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Cologne Cathedral


Cologne Cathedral
Photo Information
Copyright: Fred NEF (Freddie) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1602 W: 125 N: 1172] (6255)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-11
Categories: Daily Life, Architecture
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/60 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Places of Worship, AMAZING ARCHITECTURE [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-05-30 5:43
Viewed: 605
Points: 28
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Cologne Cathedral
This massive cathedral has the largest facade of any church in the world, over 7,000 square meters! At 516ft, it is higher than Vatican's 448ft dome of St. Peter's. It took over 632 years to build. I couldn't take a picture of the whole height coz I didn't have a fish-eye lens. I couldn't back off more either or the replica of the part of the acroterion will block the lower part. This POV is in the middle, at the end of the front of the piazza. My goal was to get the entrance and as much height as I could put in.

I climbed the highest tower of the Dom von Koln (no elevators!). I was so tired when I reached the top, little did I knew that it wasn't the last step, but a resting area. I needed sometime to rest. When I reached the top (517th step!) I was so exhausted, my tongue reached the floor! :p
Besides the Koln skyline, I saw the humungous bell as it rang over me. My very personal tour guide and BFF pointed an umbrella at one of the pinnacles. I wondered how it went there. Anyway, he knows all the history of this magnificent building, nooks and crannies and all :)

History
The history of Germany's greatest Gothic cathedral is long and complicated. The foundation stone was laid on August 15, 1248, the chancel was consecrated in 1322, and building work continued until about 1520. The cathedral then stood unfinished until the 19th century, when the original GOthic designs were rediscovered. It was finally completed in 1842-80. Precious workds of art include the fabulous Shrine of the Three Kings, the Altar of the Magi, and an early-Gothic carving of the Virgin Mary (c. 1290) known as the Mailander (Milanese) Madonna.

Composition:
Model: Canon PowerShot A620
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS3
Exposure Time: 1/60
F-Stop: f/2.8
Focal Length: 7300/1000 mm
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: Flash fired, auto mode

Pp work:
1. skew a bit to make it more balanced, but not so much so it won't be distorted
2. use Levels and saturation to add more intensity in the colors
3. sharpen to show more detail
4. add border by adding canvass size
5. resize

Quote of the Day:
The charm, one might say the genius, of memory is that it is choosy, chancy and temperamental; it rejects the edifying cathedral and indelibly photographs the small boy outside, chewing a hunk of melon in the dust.
-Elizabeth Bowen
skellywag, janneman, Hendrika, lehaim1, GottaCarpeDiem has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To tobi11379: Thanks!Freddie 1 01-31 16:45
To GottaCarpeDiem: Thanxxx!Freddie 1 06-12 06:43
To erdna: Thanxxx!Freddie 1 06-05 05:30
To hamperium: Thanxxx!Freddie 1 06-01 16:52
To nadine432: Merci beaucoup!Freddie 1 05-31 02:44
To jawa: Thanxxx!Freddie 1 05-30 17:33
To AMKA: Thanxxx!Freddie 1 05-30 17:32
To MarcLabbe: Thanxxx!Freddie 1 05-30 17:32
To Hendrika: Thanxxx!Freddie 1 05-30 16:27
To Purplerocket: Thanxxx!Freddie 1 05-30 12:49
To kristian: Thanxxx!Freddie 1 05-30 08:01
To skellywag: Thanxxx!Freddie 1 05-30 07:46
To janneman: Thanxxx!Freddie 1 05-30 07:45
To Helkoryo: Thanxxx!Freddie 1 05-30 07:01
To lego: Thanxxx!Freddie 1 05-30 06:58
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Critiques [Translate]

Good morning my friend

Excellent shot, it sounds like the odds were against you a little but you have caught the building well. I like the perspective given with the people so small at the front. Well done on photographing this magnificent building and nice notes too

TFS regards Helen

  • Great 
  • lego Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 64 W: 2 N: 61] (592)
  • [2007-05-30 6:55]
  • [+]

Good afternoon. Good shot and I love the grey cathedral with the blue tones on the ground. Must have been a jeans day in Cologne. I hope you were not al alone in Cologne.

Hi, I love this perspective and you have managed to capture the building very sharply and clearly. Nice detail and notes. Regards, Jean

Impressive !!!!
I'll just think all those little ants away :-)
Lovely colours !

Well done,

Jan

Hello Freddie, Onother nice shot, very clean with a lot of details. I like it, Thank for sharing

Excellent colour tones Freddie, you have captured the image well showing the scale of the cathedral, I like the woman in the foreground looking up to the towers.
Well done, great shot.
Richard

  • Great 
  • jawa Gold Star Critiquer [C: 1691 W: 0 N: 1] (11059)
  • [2007-05-30 9:00]
  • [+]

Hi Fred .
Nice view of the Dom von Koln.
Good comp.
Gr Jos

  • Great 
  • AMKA Gold Star Critiquer [C: 85 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-05-30 10:48]
  • [+]

Hi Fred,
Very well captured,Nice POV and sharp details.
Good colour.Thumb Up, Well Done.
TFS
AMKA

Massive indeed! Superb details, did the best you can.
Great architecture!!

TFs

Marc

hello freddie
superbe vue de cette immense cathédrale,
magnifique
Nad

Hi Fred,
This is quality - a fantastic picture of the well-known cathedral. Showing how huge it is by
the people on the square.
Amazing detail.
TFS
Els
:)follow

impressive shot of an impressive building
looks very big and it becomes a very strong and well composed picture
tfs
M

  • Great 
  • erdna Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 990 W: 71 N: 743] (5124)
  • [2007-06-04 21:58]
  • [+]

Wow! You have a lot of beautiful galleries! I enjoyed the "Amazing Architecture" very much.

This photo of Cologne Cathedral is so beautifully done. You have captured the littliest details of this Gothic structure.

Thanks for your comments on my photo, "Power Auditorium". I appreciate it.

Andre'

Hi Fred, great shot. Wonderful that you managed to communicate the grand scale of this cathedral! The detail is great! So are the colours and lighting.
My compliments

Hey Fred,

Great picture of the Kölner Dom (I live here in Cologne and sometimes you loose the view for beauty if you see it too often).
Just a little idea: In my opinion the picture could use a little tilt clockwise.

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