One morning... Photo

Photographer’s Note

One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that in bed he had been changed into a monstrous verminous bug. He lay on his armour-hard back and saw, as he lifted his head up a little, his brown, arched abdomen divided up into rigid bow-like sections. From this height the blanket, just about ready to slide off completely, could hardly stay in place. His numerous legs, pitifully thin in comparison to the rest of his circumference, flickered helplessly before his eyes.
"What's happened to me," he thought. It was no dream. His room, a proper room for a human being, only somewhat too small, lay quietly between the four well-known walls. Above the table, on which an unpacked collection of sample cloth goods was spread out—Samsa was a travelling salesman—hung the picture which he had cut out of an illustrated magazine a little while ago and set in a pretty gilt frame. It was a picture of a woman with a fur hat and a fur boa. She sat erect there, lifting up in the direction of the viewer a solid fur muff into which her entire forearm had disappeared.

Gregor's glance then turned to the window. The dreary weather—the rain drops were falling audibly down on the metal window ledge—made him quite melancholy. "Why don't I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness," he thought. But this was entirely impractical, for he was used to sleeping on his right side, and in his present state he couldn't get himself into this position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side, he always rolled again onto his back. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so that he would not have to see the wriggling legs, and gave up only when he began to feel a light, dull pain in his side which he had never felt before...

By Frank Kafka
The Metamorphosis
(1916)

An image of the Old Jewish Cemetery in Josefov, Prague Jews district.

Converted in sepia tones, desaturated, more contrast and sharpness.
*Scanned image*

ChrisJ, tjanze, papagolf21, chc, Cretense, brevbrev14, Click3, AiresSantos, Henryk_Bilor, jhm, tcht has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

bantonbuju (48796) 2006-09-22 3:46

ciao paolo,
this is exactly the rare type of image that i value so much - emotional, with soul and heart involved, exceptionally moody,
and the colours and tones - like a dressing to the place;
love it,
j.

tjanze (5674) 2006-09-22 3:54

Hi Paolo!
A little dark photo,but good enough visible.I didnt see yet so many tombstones,on small place like this.Great motive.Bravo! Regards!

ChrisJ (70443) 2006-09-22 3:55

Bonjourno Paolo

Spooky & macabre! Good tonal range, & excellent sharpness & repetition of the tombstones. Well seen & tfs!

ben4321 (9807) 2006-09-22 4:28

Although I'm not too keen on the sepia and would have preferred a straight black and white image, I think this is one of the best photograohs of the Jewish cemetery that I've seen.
You captured the sheer density of the graves very well, and the texture in the stonework and trees has really been brought out well by the high contrast you employed here.
My one reservation is the empty space in the bottom right hand corner, but I don't think it's too much of a problem.
Really good work.
Ben

barrufeto_77 (25935) 2006-09-22 4:53

Hi Paolo.

I remember that place in Prague and the picture describes it very well: a depreessive, but charmful, place.

Well done!

Rgs, OScar

Gustaw (21670) 2006-09-22 4:58

Hi, my friend!
Very interesting artistic photo. Well done, good idea. Excellent qualitty, good composition.
marek

papagolf21 (56715) 2006-09-22 5:17

Bonjour Paolo,
Triste spectacle que ces tombes laissées à l'abandon. L'image créée une sorte de malaise à voir ces pierres tombales ressemblant à des os éparpillés.
Une photo qui nous parle.
Bien vu.
Amitiés.
Philippe

vinicio (22428) 2006-09-22 5:30

Tristissima e anche paurosa, bella da vedere ma in un posto cosi la sera per andare a casa non ci passerei, l'hai anche invecchiata bene, complimenti, se non sapessi tutto sulle sue origini la scambierei per una di quelle crude B/N da pugno nello stomaco che i fotografi facevano nella prima metà del novecento.
Complimenti ancora e buon fine settimana.
Ciao
Vinicio

jinju (14265) 2006-09-22 6:17

Hi paolo,

very beautiful image my friend. In this one I say that scanning helped immensely. It took quality away but with the sepia and with the subject matter it is totally a positive thing. A very haunting shot.

rbcy1974 (20746) 2006-09-22 6:38

Hello Paolo
Interesting mood here,
I like the repetition of patterns in the tombs,
very athmospheric.
The extrract of the book is good as a note. Its on my list of to read books, and your note has pushed it forward in the order.
Regards
Daniel

delkoo (34726) 2006-09-22 7:55

hi paolo
i know this place and i was very touched when i visited it , your photo describe very well what i felt.

ciao
didier

chc (1468) 2006-09-22 8:08

A striking post. THe ex post procecing is well chosen. Well done,
Christophe

cessy (13647) 2006-09-22 10:56

so dark and moody
great capture of the place, Paolo
very different with your beach photo :)

Budapestman (42756) 2006-09-22 13:27

Hi Paolo!
Stunning impression! Fantastic and very spectacular atmosphere! Intriguing and effective details! Excellent observation and great realization! Super!
Thank you, nice days
George

hyasar (7393) 2006-09-22 17:49

Hi Paolo,

I remembered Edgar Alan Poe's poets while looking at your shot.

This photograph is dark and scary as what a man feels in a cemetery. Compliments.

best regards,
Hakan

Cretense (57010) 2006-09-23 8:49

Hi Paolo!

You are mastering the b&w! Very impressive photo, with this dark and pesimistic atmosphere, that's really working very well with the words of Kafka, in your note. Congratulations!

Ciao, Hercules

brevbrev14 (372) 2006-09-23 10:15

Ciao Paolo, sono un pò di corsa ma davvero una bella immagine!!I colori e le tonalità lavorano molto bene.
Bravo!
Ciao!
Valeria

polter (6168) 2006-09-23 10:47

So crowded it is - this cemetary. Almost lapidarium. Great sepia use, and so appropriate. Great photo. Greetings T.

Click3 (1871) 2006-09-23 10:58

Paolo...a very "moody" scene...intriguingm mysterious...so many souls...so close...some seem to be upright & moving...WOW...incredible PP work.
Muy Bueno !
Saludos desde Chile, Robert
PS Thanks for visting my gallery that gave me the opportunity to get to know yours...really stunning images...and what a diversity of locations...!

AiresSantos (42826) 2006-09-24 4:14

Hi Paolo,
Although something macabre, this compostion has interesting details.
Excellent sharpness and very well composed. I like the tombstones's repetition.
THanks for sharing and have a great day,
Aires

Henryk_Bilor (20371) 2006-09-24 4:15

Hello Paolo
The image itself isn`t worth a good word from me, but in connection with the note it makes a great story and I appreciate it very much. Great idea.
Have a nice day.

jhm (83276) 2006-09-24 7:17

Hi Paolo,

I use the words of Chris: Spooky and macabre! Good tonal range, and excellent sharpness and repetition of the tombstones give a excellent image about the old cemetery, you chose BW this is perfectly near this picture.
Thanks for sharing.

Have a nice sunday,
John

tcht (7298) 2006-09-25 17:24

Hi Paolo
What a fitting photograph for such fantastic story! You've got the same dark atmosphere plus some surreal composition with the tombstones. And you've gone to the same place where the story was set...I could imagine Kafka looking at the same buildings when he wrote it. As for the pic I like your high up PoV and also the placement of the trees - dark&bold, well positioned and dividing the frame very well. Great shot.
Regards
CheukHin

Polonaise (5638) 2006-10-10 20:54 [Comment]

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