The Field of Miracles, a photo from Pisa, Tuscany

Photographer's Note

David's (davecall ) great recent postings of Pisa motivated me to get my last few photos Pisa that I want to post ready.

Here is a view of the Campo dei Miracoli. The tower in the distance, the Duomo and the Baptistery move across the scene. Off on the far left is the wall of the cemetery, the fourth, usually overlooked, element in the Campo dei Miracoli.

The Duomo was started in 1064 by the architect Buscheto. It has a strange oval shaped dome, 2 bays deep and 1 bay wide. The cathedral is one of the finest Romanesque buildings in existence.

The Baptistery, the largest building of its kind in Christendom, is covered in fine sculpture . Its dome is 75 meters tall. The shape resonates crisp and clear echoes throughout as guards demonstrate. Apparently the architects designed it as a perfect acoustic instrument.

The cemetery was started in 1278, designed by Giovanni di Simone. It has long marble arcades and supposedly soil from the Holy Land. It was decorated with beautiful frescoes that were lost in World War II bombing.

Finally the tower , which is what draws everyone to Pisa, was started in 1173. It started settling unevenly early in its construction but it was continued and completed in 1350. Galileo conducted his experiments from the top, aided by the lean giving a clear drop. Today it leans more than 5 meters from vertical.

As a whole it is one of the finest cathedral complexes ever built with a lot of attention to detail in the layout of the buildings and the structures themselves.

Here is a tighter view from this point.

ale, taivo, exolon, Zanni, strangiato, davecall, Steely, carper, Galeota, elihesamian, jhonny_blue, cmartos, electro76, prlcs, Kenny10pin, jhm, Rinie_Hoff, bertolucci, veimann, digi-mom, Guenther, kajenn, chinchini, gaetantgp, roconnell, Clochette, kaychambers, rabani, Jean-Luc, ChristianS, pulezan, vesalius, laxpix, archanabhimasen, thor68, caliane, MON, Albrecht, keithor, flory, xramm, oldsock has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

pem (264) 2004-05-19 0:10 [Comment]

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ale (1819) 2004-05-19 0:39

Bravo Paul!
This is beautiful like the others you have taken there, I love that sky.Very well contrasted and saturated.
Very well done!

taivo (1843) 2004-05-19 0:42

This is an amazing structure and you capture it very well. The perspective is great: the dome is huge and the people are very small in comparison. Great shot!

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exolon (407) 2004-05-19 0:43

I have to second that... great sky and composition. Do you use CPL? The contrasting colour and the angle bring the 'grandeur' emphasis on the building. Oh not to mention the useful info. Thx for sharing

Zanni (6108) 2004-05-19 1:14

A classical shot with a great sky. A Paul's exclusive. Complete notes as useful.

strangiato (10) 2004-05-19 1:27

Great composition. I like the bright buildings set against that sky. Everything looks very good. But I noticed some strange colours on the buildings.....a lot of yellow....

davecall (575) 2004-05-19 2:17

Masterful stuff Paul. The texture and lighting are fantastic in this photo. I think it is one of the most beautiful architectural spots on Earth & recommend anyone who hasn't gone to make it a priority. Of course it helps that it is in Italy where everything is a little bit more beautiful than the rest of the world. Great job!

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Steely (895) 2004-05-19 2:47

Paul, magnificient:)
great blue skies, billowy clouds and most of all , the buildings are not captured as too starking white
Good shot :)

carper (96) 2004-05-19 3:22

Great one Paul,
very good colours and well taken, great composition, very good one, well done

katsuhiro (479) 2004-05-19 3:32

Great photo Paul. I like the contrast between the seemingly white buildings and everything else. Also a great note to go with it. Well done!

Galeota (10352) 2004-05-19 3:51

Marvellous composition. Very, very well done.

elihesamian (26149) 2004-05-19 3:57

It reminds me your wonderful shot with title"Every Line Askew",The combination of colors are like it,I really like both of pics[(& your gallery here,too:)]
Very nice view & superp,You did great,Thanks for great note,too.
Bravo,Paul!

jhonny_blue (4956) 2004-05-19 4:12

Itґs wonderful picture Paul !
The colours and details are perfect !
Very weel done !

yesterday (9833) 2004-05-19 4:48

Sharp, excellent compoced, great light and contrast, beautiful sky.

