GONDOLAS OF ENGLAND, a photo from Cambridgeshire, England

Photographer's Note

GONDOLAS OF ENGLAND

Oxbridge Colleges, collectively describing the federation of colleges comprising the two great British universities, Oxford and Cambridge, are unrivaled for their academic legacies. The two universities date back to the early 13th century, both have produced countless Prime Ministers and other statesmen of England, as well as leaders of other nations. Both have produced some of the most important writers, poets, historians… and many of the finest scientists in history. Although my academic training in theoretical physics (I was a post-doc) included Oxford, neither Oxford nor any other institution in the world can possibly compete with Cambridge's contributions to modern science. Before giving a talk at Yale University in 2009, I had checked to see which academic institutions had produced the most Nobel Laureates, I found that 18 names were associated with Yale, 33 with Princeton, 43 with Harvard… and approximately 80 with Cambridge.

The photo shows a punt being navigated gently along the River Cam, and I shot it from a punt in which I was a passenger. Cambridge gets its name from this river — and presumably an ancient bridge that must have crossed it in the distant past. On the Cherwell River in Oxford one can also see punts, all testaments to a day in the past (17th century) when the British were becoming enamored of the classical world of Greece and Rome, and with all things Venetian. The punts of Oxford and Cambridge were inspired by the gondolas of Venice, and St. John’s College Bridge, by the Bridge of Sighs. One of the greatest scientists of the 20th century, theoretical physicist, Paul Adrian Maurice Dirac, who synthesized quantum mechanics at the age of 23, completed his PhD at Cambridge, won the Nobel Prize at 32, then served as a professor at St. Johns College, Cambridge for the next forty years. Two years ago Bridget Plowright, (NorfolkGirl) submitted a similar photo, which I had admired since I first saw it. Accordingly, I am pleased to dedicate this photograph to Bridget.

I was in England for an unusually short, 96-hour visit between June 12 and June 16, in order to do some exploratory work on a new book, 'The Miracle Year', for National Geographic Books. The subject of the book is Isaac Newton, the greatest scientist in history, and possibly the smartest man ever, but also an exceedingly difficult, reclusive, recalcitrant and irascible man who lived between 1642 and 1727. During an 18-month period when the Bubonic Plague had just arrived in England from the continent, and started to ravage the population of London, Oxford and Cambridge (each 80-km from London) were closed down. Newton, who had recently completed his BA degree, spent the next 18 months in his home at Woolsthorpe Manor, about 100 km to the north. When he returned to Cambridge with a list of his “mental inventions,” his theories, he began to change the way we see the universe. He was 23-years old in 1666 when the seeds of his works were planted, it would be another 23 years before he would publish them in his defining work, 'Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Matematica.' Newton formulated differential and integral calculus, discovered the three laws of motion that bear his name, the Universal Law of Gravitation, and much much more. Basically, he unified the laws of heaven and earth, and created the fundamental tools to search for new laws. Ultimately, he showed the inextricable connection between nature and mathematics. He even invented the reflecting telescope.

In the workshop a 'working map' I generated shows the trajectory I took during my 96-hour visit of the UK.

jhm, JCG, Leconte, papagolf21, snunney, macondo, pauloog, yedirenk, worldcitizen, Royaldevon, windosil, paololg, Kielia, delpeoples, BWJ, Angshu, subhendu_bagchi, nobuikehonda, svefay, ikeharel has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

JCG (35153) 2010-07-29 0:33

Hello Bülent,

Attention should be paid not to raise its pole while passing under the bridge, to avoid the surprises!!! This channel is a true boulevard with gondolas, but that must be very pleasant to visit a so beautiful site with these means of transport. A weather not very sunny but I like the atmosphere and this back-light on the “driver”. Pretty glance and thank you for the note always so interesting.

