Monday, January 9, 2012

Jerusalem Courtyard

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Click here to purchase this print on etsy, or here for an iPhone case or large-size stretched canvas or print.
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I'm playing slightly fast and loose with the "windows and doors" concept of Toby's wonderful meme this week (now on Mondays - yay!), but hey, a doorway is a kind of door, isn't it? Works for me :).

This particular doorway is into a small courtyard in the Old City of Jerusalem. I love the way the light falls golden on the walls and paving stones. When the light hits just right Jerusalem  truly is the Jerusalem of Gold of song and story.

I'm going to cheat a little bit more while I'm at it (in for a penny, in for a pound) and use this as my RT2 shot for this week as well, since that one went up so early. If you squint carefully you can almost see that the branches on the potted plants are in fact red, and there's a reddish brown paint splotch on the wall too. (Hey, I never said I was very good at conforming...)

20 comments:

toby said...

Fast and loose is perfect! Your arch is gorgeous, it looks almost like a painting. I lived in the Old City for a few months while on a year-program, *many* many years ago. It really is an enchanting place!

Carletta said...

This really does look like a wonderful painting!
It's inviting and makes me want to step right in.
A 'little' red is all you need. :)

Come Away With Me said...

It's a gorgeous photo. I love the little touch of utility wires looping under the arch to the other side.

Daryl said...

its a lovely composition .. I like how it leads the eye to what might be around the next turn ..

Yosefa said...

It has a really interesting shallowness... what do you call that, depth of field? Did you enhance it on the computer? I like hte subtle colors.

Robin said...

Yosefa, the depth of field is how much of the picture is in focus from front to back. A shallow depth of field means that only one small part of the image is in focus while the rest is blurred (which is called bokeh). A larger depth of field means that more of the foreground to background depth remains in focus.

This is done primarily in-camera by changing the lens's aperture. The smaller the aperture number the wider the shutter opening, and the narrower the depth of field.

Does that help answer your question?

Yosefa said...

yup! I made pinhole cameras in highschool and I think we played with the distance from the hole to the paper also. Fun stuff.

Gemma Wiseman said...

Gorgeous, atmospheric walkway! Love all the stonework! (And my doorway/windows pushed the boundaries too!)

Time has been very kind here adding more and more depth of beauty!

And yes! There are slivers of red in the distance!

Felisol said...

This is the kind of picture inviting me to come in, trod carefully on the cobbled stones and take a peak around the corner.
I clearly see all shades of red to brown, but also am captured by the small hints of green. History and real life. Great.

Ralph said...

The ancient look of old Jerusalem is wonderful! The previous construction techniques show buildings that last, and so full of neat details like arches - and everything clothed with stone. How nice!

Fábio Martins said...

It's a lovely picture!

Lesa said...

Charming-- I'd love to wander through this courtyard. And I spotted the red stems right away! Happy RT2

Maria @ LSS said...

What a lovely photo.

Happy RT!

Mine's here.

Lola said...

Love all the stone work and detail too!

Happy RT2!

Lesley said...

I played a little loose as well with my post....
I find the colour of this stone to be very soothing.

Unknown said...

beautiful shot, looks like a doorway to me hehe. great photography

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

Who needs great splotches of red when you have an archway like that? It would be gorgeous, no matter the color!
HESTER’S LETTER

Hester’s letter, scarlet “A,”
Gave the gossips much to say,
But their rudeness she forbore,
For she knew she was no whore.


© 2012 by Magical Mystical Teacher

Poinsettias!

Leah H. said...

What a nice courtyard..Love it!

Visiting for RT 2 ! Here's my share- hope you can visit:)

http://www.cassandrasminicorner.com/2012/01/strawberry-candies.html

Dina said...

Nice to see how the readers respond to Jerusalem of gold.

aspiritofsimplicity said...

what a beautiful photo. It makes one want to wander down the path and see where it leads.