Fontevraud Abbey Photo

Photographer’s Note

A view of the centre court of the Abbey, one of the largest and best preserved medieval abbeys in France. Located near Chinon, the abbey was built in the period ending in 1119 and served as a double monastery, with both nuns and monks living on the same site. The leader of the Fontevrist order, which became international, was traditionally a woman, and the monastery continued in operation until 1792, when the Revolutionary Committee ordered the evacuation of all monasteries.

The abbey became a prison from 1804 to 1963, in which latter year the government continued with restoration work begun in 1906 with the renovation of the Abbey-Church. The effigies of Henry II and Richard I of England, together with Eleanor of Acquitaine, can be viewed in the main part of the church, all of whom are buried here. Eleanor even served for a time as a nun here. This is an inspiring, peaceful place, and I was fortunate enough to visit when there was a choir practise of some sort in progress, which included even some medieval chanting. Amazing ambience.

cfreire, cessy, gneufeld, gildasjan, fayeulle, feather, besnard, Emile, pboehringer, kermit350, papagolf21, Floydian, ChrisJ, carper, jmdaoudal, jhm, Cricri, jaywalker, Photo65Net, alvaraalto, leo61, elihesamian, jafadabret, John_F_Kennedy, Gerrit, bertolucci, PixelTerror, Tue, jwmunro, TopGeo, alainh, Henryk_Bilor, Didi, Dyerco, plimrn, Budapestman, delic, AiresSantos, anavazao has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

cfreire (11667) 2007-08-29 7:38

Hi, John,
wonderful composition and you framed it with the window's arche very well. The colors are nice with a well work contrasct.
Regards,
Consuelo

cessy (13647) 2007-08-29 7:39

Hallo John
very nice capture of the abbey
you captured the peaceful atmosphere very well
excellent framing also

ndb1958 (9249) 2007-08-29 7:41

Hi John, a nice view through the arch onto the beautiful abbey. That's a nice composition. A classical, but still beautiful way to look at it. I guess it is a quite and peaceful place.
Nino

KLB (18279) 2007-08-29 7:49

Hello John

I like so much cloister picture. This one is a really beautiful one, and you've framed it nicely. However, I think that your composition have a slighty tilt on the right. The garden doesn't seem lined.

Regards,
Karine

gneufeld (15235) 2007-08-29 8:11

Hi John,
What a wonderfully framed shot of this large and well preserved medieval abbey in France. Quite amazing for us living in the western world to see buildings so old. Very pleasing point of view with good depth, great colors and details. Great shot and TFS. Gerald

fayeulle (26547) 2007-08-29 8:15

Hi John
I am so happy you show me my country !
Nice framing through this arch. The ambiance is so quiet in such a place.
Cheers
JP

mesutilgim (37282) 2007-08-29 8:45

Hi John,
Very nice capture; good idea to use the gate as frame. Very nice compo and pov. And good info's of course.
TFS
MESUT ILGIM

gilou530 (35680) 2007-08-29 8:56

salut john
excellent cadrage au travers du porche, qui laisse voir le clocher, belle gestion de la lumiére, bravo
amitiés
gilbert

besnard (31064) 2007-08-29 9:50

Bonjour John
Excellente prise de vue de cette abbaye si célèbre. Elle se laisse deviner au travers de l'arche. C'est bien réalisé.
Merci pour le partage et bonne soirée.
Nicole

Emile (20125) 2007-08-29 10:00

Hola John.
An excellent composition with the beautiful view of the abbey captured through the arch. very good frame and POV. Great colors and high quality shot. Very well done.
Best regards.

ben4321 (9807) 2007-08-29 10:07

Great use of the arch as a framing device here John, although I think it would have worked even better if you could have kept the buildings in the background straight (hard with a wide lens, I know).
That's my only niggle though, because other than that it's well taken.

Cheers,
Ben

pboehringer (770) 2007-08-29 11:04

John,
I'm looking through your most recent shots giving us a quite particular and artistic view of the french countryside. I like that, drawing the attention to the more "rural" aspect of this beautiful country and less focused on the cliche center Paris.
the framing of this Abbey through the arch is particularly well done with a good light balance that allows us to see details of the texture of this arch as well as the garden and building in the distance without any over or under exposure.
Regards, Peter

kermit350 (8988) 2007-08-29 11:11

Hello John, very good and original sight of this cloister photographed through this arch, the garden and the architechecture without is not pointed out the English spirit, it misses only the melody of the ch?ur which we cannot unfortunately listen to, the restoration of the Abbey-Church is perfectly detailed with the image, sincerely....................Hello John, très bonne et original vue de ce cloître photographié au travers de cette arche, le jardin et l’architechecture n’est pas sans rappelé l’esprit Anglais, il ne manque que la mélodie du chœur que nous ne pouvons malheureusement pas écouter, la rénovation de l'Abbaye-Église est parfaitement détaillée à l’image, bien amicalement

leonorkuhn (13999) 2007-08-29 11:33

Hi John,

Nice view of the courtyard framed by the arch. Excellent POV, nice colors and details.
I like this serene atmosphere.

