The great event of 22th August Photo

Photographer’s Note

One of the most common tradition of south Italian people is the lunch on the beach.
In the north Italy during the July and August months quite all the people is all around the world for vacation.
In the south the largest part of the people have vacation at home, with daily trasfers to the sea, were they spent the whole day having big lunch on the beach. They transport tables, chairs and many, many foods and beverages.
All that happened cause the largest part of south Italian people live along the coast and at not more than 1 hour by car (but really often just a bunch of minutes) to wonderful beaches and blue/green sea.
In the last 15, 20 years the young southerns take vacation all around, but people of mid age still spent the whole vacation at home.

In the image a classical view of Sardinian beaches in summer period.
A local family from Olbia, at the end of the day after have a long and large lunch on the beach. Table, chairs, sun umbrellas and out of the image there were 4 large box refrigerators.
I saw that family many times in the past 2 years that we spent in Sardinia, 2 or 3 times per week they come on the beach, very often with other relatives and many friends. I well remember the lunch of the 15th August of 2005, when they where more than 30 people! All with tables and chairs and sun-umbrellas! It was a line of people in front of the sea longest than 15 meters. And...believe me..you cannot imagine out tons of food (excellent one!) there was on the tables!!!

In the image of 22 August 06 there is another "great event": the big fire of Punta Saline, when the cape on the beach burned for more than 2 hours.
Many many people on the beach turned the chairs in the right direction to watch the event.

At few meters from the family there is a small bar made of wood on the beach. I took a beer there during the fire and there were many people talking about it.

"Just a ****** pyromanic can do taht!!!"

"Maybe it was a cigarette..."

"There is the small harbour for yacht there, they have many gasoline..."

"Yesterday guys did there a party with fireworks!"

"The sun is too strong that summer..."

"Where will play next year the Juventus? in Serie A or Serie B? It will be relegated for corruption?"

...

(in less than 1 hour 2 Canadair and 1 helicopter won the battle with the fire, the villas on the cape were saved, but the small yacht harbour and all the trees and the bushes of the cape were burned).

Adrique, marknunnerley, aloyho, Loic_bzh, PixelTerror, devimeuxbe, jrj, Gerrit, Henryk_Bilor, teutza, lestans, Elaine_Blath, jhm, Mondaychild, anducina, john_c, Photo65Net, Vato_Law, annagrace, sebcz, branley, ruisc_pt has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

aloyho (6105) 2007-01-12 4:27

Hi Paolo,
Indeed nice to be your neighbour this time. What an intersting shot and contrast - with one group battling the blaze and another relaxing. I like how you captured the scene with the dramatic plume of smoke across the sky. The single yatch add to the mood of the scene. Well done!! Happy New Year and success always.

Loic_bzh (6934) 2007-01-12 4:43

Hi Paolo,

ur pict shows that a sad event can give a good photo... Seeing those people watching the fire going on gives me a strange feeling... I can't help myself thinking to those a###### who brake after a car crash just to see if they can some blood... :-/

Anyways, thanx for sharing this beautiful pict...

CU around,

Loïc

PixelTerror (85994) 2007-01-12 5:27

Ciao Paolo,
Nice reportage photo with a view that shows a succession of elements from the viewers to the actual event, the shades tell the day is already well advanced, still the sun lightens the foreground colors.
Have a nice day,
Jean-Yves

Gerrit (35423) 2007-01-12 6:04

Hi Paolo,
nothing better than watching desaster while having fun.
Great colours and composition.
Regards, Gerrit

sebinho342 (18726) 2007-01-12 6:09

Hi Paolo, a, investigation picture, you should work as a journalist ! You were there at the right time, totake this particular picture, of course i understand you took the pic instead of making something xcause you couldn't something, and you got this result.
Sometimes we can do nothing, impuissance, that's the idea of the picture
Good !

teutza (10558) 2007-01-12 7:20

HY Paolo,
nice scene!i already miss the summer days!
thanks for the little story in the note:)
hugs
teo

Elaine_Blath (6170) 2007-01-12 8:45

Hi Paolo,

great shot and moment, you really caught it so well...and excellent note, I really laughed about that talk you´ve written...well done!

