Focus On Focus
Today’s topic is focus, thus let’s focus on focus, will you?
Depth of field and bokeh are my favourite subjects. When I saw David’s challenge some time ago I went back to my archive, and found this Nov 2012 album, all shot with a 50mm f:1.4 lens all around my place in Paris, mostly around the Luxembourg gardens. First, a very sharp shot of the Explorers’ fountain in Port Royal. So much water the scene is blurred by millions of droplets frozen by the high speed of my camera.
Cherubs looking towards the Pantheon in the background.
A bunch of flowers works wonders.
Autumn leaves.
One of them had got stuck in the fence of the park’s tennis courts.
Traffic cones. No, we’re not in England. Mostly used to prevent cars from parking on a film shooting scene as there are so many in the area.
19th century building rue du Faubourg St Jacques.
Regarding the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris
For those of you who do not know anything about the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, I’ve gathered a few links and pieces of information with the help of my friend Perplexity.AI. The results were significantly rewritten, however. I will enclose those sentences that I haven’t rewritten between quotes so that you know who wrote what within that text. The links were found by Perplexity and are listed below.
The Luxembourg Gardens (Jardin du Luxembourg) in Paris are located in the sixth arrondissement. It’s a very posh area, supposedly the poshest with heavy price tags for the exclusive apartment flats of this leafy area. It’s also my playground for cycling as I’ve ridden my Brompton something like 650 times around the park. It was “created in 1612 by Marie de’ Medici, widow of King Henry IV, the gardens were inspired by the Boboli Gardens in Florence. The then Queen “commissioned the adjacent Luxembourg Palace and surrounded it with symmetrical flowerbeds, fountains, and tree-lined promenades, reflecting an Italian Renaissance style”.
“In the 19th century, Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann expanded and modernised the gardens to suit Paris’ growing urban population. Today, they are home to lush lawns, flowerbeds, sculptures, fountains like the iconic Medici Fountain, and a central octagonal pond where children sail model boats […]. Owned by the French Senate housed in the Luxembourg Palace, the gardens remain a cultural hub hosting concerts and exhibitions. Their proximity to landmarks like the Pantheon and Saint-Sulpice Church adds to their appeal as a must-visit destination in Paris.”
It’s one of my favourite go-to places for pictures and runs, half a mile from where we live.
Sources
[1] Jardin du Luxembourg – The most beautiful gardens in Paris https://www.introducingparis.com/jardin-du-luxembourg
[2] Discover the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris – French Moments https://frenchmoments.eu/jardin-du-luxembourg-paris/
[3] The History of the Luxembourg Gardens – Hotel Trianon Rive Gauche https://www.hoteltrianonrivegauche.com/en/the-history-of-the-luxembourg-gardens/
[4] History & Heritage | Jardin du Luxembourg – Sénat https://jardin.senat.fr/en/history-heritage.html
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Je suis photographe et aquarelliste. Je pratique la photographie depuis l'enfance et la photographie numérique depuis 1995. J'en ai fait mon activité principale en 2021. Je possède un studio photo dans le 15e arrondissement de Paris
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20 Comments
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Great photos Yann 🙂
Thank you kindly Andy. Have a great weekend in beautiful Scotland.
You’re welcome Yann, hope you are having wonderful weather in France 🙂
Indeed we’re very lucky this year. Almost one month of summer like weather unabated. Utmost pleasant.
Sounds wonderful Yann 🙂
great photos – makes me yearn for a visit to Paris. enjoy the weekend.
Thanks Clay, this is very kind. True, there are worst places on Earth. Have a great weekend too!
Lovely. I particularly loved the leaf stuck to the fence and the 19th century building. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much
My pleasure!
Beautiful photos!!!
Thank you kindly.
I am a-swoon over your images, Yann. If bokeh ever could be described as “delicious,” I would certainly apply that term to your work — especially the photo of the two cherubs with the barely recognizable Panthéon in the background. The leaf in the fence and the cones are particularly wonderful too; a reminder that a sharp eye (pardon the pun) can elevate even the mundane to art.
That’s very kind Heide. Still got a lot to learn but indeed that autumn series from Nov 2012 was a success. Went to your blog in search of a sequel but no luck. Hope you have time to get back to blogging soon.
I must compliment you on your persistence in visiting my blog for a sequel — and also thank you for your encouragement, Yann. I began working on the next batch of photos this morning so will hopefully finally find the time to post something soon.
Great series of photos! I enjoyed them…
Thanks!
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I like your photographs. It’s curious the subjects you choose to shot the camera…
Thanks. I like eerie subjects.