Very good documentation to this great photo.

cmartos (242) 2004-05-19 6:46

Your shots from here are spectacular. The facades are bright and superbly detailed. The contrast with that deep blue cloudy sky is great and lets the buildings impose their beauty and majesty. The lighting is really fantastic here. Very impressive and effective. Fine, complete and very interesting and useful notes too. You really did a great job on this place, Congratulations and thanks for sharing Paul !

[2]

hdl (7035) 2004-05-19 7:16

An impressive picture. Good composition but a bit too dark to my opinion.

prlcs (63) 2004-05-19 8:27

Trиs belle vue de ce site magnifique. La composition et la perspective sont superbes. Fйlicitations !

Kenny10pin (19301) 2004-05-19 9:24

very nice work here, really sharp and the the colours are strong and also the sky is beautiful

wilkinsonsg (8662) 2004-05-19 13:06

Great note to match the image - very sharp image - well done :)

Spoony (3539) 2004-05-19 13:32

Nice colors and efects. Great monument too.
Well done and seen.

jhm (211738) 2004-05-19 13:44

Excellent architecture photo Paul, beautiful and sharp, the clouds an the sky are wonderful.

Rinie_Hoff (9340) 2004-05-19 15:09

Hi Paul, this is really a great one of the Duomo and the tower. It's nice and sharp, the colors are excellent. The people ont the grass help to give it the right perspective. I remember that I was there, only more or less driving by, but what indeed struck me then, was that it was all so terribly huge. The sky is great. I like these series of pisa very much!

bertolucci (14052) 2004-05-19 16:32

A genuine gem! The light hues of these glorious buildings against indigo & grey sky, the finely rendered details, the depth, the strong 3D aspect of the sky. Your concise note complete with url is perfect. Love it, great job!

veimann (1269) 2004-05-20 4:51

wow! Contrast of this magnificent building with color of the sky remarkable! As though is not present around of the modern world. Very well done, Paul!

Guenther (10915) 2004-05-20 8:12

Incredible atmosphere! As a beginner I can see from shots like this how much I have still to learn...

joseelias (0) 2004-05-20 8:51

Very intense image. The details and the sky is awsome. There seems to be a bit too sharpness in the image though, but nothing too serious. Good composition.

kajenn (2462) 2004-05-20 12:39

What a composition, Paul! And my favorite up front. You've lined these outstanding buildings in a very interesting way - letting them interact, as none of them is standing free. Extreme sharpness in the buildings all the way to the mountain ridge and heavy dramatic colors in especially the sky. Maybe a touch too much contrast, but that's mainly concerning the people on the grass - who are of secondary interest. Your note, as usual very informative - I wasn't aware of the cemetery. A great job - well done!

chinchini (31529) 2004-05-21 12:36

Nice work. Essence, the monuments, is excellently emphasized and the details are very visible. Well done Paul.

Jeppe (18654) 2004-05-25 13:20

Great photo and I like to see "the other side" of the tower of Pisa. Yes this surely a place with long and interesting history - thanks for sharing this fine capture Paul - I like the fine details and light you got this fine architecture with.

gaetantgp (1310) 2004-05-26 20:37

Very well done! Paul. I like the position you took for the shot, usely it's from the other side that we see the shot of the pisa. The sky is nice, but is it the real blue? or you forced a little. I'm taking a big chance here in doing a W.S., I will like to get your feedback on it, cause I wasn't there to see it. Great work and thanks for sharing these nice photos from Italy, that we all wish to take ourself on day mabe...Gaйtan

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roconnell (327) 2004-05-28 0:58

The complex is spectacular and vast, as is the sky above. The light reflects and buildings very nicely and brings out seemingly every detail. The coolness of the greys and deep blues balances the ornate patterns of the architecture. Well done.

Clochette (8076) 2004-05-31 7:48

Can I add something now ?.. The high contrast is most attractive, the pic seems to come out of a dream.
As already said, an excellent work, Paul.

Lymavi (52) 2004-06-04 18:02

Hermosa fotografнa, siempre me gustaron los azules, el cobre del techo de la bуveda en contraste con el azul del cielo vuelve imponente la edificaciуn, le da volumen y presencia infinita.

kaychambers (1198) 2004-07-04 9:36

I definately want to go and see this place for myself when I get back homewards!

