Vertigo...Not!!! Photo

Photographer’s Note

Taken from the top of the Santa Justa lift in Lisbon. I always liked heights and the different point of view high places offer.
From the balcony at the top of the lift. I held the camera flush against the side of the railing and just clicked.
From http://www.strawberryworld-lisbon.com/ I got this information on this wonderful structure "The Santa Justa Elevator is a remarkable masterpiece designed by an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel and makes the connection between the Baixa (downtown) and Bairro Alto (high neighbourhood).
"It was opened in 1902, when it was steam powered, then in 1907 it became electrical and was the only vertical elevator in Lisbon in public service. Made entirely of cast iron, and embellished with filigree, the lifts within the tower go up to 45 metres and carry 25 persons in each cabin of which there are two. In a romantic neogothic design, this elevator is really something that you cannot afford to miss!
The café at the top affords magnificent views over the centre of Lisbon and the Tagus River."

Rotated, cropped, layers, contrast and color adjusted, levels, saved for web.

Rinie_Hoff, Fixfocus, ash_parikh, mlopes, bertolucci, pamastro, donner64, paulspain, carper, nwoehnl, vascao, avis2avis, Vagabond, orme, Paolo, CliffW, leonorkuhn, zenitlady, efigesta, rtome, annagrace, siolaw, clio has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Fixfocus (9377) 2005-02-28 2:54

Hi Cristina!
An amazing view from above!I like the strong and clear colors in this one.Excellent sharpness and good timing,you captured the car on the best place for the compo.The people on the stairs are a fine extra.
Good work!

Rinie_Hoff (9334) 2005-02-28 2:59

Oops, Cristina, this is a bit scary. I used to be bothered by fear of hights, then I sort of grew over it, just because my parents decided that they would move to an appartment on the fifth floor. But seeing these kind of images, I'm not completely cured yet!
Nice view nevertheless, I like the row of bolds.

RandomCameraGuy (3063) 2005-02-28 4:27

A very cool shot Cristina! I like the vantage point alot and there's a nice perpendicular angularity to the shot. I think I would have waited until the car was over the left edge of the right building though (for balance with the bigger building on the left). Very good overall.

Hey I was scared of heights myself as a kid. Freaked out every time (even when standing on chairs!). When I got older this fear annoyed me so much that I decided to give it a kick in the head---so I jumped out of a plane. I'm better now. ;-)

ash_parikh (2266) 2005-02-28 5:56

Very cool shot, very original angle. I like the top view, specially witht the blur metal railing you are shooting from, gives great depth. The car in motion, the tiles on the left, design on the entrance and people sitting on the stairway all make it a very nice photo.

bertolucci (11994) 2005-02-28 18:30

Hi Christina, great idea to shoot straight down and what a richness in textures and patterns you show us this way. It's deliciously graphic!
In ten days we'll be leaving for a short trip to Lisboa and I will try to make a shot like this, but from another side, and post it. I hope my slight vertigo doesn't keep me from taking it ;-).
Very well composed & very well defined work. Parabens!

Galmeida (12559) 2005-02-28 18:38

A excelent quality photo in a vertigo perspective for a vertigo fantastic artwork shot! This photo in your portfolio makes a great diffence and also as normal a creative approach. For me is a great work and well done and seen!

Best regards and no necessary to say more critique and positive words.

pamastro (7213) 2005-03-02 20:31

Neat idea, Cristina. I like how it turned out. You also had a lot of things here that happened to be in the right places to link various parts of the photos. there is the perspective down to the stairs that then leads us out. The people also draw the eye outward and then that lead to the car which whizzes the eye across the scene. The half courtyard like shape of the building serves as a nice frame to confine the visual path. And I like the depth of field here and how it really helps, along with the perspective to really create a dizzying feel of height. Nicely spotted and photographed.

manny (21378) 2005-03-05 12:03

Amazing POV. It is a daring shot. Interesting how the many patterns create a graphic design.

donner64 (284) 2005-03-05 17:03

Well, I like this pict and everything has almost been written. What I prefer? the two roofs with the diagonals... and the colors.
Interesting to see the screws (I'm not sure the word is appropriate). Thanks'

paulspain (625) 2005-03-05 20:13

Hello, Cristina. It´s an impressive composition, your point of view is excelent and original. I love Lisbon and its wonders and this is an original view, diferent from the Santa Justa lift, not looking at the horizon but the bottom, very good, my friend. I love this perspective. Colors and forms are fantastic.
Impressive photo, thanks for share it.
Saludos.
Pablo

carper (65622) 2005-03-06 4:30

oeps Christina,
I had miss this one from you, and what kind of shot. I am a little high sick from it, fun, very good lines, very good depth, fantastic composition you made, very good job, I like the shot

mitternacht (1836) 2005-03-06 6:27

I like how this picture almost exclusively consists of horizontal and vertical lines. The moving car adds some dynamics.

nwoehnl (120) 2005-03-06 16:08

Hi Cristina. A great downward shot, with a fine play of lines and textures. The sense of height is very well conveyed in this composition, and I also like your timing to have the car on the zebra crossing, and the pedestrians included on the sidewalk. I also like the saturated colors a lot. Very nice work indeed.

Rockyboy (20582) 2005-03-06 17:09

Very nice idea to shot from up to down. I like that you inluded the Santa Justa lift on the bottom of the picture and it's nice to see how the daily life is going on below. A car is passing, 2 people are sit on the stairs... Also the floor and the roofs provides very good textures. Well done!

vascao (192) 2005-03-12 20:48

Nitides fantástica, com um ângulo incomum, eu só descobri o que a foto realmente era quando abri. Bravo, Cristina!

apazevedo (5469) 2005-03-13 11:25

Boa perspectiva (realmente vertiginosa...) a partir do elevador de Sta. Justa, Cristina. Boas cores e definição, permitindo-nos observar telhados, janelas, calçada, asfalto, automóveis e peões, tudo na mesma foto. Belo trabalho!

avis2avis (4244) 2005-03-29 1:55

Hi Cristina,

This is a crazy shot. Love the blues here Though I feel the blue saturation was pushed up a bit higher than needed. But still excellent pov and the passing car adds a nice touch. Thanks for the nice historical note. Very interestng.

