Sainte Devote, a photo from Monaco-Ville, South

Photographer's Note

This is the church of Sainte Devote of Monaco.

According to the legend, Devota - Devote -, a young Christian girl originally from Corsica was martyred by Barbarus, prefect under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian, at a date we can situate between 303 and 304. Her body, taken and hidden by fellow believers during the night, was put into a boat destined for Africa.

However, adverse winds directed the boat towards Monaco and the Saint’s body was consequently buried in the chapel of the glen known as "des Gaumates", close to the port, on 27th January of the same year.

A church was first recorded on this site in 1070 but there were various additions and restorations in the 17th and 19th centuries. It is situated in a gorge between the harbour and the underground station (seen here as the lit archway in the background).

Information taken from the website of the minister of state for Monaco.

I didn't have a tripod so I assume I must have found a stable surface somewhere to be able to take this shot.

sabyasachi1212, alana, pasternak, ALIRIZA, zeca, Bien, cengiz, riclopes, aznegrao, john_c, Tue, vagabondtravels, weswang has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

dsidwell (9783) 2006-06-18 12:41

Hello Jonathan, Very magical light captured here so effectively. It is fun that you were also able to capture the blue sky so effectively. Nice, close-up view.

alana (2625) 2006-06-18 12:49

Hi, Jonathan
Monaco is the country where I'd like to go back again and again. Excellent night shot with good details, great tonal contrast and the dramatic sky. Very well composed.

Alana

pasternak (15185) 2006-06-18 12:52

Very beautiful blue hour shot, Jonathan, very nice light, colours, sharpness, and amazing, perfect framing! Well done!

Alexander

gebala (0) 2006-06-18 13:28

hello,
I like your nights shots
they are really clear and have good quality
I like golden colours here
exellent composition with great point of view
well taken
have a nice evening
rgs

Gerrit (56681) 2006-06-18 14:00

Hi Jonathan, good catch of the light and good sharpness for a handheld picture.
Thansk and regards. Gerrit

ALIRIZA (16423) 2006-06-18 15:45

Hello Jonathan ,
WOOOOW!...Great POV, good angle, nice perspective. I like warm colors, light and shadows very much. Congratulations...
Best Regards...
Ali Rıza

[2]

jbonvini (162) 2006-06-18 16:47

Very nice shot! The composition is perfect.Shadows and lights are wonderful.Well done.João

zeca (19762) 2006-06-18 23:28

Hello Jonathan!
Nice picture! The lights and saturation are very well balanced. Nice POV!
Regards,
Zeca

Bien (4745) 2006-06-19 2:05

Hi Jonathan, working in Monaco myself and this being just near the railways station entrance, I can say that I know this pretty church rather well. I must say that you have done it a lot of justice as I've never seen it so pretty looking as in this photo. The light is very well managed here and the silhouettes on top of the bridge are giving the stairs effect in this shot a purpose. Nice work! Sabine

Graal (103038) 2006-06-19 2:58

Hi Jonathan,
fine shot, interesting view by night. Good POV and colours. Well done photo.
Rgs, Aleksander

sabyasachi1212 (19779) 2006-06-19 3:54

Hi Jonathan,
Without a tripod you indeed did a fine job. Great colours. The darkness in the FG contrasts nicely with blue sky in the BG.
Well Done
With Greetings from India
Sabyasachi

branley (3681) 2006-06-19 4:17

Hi Jonathan,

Great composition with a good POV, warm colours and good contrast. The people up high give the bridge scale. Well done.

Regards

Stephen

cengiz (3593) 2006-06-19 8:25

perfectly light you captured, blue sky are great compliments
cengiz

aznegrao (10316) 2006-06-19 9:58

Hi Jonathan!!
Gosto do controle da exposição noturna co belas cores e texturas. Thanks for sharing.
Rgds.
aznegrao.

capthaddock (28790) 2006-06-19 12:00

Hi Jonathan - this is really nice, the exposure is spot on, the harsher illumionation of the belltower would be easy to overexpose, and the timing is just right with leftover colour and details in the sky.

john_c (24666) 2006-06-19 12:50

Hi Jonathan,
A mesmerizing and beautiful view of this church, with warm glowing hues. I like the vertical format and indeed you must have found a stable surface to capture this special light. Very impressive with a superb note.
John

Tue (72006) 2006-06-19 17:43

Hej Jonathan,
A very nice night shot of this church. The lights are very nice and I like the warm colours they create in contrast to the cold colours of the background. Well captured!
Hilsen,´
Lars

jjcordier (79299) 2006-06-20 1:19

Fine shot, interesting view by night. Good POV, light and colours
Best regards
JJ

riclopes (35577) 2006-06-20 3:46

Excellent shot Jonathan! And very good result, considering that you haven't a tripod. The façade of this church is a beauty and the lighting is enhancing it. But what fascinates me more in this image is that gorgeous sky and the sight of the sillouettes of the people up there. I love it!
Ricardo

rosaline (0) 2006-06-20 5:38

Hi Jonathan
A nice blue hour shot that captures the different coloured lights very well. The inclusion of the blue sky in the background blends artificial and ambient light very well. Great exposure control and a nice tight composition. Well done.
Aubrey

Vato_Law (12732) 2006-06-20 18:36

Hello Jonathan,
Good photo from this church. I like the atmosphere and light of this image allied to a very sharpened image under not easy conditions.
Rgds.
Paulo

vagabondtravels (6511) 2006-06-20 21:40

Jonathan
Good nights shot. Very sharp with great color. Nice POV! Good work.

Ben

weswang (18223) 2006-06-20 23:00

Hi Jonathan, An excellent timing for this picture. With the daylight outline to the structure and environment and electrical light to highlight the details of the structure, this photo is well balanced and nicely composed. You did a great job to this handheld shot.

sergio1 (12152) 2006-06-21 6:42

Hi Joanthan
Excellent night view. The best for me is the lights to the church and sahrp. Great expossure and compo.
Congratulacions

sleon (9402) 2006-06-22 16:28

Hi Jonathan
Good balance of natural and artificial lighting here and I like the tight framing of the subject. The tiny silhouetted people in the background add nice extra detail.
Regards, Susanna

Stepan (27210) 2006-06-24 2:13

Excellent (classical) night shot (especially without tripod). The off centered choice was a right one and allows to create some contrast with modern building in the background. Well done.
Stéphane

Gdouble (0) 2006-06-25 17:11

Hi Jonathan,
Nice capture of this night illumination. I like the contrast with the orange tones of the church with the blue ones of the sky.
Nice shot
Guy

Didi (61569) 2006-07-09 14:40

Hello Jonathan
Je note un bon contrôle de l'exposition sur cette composition photographiée à l'heure bleue du crépuscule.
La balance des blancs est parfaitement équilibrée.

Hello Jonathan
I note a good control of the exposure on this composition photographed on the blue time of the twilight. The white balance is well done.

vinicio (23423) 2006-07-13 3:09

Rare image of the church, thanks Jonathan, and compliments for the beautiful image that you have posted, perfect image indeed.
Ciao
Vinicio

jafadabret (56501) 2006-07-15 14:17

Une excellente maîtrise de la lumière, Jonathan, avec des couleurs superbes sur une église de belle architecture tout cela fait une photo des meilleures et en plus à l'heure bleue !
Jacques