Grand Arch Perspective Photo

Photographer’s Note

During my short business visit to Paris, I had the pleasure of a small TE meeting with Marie, Marc, Pierre, who took me to La Defense on a cool windy evening. It had drizzled in the evening...and the wind had a bite to it, too much bite for me in my cotton T-shirt. It was quite an experience scouring the modern district of Paris till well past midnight, in search of good night shots. 4 TrekEarthers, 4 Canons, and only one tiny tripod ;-).

This of course is a handheld shot, had to jack up the ISO to 1600 though, and the time in the EXIF is Indian time!

La Défense - The name défense originates from the monument 'La Défense de Paris', which was erected at this site in 1883 to commemorate the war of 1870. The project to build the 'Grande Arche' (Great Arch) was initiated by the French president Mitterrand. He wanted a XXth century version of the Arc de Triomphe. The design of Danish architect Otto van Spreckelsen looks more like a cube-shaped building than a triumphal arch.

The Arche also called La Grande Arche de la Fraternité but commonly as the Arche de la Défense or simply as La Grande Arche is almost a perfect cube (width: 108m, height: 110m, depth: 112m) with the middle part left open. The sides of the cube contain offices. One can take an elevator to the top of the Arche de la Défense, from where you have a nice view on the city center which is only 4 km further.

On the left with the glowing sign at the top is the Tour EDF, Headquarters of the French energy major. Built in 2001 and designed by I.M. Pei, the 41 floor skyscraper stands 165metres tall.

bakes888, gentedilivello, subhendu_bagchi, pierrefonds, papagolf21, belido, John_F_Kennedy, ChrisJ, jafadabret, gervaso, Graal, bukitgolfb301, josepmarin, danos, Didi, Kielia, axiotea, plimrn trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

bakes888 (18129) 2009-11-01 0:11

Hi Angshu.
Great photo, especially for handheld. Wonderful colour palette and nice handling of light. Good detail also. Well composed and thanks for sharing.
Have a good Sunday, Paul.

lacroux (3108) 2009-11-01 1:14

Hello Angsu
Well, it reminds me of something!
A good exposure, an excellent color palette, a perpective that valorizes the perfect lighted "Arc de la Défense".
And then there is the man who gives a little of life to this scenery.
Have a good Sunday.
Regards
Pierre.

carper (64580) 2009-11-01 1:16

very nice one Angshu,
the low pov works very good in the shot, good perspective, fine balance, good photo job here, have a nice day.
regard jaap

gentedilivello (1821) 2009-11-01 2:11

Hi,
this is a great night shot; I like how it is composed and the POV is perfect. The presence of the walking man gives the sense of proportions for the whole scenery.
Congratulations.
TFS.
Have a nice sunday.
Gabriele.

chawax (5931) 2009-11-01 2:41

Hi Angshu,
Nice night shot of Grand Arch. The POV you chose creates nice pespective lines and create a good DOF.
Regards,
Olivier

Yves-triga (3382) 2009-11-01 2:56

hello,
j'aime ta composition nocturne,un rendu un peu different de ce qu'on peux voir mais très beau
joli travail
yves

marietom (31800) 2009-11-01 6:39

hello Angshu,

magnifique vue, et très bon souvenir...
Bon dimanche
Marie

sayeed_rahman (2265) 2009-11-01 7:13

Were you on a holiday in france..or the bank had something to do with it ? :)

Good results off a low shutter..steady hands..

nice sunday

sayeed

Morac (20255) 2009-11-01 10:32

Bonsoir Anghu

Souvenir d'un moment agréable
C'est une belle composition en profondeur
Amicalement
Marc

pierrefonds (26117) 2009-11-01 14:10

HI Angshuman,

The pint of view leads my eyes toward the Grande Arche which is giving depth and perspective to the composition. The presence of the person has an effect of scale. The lamposts are framing well the street. Using an ISO of 1600 is giving a nice image. Well done, have a nice day.

Pierre

emka (21179) 2009-11-01 16:04

Hi Angshuman, not photo from India! It is a nice thing to meet TE-friends. there are many such meetings. Very nice night shot, splendid perspective.

regards

Malgorzata

Urs (2740) 2009-11-01 22:49

Dear Angshuman

Handheld and 1600 ISO that is a feat, who clear is the original in full size? So far I never was happy with pictures higher then 400 ISO. In Malaysia's Olympus Forum I recently argued to avoid pushing the ISO higher then 400 due to the grainy look you can get. Your picture looks clear to me, however it is not in full format size. It's a good shot, considering that it was night. Sharpness and DOF are perfect. Well done
Best regards
Urs

papagolf21 (56217) 2009-11-02 0:42

Bonjour, mon ami Angshu,
J'ai beau connaître cet endroit, il m'a été difficile de le reconnaître sur le moment. Félicitations pour cette très belle image qui, sauf erreur, n'a jamais été vue sur le site.
Une grande réussite (une fois de plus).
Amitiés.
Philippe

subhendu_bagchi (2942) 2009-11-02 0:48

Namaskar Angshu da,
nice capture without tripod. Great exposer. Perspective is here superb. Great coloured sky. Composition is fantastic. Thanks to your steady hands. Very good job.
Congrats.
Have a nice week.
Subhendu