Top imaging Paul, well done!

Regards,

Vic, Singapore. 4th July 2004.

rabani (9645) 2004-07-13 1:45

Your capture of detail here Paul, is pretty scary. And getting the clouds with its dark bluish background just make it scarrier.Your composition and exposure is making your subject stands out here Paul. Great architectural work. Almost gothic too.

robbo (195) 2004-07-27 5:32

Great shot Paul, I love the way the sky is exposed but the buildings retain their detail. It's unusual to see a whide shot of it like this. Bravo.../Robbo

jean-marie (3088) 2004-08-05 2:02

Quelle photo ! Cette vue baigne dans une lumiиre йtrange. Le contraste est saisissant, tous les dйtails des momuments ressortent а la perfection. Bravo !

What a photo! This view has a strange light. Contrast is seizing, all the details of the momuments arise to perfection. Congratulations !

Jean-Luc (5488) 2004-08-29 12:35

Je suis toujours emerveillй par la beautй de la perspective du Campo dei Miracoli.
Fйlicitations Paul pour cette vue parfaitement composйe malgrй la difficultй d'une telle rйalisation.
Well done!

ChristianS (2997) 2004-09-05 14:37

What a great shot! The white buildnings stay in good contrast to the rather dramatic sky. Great composition as well as vivid colours and good depth of field.

pulezan (841) 2004-09-08 13:39

dark and dramatic sky and good light on the buildings. superb position for superb picture. sorry i can t give you more than 2 points :)

vesalius (861) 2004-09-10 10:11

Hi Paul, this photo truly has your name on it. I'm not sure exactly how you capture this but you have a feel that's unique and wonderful. The stark contrast between building and sky, and within the building itself almost has an Ansel Adams (if he were to do colour) feel to it. I'm humbled by your photos. Also, a great note as always. Thank you, Don.

paido (944) 2004-10-06 1:43

A classical view of Pisa. Nonetheless, it is always beautiful to see, especially with such a marvelous sky! Clouds shape and color are awesome!

Congratulations on this catch!

laxpix (686) 2004-10-19 9:55

wowwwww it is so beautiful photo. The contrast between the colors of the sky and the colors of the buildings are marvelous. I add it in my favourites i can't take off my eyes of it.

mayday (178) 2005-01-12 5:42 [Comment]

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archanabhimasen (270) 2005-04-25 14:52

Hi Paul,
I must admit that this is the first of its kind that I am seeing where you have given importance to the architecture behind the Piza. Not may people would know about "Campo dei Miracoli" which looks so rich in architecture. Thanks for sharing it with TE.

Regards,
@rchana

caliane (610) 2005-05-20 23:56

Once again, such a beautiful composition.. great work, congratulations!

MON (135) 2005-08-27 8:34

A very sharp shot, with good colours and a good composition. I like the sky. You can see the scale of the architectures because there are people in the image. Well done!

Albrecht (11283) 2005-12-08 4:26

Hio Paul
This one is less special but not les beautiful. Good compo and colours and a very interesting subject of corse.
greetings
Albrecht

alexwolf (0) 2005-12-08 5:05

Thanks mate for a very useful info.
Extreme contrast put this photo ahead of many similar compositions of the same complex.
Very nice shot, Paul.
Best regards.

keithor (63) 2006-01-15 21:32

Great shot of a view not so commonly shared.
TFS

xramm (1831) 2007-10-19 1:53

You have lots of beautiful photos in your gallery.This one is one of them, attracted too much with composition and beautiful blue sky and clouds and besides very delicate details..Contrast is amazing! Paul ,I believe every talented photographer like you takes only couple of pictures to mention that it is really fine! I think this one deserved.
Regards
Hakki

oldsock (575) 2007-10-20 9:23

Hi Paul

Amazing photograph! So sharp and vivid. Great POV. Very interesting commment.

All the best!
Matt

sweet_universe (1697) 2008-06-16 3:33

Ciao Paul!
Foto stupenda!
Colori meravigliosi e soggetto unico.

maxmitzu (455) 2009-07-30 9:38

hi,
This is a very nice composition.. I like that sky. Very well contrasted and saturated.
Beste regards,
Mitzu