Place du Puits Photo

Photographer’s Note

Place du Puits - 'the square of the well' - in old Honfleur. The well is the solid rectangular structure in the middle of this tiny but lovely square. Here, Rue du Puits terminates at the conclusion of its winding route uphill from la Place Ste-Catherine, the main town square with the huge wooden Ste-Catherine's church.

The cafe, which proclaims that it serves 'Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch' all in English, is attached to a very fine holiday apartments/chambre d'hotes establishment situated in an XVII century convent, later rebuilt as a cider house, in the heart of the Saint Catherine historical and artistic area.

There are about 365 photos of Honfleur on TE, but I couldn't find one of this delightful place, about 5 minutes' walk from 'le vieux bassin'. Needless to say, I whiled away many pleasant moments having coffee in the quiet sun-filled Place du Puits, fiddling with my camera and pointing it at things.

besnard, BeBeHooker, snunney, phwall, tyro, gildasjan, Kielia, leo61, Longroute, daddo, trekks, PixelTerror, Royaldevon, chinchini, jlbrthnn, Clementi, papagolf21, jhm, Buin, asajernigan, pasternak, ChrisJ, cherryripe, carper, JCG, TravelerNL, Charo, paura, Vasa, jafadabret, skippy007, ellelloo, patdeph, chpp, Loic_bzh has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

besnard (32738) 2009-10-14 4:09

Bonjour Andrew
Un très joli cliché clair et lumineux avec les maisons à colombages qui sont du plus bel effet.
Merci pour cette belle image et bonne journée.
Nicole

BeBeHooker (6873) 2009-10-14 4:13

Hi Andrew!
Nice place, very nice houses, beautiful weather, superb colors.
Cheers!

snunney (38289) 2009-10-14 4:14

Hello Andrew,
We both feature wells today but you seem to have come off better as far as the weather is concerned. The point of view is well chosen to encompass the delightful architecture behind. I like how the cobbled road leads us into the image. The light is excellent and the colours positively sparkling.

serp2000 (10781) 2009-10-14 4:20

Hi, Andrew,
Lovely quiet place. Fine shot and interesting note. Well done! My compliments!
Serghei

npecanhuk (17809) 2009-10-14 4:23

Hello Andrew!
That's a very beautiful and pleasant picture!
Sharpness, exposure, dof and colors are excellent!
The pov couldn't be better and the composition is quite effective and the visual results are truly attractive!
TFS - congratulations!
Best regards,
Neyvan

yquem46 (10358) 2009-10-14 4:23

A nice place and a top quality image Andrew
A pleasant postcard for the Tourism Information desk of Honfleur!
have a nice day
patrick

dta (9282) 2009-10-14 4:25

Hello Andrew ,
Honfleur is a marvellous little town . We often see pictures of the harbour , but other places are nice too . As this one . An excellent framing with superb colors and sharpness . The wonderful blue sky of Normandy , too .. :)
Regards

phwall (6011) 2009-10-14 4:26

Hi Andrew,
Great shot, your composition, post and image quality combine for a superb image.
You certainly pointed your camera in the right direction with this one.
It is a pleasure to look at.
Regards
Peter

tyro (2706) 2009-10-14 4:59

Hello, Andrew.

Yes, I like that: "fiddling with my camera and pointing it at things". I'm glad that I'm not the only one that does that!

But, in this case, you have pointed your camera in the right direction! Actually, I don't know if you've ever looked at the Gallery of one of my friends, Peter Geldart, but he has uploaded some very interesting Composition Analysis Workshops, studying the Rule of Thirds, diagonals, triangles and such like. Very interesting they are too. And, of course, looking at this picture, I see that it conforms perfectly with the "Rule of Thirds", the vertical divisions of thirds sitting exactly over the "well" on the right and the "disappearance" of the road and the "no entry" sign on the left. A perfect "lead in" by the diagonal kerb on the left and that lovely sweeping curve of the yellow kerb at the bottom.

So much for composition. The colours are well-saturated without being overdone, lighting and exposure are spot-on and, as usual, your photograph is superby sharp and clear.

And an interesting and informative note to accompany it.

