City of Light and Shadows, #3 Photo

Photographer’s Note

"Streets that I chanced upon,--
you had just walked down them and vanished.
And sometimes, in a shop, the mirrors
were still dizzy with your presence and, startled,
gave back my too-sudden image. Who knows?
perhaps the same bird echoed through both of us
yesterday, seperate, in the evening..."
--excerpt from Rainer Maria Rilke, You Who Never Arrived, transl. by Stephen Mitchell

This is the third of the "shadow play" theme that came to me in Budapest (and the last one I upload, promise!). The image of the church with which the people are fused, again within one shot, is the baroque Franciscan church in downtown Budapest which, as all Catholic churches in the city, is open throughout the day.

isabela_sor, andante, rigoletto, ribeiroantonio, delnaja, KevRyan, luisafonso, marknunnerley, Griet, syd1946, eleparc, stiginthedump, Luan, mcenteesalas, coco has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

giorgimer (20724) 2007-10-07 14:23

Hi Sarolta,

magic unreal atmosphere. Excellent game of shadows with fascinating high ISO effect

TFS

Gio

ArcapA (293) 2007-10-07 14:25

Excellent shot. Love the grain. Congratulations.
Cheers.
Alp

andante (7092) 2007-10-07 14:29

Hola Sasa, have been following your series like watching a movie... I feel the tension like if I was watching a Hitchcock movie. The whole series is brilliant! ou have conceptualize it from the beginning, and while you were away you did a series based on reflections and shadows! Hats off!

Cheers,
Enrique

rigoletto (25940) 2007-10-07 14:45

"...and the last one I upload, promise!"

Don't promise for such a thing Sasa, who is fed up with those mirrored shadows? Ghosts of Central Europe chasing for a young lady...What is spookier than that? I like the Kafkaeque feeling in this serie, i think this should be the exact term to describe the eerie atmospheres in your last photos. Grains and monchromism add to the feeling of a haunting nightmare. You are the best one to give this mood to a single frame. Excellent!
Deniz

dsidwell (9745) 2007-10-07 15:05

Hello Sarolta, I really like this image! The grain is well used, and the reflections and images conjure much thought. Very well done!

Furachan (0) 2007-10-07 16:23

Well this has all the makings of a first rate gallery collection, Sasa, printed LARGE on a wall somewhere in Ottawa- it certainly deserves it. Seamless is a word that comes to mind when I see how smoothly and mysteriously your shadow people merge with the background, and the past...
I see (with a great deal of sympath) that you may be running into some "accessibility" problems of your own with this one ;o)
bw,
Francis

prezntime (3945) 2007-10-07 19:02

What are you promising about...

This shot had the effect...well; when someone sitting next to you in a car, during a long silent stretch, reaches over and SLAP!!!, hits you in the chest and asks you "are you alright?" Glaring, cryptic, brilliant Sasa...I hope you print these shots, it would be a shame not to hold these wonderful slices of art in ones hands. The face at the bottom right corner, much like The Scream...Astonishing.
You single handidly dissolve any discussion between the quality of digital versus film.

Chris.

cbrman (18691) 2007-10-07 22:28

Hello Sarolta,

Une bien curieuse prise de vue qui mèle mystère et attente ! Que font ces deux personnes dans cet escalier ? L'ombre énorme sur la gauche rend l'image presque effrayante !
Beaucoup d'effet et d'ambiance ici !

A+

Dominique

bantonbuju (48334) 2007-10-07 22:42

it's been quite a project, sasa...
but to be honest - these photos require either a profound acquanitanceship with your style, your previous works, your quest for those unique moments where fraction of second and the chance is gone...your specialty which for us is hard to copy...
another option would be what francis says - a larger format series hang on some gallery walls...
bw, j.

delnaja (7708) 2007-10-08 0:09

a pure jewel again Sasa... Once again the example you are talented. A great atmosphere achieved... reminds me a scene of the expressionnist cinema.
Just love it!
Take care
Fred

KevRyan (22297) 2007-10-08 0:46

This one is intriguing too - in one sense more revealed than the others yet not without its mysteries. I like the surface patterning and see an image of a different age - one that i marvel at and adore - (before my time!!!! ;-)) I hasten to add!). There is one aspect of the image which perhaps makes it less successful in my eyes - good but not at the same level and that's the strength of the light centre top - my mind is not made up on it - one way of looking makes of it a strong distraction......another an essential part of the compositional story as the light penetrates the gloom below.......