JT50 (672) 2009-11-02 2:06

Hi Angshuman,
I have seen this place
but not the way you have
portrayed it. The depth
with the low POV looks great.
Nice colours.
Regards.
Janak

belido (16331) 2009-11-02 2:46

Hi Angshu,

from India to France in a good style, huh? Lovely perspective and lighting but I must confess that the walking person is such an essential element. It brings life to the scene...and you knew about it :) Great job!
Regards,
Carlos

John_F_Kennedy (31229) 2009-11-02 6:14

Hello Angshuman,
Fascinating and well framed night shot. Wonderful image to a very beautiful monument like a light in the darkness.
Best wishes,
Achim

ChrisJ (70065) 2009-11-02 7:42

Hi Angshu

Superb linear perspective & lead in lines with a dark, forboding light. The walking man animates the scene well. Good sharpness & framing. Tfs!

jafadabret (39417) 2009-11-02 9:18

Bonjour Angshu.
Félicitations pour cette très belle photo de Paris. J'aime le POV qui donne au sol de l'importance. La perspective amène le regard sur l'Arche illuminée alors que les buildings éclairés participent à la magie de la composition.
Bonne soirée !
Amical salut !
Jacques

gervaso (5148) 2009-11-02 11:36

Hello, Angshuman!

Wonderful night shot, the lights were perfectly captured and it has a nice sharpness! The inclusion of the man is great, with no blurring, which is difficult at night. Good job!

pajaran (2922) 2009-11-02 12:15

Pozdrav.
Kod nas je bio hladan dan sa jakim vetrom.
Arhitektura predivna, odlican tekst, dobre boje, trenutak i ram fotografije. Ova fotografija ima sve dobro.
Sve najbolje, Paja.

Graal (57689) 2009-11-02 12:40

Hi Angshuman,
nice night sight, good shot without tripod. Amazing frame, fine effect. An interesting informations. Well photojob. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

emjleclercq (14227) 2009-11-02 13:45

A rather good result for a hand held picture, but surely you have noted that even at night, the central part of La Défense remains well lit.

All the best,

Emmanuel

bukitgolfb301 (4572) 2009-11-02 14:46

Hello my dear prof. Angshuman

What is another super wonderful shot!
perfect framework/composition and delight sleight light management are excellent as usual!
Very good atmosphere and mood. Anyway congratulation on your masterpiece!
Thanks for sharing and best regards,
Have a nice Tuesday !

Takero

crckt (7072) 2009-11-02 17:25

Hi Angshumanda,
The dark brown and black shadows cast a great atmosphere to the shot.
Paris is such a great city, I might visit in Jan, looking forward to some shots then.
Best regards,
Shaeri

Waylim (10741) 2009-11-02 23:11

Hello Angshuman,
This is a very nice POV and a good night shot. Maybe it my impression, but the man looks kind of really short or small. Anyway, nothing is wrong with it. Actually I think the inclusion of him gives a bit of liveliness. Good composition, good Details, the sharpness maybe a little soft due to the low light, and I miss a little of dark blue in the sky, but perhaps it is a cloudy night. All in all it is a fine image.
Way

josepmarin (33785) 2009-11-03 10:40

Namaste Angshuman,
A splendid night capture. The spectacular architecture that surrounds the Great Arch of La Défense offers us a grand graphism, while the deep perspective that you have obtained with this low POV, and the urban lighting, creates an attractive composition, very harmonic and with a good balance.
An excellent work, my friend.
Best regards,
Josep

danos (32228) 2009-11-04 0:36

Hi Angshu,
a nice nocturne shot from Paris and especially from the La Defense.I like the perspective of the scene as the depth that created and lead the eye to the well illuminated arch. Although with the high ISO of the scene,it looks so perfect.Well done.

Regards,Danos

Didi (36020) 2009-11-04 9:48

Salam Angshu
You were at 120 Km North of my town
Nice perspective on the arch.
I think you use an artifact for removing the noise.
With your camera software Digital Photo Professional you have the possibility to remove it very easily.
Neat Image is not a good Freeware.
Best regards

Kielia (8387) 2009-11-04 10:49

Hi Angshuman,
what a strong sight! Excellently composed impression of this famous place with a fantastic mood where this lonely man plays an import role. The management of the light is outstanding. That was a productive TE meeting! My compliments!
Warm regards
Harriet

Bluejeans (32035) 2009-11-05 11:21

Ola Angshuman ,
Belo ponto de visão sobre o Arco La Defense com esta rua para peões , bonitos detalhes de arquitectura , é uma bela foto nocturna , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

axiotea (16053) 2009-11-06 8:51

Hello Angshu
I always found this area quite windy and if the temperature is below 20°C then for me it is very cool and need to wear more than a cotton t.shirt ;) A pity you did not have a tripod, but nonetheless you had a steady and made a good use of 1600 ISO. The white arch stands out perfectly against the dark sky.
Have you seen the Moretti chimney, you were not far from it, but I don't know if there were enough lights at night for a picture...
Have a nice evening
Marilyn

clio (22556) 2009-11-07 1:11

Hi Angshu,
You realized a beautiful perspective on the Grande Arche. I like the contrast of the gold-coloured ground and the silvery arche.
I always have a regret of this evening missed for me!
Have a nice WE
Amicalement
Diane

plimrn (19600) 2009-11-09 21:15

Hi Angshu,
Great framing, I especially like the the inclusion of the man on the walk with the walk leading to the arch. I appreciate that you are as scrupulous with your notes when travelling as you are in India.
HLJ, Pat