What more could one ask for?

Excellent!

Kind Regards,

John.

alftrek (3045) 2009-10-14 5:29

Hi Andrew,
This is an absolutely delightful architectural image. The well(with water plants) in the FG seems fighting for attention but I can't resist my attention being drawn to the fantastic looking buildings behind it. The curved kerb and bollards are excellent directional elements in this composition. Excellent result with the use of CPL.
Regards
Alfred

delpeoples (9430) 2009-10-14 5:57

Hi Andrew, even in thumbnail the luminous quality of this photo was obvious. And having looked at it in further detail I'm even more impressed. The colours shapes and textures are superb. I love the effect of the shadows falling and that solitary lady enjoying her coffee. So French. Thanks for sharing and enjoy th rest of your week, Lisa

AROBN54 (10799) 2009-10-14 7:16

Oh, wow, Andrew!
What a shot... GREAT color, wonderful graphics, lovely light. I like the way the road curves in and all those fabulous lines and angles. That must have been the perfect time of day to shoot it, too. The light is outstanding. Superb shot. Many thanks and kindest wishes,
Shelly

sacavem (9413) 2009-10-14 7:29

Olá Andrew,

Good work to capture this image.
Excellent composition, very nice colours, and sharpness.
Well done.
Best wishes,
Filipe

chrislo (348) 2009-10-14 9:17

Hi Andrew,
This is the kind of picture that makes me want to visit this town. Everything is so detailed, clear and colorful. You carefully chose your POV and shot in the best light of the day. This place breathes peace and quiet with its half-timbered houses from another time, and its square seems to be the ideal place to sit and have a drink, just to enjoy the present time. In your way, you're a perfect ambassador of our country. Thanks for showing us such beautiful photos.
Regards,
Christian

gildasjan (25118) 2009-10-14 10:04

Bonjour Andrew
Le rendu contrasté de cette image est plaisant et la netteté est excellente.
Bonne journée
Amicalement
gildas

Kielia (9269) 2009-10-14 11:03

Hi Andrew,
I had to smile to myself when I read your note! There is no need to hide your light under a bushel, this image is one of the most athmospheric impressions of Honfleur here on TE. YOu have created such a charming atmosphere due to the bright colors and the beautiful light. My compliments!
Warm regards
Harriet

leo61 (44344) 2009-10-14 11:08

HI Andrew!
A great colorful shot,taken from an excellent POV.
Excellent composition with this curve and yellow painted stones.
Colors,contrast and sharpness are perfect!!!!
Regards,leo

Longroute (11803) 2009-10-14 12:45

Quite a peculiar corner!
As your rightly say it's really delightful and your composition does justice to it. The right angle curve of the road is the ideal to have a fine sense of perspective and that kind of monument is placed in the proper place. All the houses, no exception have an interesting and varied architecture and the mix of colours adds interest and vivacity.
It's a picture where everywhere our eyes roam they find interesting and fine details, from the tradition shops at the left to the half hidden cafe to the right. The light is inclredibly good and bright and you mananged to obtain an excellent clarity and sharpness which allows us to appreciate the interesting textures of walls, road and roofs. A whole universe concentrate in a small corner!
Very enjoyable.
TFS,
Donato

daddo (12223) 2009-10-15 0:50

Hi Andrew. Such skills and resulting from such nonchalance!Just fiddling and pointing eh?This place is full of doll houses, painted by happy people. I love the colours and the strong light. The darker shadows actually add depth and dimension to the buildings.really a great spot where to fiddle. I see that the tap has been dismantled, presumably the water these days is not drinkable. remember my shot from Makarska where the school kids are drinking from the town fountain, enjoying the clean mountain water? Regards. Klaudio.

ifege (2505) 2009-10-15 2:22

A great shot on the Pentax Andrew. I took a photo in the same square in May but the sky was a total wash out.
Good colours and POV.
cheers
Ian

Nicou (49061) 2009-10-15 9:50

Hello,

merveilleuse image, quel de belles coueurs, ces facades superbe, avec la route qui fait son virage, ce collombage, une pureté dans les couleurs, grandiose.