Take care,
Avis

Vagabond (5797) 2005-04-30 18:06

Olá Cristina ..
Parabéns por esta sua fotografia que capta excelentemente uma perspectiva pouco usual do elevador de Santa Justa. Os desenhos no passeio chamam a atenção para a imagem e dão uma ideia da altura do varandim. Mais que tudo: a sua magnífica exposição sobre este elevador. Muitos parabéns ..

orme (6746) 2005-05-01 12:29

Amazing shot, Cristina. Excellent POV. All the lines and patterns create a very interesting composition. I especially like the roof on the right and the way you captured the car on the crossing. Very well sen and framed.

Paolo (40753) 2005-05-04 12:17

Wonderful point of view Cristina!
The design on the street and the colors of the roofs are a wonderful contrast.
great light too.
thanks also for the note.
ciao

oochappan (22032) 2005-05-04 16:44

Incredible frightening POV but indeed seeing like this very nice composed and colored.
Henk

CliffW (2310) 2005-05-09 23:25

This was a great shot, leaning out over the edge like this. An arial shot at close range. Personally, I don't mind heights but constantly worry about the camera going over! Me? eh. I like most the texture of the wall at closest edge to give that same sort of foreground you get with close grass on landscapes, so that the scene isn't suspended without relation to the camera. Great call on that inclusion.

mlopes (492) 2005-05-11 3:32

Olá Cristina,
Já não visitava o teu "cantinho" há algum tempo, mas fico contente por saber que continuas a colocar lindas fotos de Portugal. Adoro a perspectiva quase vertiginosa, e tiveste sorte no momento do click, pois acho que o carro dá uma dimensão totalmente diferente à foto.

Mário

doume (38) 2005-05-21 16:18

Hi,
Lisbon is so beautiful and with lot of "miradouros". Your point of view is original and quite impressive. The result is beautiful,well done. To answer your title : no vertigo. Strangely, I suffer easily from vertigo (about 2-3 m are enough), but I never have any problem when my eye is on eyepiece.

Stepan (27175) 2005-06-10 14:53

An incredible pov with the perfect focus !
Well composed.
Stéphane

walktowilli (168) 2005-06-17 2:44

Woe! Don't jump. It is scary even looking at the picture. What an great view.

The_Rock (230) 2005-06-20 6:12

This is beautiful. Inded heights offer a different perspective and so often the images captured from it is graphical and impressive. I like the saturated colors of the elements in the photo and as well the lines and patterns it depicts. Superb shot ! Cristina

leonorkuhn (13989) 2005-06-24 15:03

Gostei da composição Cristina, a gente tem que ousar. Grande profundidade de campo, cores fortes. Eu só vi o elevador da esquina com a Rua Augusta, tirei até uma foto (com muita sombra) mas não subi nele. Parabéns
Leonor

zenitlady (219) 2005-06-28 14:51

Hello Cristina! Wow! Not only vertigo, but a celebration of lines and circles! I like how the bolts lead you down, and then the steps lead you down some more. Wonderful perspective, very original, well done! Thanks, Linda

gaudi-spirit (187) 2005-07-03 5:58

Very nice shot with huge perspective. It gives me a sensation of vertigo. Almost, the colors are wonderfull. Well done critina.

pitai (3925) 2005-08-12 22:23

Wow! Esta foto deixo-me com a boca aberta!!! A foto para alem de perfeita é mesmo muito orignal!! Gostei de ver os desenhos da calçada!! Muito bom trabalho!!!! É uma genio na camara!!!! P.S. Obrigado pelo comment!

alejandroguzman (4672) 2005-08-14 15:31

nossa... gostei muito o efecto que vc quiz demostrar com a foto. A simples vista parece ser um cuadro de pintura com mutios planos, mas na realidade sao planos dos predios e da calcada da rua.
Muito interesante sua foto, alem disso, muito ORIGINAL...
PARABENS !!!!

alejandro

efigesta (12181) 2005-10-05 5:49

Ola Cristina, que ponto de vista fabuloso, ao ver esta foto ate a mim me da vertigens, parabens bjs. manuel

USErin (445) 2006-07-31 10:52

In the thumbnail I thought I was looking at an entrance to a building. I was surprised to see that they were the stairs! Interesting perspective and POV. Im glad you didnt crop out the wall below you on the bottom of the photo.

siolaw (25830) 2006-07-31 10:54

Hi Cristina,
Nice POV! good perspective down the building, nice to have those steps adding some 3D effect, great colors on the pavement... a fine picture
Laurent

matt_harris_42 (151) 2007-08-04 14:39

I went up this elevator only a week ago - why didn't I think of doing this? I did the same thing with the Eiffel Tower, but your picture has got a lot more points. But I won't complain...
Regards,
Matt

lestans (15492) 2007-10-01 0:20

HI Cristina!
I suffer vertigo so I would never make such a shot! But I like yours very much, I like the way you framed the street abnd the street life here. Nice to see the stripes painted on the ground and the stairs, that are also "stripes".
Well done, ciao!!!
Livia

clio (23021) 2007-10-14 3:49

Hi Cristina,

Beautiful photo which allows to see the work of the pavements of Lisboa. I like these black and white small pavements which form real works of art in streets. Colors are taken back well with the asphalt and passage for the pedestrians.
Regards
Diane