Hieropolis museum / inside & outside impressions

[bahadir]

Once a Roman bath, today, the edifice is serving as a museum to display the archeological findings in the area.

The first picture (hdr ) probably not the best in composition to be artistic, is demontrative enough what it is to keep such an almost two thousand year old edifice erect, which is the extensive use of arch, one characteristic of Roman architecture, exploiting the principle of the egg which resists an unexpected pressure when squeezed from its pointy ends.
It was a cast day in November but with a sky bright enough to be blown when you intend to include the excavated area. Surely I didn't need to go into the ditch for my eyes to adjust there and then come back. I must say the image fits quite well what's in my memory.

As for the second picture which is a single raw conversion; It is almost straight from the camera requiring no blending etc. and deliberately taken as a single shot since the lighting inside was adaquate for my intention of exploiting the available light to attain a dramatic baroque mood to go well with the Hellenistic style. Perhaps it would be better to reduce the brightness of the distracting area in the background using the 'burn' or 'highlight/shadow tool' in quick post process session. Still, providing this image as a proof would be misleading for some as if it all takes a single raw shot for everthing else.

I'd like to mention that considering the HDR a hit and miss tool is quite an underestimation for this powerful method which started to evolve as early as 1850s so as to sort out a 'problematic' in the art (newly regarded) of photography (as with every art having their own problematics). Thus an hdr shooter is not always someone shooting everything in multiple exposures whose camera is set to auto bracketing by default and selecting the middle shot if it doesn't work. But, if he/she does, they know that determining the exposure to start determines the destiny of the following tone mapping and refinement process. There's no free lunch there! The result could be 'photographic' or 'illustrative', which is a matter of taste and intend. Well, I might prefer the 'photographic' because the market demands it wheras a graphic artist might prefer the 'illustrative'.

Sorry to keep you reading a relatively longer introductory text, in which I intended to avoid verbosity : )

PS. images with 1200 pixels of longer side might require sliding them on the screen.

#1







#2

[Bynx]

I wonder why the heads are always missing. Anyway, nice shooting Bahadir. The details and texture in both shots is really nice to see. One can almost reach out and touch that serpentine leg.

[Ordo]

Nice picks. I like #1 the best. Surprising architecture.

[Hards80]

i also really like shot #1, the detail is great and really shows off this structure well. very interesting shot

[maggo85]

Wow, the details in the first one a really nice and I like the composition too! When I see the second one, I think about the same thing as Bynx: Why is the head always missing

[Ordo]

Lots of reasons for beheading: heads are easy to trade; sculptures of former emperors, rulers, etc. quickly fall in disgrace and were beheaded, etc. etc.

[bahadir]

@ Bynx: Thank you for your kind appreciation my friend. Great to share a moments impression through a visual without having to inturrupt with 'buts' followed many a 'you should have been there!'
As I mentioned in the introductiory with reason, the #1 is hdr consisting thee raw files and #2 is a single raw conversion. Well, all in good time after all : )
As for your inquiry, I think Ordo enlisted the good reasons. One thing I could add is that as with the limbs, heads were often carved separately to be inserted in their sockets in the torso. And some famous pieces we may consider as busts such as the Head of a goddeess from Chios exhibited in Museum of Fine Arts in Boston http://www.utexas.edu/courses/cityli...chios_head.jpg were meant as the part of the sculpture. Ah, such beauty there deriving from 2300 years ago still having the audience speculate with her mystries through the technique of sfumato, centuries and centuries before the Renaissance artist reviewed it.

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@ Ordo: I'd be pleased to repeat my compliment for you elsewhere, which surely wouldn't bother anyone here : )

[bahadir]

@ Hards80 : I appreciate your letting me know your commented and kind feedback. Thank you so much!

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@ maggo85: I'm happy to receive such a heartfelt feedback. In addition to Ordo's good explanation I added a bit more should you read my reply to Bynx above.


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Well, life is perception of course, which is the reason its definition may vary from one individual to another and therefore leaves the only true gospel the one which one sees through their eyes. Well, when it comes to dealing with a branch of art, just like music which requires a good ear, it takes a 'good eye' to deal with photography I suppose. We're supposed to be photographers rather than orators and there are even some 'pro' mates @ Steve's who wouldn't go in lengthy debates while fully exploiting the HDR in their works one can observe on their web sites. (Commemorating E.H. Gombrich) I don't think there could be any false reason to appreciate them but there 'might' be some false reason to find them repulsive or whatever...

[mtngal]

Both are wonderful shots, but I love the first one - there is something about it that just catches my eye. Probably the fact I find architecture interesting, more so than sculpture.

[bahadir]

Originally Posted by mtngal

Both are wonderful shots, but I love the first one - there is something about it that just catches my eye. Probably the fact I find architecture interesting, more so than sculpture.

Speaking of the 'good eye' factor above, happy to read your kind comment indicating your preference as well : )