With all my friendships and with soon,

Jean-Charles

Leconte (5795) 2010-07-29 0:34

hello dear Bulent,

color less garish than Venice, a beautiful view and excellent framing under bridges, magnificent architecture and good POV, wonderful composition,

best regards,
Valerie.

mikolaj_kawa (0) 2010-07-29 0:59

Hello Bulent! Interesting gondola, very interesting scene. Wonderful background. Amazing bridge. Good contrast. Fine effect. Well done!

jhm (202989) 2010-07-29 1:04

Dear Bulent,

Indeed what a luck we are neighbours today, night for you in Washinton.
You shows us a nice image taken during your short visit to England.
We see very a much on this image, depth and perspective are excellent.
Nice close-up of the gondola.
Very well composition, good presentation. TFS.

Kind regards,
John

papagolf21 (152599) 2010-07-29 1:29

Bonjour, cher ami Bulent,
Eh oui ! des gondoles en Angleterre, cela existe également, la preuve !
Très belle prise de vue avec ces ponts en enfilade.
L'on retrouve bien l'architecture anglaise à travers les immeubles bordant le fleuve;
comme à l'accoutumée, une réalisation fort intéressante.
Amitiés.
Philippe

snunney (130967) 2010-07-29 2:34

Hello Bulent,
An attractive composition featuring the Cam and the backs of the colleges. The punt is nicely placed and contributes to the mood of the shot. I have to say that although I visited Oxford and Cambridge on various occasions when I lived in the UK, I never went in a punt. Conversely, I did hire a gondola in Venice whilst on holiday there.

macondo (20449) 2010-07-29 3:02

Greetings Bulent.
Here is a fine result from your hurried sojourn. Even from the thunbnail it was so obviously Cambridge! Your viewpoint, so low-down, must have been from another boat, or possibly squatting on the bank of the Cam. There's nothing in the shot that makes it less than timeless. The view under the arch of more arches and boats testifies to the thoughtful composition, and of course the timing gives us the oarsman in action and passenger looking upwards.
I enjoyed reading your long and interesting note. I did notice that Newton's death should be 1727 instead of 1627! He did live a long time for that period.
Regards,
Andrew

mursaloglu (8682) 2010-07-29 3:58

Merhaba Sevgili Bülent bey
Yaz mevsimi nedeniyle TE’ye çok az girebiliyorum . Umarım bu nedenle kusurumu bağışlarsınız... Mükemmel bir kare özellikle insan unsuru ve görkemli çevre arkitektürü harika bir birliktelik yaratmış. Olaganüstü bir kompozisyon tebrikler ihsan

Bluejeans (64251) 2010-07-29 5:21

Ola Bulent,
Que interessante cena não sabia desta gondolas inglesas , o arco tem uma arquitectura magnifica bem detalhada com aquelas janelas parecem tiradas do filme Harry Potter , bom ângulo de visão, parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

pauloog (11751) 2010-07-29 6:27

Hello Bulent,
A view that is a discovery, such boats under the gothic and classic architecture of Oxford. And a good note about Newton, being an engineer I am aware we owe a lot to him. and we will therefore forgive the darker sides of his character...
Regards,
Paul

zeynepe (0) 2010-07-29 7:19

Merhaba Bulent Bey,
Bu yil Istanbul'a gelmediniz sanırım, TE'yi az ziyaret ediyorum maalesef.Muhteşem kareleriniz ve notlarinizla iyi ki varsiniz diyorum. Biz cok iyiyiz oglum Berke yakinda 1 yasinda olacak:)
Esinize sevgilerimle,
Zeynep

paprika-jancsi (2349) 2010-07-29 8:44

nice seeing you again, professor! lovely scene from Cambridge and the bridge is a beautiful example of Perpendicular Gothic I very much admired in the King's College Chapel. See you soon. Janos

yedirenk (11244) 2010-07-29 13:08

merhaba Bülent hocam,
gondolu ve köprüleri görünce Venedik sandım ama İngiltereden bir kare..şaşırtıcı..
arka planıyla,kadrajı ve atmosferiyle şahane bir kartpostal gibi.ellerinize sağlık.selamlar,saygılar

