DIVINE PROPORTION Photo

Photographer’s Note

THE DIVINE PROPORTION IN ANTIQUITY shot May 1975

This photograph is almost 33 years old. It was an overcast day, and I had shot a 36-exposure roll of Kodachrome-25 slide film, when suddenly a shaft of light broke through the clouds and selectively illuminated the Parthenon. I shot another roll of 36 slides.

I've always felt that the best vantage point for photographing a building is from a corner, since "two point perspective" is immediately evident. The "parallel" lines defined from the roofline, base, etc. all converge at a pair of vanishing points on the horizon line. Indeed, this particular image, shot from a lower point than the base, illustrates "three-point perspective," with the lines of the columns all appearing to converge at a high point in the sky above the Parthenon.

The Greek army in 479 BC defeated the Persians at Plataea, ushering in a period of peace and prosperity, the Golden Age of Greece. The period saw an unprecedented explosion in artistic creativity that included the development of the Athenian Acropolis in honor of the city's namesake and patron goddess Athena. In 447 BC work on the temples astride that massive stone outcropping commenced. Fifteen years later in 432 BC the Parthenon was completed, although work on the other buildings continued for another thirty-five years.

Collaborating on the design of the Parthenon were Athens's premier sculptor/architect Phidias and the architects Callicrates and Ictinus. The columns — fluted shafts topped with capitals of the Doric order —supported a pediment with Phidias's sculpture, carved as no stone had ever been carved before. The friezes consist of ninety-two metopes in low relief alternating with vertically fluted triglyphs. The sculpture in the pediment, depicting the Olympians after their victory over their dreaded enemies, the Titans, is meant to be emblematic of the victory of civilization over barbarism. The east and west facades of the Parthenon both form golden rectangles, or exhibit length-to-width ratios of phi, or 1.618, (where phi is inspired by Phidias's monogram).

The architects introduced several imaginative measures to eliminate unfavorable optical illusions. For example, a perfectly straight horizontal line would normally appear to sag in the middle, because it would naturally be sighted against the horizon, which itself has a convex curvature; columns which are cylindrical would appear to be concave midway up. In order to counter these effects, the Parthenon was built on a convex base of 5.7-km (3.5-mile) radius of curvature. Columns rising perpendicular to a convex curvature, however, would diverge slightly at their tops, an effect that would be barely visible, but a source of subtle discomfort. In order to avoid a splayed appearance the columns were aimed or sighted to converge at a common point approximately 2.4 km (1.5 miles) in the sky. The midsections of the columns incorporated a slight bulge, entasis, negating the optical illusion in the other direction. How they arrived at these happy numbers is a mystery, but the scheme clearly works! Finally, they used fluted columns, grooved vertically, as opposed to plain cylindrical columns, which would have appeared lumbering and heavy.

On a personal note, I have been to the Parthenon many times. On one occasion, I was there with a friend, an academic dean. At the end of the day, when we were just about to leave the site he bent over, pretending to tie his shoe laces, and picked up a loose stone as a souvenir. Clearly nervous, he confided to me his utter terror of being discovered in stealing a piece of the hallowed edifice, “Who knows what part of the building it came from?” he mused in a whisper. But just then a large truck appeared and dumped tons of stones for tourists visiting the next day.

Nikon F, Kodachrome-25 (slide film). 50-mm fixed focal length lens, f/1.4, 1/60th second exposure.

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Critiques | Translate

isabela_sor (42177) 2008-01-21 22:26 [Comment]

Show Comment

scalerman (25747) 2008-01-21 22:26

Bulent: indeed, excellent old slide and superb POV as usual, and your note, although exhaustive, is a pleasure to read. thanks, c

GilbertB (12246) 2008-01-21 22:50

Salut Bulent, belle vue de ce temple, les personnage en donne la dimension.
Amitiés.
Gilbert

AROBN54 (10783) 2008-01-21 23:01

Warm greetings, Bulent,
what a magnificent shot! (and to be such an antiquated one) I love that two sided view and the excellent contrast. The lighting is superb and the people give it a great sense of scale. Your note is outstanding as always. Beautifully done! Many thanks and warmest regards,
Shelly

marjan (6085) 2008-01-21 23:55

shotrly , it is excellent , superb composition and POV, nice strong coloure and userful info,

meltemi (9746) 2008-01-22 0:06

Hello Bulent,
this is an excellent example of how to handle light and perspective. Beautiful colours and great depth of field for this magical compostion. The very nice light and strong contrast work very well with the misty background. Really a good picture with an excellent presentation. Love also the frame.
Warm Regards.
Stella

BennyV (4755) 2008-01-22 0:19

Dear Bulent,

I must have seen zillions of pictures of the Parthenon, still this one caught my attention here, so all kudos to you!