Take care, Ivana

marknunnerley (2768) 2007-01-12 10:08

Good notes Paulo. It's what life is about, sharing these times with friends. As the saying goes the best way to make friends is to be one or something like that. And is Buffon going to play for Man U next season or stay in Serie B?
Ciao Paulo.
br
mark

stefanocer (10323) 2007-01-12 10:18

Bella cattura con colori eccezionali , rende bene l'idea della concitazione del momento , peccato che la cosa si ripeta troppo spesso , lungo le nostre belle coste , bravo ben fatto.
Stefano.

rbcy1974 (20742) 2007-01-12 10:18

Hello Paolo
Very interesting the jxtaposition of espectators and the fire in the horizon
great sharpness and colours
Well captured
Regards
Daniel

carper (63998) 2007-01-12 10:22

very nice one, Paolo,
looks me nice the weather is good, something too eat and too drink, well, I like such a vacation.
gr. jaap

jhm (81659) 2007-01-12 11:24

Hi Paolo,

A very dramatic picture with the be on fire in background, a pity but the smoke plume give a nice contrast against the blue sky, in foreground care for the low sun for a excellent composition and colours. Tfs.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

Fis2 (45166) 2007-01-12 11:31

Witaj Paolo!
Good reportorial photo! Curious place and frame. Well done.
Regards
Krzysztof

Mondaychild (1513) 2007-01-12 11:32

Hi Paolo,

when I clicked the photo, the first thing that came to my mind was "a bush fire" (as these are very "popular" in Mediterranean countries, especially in August. It´s a bit sad (but also amusing) to see that fires seem to be an "event" for the people, somekind of entertainment.
Clear colors, good contrasts, well composed!

anducina (8062) 2007-01-12 12:18

Excellent compo, light and POV, very nice vivid colours. Well-balanced compo. Very good.

TFS,

Andreea

Graal (57220) 2007-01-12 13:10

Hi Paolo,
interesting view and story in note. Unusual fire. Good composition, fine colours. Beautiful beach. Pleasant remind of summer time.
Gr., Aleksander

feather (49848) 2007-01-13 5:17

Excellent insight into Italian life; what a difference reliable sunshine makes to a lifestyle.
Excellent photo too. I love how the family have turned around to watch the fire. The long shadows (interestingly falling in the same direcrtion as the smoke) indicate the lateness of the hour. Good work.
Kath

jrj (34779) 2007-01-13 6:51

Interesting daily life shot from the beach Paolo. Fine, typical details of the family there in the afternoon light.
The fire in back could be mistaking for a big BBQ - but unfortunately more dramatic than that...
Interesting work.

mzmehr (917) 2007-01-13 9:47

Hi Paolo,
very intresting shot everything is perfect managed.

Thanks for sharing
Mohammad

john_c (24635) 2007-01-13 10:18

Hi Paolo,
Such a contrast between the picnickers on the beach and the roaring fire in the distance. There is good clarity of detail here and the smoke trailing across the frame really provides balance. Well captured.
John

Henryk_Bilor (20365) 2007-01-13 15:31

Hi Paolo
Interesting scene with these people under umbrellas, their long shadows and the smoke in the background. Great colours.
Have a nice day.

Photo65Net (43084) 2007-01-14 4:13

Salut Paolo,
Very nice picture, very reprorter spirit.
Great note, full of details.
Great job,
JB.

Vato_Law (11636) 2007-01-14 16:15

Ciao Paolo,
A good use of the photo to pass a message to everyone that leave trash, throw cigars thru the window of their cars, or simply throw them to the forest, as those fricks that are putting fire to the forests surely will not see this or give it any importance.
About the photo it's nice to see the attention this family is giving to the sad event that is taking part in front of them.
Cheers.
Paulo

annagrace (2463) 2007-01-14 22:29

LOL, your note is the best part of this posting! Nice POV, you can see the fire well and the people posed to view it.

TFS,

Alli

sebcz (2345) 2007-01-16 7:46

Hi Paolo!
Interesting note. The smoke looks dramatic. I'd leave some more space at the bottom of the photo, not to cut off the chair.
Seb

Emile (19785) 2007-01-18 16:13

Hola Paolo.
A good example of what is happening in the world today, the marina on fire and the group of people relaxing and having fun under the umbrellas. Very good view of the fire and smoke. Good composition with colors and sharpness.
Regards.

branley (3681) 2007-01-28 10:05

Hi Paolo,

I'm pleased to discover your fine gallery. This dramatic image should have been on the front page of the local newspaper. One can only imagine the frenetic activity taking place at the scene of the fire yet on the beach all is calm, contrasting situations indeed. The colours are contrasting & superb and the light is perfect where you've caught the long evening shadows. A fine capture and well seen.

Riguardi

Stephen

ruisc_pt (6206) 2007-01-31 4:41

Hi Paolo
Great shots you have.
I choose this one, perhaps not for the image "per si" but for the comments.
Great!
TFS

wolf38 (12489) 2007-04-05 9:02

Hello Paolo. As I see, you have a faible for landscape photographs. In the picture "The great event OF 22th August" sit people at the beach and regard a Event from fire and smoke. The picture somehow reminds me of the assassination attempt on the World trade center. Many people watched at that time similarly relaxed from safe distance, how the photos show some famous photographers. Your photo is composed, strong outstanding in the colors and remains in memory. Very beautifully. Best regards, Wolfgang.