Cevdet

worldcitizen (14272) 2010-07-29 16:52

Hello Bulent,
This scene is very romantic, and well-composed. I like the way the bridge in the background appears beneath the arch of the one in the foreground. Th architecture is beautiful, and the comparison to the waters of Venice is striking. Here we have a punt, but the scene mirrors a Venetian gondola and the bridges it would glide beneath, as well.

resat1972 (7586) 2010-07-30 1:35

Merhaba Bülent Bey,

Çok güzel bir nehir fotoğrafı. İngiltere demeseniz, Tayland ve civarı sanacağım. filmlerdeki o dokuyu güğzel yansıtmışsınız.
Tebrikler

Reşat.

Urs (14082) 2010-07-30 5:14

Hi Bulent

Interesting there are gondolas in England, I though only in Venice, but I was wrong. your note is very interesting to read. You die not have the best weather, but you made the best with the available light. Well done. Thanks for your critique of my Taoist temple. Native German, I would rather state I'm bilingual, French-German. at home we spoke both languages. My wife is Swiss, so we speak together Swiss German but when working most is in English, only some German and French I'm using. Certainly I know a few words in some Asian languages, Malay is the worst, Thai is a bit better, but there is also some knowledge of Hindi, Mandarin, Cantonese, but not Turkish, which - I think - is or should be your mother tongue.

Best regards
Urs

Royaldevon (75378) 2010-07-30 6:20

My goodness, Bulent, what a busy few days you had in England! This is a delightful shot of a place that I have never visited, though I have lived in England all my life!! The punt is well positioned in the frame and serves to draw in attention, allowing ample views of the fine architectural buildings beyond.
There is great depth to the shot. It was with great enjoyment that I noticed the two further arches and punts, visible beneath the m/g arch!!

With my warm regards,
Bev :-)

Silvio1953 (205685) 2010-07-30 7:36

Ciao Bulent, like venice:), great composition with beautiful gondola and wonderful bridge, splendid light, very well done my friend, have a good week end, ciao Silvio

windosil (1158) 2010-07-30 9:41

Hallo, Bulent. This is a very perfect presentation of the details of the architecture, unobscured by dramatic lighting. The 'gondolas' are well placed to create the third dimension while the trees and the ripples add life to the sedate buildings.
I hope your book is going well.
Winifred

ciakgiak (30) 2010-07-30 11:17

Ciao bulent,
splendida immagine, classica e di gran fascino, molto ben composta e di grande qualità.
Perfetto il movimento del gondoliere in questo contesto di splendida architettura.
Eccellente la qualità dello scatto. Buon WE.
un caro saluto
Giorgio

ymrk (15099) 2010-07-30 12:52

Gondolun ve onu yönlendirenin konumu,duruşu nefis...hem mimari dolu hem de çok keyifli..selamlar hocam,

yağmur

paololg (31448) 2010-08-01 14:37

Ciao dear Bulent,
yes, the style could be that of the gondolas, even if the gondola is a more complicated boat...
Anyway, the scene is romantic as it was among the Venetian calli, passing under the bridges among ancient architectures. Very interesting the note about the history of the two more famous English universities and the known rivalry among Oxford and Cambridge. Really pleasant image, compliments!
Ciao, have a nice week!
Paolo
PS: I have replied to your comment to my photo "Summertime" about our micro meeting of August :-)

Kielia (24077) 2010-08-02 2:25

Hello Bulent,
I love reading your notes because you are such a fantastic lecturer! The accompanying image is very nicely depicting what you have written about Oxford. I also like the dark light that is creating a moody atmosphere. Your POV is very well working. My compliments!
Warm regards
Harriet

delpeoples (60326) 2010-08-02 2:52

Hi Bulent, this really could be Venice, just amazing. I like the action shot of the "gondoliere". The arch of the bridge creates a very romantic atmosphere. Lovely shot, TFS and I wish you a good day, Lisa