Benny

vincz (19043) 2008-01-22 0:42

Very impressive shot of this magnificent monument. It is really carrying the essence of it, huge, impressive, so well designed. Excellent quality for htis old picture scan. Great note.

evanrizo (456) 2008-01-22 1:03

Hi dear Bulent.
So old shot! But the result is really WONDERFUL on light control, sharpness and contrast.
You notice gives a big content to read-:)
My best wishes.
Evangelos

WepWaWet (3955) 2008-01-22 1:03

Merhaba Bulent Bey,
33 yillik... Enfes bir fotograf. Muhtesem bir bakis acisi ve olaganustu guzel renkler. Gokyuzunun rengi ile Parthenon'un renk birlikteligi muthis. Beylik terim ile tam bir kartpostal. ELinize saglik.
Selamlar,
Seref

anes_lc (14768) 2008-01-22 1:14

a real postcard ,this place couldn´t be present in a better way .the blue sky is lovely ,this place must be magical
great picture my friend
thanks sharing
hugs,anes

snunney (34998) 2008-01-22 1:19

Hello Bulent,
This is a very impressive image of a much photographed landmark. The point of view is very well chosen and helps us appreciate the grandeur of the structure to great effect. Excellent light; the darkening blue sky adds much to the ambiance of the scene and provides a good contrast for the old stones. Superb scanning and pp work to bring this 33 year old photograph to life.

delic (6735) 2008-01-22 1:55

Merhaba,
Fantastic color in the sky creating dramatic contrast with the Parthenon. It's a pretty good scan for Kodachrome, looks even better than some digital images. Tight framing works well but some more room on the right wouldn't hurt. The scattered visitors add color and a reference to the time this was shot, esp. the lady in red. Best wishes,
Hakan

wishlist (4133) 2008-01-22 2:06

Good Morning Bulent,
what a wonderful shot here! I'm amazed by the impressiveness of the Parthenon standing so well against the centuries and the dramatic sky. Perfect choice to include the people giving a good perspective and proportion. I really like this shot!!
Thanks for sharing
Best regards

Igor

tober (3962) 2008-01-22 2:31

Merhaba Saygıdeğer Hocam, fotoğrafınız neredeyse benimle yaşıt. Görüntü olarak da günümüzün kaliteli olarak tanımlanan fotoğraflarından çok daha üstün. Çekmiş olduğunuz açı son derecede güzel. Beyaz sütunların gökyüzünün o eşsiz mavisiyle sağlamış olduğu uyumu çok beğendim. Notunuzun son kısmı da oldukça hoş. Saygılarımla, Tolga

lilimih33 (9874) 2008-01-22 3:01

Hello Bulent!
Wonderful place to visit!
Beautiful blue sky and good point of view!
Parthenon is a big building!
Best regards!
Lili

kibele66 (2910) 2008-01-22 3:55

Hello Dear Bulent,
I saw many Parthenon photographs, I took many Parthenon photographs, but none of them were like this one. You've very well explained the way how you took the photo. But what makes it unique is also the contrast of the sky and the illuminatiın of the Parthenon i think. The tone of the sky emphasises the beautiful details of it.
Thank you and best wishes
Sibel

mursaloglu (5164) 2008-01-22 4:59

Dear bulent bey
I always interested about the archeology and your picture is a little jewel about this ofcourse. Fantastic very fine details and interesting POV and perspective. Best regards sir . ihsan

chpp (3989) 2008-01-22 6:44

Hi Bulent
very nice capture, and very nice quality for being an old one.
Spectacular light on the building contrasting with the dark sky
very nice composition
cheers
chris

TGULUMSER (12514) 2008-01-22 6:57

Hello Bulent Bey,
It is hard to believe that this photo was taken 33 years ago. A great capture with a wonderful sky and excellent sharpness,
Congratulations and best regards,
Tulay

stego (22360) 2008-01-22 9:46

Hello Bülent,
A divine photo also! The POV may look banal, but it is actually very effective and nice. The mysterious dark sky helps the temple stand out. I like the presence of the people. They don't disturb anything and give a sense of scale and a bit of colour.
The technical quality (sharpness, colour saturation, etc) is remarkable for an original more than 30 years old.
TFS, Regards, José.