Bravo et maitié

Nicou

PixelTerror (89826) 2009-10-15 9:54

Hi Andrew
Great view, it is luminous, features lovely heritage houses and you managed to avoid the plague of Honfleur, the many cars parked everywhere, superb !
Have a nice day JY

coco (29167) 2009-10-15 10:48

Hi Andrew.

Nice and very elegant work with a fine composition and colorus.

Well done.

kschanna (6) 2009-10-15 23:17

Hello Andrew,

What can I say about this compo. Its perfect, the curving kerb and the diminishing architectural lines of the buildings on the left. simply superbly organised in the frame.

Great work.
Thanks for sharing
Kamran

Royaldevon (6375) 2009-10-16 0:09

You are right, Andrew! This is a delightful place!
The beautifully constructed , highly decorated houses, with their 'raised-eyes' windows, appear to be protecting the more diminutive well.
A good lead from the curving, textured road, leads nicely towards the buildings.
Excellent clarity and sharply focussed.

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

molla (6979) 2009-10-16 2:48

Andrew
when autumn storms wines around the house, darkness comes early, it would be a dream to sit down at a French bistro with coffee and a newspaper and just quietly read it...
but an other time...
Back to work
thank you for your little day dream
Anders

chinchini (28779) 2009-10-16 5:37

Hell Andrew,
Encore une image parfaite que tu publies. La seule chose que je peux trouver à redire c'est qu'un peu plus de lumière éclairerait ce beau tableau ;o)
J'aime bien la présence du vieux puits en pierre au milieu des constructions à colombages et très colorées.
La présence de la dame assise à la terrasse de l'établissement apporte un peu d'animation à cet endroit calme.
Have a nice weekend!
Pierre

jlbrthnn (42499) 2009-10-16 6:30

Hello Andrew,
I am admiring light and colors. In the same way, I appreciate your choice of framing, and the description of the street and the frontages. The quality of the image is higher. congratulations.
Have a nice day
Cordially
Joël

Clementi (49693) 2009-10-16 22:07

Ciao Andrew,
beautiful rich image of light and colors, strange effect the complete absence of people, that sitting in the cafe to make to seem the scene type the day after.
good job
Giorgio

papagolf21 (58691) 2009-10-17 0:33

Bonjour, cher Andrew,
C'est toujours un ravissement pour le regard de découvrir cette ville mythique !
L'image est d'une grande beauté, les couleurs, les détails ressortent à merveille.
Le cadrage est particulièrement soigné.
Amitiés.
Philippe

alibasarir (15149) 2009-10-17 0:38

merhaba Andrew ,
çok şık bir kadraj ve nefis bir görüntü.detaylar,ışık ve canlı renkler harika tebrikler.
selamlar
Ali

jhm (86376) 2009-10-17 0:43

Hello Andrew,

When we can see 365 pictures of these place, than know we that this is a very extraordinarily place.
I would also glad here take a break, and drink a good cup of coffee.
Very lovely picture, pleasant for look at.
Sharpness and clarity are very nice. TFS.

Have a nice weekend,
John

Buin (40685) 2009-10-17 3:55

Hallo Andrew!
I've had a walk in your collection and this one I like very much! This calm and peaceful atmosphere is so appealing and the architecture all around truly is lovely. Let's have a cappuccino in this little restaurant behind the well ... ;-)
Greetings from a cold and rainy Germany!
Frank

asajernigan (15221) 2009-10-17 5:15

Andrew,
The lighting and colors are amazing here! Your composition is fine using the curving road to lead the eye into the shot. The line of buildings provide nice balance for the well. The half-timbered architecture is great and you have captured it nicely. The deep blue sky provides a nice backdrop for the scene.
TFS,
Asa

pasternak (14517) 2009-10-17 7:52

Excellent luminous view of a typical Honfleur street, I must confess I can't recognise it immediately, although I've been in Honfleur last year. Great that you could capture the whole scene with only one person in the frame, usually there are more tourists than this, I think... ;)

Cheers
A

ChrisJ (72268) 2009-10-17 8:32

Hi Andrew

Good sharpness, with wonderful yellow vs blue colour contrasts throughout. Well composed with superb saturation & pov. Tfs!