Well done!
Leonor

xavshot (63125) 2007-08-29 12:08

Bonsoir John
j'aime bien ce genre de cadrage avec l'arche qui permet d'envelopper le sujet principal. Une belle qualité dans la prise. beau travail.
Xavier

Fis2 (46395) 2007-08-29 13:35

Witaj John!
Very interesting composition. Curious natural framing. I like the architecture, colors and light. Good work.
Regards
Krzysztof

papagolf21 (56737) 2007-08-29 14:41

Bonsoir, cher John,
Les abbayes inspirent calme et sérénité. La vue à travers l'arche est très agréable et nous transporte dans ces lieux chargés d'histoire. Lieu de recueillement, particulièrement quand l'on a la chance d'entendre des chants grégoriens ou similaires.
Une très bonne photographie.
Amitiés.
A demain
Philippe

danyy (69447) 2007-08-29 15:35

Un POV cadré de pierres, c'est bien vu, la photo au travers d'une fenêtre.
Les lumières sont très belles, les couleurs aussi, une photo dont l'avant plan donne de la profondeur.
Bien vu.
Kind regards.
Daniel.

ahmetgedikli (22106) 2007-08-29 16:01

Hi John,
Superb shot! Excellent sharpness, depth and beautiful natural frame.
Thanks for sharing and greetings,
Ahmet

batalay (21193) 2007-08-29 16:52

Hello John,

I like this shot very much, with a frame within a framing the Abbey and its spire. The use of the circular polarizing filter was judicious, I regret not using it on my images in Dubrovnik. what a placid place. Your note sheds useful informtion on this remarkable place.
Warm regards,

Bulent

Floydian (30970) 2007-08-29 16:55

Hi John,
A very nice look-through you found here. Natural framings are always beautiful and you found a great spot here. The towers of the abbey stand proud to the sky.
Exposure is spot-on and together within the composition a very pleasant picture to look at...
Regards, Henk

Cormac (26455) 2007-08-29 18:53

Great shot John! I'm really glad you made it to Chinon and Fontevraud, because I knew that you would really enjoy it. I like this shot because it shows not only the details of the architecture, but also the grand size of the place. Nice use of the arch to frame the towers too. Great work!

Ann75 (0) 2007-08-29 21:47

Hi John,

A well seen POV for this photo with the arch being a natural frame for what's in the distance. Great look through view with amazing colours, lines, light and details! Great work, John!

Greetings,
Ann

Graal (58720) 2007-08-29 23:43

Hi John,
beautiful architecture, fine composition with the natural frame, interesting informations. Good work. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

gildasjan (24133) 2007-08-30 0:28

Hello John
This pretty composition under this arch is well managed. The exposure is right and perfect clearness.
A very beautiful realization.
Have a nice evening.
In a friendly way
Gildas

ChrisJ (70443) 2007-08-30 0:31

Hi John

I like the framing, utilising the sweeping curves & excellent graphism of the fg arch. Good sharpness, colour, & pov. Nice repetition of the smaller arches in the bg. Congratulations!

chrisnet (20376) 2007-08-30 0:34

Hello John,
Nice framing under the arch, good capture of this beautiful abbey, well seen and done.
Regards
Christian

vincz (19045) 2007-08-30 0:34

Another very nice composition. i love how you used this arch to get a very elegant framing. This is only made better by the shadows of this arch. Then come the green of the central garden, then the opposite corner of the abbey and the composition is completed by the narrow tower of the church. This is so well balanced. A true gem. I like it a lot.

feather (50144) 2007-08-30 2:12

I think you know I like arches used in this way. This is a perfect example of high quality. Very well exposed and focused with an appropriate DOF.
Kath

carper (65646) 2007-08-30 3:31

a very nice looking through john,
the light is good and I like the good composition, it is well framed and with a good note, exelent photojob here,
gr. jaap

jmdaoudal (82) 2007-08-30 3:40

Classic view to say there is a cloister, this nice to have this facade.; I like very much the place.
Jean Michel

jhm (83328) 2007-08-30 4:48

Hello John,

Splendid through look with a part of the abbey in background.
The garden and the hedges care for contrast against the white abbey facades.
Nice composition too. Thanks for sharing.

Best regards,
John.

jaywalker (12302) 2007-08-30 10:20

Hi John, Brilliantly composed & a wonderful POV, you have managed the light superbly well, excellent architecture & very sharp, another stunningly protraid shot from your excellent sight, kind regards Wilson.