Wandering_Dan (3249) 2008-01-22 10:28

Hello, Bulent -

Great image, great perspective, too,and the people are a nice touch. And a real interesting note - especially the stones part! You left out the part about the Turks using it as an ammo dump, and the Venetians then blowing it up, though.

I visited the Parthenon three years before this shot, but I didn't get anything like this. Later it closed to visitors because of the wear and tear; do you know if it's opened again?

I've also been to the British Museum, where a group of us were given a private tour of the Elgin Marbles by the curator, Ian Jenkins. He solemnly informed us that the marbles would be returned to Greece only over his dead body. So far, he seems to be getting his way.

Best,
Dan

carper (64962) 2008-01-22 11:09

it was a very good time for me 1975.
17 year old and going for the first time on holyday to Austria with the train. Yes memories....
very nice scan here Bulent and thanks for the good moment, good photojob, have a nice day.
gr. jaap

xavshot (62567) 2008-01-22 12:19

Bonsoir Bulent
une lumière extra pour faire ressortir cette architecture et la "simplicité" de son graphisme. J'aime beaucoup l'ambiance.
Xavier

jonathan_hart (22578) 2008-01-22 14:17

hi Bulent
you have surely find the best vantage point indeed
the light against the dark cloudy sky is amazing,
the photo is maybe old (older than me) but it's a timeless image
regards
jo

emka (21662) 2008-01-22 14:41

Hi Bulent,

Impressive view of the Parthenon and excellent, as always, note. Very interesting.

Regards

Malgorzata

Matthew-Watt (4465) 2008-01-22 16:39

Hello Bulent,

I had to laugh when I read that last paragraph in your note; it puts many things into perspective. I have a 'stolen' piece of Uluru in my room, perhaps the same arrangement happened there. Very good image quality here considering the age of it, you are very lucky to have visited so many times. My parents hope to visit here next year on their world trip - how I wish I could go with them! I like the deep saturation and change in colour gradient across the sky. Also, thank you very much for your kind birthday wishes. Have a good week.

Matt

sothy81 (8536) 2008-01-22 20:25

Hi Bulent, long time no see you. Hope new semester treats you well. I love this shot. Very nice light and color contrast. You show great architecture here. Simply a simplicity one. Nothing is more complicated than simplicity. You made it here. Sothy

berek (28933) 2008-01-22 21:35

Merhaba Bülent bey,
gökyüzüyle beraber bütün içinde muhteşem görünüyor. bot için teşekkürler. ellerinize sağlık. selamlar
,Burak Erek

hello_ishan (1571) 2008-01-22 21:36

Hi Bulent,
I can't believe that this is 33 year old. Excellent... I like your details especially "two point perspectives" & "three point perspectives". The lower point shooting gives a beautiful view of the structure along with the blue sky. TFS.

RS

Docarmo (8840) 2008-01-22 21:56

Hi Bulent,
This image shows a good planned perspective, as you told us in your note - I will keep it in mind.
The famous building is strongly prominent against this beautiful deep blue sky.
The narrative of the stones for tourists is very funny :-)
Thanks for sharing,
MC

pablominto (40788) 2008-01-22 23:25

Hello Bulent,
A classic composition, and I admire the quality from 1975!
Great point of view to expose details in the ancient structure, sharp fin e details actually...
Interesting to see images this old for several reasons, also because it shows that top equipment back then delivered a quality that can compete even today!
Greetings,
Pablo -

AiresSantos (42244) 2008-01-23 0:29

Hi Bulent
Excellent perspective of this old and impressive monument. Strong contrast against this blue deep sky. It goes to my theme 'blue hour'. The people give us a good scale.
TFS and greetings
Aires

azaf1 (15547) 2008-01-23 1:28

Bulent good morning
This i a unique capture as it stands out so nicely against the blue sky. It has a great perspective and the people standing give a true measure as to its dimensions. Had it had a little more air on the right, it would have been exceptional
TFS
Argiris

