Riding the worlds Photo

Photographer’s Note

They say that travelling consists in letting the world cut its path into our fragile little body, like an irruption that couldn’t be contained. We would want to forget the inevitable return. In the absence of any physical movement, the ways of the world reveal themselves in the books we read, as if those black letters carried in them more colours than we could ever count, and more perfumes than we could ever recognize.

Even though it is a privilege of only a few, the faculty of travelling while sitting on a wood bench and letting the imagination flow over some paragraphs carries in it the touch of a divine miracle.

If only I could tell you about the worlds I’ve been to... if only you could sit down by my side and pay attention to the rhythm of my wandering thoughts..

ps: Place du Bourg-de-Four, Genève

kikvel, robiuk, Luko, eleparc, RandomCameraGuy, shalin, Proxilva, cmartos, jp80, KevRyan has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

kikvel (4772) 2005-03-06 16:12

very good notes Gal

A pity people do not prefer to travel that way lately, too much TV, movies, too much importance given to the easy images

what a pleasure to travel that way

K.

robiuk (10763) 2005-03-06 16:27

Well, if Mr. Marcel was still alive (and I'm sure you'll know which Marcel I'm talking about), I suppose he would catch your thoughts beautifully - not missing a single one! ;-D
Wonderful framing with the bench (one of your favourite themes as far as I remember) almost as a part of the fence... and the reader sitting on it but NOT being a part of it but probably floating "over some paragraphs"...
Composition that I like with some nice light effect concentrating on the subject.
VERY INTERESTING, Gal and I think many will like it!
Regards,
Robi

Rinie_Hoff (9332) 2005-03-06 17:59

Hi Gal, I wish I had something funny in mind, but no, I'm sorry.
Is he an endangered species maybe, that he is enclosed between gates? So few people read nowadays, that he needs to be protected?
What Robi said about the bench, came to my mind as well, you're back to one of your favorite objects.
It's a nice cmposition, Gal, the tones are deep and rich, but I think the vignetting could be a bit less strong.
Good notes, I'm so glad I can read. I sometimes try to remember how it felt, when I learned to read, and the written world opened up for me. Not dependent on someone else, but able to read myself, but I can't remember. Maybe I was not THAT impressed.

pridel (233) 2005-03-06 22:20

Gal
Je crois qu'il est question de lecture et de voyage dans ta note. je n'ai pas tout traduit. ce que je retiens surtout c'est ton image. un homme qui lit dans un parc, (n&b impécc)avec une concentration de lumière sur lui. si ceci est une métaphore de l'évaasion par la lecture, c'est réussi notamment grâce à la compo engrillagée.
bravo
Pascal

Zepi (22848) 2005-03-07 4:41

Superbe composition!
J'aime ce noir et blanc,beau cadrage,j'adore la lecture de cette image,un model du genre!!!
Merci pour le partage !
Magnifique travail !

Amicalement
Sébastien

Luko (13880) 2005-03-07 17:31

Haha... see.. you're getting into the back photo thingy also... how would you expect this photo working from the face? hmmh? not good eh?
This is why we can identify with him, we're reading on his behalf...we're sitting on your side... we're seeing he world as you see it...

Well about reading, an activity which I do like... so close to to physical traveling that combining both makes you travel in a humpty-dimensional world : have you ever experienced reading Evelyn Waugh's sophisticated irony in "travel through Ethiopia" while in the rusticity of Borneo's jungle, praising Coatalem's quiet "Indochina suite" (Editions le Dilettante -what a nice name!-) in a busy HongKong underground or even feel the wind blowing through Brautigan's "confederate general in Big Sur" on a boat sainling off the french coasts.

very good use of a gradient vignetting... looks like a theatre light focusing on that character.

eleparc (24059) 2005-03-07 17:56

nice shot Gal! only flaw for me is the use of this PS tool making a ray of light. quite unnecessary in this shot IMO... or am I wrong?

i love to travel in life as well as travel through the books...you are perfectly right...

RandomCameraGuy (3063) 2005-03-07 23:40

I love it Gal. Great simple comp, and the vinetting works in isolating the man and creating a slightly unreal photo (which works well with the note), and lastly, a great note. Well done.

shalin (135) 2005-03-08 8:21

Beautiful note!! A really good photo essay - inspiring!

dolin (15647) 2005-03-09 5:23

Bonjour.
A nouveau un très beau n/b.
Une scène qui ne "paie pas de mine" à la base, mais comme à votre habitute, vous arrivez à donner de la vie à la prise.
Très jolie prise avec une excellente réalisation.
Joli.
Fred

Proxilva (2157) 2005-03-09 7:45

ciao Gal

the serene world of a book, or in this case a pile of papers, maybe a synopsis for a great movie, maybe the essays off the kids he teaches or maybe just abook fallen appart into a pile of ancient loose papers...

who cares what it is, but it makes you think, and the poloshirt of the person makes me long to the summer...

great shot
Jorrit

RGatward (19737) 2005-03-09 17:07

I read your note to Eric, I think I agree with you, the PP certainly focusses our attention on the man, and draws us into the shot. I've only just worked out how to this in PS too, along with so many other things recently. The framing of this, though, and the pose of the man I could imagine would have produced a very nice image in any event.

cmartos (6086) 2005-03-10 4:22

Quels sont-ils ces voyages qu'on nous force à faire, ces mondes qu'on nous contraint à découvrir sous cette lumière dirigée? Comme si les treillis ne suffisaient pas à conduire le regard sur ce lecteur du monde, le vignettage appliqué ici révèle une soif d'évasion contenue pourtant par la réalité, plutôt sombre. Je n'avais pas vu celle-ci, cette image est très forte!

jp80 (8437) 2005-03-11 5:30

Très belle image Gal, cette photo est très intéressante avec cette zone lumineuse isolée au centre de la composition. Une certaine quiétude s'échappe de l'image, je trouve cela très bien réalisé. Félicitations !

Pascal

KevRyan (22297) 2005-03-27 13:39

A beautiful piece of writing and a fine composition Gal - a great combination.

joseelias (367) 2005-04-05 5:05

A atmosfera intimista nesta imagem é muito boa. Penso que captaste bem a sensação de alheamento a que quem se submete à leitura tem. O foco de luz sobre o homem esta muito bem trabalhado. Gosto particularmente das diagonais traçadas pelas vedações que acentuam a sensação do isolamento.

faubry (32197) 2005-04-19 18:22

intersting note, yes, we can travel without moove, with a book i am ok with you..
good shot
thanks
francine