Porte de Brandebourg Photo

Photographer’s Note

I have ben in Berlin in winter 1998 (9 years after the opening of the Berlin wall) and the city was under reconstruction around the wall area. In some places, I was alone and felt frighten by thinking that mines were there years ago (I hope they removed ALL). This shot, taken in East Berlin, seems to summarize the sad life that east germans wanted to escape.

ktanska, Polonaise has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

papera (5062) 2009-11-08 1:05

bonjour claude,
this photo brings back a lot of memories connected to Berlin... I remember the first time I visited Berlin was in 1986, I was an au-pair in Hannover and there was a cheap bus line that I could afford. you had to go through the DDR, where border police would stop the bus and examine every single item you had. and then you reached Berlin and you saw the wall and you couldn't get near to it - the same for the Branderburger Tor, the US soldiers would keep you off by at least 50mt. when I saw it it was a winter day in January and it was dark, like here in your photo but from the other side. I remember exactly how I felt - can't describe it with words, but it wasn't good.
I saw Berlin again many times - one months before the wall came down, people were already jumping over embassy's gates then. and then after the reunification - I even worked in East Berlin in those years, where they smell of coal used for heating indoors would kill your nostrils...
thanks for sharing this photo then - its atmosphere corresponds exactly to my feeling of those days.
c.

pattabe (415) 2009-11-08 1:44

Hi Claude,

This is a wonderful snapshot of likely past in Berlin, at winter time, good compotion and nice color overlay, well captured, good work.
Thanks

Regards Freddy (Bangkok)

delpeoples (5672) 2009-11-08 2:26

Hi Claude, this is a very meaningful, reportage photo. Beautifully composed, I love the slight grain to the film and nice use of vertical. An amazing look back into the past and a message for the future. Thanks again, Lisa.

ManuMay (10516) 2009-11-08 3:51

Bonjour Claude!

GREAT MOOD AND VERY OPPORTUNE POST!

This old capture seems to have no time thanks to your election to post in B&W, a very good point of view and composition...really a great work!

Congratulations...

Manuel

lacroux (3089) 2009-11-08 3:52

Bonjour Jean Claude
Une bonne évocation de ce 20éme anniversaire.
Un aspect un peu vieillot convient bien à cette image d'archive.
Bon travail de post-traitement de cette pellicule (oú du "scannage" de l'image).
Bon dimanche.
Pierre.

gilou530 (34945) 2009-11-08 6:59

salut claude
cette photo en N&B tout un symbole, même si elle est ancienne, le FA a toujours donner et donne encore de superbe photo, un bel hommage, et pour moi un souvenir lointain j'y étais en 74 pendant mon service
amitiés
gilbert

sevy (13142) 2009-11-08 10:02

Bonsoir Claude,

Voila une photo bien raccord avec l actualité. J aime beaucoup cette ambiance quasi monochrome et hivernale. Je trouve que ca va bien avec l architecture de la porte.
Le cadrage penche un peu sur la gauche. Tu devrais pouvoir le recuperer sans trop impacter ton cadrage.

Yves.

jimmj63 (775) 2009-11-08 23:36

ciao claude

you don't imagine what I found when I visited east berlin!
I'm very happy that that time was finished

ciao, giacomo

jjcordier (24382) 2009-11-08 23:44

Claude
Un noir et blanc qui donne un aspect "historique" à l'image, les lieux ayant bien changé depuis!
Amicalement
JJ

ktanska (16470) 2009-11-09 2:55

Hi Claude,
Strong symbolism on this shot. Even if those stones are just pavement stones rather than remains of the Berlin Wall. Well done. Good connection between fg stones and gate in the background.
Kari

vinicio (22270) 2009-11-10 23:20

Quite an old BW image, fascinating, I like the solitude of the scene and the cold atmosphere, compliments.
Ciao
Vinicio