MLINES (10884) 2008-01-23 2:07

Hi Bulent. A classic photo of this historical ruin. You have managed to get the perfect perspective. Also as it is uncluttered it looks as it shoul without too many tourists scrambling, just enough to give the scale we need. Excellent notes as always. TFS. Murray.

salvator (18819) 2008-01-23 6:40

Hello Bulent Bey,
Wonderful pov and superb image. The pov, the sharpness and details, and the saturated colors from the overcast sky, and the tones in the sky iteslf are absolutely wonderful.
Best personal regards. Salvator.

gokanlam (6429) 2008-01-23 8:57

Hi,
Very nice architecture with the clear colors..Your perspective makes it more effective as you said.. Thanks for the note..
Congratulations,
ReLa

jhm (82679) 2008-01-23 9:06

Hello dear Bulent,

We see here a picture of 33 year old, but then made as great perspectief picture, you chose a excellent angle, precise on the corner, so we see both sides of this Parthenon. Composition and colours are extraordinarily for a scanned picture, my compliments for this one.
Again we get a great book as note, I learn every day something on TE, this is very pleasant
Happy that you're very active for write on TE.
Thanks for sharing.

Best regards,
John.

mineelci (1496) 2008-01-23 11:37

çok güzel gerçekten. Gökyüzünün maviliği taşın beyazlığını iyice ortaya çıkarıp muhteşem kontras oluşturmuş. Hele nottaki hikayeye bayıldım. çok güzel bir anı:))) selamlar

Tue (25608) 2008-01-23 14:31

Hi Bulent,
Excellent photo of this wonderful ancient place. You chose a great POV to capture the Parthenon. I love the dark blue sky, it makes the white architecture stand out wonderfully and the inclusion of the people is great to add scale. Well done and thanks for sharing!
Regards,
Lars

missmoon (77) 2008-01-23 15:11

i love to see very famous places from your camera
all textures with your photos are very useful and interesting
TFS
regards

nivaldo (13113) 2008-01-23 16:46

A great picture, a great note!
In great proportions!
Bravo, Bulent!
Um abraço,
Nivaldo

paura (38540) 2008-01-23 17:55

Hello, Bullent.
A supperb photo here. The excellent point of view allow us to see the amazing construction there. Colors are also very nice.

Abraços do Brasil.

Paulo

keribar (42756) 2008-01-23 22:18

Hello Bulent,
What a great light and what a great picture of this immortal monument. I am not sure that we can take it today, because it is always under repair, and it seems as if the scaffolding will continue, besides there are always chains or other obstacles which block entrance between the columns. So I am glad that you are aware of the value of this vintage Kodachrome, and keep it well -
Friendly yours - Izzet

ChrisJ (70299) 2008-01-24 0:38

Merhaba Bulent

A fantastic shot of the Parthenon, with marvellous illumination, contrasting against the ominous dark blue sky in the bg. Good work!

ysabaner (1067) 2008-01-24 0:41

Bülent Bey merhaba,
Bu güzel tarihi yapıyı çok güzel açıdan almışsınız, renkler ve netlik mükemmel, elinize sağlık.
Yahya

danos (32618) 2008-01-24 7:56

Hello Bulent,
excellent this old shot, as also and her transformation in digital form and her presentation in TE.Indeed this construction was and is in nowadays, the glory of the ancient architecture as also and in a large number of other innovations.It is incredible that you write in your note about the academic dean. But the most incredible is that a large truck appeared and dumped tons of stones for tourists.Very informative your note too.

Regards,Danos

Emile (20001) 2008-01-24 8:25

Hola Bulent.
Your work with the scanner is excellent and the shot taken of the Parthenon is magnificent. The dark blue color of the sky enhances the impressive architecture, good clarity, sharpness and POV. The people add scale to your shot.
Well done. TFS.
Best regards.

gracious (20017) 2008-01-24 10:23

Hello Bulent,
What a great shot of this mighty place!
excellent pov with perfect sharpness, vivid colour and details!
after 33 years, this is still a perfect and beautiful presentation! just great!
my compliment!
wishing you well always
Tony

CatherineD (4860) 2008-01-24 11:50

Hi Bulent,
What a perfect shot with a very impressive sky. The fact that it is 33 years old add more interest too. It is really an historical document. Congratulations.
Catherine

erel (11540) 2008-01-24 12:33

MERHABA
Renkler ,ışık ,kadraj ve netlik süper . tebrikler. EREL

FrankT (192) 2008-01-24 14:11

Splendid building and a very good view on it.

