CorinaO
FollowScene from an abandoned chateau in France
Scene from an abandoned chateau in France
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in an 17th century chateau in North France, which was abandonned since the 70s. Formely known as the Monkey Château thanks to the various murals depicting monkeys, is is now known as the Madness Château.Time
I remember being very excited, after weeks of research, I had finally managed to locate this château. To avoid degradation, the exact location of these abandoned architectural gems are never public and urban explorers are persecuted. As it was not far from where I lived, I decided to go and scout ahead so as to prepare for a photoshoot the following day. I had only taken my camera and a basic lens. Upon arriving it was already early in the afternoon. Though it was very cold, it happened to be one of the 4 sunny days we had in december and no clouds in the sky to block the light. The conditions were absolutely perfect!Lighting
I have rarely had the opportunity to shoot in such light conditions in winter. It was a perfect sunset and filled the room with a very bright yet cold light. As the sun was rapidly going down, in a matter of 20 minutes this room must have changed at least 10 faces, each themed with equally beautiful colours and different shadows.Equipment
My all time warrior, the Nikon D3000 with a basic Nikon AF-S 18 - 105 mm f/3,5 - 5,6. A simple as that.Inspiration
There's a sad story behind this chateau. Its last owner was living alone for years and due to many financial problems he was reduced to living in only a small part of this estate, using small portable gas heaters to go through the long french winters. He was found by a neighbour a week after he had passed away from old age. I started shooting the different rooms of this chateau early in the afternoon. Upon entering this secondary living room, the sunset had begun. A warm light filled the room, making me forget about the decaying state of it and filling me with a sad yet strangely reconforting loneliness. I wanted to transmit this feeling through this photograph. "He used to sit here..."Editing
I usually boost the contrast of the photograph up a bit in photoshop to make the photograph sharper.In my camera bag
The basic photography material apart (camera, basic 15-108 mm and 50 mm lens, and other lenses depending on the photoshoot, tripod, filters and extra batteries) I always carry a few liquid hand warmers (life savers in extreme conditions as frozen hands can be quite painful and make you miss a brilliant photo opportunity) and an indestructable cell phone in case of an emergency.Feedback
Patience, programming and readiness! Whenever I have a strong feeling or message that I want to transmit through my photographs, I take the time to study the surroundings and try and visualise the result before taking the photograph. Light is always the key, different moments of the day tell a different story through the same photograph. Which also means, always be ready, especially during sunrise and sunset, when the light changes every few minutes.