cherryripe (19873) 2009-10-17 9:07

Hi Andrew
You had such a beautiful day here with the sun and sky bringing out the colours of the attractive buildings. Excellent pov too with the lines and curves adding depth.
Regards
Nikki
P.S. Mum's currently staying with us and she doesn't seem to have gone into depression about the Ds coming last again ;-)

carper (68278) 2009-10-17 9:35

very nice one Andrew,
a well taken shot here, good quality job, fine lines, good sharpness and well composed, very nice photo job here, have a nice day.
regard jaap

jimkil (740) 2009-10-18 2:30

Hello Andrew
Hope your well and enjoying the summer to come soon? Its been very up and down here at the moment.
I can see this is your trademark capture, the detail and colours so belong to your style. A very beautiful French town, full of charisma indeed - one who can wander and venture. Very well composed and like I say the colours and detail just gorgeous.
Regards
Jim

JCG (27461) 2009-10-18 2:56

Bonjour Andrew,

A small quiet place of which you marvelously restored the atmosphere well on this photograph. I like much these contrasted bright colors and this beautiful light of the morning which give much value to the image. You noticed this cafe and me I notice that on the left of the image, the owner of this driving school must be rather chauvinistic !!!

With all my friendships and very good Sunday,

Jean-Charles

TravelerNL (2971) 2009-10-18 3:39

Hi Andrew,
A nice relaxed and pitoresque place this seems to be.
The houses look pretty old but well maintained.
An attractive compo by including the curve down in the street which borders the photo in a natural way.
Good colors and light management.
Have a nice day!
Harko

Charo (34372) 2009-10-18 15:06

Hello Andrew,
A good example of local architecture in a superb catch.
Excellent framing with wonderful light and very good details.
Best wishes,
Charo

holmertz (10917) 2009-10-19 8:27

Hello Andrew,
This is an astonishing place, almost unbelievably pretty, so pretty that it would probably have looked fine even in dull weather.
You found a fine place to position yourself, getting the yellow curve going from the corner into the centre of the composition.
Regards,
Gert

testmaniac (12587) 2009-10-21 21:19

Hi Andrew, very good photo with superb composition,colors and sharpness. Wonderful street photo!

TFS and regards my friend,
Phil

paura (42125) 2009-10-22 15:52

Andrew,
Excelentes estão as cores aqui, como também o é o enquadramento. Lindo trabalho.

Abraço

Paulo

Vasa (8962) 2009-10-23 3:21

Je regarde cet image avec emotion, Andrew. Je connais le village personnelleemnt et qui me rappelle le poeme de Victor Hugo "Demain des l'aube". Ta photo est merveilleuse, par le motif choisi, par l'atmosphere. Simplement, c'est un grand plaisir de contampler une telle scene. Tu as realise Honfleur comme si tu etais la bas longtemps et comme tu as pu choisir la lumiere. Avec toutes mes felicitations, cher ami!

Branko

jafadabret (42600) 2009-10-25 3:10

Bonjour Andrew.
C'est vrai que la ville de Honfleur est souvent photographiée et peinte mais toi, tu as trouvé une merveilleuse place. J'aime la lumière sur les façades colorées et sur ce petit édifice de style.
Bon dimanche !
Amical salut !
Jacques

skippy007 (8205) 2009-10-25 16:00

Hello Andrew, I have just enjoyed reading your MK III intro, I can see you know at that computer with your partner in the other room wondering how in the hell it can keep you entertained for so long, it sounded so much like my wife & I, I remember you also commented on one of my very early shots & did a workshop, thanks. Interesting architecture, I like the colours & the old cobblestone road not only looks good with it's gentle sweep but also adds atmosphere, the structure over the well is also interesting, at first I thought it may have been one those old religious shrines one sees in Italy.
I guess the well was originally the town's water supply. Nice, clear, colourful & interesting image.
thanks
Cheers
Santo

ellelloo (5547) 2009-10-26 0:40

Hello Andrew,
A really enchanting place and a wonderful shot of great quality in all senses. Very picturesque houses, especially the one behind the well looks like a fairy tail house. An excellent composition, most beautiful light, bright colours and excellent clarity make this a joy to view. Thanks for an interesting note too.
Greetings from rainy south Finland,
Lasse

foozi (4947) 2009-10-26 7:11

Hi Andrew,
this presentation of lovely houses is so nice. The effect of the blue sky is pleasant. The clarity of the building makes this scenery superbs. The light too enhances the beauty as the angle hitting the wall is rightly timed.
Well presented shot.