Dyerco (9120) 2008-01-24 20:22

Your image held its colour well and the scan did it justice. I was there in 1979 and walked on this wonderful site but I think that is no longer the case. Great light against the dark sky.
Phil

sanita (44) 2008-01-25 5:46

Hallo Bulent
You seem to always have been good with the camera, and for that we at TE is thankful, because we reap the benefits by being able to see something better every time we look at your pictures. Thanks

claudeD (11348) 2008-01-25 9:24

Hello Bulent,

very impressive picture with a good composition , excellent colors and sharpness.Thank you for this detailed note.

With regards from Luxembourg

Jean-Claude

cfreire (11647) 2008-01-25 10:21

Hi Bulent,
Superb composition about this great historical place. The perspective leads our look to beautiful blue sky. Excellent contrasts among the building and the blue space. Congratulations. Regards, Consuelo

ahaberal (6455) 2008-01-25 13:04

merhaba hocam
fotoğrafın tarihi ilginç,biz daha makineyi tanımadan önce.
sanırım dia 'dır.
aslında yunanlılar bu fotoğrafı belge diye saklamalılar
elinize sağlık
selamlar

bizsu (1011) 2008-01-25 14:45

Hello Bulant,
WOW ! Congratulations. Fantastic photo !!!!!!
Best regards, Zsú

PixelTerror (86234) 2008-01-26 2:42

Hi Bulent,
A very god scan and conservation quality for this oldie, I share your point that the side approach results when possible in the most attractive results as we can see 2 faces and get depth from it, I'll add here your light bottom up approach that magnifies the building.
Have a nice week end JY

Cretense (56298) 2008-01-26 6:08

Hi Bulent!

That's the scale, there's the harmony, there's the model, there's the eternal beauty. Excellent, in its simplicity, photo, timeless! Congratulations and thanks for sharing!

Warm regards,
Hercules

alvaraalto (5231) 2008-01-26 11:55

Hi Bulent,

Lovely traditional angle for this famous Doric temple.
I agree with your point of view about the perspective, all the more the columns are also deliberately converting .
A good old photo of a very good old temple.

Groet Rob

kensimage (8543) 2008-01-26 15:42

White against blue--how very suitable for Greece! It looks like one of those island towns. You're right about shootiing from a corner--it gives the feeling that the building is reaching for the sky.

There sure is a lot of mysticism surrounding that golden ratio. In reality as I understand there is no perceptual difference in aesthetics in a range of ratios, say 1.55 to 1.70 or so. But people like to think there is something magic about some exact number.

Have a great weekend, Bulent, regards, Ken.

DLM (6447) 2008-01-27 3:34

Hi Bulent,
Very impressive image, Your POV is spot on.
This amazing building really stands out against the brooding sky, wonderful informative notes as always.
TFS
Dave

hatti52 (12654) 2008-01-27 6:54

Merhaba
muhteşem
rengarenk giysili modeller,Parthenon'un ihtişamlı görüntüsü ve koyu mavi gökyüzü ile şahane fotoğraf
tebrikler

adores (15581) 2008-01-27 7:46

Hi Bulent!
Good work with the scanner.This must be a wonderful place to visit.The pov is really good to show the parthenon and those tourists are wonderful there, especially those taking photos and the woman in red that makes a nice contrast.They also give us a good idea of the real dimension of the monument.
Very complete note also!

MeAT (1174) 2008-01-27 19:11

Thank you for the tip on shooting from an angle. I guess I must have done it a couple of times without realizing it but I'll remember it for sure next time!

MeAT :)

emjleclercq (14330) 2008-01-27 23:06

The picture is in itselft a nice "antic". Excellent point of view and framing to show the classical proportions of the most famous of the Greecian temples. I just wonder if it would have looked as impressive at the time when it was painted with bright colors, as suggested by some studies of the famous sculptures now in the British Musuem.

