Composing An Emotion
I came across this lovely sculpture while walking through the town of Evora in Portugal. I believe that it was located in a small park near a church, but I would be hard pressed to find it again.
I took this photo several years ago when digital photography was in its infancy and film offered the best resolution. This particular film (I believe that it was Velvia 100) rendered the colors of the darkening sky wonderfully.
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| Love - Evora, Portugal |
The figures in the sculpture are abstract. Are we looking at a man and a woman? A parent and a child? We're not certain. They could be two playful bears or penguins for all we know.
What's clear is the quality of the interaction between the two figures. It's an intimate interaction. It's caring, comfortable, tender. To me, the sculpture represents love, love in its purest form, two beings adoring each other in a perfect moment of oneness.
The photograph required some creative decision making. The first decision was to backlight the figures and present them as silhouettes against the colorful sunset. The stones are actually white. - This is really quite an impressive piece of art, and I would encourage you to visit it if you can (and if it's still there)!
The second decision involved the placement of the figures. I decided to place the larger figure at the edge of the frame. It looks as though the smaller figure is approaching the larger figure willingly and joyfully. If I had put the smaller figure against the left edge of the photo, it would have looked as though the larger one was dominating.
I could have put everything smack dab in the middle, but pushing one of the figures toward the edge added more drama, in my opinion. He's up against the wall, and she's moving toward him lovingly.
It took a lot of photos back in my films years. This is one of my favorites.
Camera: Pentax 67 II (Medium Format Film Camera)
Lens: Pentax 75mm Shift Lens
Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!
Copyright 2016 Daniel R. South
