High-Speed Photography: Capturing the Fountain of Explorers
No digital trickery, computer doctoring, or AI nonsense on this High-speed photography shot of the Fountain of Explorers – just a slight crop on the right-hand side. The water droplets were captured at very high speed (1/800 sec), low ISO (100), and from far off to keep everything pin-sharp (long depth of field). Taken one afternoon in Paris late in the day whilst the sun was still fairly high in the sky.
The Fountain of Explorers Pixelated
The Fountain of Explorers, also known as the Fountain of the Four Parts of the World or the Carpeaux Fountain, is a stunning collaborative piece built between 1867 and 1874. It was commissioned by Baron Haussmann from Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Napoleon III’s official sculptor, to adorn the Garden of Great Explorers in Paris. I know Carpeaux’s work well – he was a sculptor from the Valenciennes region where I spent my youth.
This monument symbolises the four parts of the world (Asia, America, Europe, and Africa). Four female figures, allegories of these continents, support a celestial sphere adorned with zodiac signs. This sphere was created by Eugène Legrain, Carpeaux’s pupil. The fountain also features marine wildlife including horses, turtles, and dolphins, sculpted by Emmanuel Frémiet. Carpeaux, renowned for his expressive and dynamic style, wanted to show these figures in a living, almost dancing circle. This circle embodies movement and life. It caused quite a stir when presented at the Salon in 1872. Installed in 1874, the fountain also carries a message about the recent abolition of slavery, particularly visible in the female figure symbolising Africa. See also the Musée d’Orsay website. Carpeaux’s passion for movement can also be seen in his famous group The Dance on the Paris Opera.
Freezing Motion with High-Speed Photography
I used a very high shutter speed (1/800 sec) to freeze the water droplets with crisp definition, low ISO (100) to maintain quality, and plenty of distance to keep everything sharp throughout the frame. This approach gives the fountain a pixelated representation, highlighting the technical and aesthetic beauty of this water sculpture in its late-afternoon Parisian setting with natural light still present.
The Fountain of Explorers sits in a lovely green space. This is the Garden of Great Explorers, which runs from Observatory Avenue down towards the Luxembourg Gardens.
Some links
- The Observatory Fountain – Paris… au fil des rues https://parisaufildesrues.wordpress.com/2018/05/19/la-fontaine-de-lobservatoire-une-des-plus-belles-de-paris/
- Fountain of the Four Parts of the World https://www.unjourdeplusaparis.com/paris-culture/monument/fontaine-quatre-parties-du-monde-carpeaux
- The fountain of the four parts of the world – Paris Balades https://paris-balades.com/la-fontaine-des-quatre-parties-du-monde/
- Fountain of the Four Parts of the World https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontaine_des_Quatre-Parties-du-World
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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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