All the best,

Emmanuel

Tezic (16927) 2008-01-28 0:40

harika bir açı ve ışık çok güzel ve etkileyici bir kare ... tebrikler...

setenay (7604) 2008-01-28 0:54

Merhaba Bülent Bey,
Mükemmel kadraj ve perspektifle çektiginiz Parthenon,muhteşem sütunlarıyla mavi fonda cok görkemli görünüyor,derinlik ve renkler harika.Fotografını çeken turistlerle orana bakılırsa yapının azametini görebiliyoruz.Elinize saglık,tebrik ederim.Selam ve saygilarımla
setenay

Silvio1953 (41941) 2008-01-28 1:41

Hi Bulent, great composition with splendid architecture, superb blue sky, excellent POV, very well done, ciao Silvio

Bluejeans (32473) 2008-01-28 5:54

Ola amigo ,
Fantastica esta tua foto com 33 anos fizeste um belo trabalho de scan , escolheste um belo ponto de visão sobre o templo , o ceu ficou muito bonito originou um belo contraste com o templo , parabens!!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

belido (16603) 2008-01-28 7:02

Hi Doctor!

I was in a work trip so didn't have time to check your photography work. I really fell confortable to understand what you are talking about with this title thanks to your book. More than 30 years and it's still a great image. I like to see those film posts a lot in here. Excellent!
Best regards,
Carlos
PS: give more time and then I'll check your other works.

zeca (20026) 2008-01-28 9:47

Hello Bulent!
Besides the beauty and perfection of the architecture, your work here is just great, finding the best perspective and well using your gear to catch the weather enhancing it all. A beautiful shot capturing something that really deserves 36 shots...
Regards,
Zeca

siolaw (25780) 2008-01-28 21:19

Hi Bulent,
Yes, this type of building is better seen from a corner, as in here... The framing and POV therefore are good, colors and sharpness are fine too, specially considering it is an scanned, old photograph...
An elaborate note as usual!
TFS, Bulent!
Laurent

papagolf21 (56467) 2008-01-29 0:58

Bonjour, mon bon ami Bulent,
Ce sont les Grecs qui nous ont légué le plus beau mot de notre langue : le mot " enthousiasme" - du grec "en théo", un Dieu intérieur.
[Louis Pasteur]
Une photographie de 1975, qui n'a rien perdu de sa beauté. Ah ! j'imagine cette photo sur grand écran !
Un pur plaisir.
Amitiés.
Philippe

sayeed_rahman (2285) 2008-01-29 8:44

Hello Bulent

An informative note with a fitting jokey anecdote to end with...always goes beyond the post,i always believe the note is what holds a post together..ive seen some great pictures every now and then..never gets the eyeballs..very little views..the whole purpose is lost!

As for this one...wonder how you managed the sky..think it is the perfect canvas for the neutral colour of the pillars..the geometry of structures is quite sharp too.

33 years - hunting for the old ones in the attic or the basement :) ?

Warm regards
Sayeed

toto (18715) 2008-01-29 13:48

Belle photo de ce Parthenon qui en impose toujours autant, impressionnante construction qui reste et restera toujours un monument superbe par son architecture et par sa représentativité importante pour les époques. Très bon POV qui nous montre l' angle et le ciel même au travers de ces colonnes.
Amitiés Thomas

Angshu (33737) 2008-01-29 20:10

Hello Professor "A"
The picture quality belies it's age..as does the majestic structure. Under the deep blue sky, the marble radiates a wonderful sheen. The people are a great add for the idea of scale. You've found the best perspective to show the beauty and perfection of the architecture & as always your note is a learning experience.
With Warm Regards
Angshuman

gunbud (27951) 2008-01-30 8:58

Hi Bulent,
Wonderful capture of this iconic ancient Greek arichtecture. The well detailed white marble contrast beautifully with the vivid blue sky. Excellent prespective that catches beautiful lines to this old beauty. Very informative historical note.
Regards, Tom

mesutilgim (36898) 2008-01-30 9:01

Selam sevgili Bülent,
Muhteşem bir kare. Bakış açısı, kadraj, renkler herşey dörtdörtlük.
Bu 33 senelik kare, bir başarı öyküsü.
Ege'nin bu tür oyunları var işte. Fırtına bulutları arasından bir an güneş parlar ya da senin yaşadığın gibi şimşekler çakar, antik çağın bu güzel taş yapıları da pırıl pırıl çıkarlar ortaya.
Tebrikler
Selam ve sevgiler
MESUT ILGIM

