figures in the foreground make the difference in this composition. I like the relax atmosphere they created for this place and I am also impressed by the interesting light on the buildings at the far end which is also nicely complimented by the clouds.Splendid shot!!

Regards and all the best.

oochappan (22032) 2008-04-16 5:24

Sta me toe enige eruit te plukken, zeer fijn gedetailleerd zuiver beeld met een evenwichtige kleurbalans om U tegen te zeggen, leuk convergerend perspectief met de mensen in de shaduw frontplan, oogt perfect op mijn monitor.
goed zo
Henk

jusninasirun (10199) 2008-06-02 7:30

Hello John. You have kept the sky wide and in brilliant detail. Stunning image with human interest. I like the architecture with well lit on the colorful side. Excellent blue sky and very well done. Thanks for sharing and best regards. Jusni

Amaz (6662) 2009-04-09 4:55

Hi John,
Very clean this perspective!!
Amazing capture!

Well done!!