I just want you to know how much I appreciate you all, dear readers, and how dedicated I am to bringing you images for your viewing pleasure. This photo is an excellent example of that.
This is one of four entrances to the world under the Pont Alexandre III, beside which (squeezed into the tiny space between the bridge and river bank) runs a very busy little street with a disconcertingly blind corner. The bad news was this- in order to use my 150mm lens I would need to cross the street.
Across that murky and near unnavigable abyss laughably called a street there was my mecca- the teensiest of sidewalks unceremoniously crushed between river and road, from which I could perfectly fit the entire image in my viewfinder.
It meant, however, risking life and limb to bolt across aforementioned narrow (cobblestone!) street, dodging an onslaught of tiny French cars that careened around the blind corner with, seemingly, the sole intent of running me down, and finally hurdling over a chain fence on the opposite side. In! Heels!
Why, you may ask, would I risk earning the hatred of so many French drivers when I easily could have popped the 50mm lens onto my Hasseblad and called it a day?
Dear reader, we've had some time to get to know one another, and you may have noticed that I very much dislike converging vertical perspective. I tend to be a purist about the lines in a composition; parallel lines should stay parallel, especially when photographing architecture.
As a matter of fact, in one of my classes in art school we met with a photographer who specialized in shooting architecture and who had a solo show at a gallery downtown. While the other students were asking him things like "where do you get your inspiration" and "what made you want to be a photographer" I asked "how do you keep your lines parallel?" He looked at me like I had asked him for a kidney. His answer? "They just are." Evidently long acquired technical skills were not something he wanted to give away to a fledgling photographer.
Anyhow, I am more forthcoming (ie. less business savvy) so I will tell you that in order to correct converging lines, you generally need to have some distance between your lens and the subject. This can be a pretty tall order in old cities, since the streets are so narrow. This is also why, when I stumble upon such a rare pocket of perfectly photograph-able space, I find myself darting across dangerous streets to take advantage of it. And all to share it with my dear, faithful reader.
So you see, I love you.
Have a great day :)
Love,
Hearts & Photos
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