Henryk_Bilor (20367) 2008-01-30 9:04

Hi Bulent
Wow, such an old and great image. Exellent light in this ancient place. And I love the story with the stone and truck ;).
Regards

jaywalker (12190) 2008-01-30 9:37

Hi Bulent, The clear blue sky looks very welcoming &, although you mentioned it was overcast, this looks like a wonderful exception, the Parthenon is a place I visited in the late 90s &, it always makes me think how good the work force must of been then, however I could imagine that a whip or two was used on the workers, a great photo &, TFS, kind regards Wilson.

jean11-3 (2799) 2008-01-30 9:58

Hello Bulent, a classic scene beautifully taken;I can't believe it is 33 years old!
I agree with you that taking the shot from this vantage point is a very good idea.
Your little tale about your friend and the souvenir made me laugh out loud,thanks for that.
The deep blue sky is a lovely backdrop for the ancient building.And as always the people give a good idea of scale.
Tfs, regards Jean.

JCG (25409) 2008-01-30 12:13

Hi Bülent,

Firstly thank you for this always interesting note which supplements the photograph. Beautiful catch of sight of this universally known monument. This sky of ink and the good light emphasize well the Parthenon. Framing gives a good depth to the image. A scan of any beauty. Thank you Bülent.

With all my friendships,

Jean-Charles

syd1946 (17913) 2008-01-30 23:39

Hello Bulent,
Indeed one the most impressive images of Parthenon I've ever seen.And too old to make the image more important.I like the color contrast between the temple and the deep blue sky.Seems the point of view is the best to enjoy the created graphism.Very well done,comgratulations for your note also!

Greetings,
Thomas

Graal (58103) 2008-01-30 23:42

Hi Bulent,
good "portrait" of famous Parthenon in Athens. Old picture but well quality. Interesting note. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

TopGeo (21877) 2008-01-31 6:07

Hi Bulent! excellent shot! those who you write also for this Monument of Humanity of all! he will be few. The picture speaks alone her for the History! Amazing work! I praise also you. I greet! with many I thank!
Georgios

meb (744) 2008-01-31 6:30

Hi Bulent,
even if the picture was not beautiful (which actually is!) the note alone deserves the time I spent reading it! As always your notes are enjoyable and instructive. I took pictures from the same corner in 2002, but the Parthenon was under heavy restauration and I don't know why most of the side, which is instead in your picture, was missing. I too have this bad habit to take small stones when I visit an historic place, I'm glad to know they are kindly provided by the Tourist Office! I won't feel bad anymore... just kidding of course.

Best regards
Marica

Cricri (43178) 2008-01-31 9:22

Hi Bulent,
Belle présentation du temple qui resort a merveille sous un bleu sublime du ciel, bon POV et composition, compliment
Frendly greeting
cricri

jpinkham (848) 2008-02-01 20:15

A fine bit of personal and ancient history both here, Bulent. The lighting is special; the detail, crisp; the point of view, as you say, all the stronger by catching the corner. Fine color and contrast, and skillful use of line in and perspective in the composition. A very thorough, excellent note, as well -- and what a funny anecdote at the end!

Regards,
Jim

Edyta_B (1195) 2008-02-02 13:35

Hello Bulent
Excellent and impressive old photo which shows this marvellous ancient temple. I like the frame, lighting, lovely contrast between white and dark blue, and visible many architectural detalis. Great quality of picture, too. So I love the image very much :).
Regards

Tobias__Ortmann (2589) 2008-02-05 8:28

Hi
very beatifull building I love greece and their culture
I think they have one of the beatifullst building in the antique
you show us this building very well althoug your camere wasnt so good like today they are
the sharpness is perfect and the blue look amazing
very well done
Toba

Chris3 (511) 2008-02-06 12:02

Dear Bulent,
Very nice capture of the Parthenon.You made the right decision to take a photo of the Parthenon,because it's very impressive and beautiful.However,you make it even better.
TFS
Christos

jackart (5564) 2008-02-06 12:57

Hello Bulent!

Proportions of this great architecture are perfect, but Your shot is excellent too. Very good frame and impressive colors. Thank You for a very useful note. It teach us a lot about architecture.

regards
Jacek

jmcl (13919) 2008-02-07 12:37

Hi Bulent,

What a magic and moody sky .. wondrous the way this palette of colors can amplify such thoughts about this place .. a unique image of an often photographed structure .. stunning and thoughtful.
Great note .. I love the end.

take care,

John

jrj (34779) 2008-02-08 1:33

You had a fine day Bulent back in 1975 for this grand capture of the old temple/castle.
It's immpressively well conserved still with well saturated colours and in good sharpness. Your shooting position at the one corner is also good to present two of the walls as in this setting.

giorgimer (21274) 2008-02-08 1:37

Hi Bulent,

I love classical architecture, I posted some shots from Sicily in my travelogue. Here I like a lot the contrast with this dramatic sky.