Didi (61589) 2010-08-02 11:13

Salam my friend
In spite of the covered sky the composition is very attractive.
A Harry Potter ambiance here.
Very good deep foreground.
Warm regards

BWJ (3094) 2010-08-03 21:04

Hello Bulent,
What a marvelous setting. Your POV is perfect capturing the beauty of the arched bridges and architectural details. The punt is perfectly placed in the picture for pleasing balance and interest. There is nice natural contrast between the green, gray and red colors. Your note is outstanding—very informative and interesting to read.
Kind regards,
Betty

danyy (0) 2010-08-03 23:43

Bonjour Bulent,
très cocasse ce mélange de 'cultures' au sein d'un des plus traditionnels endroits d'Angleterre. Un ciel un peu blanc, c'est dommage et des lumières trdsè difficiles.
Amicalement.
Daniel.

Angshu (56760) 2010-08-21 5:35

Dear Professor 'A'
You'd got a typical English sky there, but the diagonal compo helps. Like how the St. John’s College Bridge 'brides' across the river, with the red brick wall of the building on the left contrasting well. Do we see a flag hanging from outside one of the windows? We can see 3 punts here & the height of the arch seems to be just enough to allow the standing 'punt-ier' tp pass through

Your latest shot, the one from Taj Mahal is very fine, though cliched, but I'll surely comment on it later!

With Warmest Regards
Angshuman

gunbud (34066) 2010-09-13 20:48

Hi Bulent,
Wonderful historic scene with the gondola of the north facing the splendid British architecture that is seen in sharp details and warm colors.
Very fine historical note about this special place.
Regards, Tom

subhendu_bagchi (26091) 2010-10-10 17:37

Namaste Professor,
it is really a nice composition. Nice architecture with the silhouetted gondola is worth seeing. Great light and fine natural colours. Very well done.
Tfs.
Subhendu

gmg (4202) 2010-12-17 12:51

Hi Bulent!

Nice POV almost at water level for this shot. The rower stands tall and gives vertical strenhth to on otherwise horizontal and calm composition.

TFS

gmg

nobuikehonda (3848) 2011-12-09 12:41

Hello Professor Atalay,

Being punted through one of the finest learning institution itself must be a fascinating experience. The names, Oxford or Cambridge and their association with the finest minds is an intriguing one. Your note explains how the number of Nobel Laureates each institution has produced in the past can support such reputations. Both for the professors and for the students their stimulating experience must be a reciprocating one. The represented image is a very evocative idea, thinking that one is punted though the canals but at the same time one is being punted also through a sea of the finest minds. The represented image is a timeless one. It is timeless both in its physical representation of the activity as well as in the idea existing in one’s mind. It is a very fine image indeed.

With my very best and a warm regards,
Have a very relaxing weekend, Professor
Nobu.

svefay (810) 2011-12-09 12:52

merhaba,
çok hoş bir fotoğraf ve ama asıl aşağıdaki bilgi dolu açıklama müthiş...kitabı bekliyorum, saygılar...

ikeharel (105889) 2015-09-11 2:51

I got this one from a link to another photo of yours, Bulent, bith show the Cambridge canals and its Godolas.
This one, was aken from a water-level POV, show one beautiful bridge in the FG, and yet anoth smaller bridge just behind.
Inspite low light cond. managed a fine depth and good view of the arches and pillars, with teh importent presece of people on scne.
My cong.'s,
Ike

serp2000 (47063) 2016-04-18 11:54

Hello, der Bulent! As always an comprehensive note and very interesting photo! I think I would be not so original it reminds me a Venice. Very nice composition, fine DoF! TFS! I think the exposure in latest post is wrong. I can't believe to 26 sec. it is unreal time for that shot.
Best wishes! Serghei