Cricri (43738) 2007-08-30 10:23

Hi John,
Une vue original de l'abbaye cadrer avec l'arche, un moment particulier dans cet endroit paysible accompagner de chant, ce qui a donner encore plus de charme, belle réalisation
Good evening for you
cricri

Photo65Net (43096) 2007-08-30 10:32

John,
Clever choice to use the arch as framing.
You caught too a beautiful architecture image, with great light management,
Regards,
JB.

alvaraalto (5303) 2007-08-30 12:16

Hi John,
You beautiful captured and framed this white abbey with the blue-grey slates.
The dark frame of the arch contrasts prefect with the white and blue.
Groet Rob

leo61 (43734) 2007-08-30 13:02

Hi John!
It`s a nice view through the arch at the abbey and the garden.Great POV and I like the corner with these arches.
Regards,Leo

elihesamian (26091) 2007-08-30 13:52

John,dear friend,
this is also a great work in the France serie from you,a great informative photo with an excellent POV and framing with the curved arch there,excellent controlling the light and a fine reaching the details you had,well worked and composed and Thanks,
Best Wishes
M

dsidwell (9745) 2007-08-30 19:19

Hi John,

A classic point of view, but the angle keeps it original and interesting. I like how you got texture in your shadows in the arch. It really adds to the image. Super work!

jafadabret (40323) 2007-08-30 23:04

John, tu as choisi un bel encadrement avec une arche du cloître. On peu regretter un manque de netteté mais l'ensemble est bien fait.
Jacques

John_F_Kennedy (31994) 2007-08-31 0:39

I like the fantastic atmosphere here with the good perspective. Good quality and perfect POV.
Best wishes,
Achim

Gerrit (36269) 2007-08-31 4:44

HI John,
excellent view over this b beautiful monastery garden. Perfecdt light.
Regards, Gerrit

bertolucci (12014) 2007-08-31 5:07

Hi John, I can imagine what an impact these voices must have had on the atmosphere in this fascinating Abbey with its dramatic past. I really like the use of the arch to intoduce the cloitre of the Abbey and its delicious Romanesque architecture to us. It also enhance the graphic forces at play here. Great work John!
Have a fine weekend,
Bert

Tue (25608) 2007-08-31 9:04

Hej John,
Excellent use of the arch to frame the view of the court, with such a nice tranquil atmosphere and interesting architecture. I find the light management good as well. Very nice view, thanks for sharing!
Regards,
Lars

jwmunro (6255) 2007-08-31 9:26

Hello John -

Well done using the archway to frame the abbey's chapel towers. This image is well exposed with nice detail in the shadows and perfect light management elsewhere. Is the image slightly skewed or is it an optical illusion? Well done!

Thank you for sharing.

John

TopGeo (22213) 2007-08-31 10:38

Hi John,
Superb shot! Excellent sharpness,the clarity of depth and beautiful frame are really perfect.This framework of the door characterized this ideal picture. Very nice note. Congrat,,,Geo

alainh (35387) 2007-08-31 22:58

Hello Jphn
Fontevraud is a true jewel and the angle you find to show us is the perfect one. you knew how manage this difficult shadow. perfectly made. a very good job.
have a nice day John
alain

PixelTerror (86839) 2007-09-01 1:36

Hi John,
A very nice and appropriate framing using the foreground arch, this always works wonder, also you had and used well very good light falling onto the building, nice one.
Have a nice week end,
Jean-Yves

Henryk_Bilor (20371) 2007-09-01 3:19

Hi John
Great framing. Excellent light and interesting object in the centre :).
Regards

Dyerco (9302) 2007-09-01 17:42

Hi John
Very nice POV and the framing of the abbey is well done. The exposure is spot on and there is nice repitition from the large archway to the smaller ones.

Didi (36442) 2007-09-02 1:37

Hi John
I had a good souvenir from this place; I had a work meeting here and I spent two nices days in the abbey hotel.
Very good light in your composition and you choose a very nice point of view.
Cheers.

plimrn (19710) 2007-09-02 11:05

Hi John,
The fantastic framing really makes the shot; although your excellent light management provides a strongly supportive role in the excellence of the photo.
HLJ, Pat

Budapestman (42810) 2007-09-02 11:43

Hi John,
Great architecture image, again. I like the splendid composition and the picturesque atmosphere. Details are very fine, fascinating and nostalgic shot, Conngratulations. Have a nice evening
George

AiresSantos (42902) 2007-09-04 0:07

Hi John
Great view of the Fontevraud Abbey. I like your POV and natural frame. Very good colours and light well managed.
TFS and greetings
Aires

anavazao (5592) 2007-09-05 5:47

Hi friend,
Great POV giving us a view of Fontevraud Abbey! Good lighting... Great colours and details in this very charming image!
Well done, my friend! Take care Ana:)

PJE (19501) 2007-09-11 5:46

Hello John. I have to say I am really enjoying the variety of photos you have captured this summer in France. The setting here with the archway has been carefully composed. Seeing I have the 10-22 lens now I think I would have used that lens in this setting. I find the distortion of the 17-85 lens a little challenging at its widest setting. I can see though that you captured this photo with excellent balance in the archway creating an excellent sense of depth perspective. I would have liked to hear the choir as well. Thanks for sharing!

testmaniac (12262) 2007-10-20 10:41

Hello John, nice look to this "Fontevraud Abbey". Great composition and POV. Interesting place.

TFS

Philip