Very well done!

Gio

Charo (31671) 2008-02-08 3:39

Hola Bulent,
A pesar de ser una imagen clásica del Partenon, me gusta mucho ese cielo cielo azul oscuro haciendo gran contraste con las viejas piedras.
Estupendo ángulo y muy buenos detalles.
Cordialmente
Charo

avene (11044) 2008-02-09 21:33

hello Bulent,
impressive shot, very good illustration to your note about vantage points, I find the illusory convergence of the columns creates an uplifting feeling to the scene, I like it a lot. beautiful blue, the combination of the colour of the sky and patterns of the building makes me think of an inverted Greek flag :) like others, I'd like to see a little more space on the right, but that's a minor point. excellent shot.
wishing you a great Sunday,
Kristine

Greg1949 (8509) 2008-02-15 5:26

Bulent,

The weather made the shot magnificant. I have not had such good luck with shots here, too much sunlight sometimes makes it color and definition less. I loved your closing quip, so true...

Greg

banyanman (7716) 2008-02-15 7:32

Wow, Bulent, this must be the best quality 33 year old scans of a transparency that I have seen on TE. How do you store your transparencies? Do you have access to one of those zero humidity coolrooms that museums use for storing old film and prints. It certainly has the feel of film and the contrast against the dark sky is superb. How many more gems like this do you have hidden in your archives? Cheers . . . David

rigoletto (26326) 2008-02-16 21:53

Hello Dear Professor,
The selective natural lighting in front of those contrasting grey clouds is really great. A superb old photo of Parthenon, and your mathematical, calculating eyes made a great composition out of it. Really hard to find such beautifully presented photos from there. Congrats,
Deniz

Rosa (4147) 2008-03-01 13:10

Bonsoir Bulent,
Belle vue de ce temple qui ressort a merveille sous un beau ciel bleu ,
les personnage en donne la dimension sur cette superbe image, excellent POV , merci pour le partage.
Amitiés,
Rosa.

anesugur (16922) 2008-03-01 14:06

Merhaba Bülent bey,
Bu kadar güzel ve net bir fotoğrafın çekim tarihini görünce çok şaşırdım.
Tebrik ederim. Sizin ustalığınız oldukça uzun zamanlı.
Selamlar. Uğur

Nic-n-Jen_Inc (176) 2008-03-24 20:44

Hello Bulent,
A spectacular photo of our history. Very dramatic with the dark sky. The beautiful detail of the architecture is very captivating. Nicely done.
Best Regards,

Hellas (5125) 2008-05-23 3:17

A great exposure coming from the past!
You created a rare image professor and you know it very well! Parthenon looks more original than in nowadays because there were no tractors around. I wonder about the equipment available at the time you captured this one. The camera and the film! I enjoyed the funny happening! Thank you very much for sharing.
Greetings from Greece,
Athanasios.

BWJ (1773) 2008-09-04 21:06

Hello Bülent,
This is a striking capture of the ancient temple with well chosen perspective to display its classic grace. The lighting is very pleasing and colors and textures are beautiful. The note is outstanding including several lessons.
Warm wishes,
Betty

Nessie (897) 2008-11-10 11:40

I was sure you would have stuff from my country! ;-)
Your whole collection is really interesting but I chose this picture because of its intimacy! Wonderful POV, great composition, amazing colours and details! Very weldone batalay!
Best Regards,
Nessie

ifanik (20542) 2009-03-17 12:39

Just beutiful my friend
The photo and the note
Best regards
Nick

Jakab (3470) 2009-05-02 14:00

Hello Bülent,
funny, I have just mentioned Betty the Parthenon as an example and now I see it on the front page of the TE!
The old scanned photo keeps pace with those taken by digital cameras. Your notes are exceptional both as for photographical technics and the architectural science and art of the ancient Greeks - despite two and a half thousand years there are common aspects, finally optics do not change with years.
Congratulations
Laszlo