Cour à l'eau

[Airy]

It now leads to the cathedral, but used to lead to a canal, hence the name. Df + 50/1.2 AI at f/8. This lens is not afraid of sunshine nor darkness.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The picture admits the viewer so nicely into the overall scene.... like it almost is 3-D. The formidable contrast range is well handled. Perhaps one could snip off a little of the near pavement as it starts to get visibly out of focus?

I always found the 'drawing' quality of the 50/1.2 remarkably nice and rounded.

[Airy]

Indeed, the colours (blue background, middle bricks, bright pavement) help creating the 3D-effect. I did not consider B&W for that reason.
The pic was already cropped to 5:4 proportions (I need the vertical proportion), so to further eliminate the OOF foreground I also had to eliminate some of the left side. Here's the result. Of course, cutting the shadow was out of the question. Thanks for the suggestion.

* edited - attachment resolution too low by mistake? It was visible even in the downsized version *

[Frank Fremerey]

The light illuminating the wall in a very flat angle helps to carve out the structure. This creates a strong leading
structure. The backlit women works almost like a cut out. Sensitive and moody shot.

[armando_m]

Wonderful scene

[Airy]

Gracias Armando and danke Frank. I had a shock when looking closer to the picture : the lady on the middle, although not a "subject" in the narrow sense and hence barley noticed, amazingly looks my former organ professor. Hope she was not offended by my not saying hello. Or is it another person...

[John Geerts]

A great atmospheric shot with the right 'details'.

[Airy]

I went dozens of time through this alley on Sundays, but I felt compelled to shoot this one. Indeed, I waited until there were the "right" passers-by.

[Frank Fremerey]

One great thing about photography is that it makes me, forces me sometimes even, to scan a seemingly well known scene anew. The scene is never the same in reality. Light changes all the time, weather changes, people pass or not pass, construction pops up and disappears. One can possible spend a whole photographer's life shooting the same scene over and over and over again.

[John Geerts]

Exactly.  Just like Monet and his pond with water lilies

[Airy]

These, and Marcel Dupré's organ works after the Nymphéas, belong to my favorites. But I confess that I was a bit annoyed, earlier this morning, of my narrowing shooting horizons. Too busy for "standing and staring"...

[Gary]

I like this. I feel as if I'm there, not looking at a photo. I feel that everything is in place, nothing is random, much like a movie set. Well composed, Well exposed and Well done.

[Akira]

The victorious combination of lighting and timing.  Love the atmosphere.  And your former organ professor added yet another nice story to the image.  Bravo!