Regards,
Foozi

NB: Im looking forward for your wide angle, as it is fun and exciting to experiment with. I recommned it very much. Good Luck :)

mauro61 (18908) 2009-10-27 1:13

ciao anmdrew,
bella immagine con la curva della strada che sembra abbracciare queste case.
Ottima definizione e colori brillanti.
buona giornata
mautizio

gentedilivello (2683) 2009-10-30 6:32

Hi Andrew,
nice and colorful corner caught in a magnificent way! Colors and sharpness are at the top and you composed nicely the image. Great work
TFS.
Have a nice week-end.
Gabriele.

delkoo (35632) 2009-10-31 10:11

hi andrew,
nice colorful corner, perfect use of polarizer. This qualifies as a splendid shot, technically flawless.

anyhow , the place is astonishing.
Sincerely

didier

salvator (19082) 2009-11-01 9:56

Hi Andrew,
Very nice framing, bright colors and superbly sharp. A pleaseure to looks at.
Best regards.
Salvator.

pablominto (43316) 2009-11-02 3:04

Hello Andrew,

I like the line created by the curving street, taking me further into the scene!
A picturesque place where the half-timber architecture dominates this street, matching well with the cobblestones...
Good light and lively colours, sharp fine details!

Greetings,
Pablo -

patdeph (19958) 2009-11-03 2:03

hello Andrew
Honfleur is one of the most famous place of Normandy,we can understand very well why by seing this vey nice picture,with the half-timbered houses,the colorful shutters,and here,the wondeful blue sky and light,enhancing its charm!Superb!
Regards
Pascale

chpp (4249) 2009-11-03 7:56

hi Andrew
I love this shot, vivid colours and very nice light, the building contrast perfectly with the blue sky. good sharpness to show the architecture and very nice compo
TFS
C
PS: very nice gallery of images in you profile

giorgimer (23448) 2009-11-03 13:17

Hi Andrew,

very nice village, nice colors, excellent composition

Very well done!

G

burraburra (986) 2009-11-05 4:02

Hi Andrew,
Compliments on such a fine presentation.
Colours are wonderful. Clarity spot on.
Thanks for sharing :)
Regards,
Graham.

Loic_bzh (7077) 2009-11-13 2:56

Hi Andrew!

Nice and colorfull shot of those typical houses. Honfleur is probably my favorite city in Normandy... You now know why!

Cheers,

Loïc

fabianoleite (3848) 2009-11-25 4:14

Wonderful corner, with well explored details, such as the floor and wooden parts of the typical houses. The sky was also great. Congratulations.

amaryllis (18906) 2009-11-25 13:51

Bonjour
je préfère celle-ci avec le puits et sa place malgré la signaletique su sens interdit (pas grave) une belle lumière sur ces façades de maison typiques et superbes
belle présentation
juliette

macjake (4613) 2009-12-20 8:33

Hi Andrew
I just absolutely love these town photos.
the character and charm is immense, the history long written.
great combination of colours and very well focused, sharp.
Have a relaxed sunday
Craig

Maged (1678) 2010-01-07 22:27

Hello dear Andrew
You took us around Europe in a very beautiful trip, the colors and the comp are superb from excellent point of view, high quality image.

Best Regards
Happy new year
Maged

Photo Information

Copyright: Andrew McRae (macondo) (13696)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-06-21
Categories: Architecture
Camera: Pentax K200D, Tamron 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DiII, Cokin 62mm Circular Polarizer
Exposure: f/10.0, 1/125 seconds
More Photo Info: view
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): France, Visiting France [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2009-10-14 4:07