Forbidden City

Posted by Craig Persel (Montreal, Canada) on 9 November 2006 in Architecture and Portfolio.

Beijing, China

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Martine Lapointe from Québec, Canada

It's seems to be a model (maquette)! Very very zen and beautiful. I make daily trip around the world with yours pictures. I love it.

9 Nov 2006 8:33am

Jean-Frederic from Québec, Canada

Martine really pointed out everything I was about to write!

9 Nov 2006 8:47am

Shuva Brata Deb from Hyderabad, India

The prespective is very very strange. Is this real. Or is it a toy bridge.

9 Nov 2006 8:52am

@Shuva Brata Deb: It is real. :-)

Kelvin Chan from New York City, United States

It looked like a tilt-shift lens at first, but turns out it's just good blurring to the background. Nice work. Makes the bridge pop out.

9 Nov 2006 9:29am

Daniel from United States

Exceptional & impressionistic photograph. This one is really outstanding.

9 Nov 2006 9:59am

Ryan Yam from Quezon City, Philippines

It looks like a toy! hahaha.. the background is so blurred it looks as if it's been pasted there. Nice texture.

9 Nov 2006 10:16am

Mommith in Chief from Naperville, United States

Yeah, it does sort of look like a toy bridge... But that makes it even more fascinating...mI like the blurring of the background. Nice one!

9 Nov 2006 10:52am

Craiger from Vacaville, United States

Nice contrast!

9 Nov 2006 12:59pm

Helen from Melbourne, Australia

Fabulous. Light on dark, detail on simplicity, clarity on blur, very clever. I like the way you have kept the subject in the bottom half of the image too. Tell me Craig, do you calculate how your images will look before you shoot, or do you react to the visual stimulus and shoot?

9 Nov 2006 1:25pm

@Helen: Thanks. Both ways, but much more the latter. I'd say a 10/90 split. I work very fast and intuitively and if someone is with me they are always curiously asking what I'm seeing. Also, and importantly, a lot of images are not seen until I get to post-production. At that point I might notice a part or detail of the frame that comes together perfectly with some cropping. In other words, I take the photo thinking of one thing and then change my mind completely when I see the results and go in a completely different direction or focus on something in the composition that I didn't initially see. The bottom line is I leave the door open to all possibilities before, during and after shooting. :-)

claireg from Belgium

Wow, this is fantastic. it looks indeed like a toy bridge placed in front of a b&w photo. great work. was there myself but obviously did not see it like this.

9 Nov 2006 2:15pm

Aaron Schmidt from Auckland, New Zealand

Stunning as always. Love the simplicity to this shot.

9 Nov 2006 3:23pm

Damon Schreiber from Toronto, Canada

Great work. Looks like the fake model effect. I find the blur/sharp jump to be a bit jarring, and there are one or two of lapses, technically, but it certainly is a stunning shot.

9 Nov 2006 3:24pm

Chris Sullivan from Melbourne, Australia

Craig again, nice one. The blur really adds a sense of miniaturization. Excellent.

9 Nov 2006 3:32pm

Evelyn from New Milford, United States

Interesting, very well done. I don't know that much, so I can't explain it, but it looks like there is a white glow coming off of the bridge. Makes it kind of look like the bridge is in front of a blue screen, and the rest of the FC is only projected on the screen!

9 Nov 2006 10:15pm

H.O from Victoria, Canada

very interesting shot. great work :)

10 Nov 2006 12:33am

Duncan Galbraith from kyoto, Japan

excellent work Craig. The background looks like a world away from where you were stood, which i guess is what the forbidden city was all about. lovely.

10 Nov 2006 5:50am

Arun from Pune, India

This is exceptional work Craig...The more I see your photos, the more impressed I am....Not only does this image have a perfect light balance, but the way you have processed it, coudnt have been better..

10 Nov 2006 3:13pm