have a good week my friend

ps Just looking throgh the TE shots of Budapest and your shots are uniquely different .......but I guess we knew that!! ;-))

bw Kev

isabela_sor (41913) 2007-10-08 1:05

As usual,looking your images I feel like I am in another world,another dimension,where everything is different,strange but more attractive
Excellent play with shadows!!!
My respect
Isabela

luisafonso (858) 2007-10-08 4:00

I just don't know what to say in front of these pictures of yours. You really are a master when it comes to shadows. The way you use them to turn photography into poetry never ceases to amaze me. It's an outstanding photo. Sorry for not to be able to say more than that...

vapours (7913) 2007-10-08 4:34

This could easily be something from a early 1900s haunted movie, I can almost hear the creek from the steps as the man comes down. Great work again Sassa.

marknunnerley (2768) 2007-10-08 5:47

Love the look you have created here Sasa, they have a Daguerreotype type look to them. Really nice look and a great image again with the shadows and reflections. Superb. Jealous ;)
br
mark

Griet (506) 2007-10-08 6:00

Hi Sarolta,
What a mysterious atmosphere you created with this one..
it's like the ghosts are wondering around.. :))
The last in a very good serie

greets
Griet

michiels (4170) 2007-10-08 8:41

hello Sasa,
you did it again ! a gorgeous one, i like the sepia tones, it adds a lot to the mood. the serie is really very beautiful !
greetings, inn

syd1946 (17807) 2007-10-08 11:35

Hello Sasa,
I enjoy very much your last trilogy!I don't know which picture prefer more.All of the them have a strange feeling,a dreamy surrealistic atmosphere and most of all your own touch!
I love the shadow here,reminds me an old noir film...

many wishes,
Thomas

bwiti (402) 2007-10-08 15:26

Allez j'écris en français car je peine à bien m'exprimer en anglais...
Encore une fois un superbe monument photographique... J'aime tout le mystère qui se faufile dans tes compositions... Ces ombres et reflets sont véritablement de toute beauté et encore une fois ton traitement du noir et blanc me laisse pantois... Mille félicitations...

eleparc (24059) 2007-10-08 17:20

The immense shadow certainly adds to the drama of this photo! The interplay with the reflections, the staircase and the persons going down is excellent. One of your secret tricks from Old Budapest ;-))

Eric

brevbrev14 (370) 2007-10-09 0:55

Dear Sasa, another fantastic work!!
great composition and great game of the shadows!
as usual your images have a dreamy feeling...
another fantastic work to close your stunning series!
ciao!
Valeria

yanseiler (20) 2007-10-09 2:06

Hi Sasa,you shots from Hungary are great one after the other, full of atmosphere, like dreams...

jinju (14265) 2007-10-09 22:10

This is an example of you at your best: what a messy, confusing shot this is. Youve mixed shadows and reflections and everything into a wonderful abstraction of reality. Great!

AmiBe (6042) 2007-10-10 11:06

Another piece of art from you dear Sasa.
I like so much this noisy b/w.
Very mysterious again.
For me, you can upload more :)
rgs

stiginthedump (1823) 2007-10-11 0:07

I'll echo what Francis said about this one Sarolta. This needs to be seen BIG to fully appreciate it. (ever sell your images).

It's a killer reflection and the uy's shadow puts this as one of my favorites!

Luan (15935) 2007-10-11 22:18

It looks like you picutre is home by diferent spirits ! I like this frightening scream face on the bottom right !
SUperb one as usual
Luan

JKaranka (353) 2007-10-21 10:15

Nice shot, good mix of reflection, blur, grain and underexposures. The only thing that makes it make sense is the classicality of the composition. Wider and not having the strong vertical in the middle it would be just chaos.

coco (27598) 2007-10-30 0:48

Hi Sasa.

Wonderful how you play with the reflections and the black and white.
Also a wonderful and very creative composition.

Well done.

horatiuTT (4566) 2008-02-22 2:48

Hi Sarolta,
striking photo,unbelievable prove of originality and talent.
Marvelous grains,sharpness and tones...all the elements look
great and seem to work perfectly together.Marvelous mood.
Horatiu