Urban Zebra
What They All Are Looking At
La Joconde and its viewers — The Louvre museum, June 2005
Congratulations to Damien for the correct answer to yesterday’s quiz!
Last weekend my brother and I went to the Louvre museum to see Italian paintings and Egyptian antiquities. In the Joconde’s room it was difficult to see the portrait behind the forest of cameras of all types: SLRs, digicams, mobile phones, camcorders… Luckily we’re both quite tall; it helps in that kind of situation!
For this shot I focused on the people in the foreground rather than on the painting itself. In the dim light of the room I couldn’t go beyond f/5.6 if I wanted to avoid handshake, which means that the painting is slightly blurred. I’m note sure the image would have been more interesting if focused on the canvas instead — and I didn’t think about taking another shot at the time, obviously…
Published on June 27, 2005.
Tags: Canon EF-S 18-55, Canon EOS 350D, Paris, People.
Comments
marc on June 29, 2005 #1
I think the focus on the people is appropriate, it certainly works well and is an unusual twist, how many other people in there do you think were taking photos of people rather than the painting? However, possibly focus on the painting and DOF blur on the people might have hinted at the longevity of the art and the transitory nature of the visitors. Maybe.
Certainly not a shot I’d have much chance of getting unless I was walking around with a stepladder. 
marc on June 29, 2005 #2
By the way, this shot is also very well composed and framed. Did you crop it at all?
Massimo on June 30, 2005 #3
You did the right choice. The “Gioconda” (as we say in Italy) is a popular icon that everybody knows, so it is not really necessary to have it in focus. Even a blurred image of it in the background is enough to tell what it is. On the other hand, seeing the visitors crowding around makes the photo more interesting because makes it about the human behaviour.
