The Cloud Château
A mostly cloudy summer day at Chambord, one of the Loire valley's most magnificent châteaux.
The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France, is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinct French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. The building, which was never completed, was constructed by King François I. Chambord is the largest château in the Loire Valley; it was built to serve as a hunting lodge for François I, who maintained his royal residences at Château de Blois and Château d'Amboise. The original design of the Château de Chambord is attributed, though with several doubts, to Domenico da Cortona. Some authors claim that the French Renaissance architect Philibert Delorme had a considerable role in the château's design, and others have suggested that Leonardo da Vinci may have designed it. Chambord was altered considerably during the twenty-eight years of its construction (1519–1547) during which it was overseen on-site by Pierre Nepveu. With the château nearing completion, François showed off his enormous symbol of wealth and power by hosting his old archnemesis, Emperor Charles V at Chambord. (Wikipedia)
I waited for the sun, but it never shone on the château. So this remained a very contrasty scene, with bright, illuminated clouds behind, and lots of darker shadows in both the foreground and other clouds. So HDR was a consideration, but I wanted a natural image that looked as close to what my eye saw as possible. So while I took bracketed shots at various exposures in case I needed them, I exposed for the sky and hoped I wouldn't. This is the result. Single-shot RAW image, taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M5 and 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 M.Zuiko lens. 12mm (24mm equiv), ISO 200, f/8, 1/125 sec., hand-held. Again, not HDR, just one RAW shot processed in Lightroom 4.
I hope you like it. Have a great weekend, everyone!
The Cloud Château
A mostly cloudy summer day at Chambord, one of the Loire valley's most magnificent châteaux.
The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France, is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinct French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. The building, which was never completed, was constructed by King François I. Chambord is the largest château in the Loire Valley; it was built to serve as a hunting lodge for François I, who maintained his royal residences at Château de Blois and Château d'Amboise. The original design of the Château de Chambord is attributed, though with several doubts, to Domenico da Cortona. Some authors claim that the French Renaissance architect Philibert Delorme had a considerable role in the château's design, and others have suggested that Leonardo da Vinci may have designed it. Chambord was altered considerably during the twenty-eight years of its construction (1519–1547) during which it was overseen on-site by Pierre Nepveu. With the château nearing completion, François showed off his enormous symbol of wealth and power by hosting his old archnemesis, Emperor Charles V at Chambord. (Wikipedia)
I waited for the sun, but it never shone on the château. So this remained a very contrasty scene, with bright, illuminated clouds behind, and lots of darker shadows in both the foreground and other clouds. So HDR was a consideration, but I wanted a natural image that looked as close to what my eye saw as possible. So while I took bracketed shots at various exposures in case I needed them, I exposed for the sky and hoped I wouldn't. This is the result. Single-shot RAW image, taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M5 and 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 M.Zuiko lens. 12mm (24mm equiv), ISO 200, f/8, 1/125 sec., hand-held. Again, not HDR, just one RAW shot processed in Lightroom 4.
I hope you like it. Have a great weekend, everyone!