|
Here
are some distant views of petit villages in the Luberon.
These images are meant to give you a feel for how these villages
are literally 'tucked' into the mountain side ... mostly highup,
some low. We explored thirty of these villages throughout the
Luberon over a two months period of time.
The
roads to these villages wind themselves around the mountain,
such that at each higher vantage point you find yourself looking
aghast at where you have come from. The trek down is fun,
too.
Nicole's
Peugeot got a real workout on those roads. We mainly traveled
in second gear. Being able to shift into third was a real treat,
even when short-lived.
And
still, the cyclists were there! It was hard to know where they
got their strength.
Photographing
these village scenes took some work. How to show the character
of a village in the best light, from the best angle, at the most
optimal time of day? Sometimes we waited for a red tractor to
come along to give us a sense of 'place'... other times we tried
various focal lengths until we found the one that worked. While
some sites below look fairly flat, don't be deceived. They were
at fairly high elevations, all of them.
In
some cases, such as the Marquis
de Sade
ruins shown elsewhere on this web site, we revisted the site
numerous times until everything fell into place. The best time
to photograph those particular ruins, given its sordid history,
is in dense fog...it definitely lends an air of mystery and
intrique.
But
try negotiating those mountain roads to Lacoste in a fog so heavy
that it clings to your windshield like cat's feet. You might
think twice.
Polarizing
filters helped at times in getting these village views, and then
again at other times the light was simply too low to exploit.
Or the directional light was wrong, or something. Sometimes
we wished that we just had a simple 'point & shoot' along
with us - it would have been easier, lighter, less complicated,
but...certainly not as good.
Provence
is one of those places that photographers love...and hate.
There is not much in-between. If you are willing to rise early
and push hard all day to get the shot (traveling by car mostly
from point A to point B) then you should rush to your nearest
travel agent and book a flight. If you are also willing to sample
great wines and fine cheeses and fresh Baguettes along the way
without wincing too much, well, you are practically there now.
All
of this is to say that images from Provence don't come easily.
You have to work hard for everything that comes your way. The
rewards, however, are sweet.
|
