No Photoshop or any color manipulation, just a recent night shot showing an exclusive perfume store right in front of Antwerp city hall. Photo taken while I walked on by.
I took this photo at night (yes, trying a 1/4 sec exposure was too much for my movement stabilized lens, the full sized eight megapixel was slightly fuzzy), getting an unusual, perfect blue glow on part of the facade, while the whole image made me recall Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks.
In Fine is an exclusive “we mix your own perfume” outlet, with this medieval building being their business card location.
While I still regret not having checked the image sharpness, I was quite pleased with the natural blue glow delivering an out of this world atmosphere
WordPress is currently offering a great photo-blog template, which I just installed to provide the perfect backdrop for a photo-only 2nd blog about Antwerp. At present, it’s only a carbon copy of this blog, but I will make an effort to post original pictures. You may want to check out http://antwerpen.wordpress.com.
I’ll soon find out if anyone cares for yet another Antwerp photo-blog, but I will make sure to keep my main focus on this blog
This blog is not affiliated with or endorsed by the city of Antwerp, Belgium.
Gorgeous shot, Peter! Just lovely. I like it far better than Hopper’s … maybe the perfume element, maybe the blue (blue is my favorite color), maybe the writing and languages. The Antwerp dept. of tourism should buy this shot from you for their ads … really!
A second photo blog would be neat!
[Blog author comment: "Thank you Shirley! I'm considering a photo blog (a second site is already online, with a temporary copy of this blog), only all the existing Antwerp photo blogs made me wonder if anyone would visit. I once mailed Antwerp city a photo: they sent a very polite "thank you" and I've never heard from them since
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Comment by Shirley — June 4, 2008 @ 3:34 am
Lovely picture! I love perfume. I would SO be a frequent flier at this place!!
[Blog author comment: "Thanks Claudia. It's a great place: they actually create your own unique perfume, on the spot. One female blogger from the US adored the place: http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/2006/06/in-fine-parfums-antwerp.html, but I'm also a fan. Imagine passing by daily, kind of tempting. "]
Comment by Claudia — June 4, 2008 @ 3:11 pm
wow, that lighting in that shot is amazing! the blue glow of the store is really cool!
[Blog author comment: "Thanks Van! I guess it was my lucky day: I pass by daily but haven't seen this glow again. Probably a combination of lots of factors, I just happened to have a camera ready
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Comment by furiousball — June 4, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
Photoblogs are always popular and they are a good way to spread out your artistic endeavours. You should go for it.
[Blog author comment: "Thanks Manic. My blog over at http://antwerpen.wordpress.com was gathering dust: I will make an effort to make it a place to show off the numerous photos from the past few years and obviously, for any new shots. I won't make any promises though: if the photo blog doesn't get an acceptable hit-rate, I will obviously continue to focus on this blog. "]
Comment by Manictastic — June 4, 2008 @ 8:00 pm
Peter,
My favorite perfume is made in the citadel in Namur, Belgium. The lure of local parfumeries is big for me. I would love to visit this shop. Next time I’m in Antwerp, you’re taking me there!
And as everyone has noted, this is a stunning shot. Love it.
[Blog author comment: "Thanks Veronica. I only wish we could have spent another few hours in Antwerp last March: this shop is close to my home. As for the citadel in Namur: oh, sweet memories
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Comment by V-Grrrl — June 4, 2008 @ 10:46 pm
I’m not so much a perfume-y kinda girl (go figure), but I do have favorite scents. I’d love to create a unique one just for me; that would be neat
That photo looks like it should be on a movie set. Way cool.
[Blog author comment: "Thanks Granola-grrrl! This perfume shop charges about 50 EUR ($75) to create your own perfume, on the spot. The recently won a couple of awards so you do get something special. I pass by daily and haven't seen this vibrant blue glow again: it was the inside lighting reflecting, along with some uncommon outside lifting conditions. Unfortunately, the 8 M pixel original is not sharp"]
Comment by Granola-grrrl — June 9, 2008 @ 2:19 am