one, a photo from Van, East Anatolia

Photographer's Note

Lake Van (Turkish: Van Gölü; Armenian: Վանա լիճ; Kurdish: Gola Wanê) is the largest lake in Turkey, in the far east of the country. It is a saline lake of volcanic origin with no outlet, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. It is 120 km long, 80 km wide and 457 metres deep. It has an area of 3,755 km² and is 1719 metres above sea level.

The lake's outlet was blocked at some time during the pleistocene, when lava flows from Nemrut volcano blocked westward outlet towards the Mus Plain. Now dormant Nemrut Dagi is close to the western shore of the lake and another dormant stratovolcano Suphan Dagi dominates the northern side of the lake. The water level of the lake has often altered dramatically: near Tatvan, Oswald (see Geology of Armenia, 1901) noted a raised beach high above the present level of the lake as well as recently drowned trees. The level of the lake rose by at least three metres during the 1990s, drowning much agricultural land, and (after a brief period of stability and then retreat) seems to be rising again.

Its water is strongly alkaline and rich in sodium carbonate and other salts, which are extracted by evaporation and used as detergents. Darekh, a species of herring caught during the spring floods, spawns near the mouths of streams feeding the lake and is the only fish that can survive in the brackish water.

The lake is surrounded by fruit and grain-growing agricultural areas.

isabela_sor, midyat, bostankorkulugu, stego, Ferrus, hyasar, doubay, triptych2003, salvator, kiwi_explorer, Rosa_d_MonteLua, tigra, pebbles, noborders, s_a_s_h_a has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

izmirli (3989) 2007-02-04 17:17

merhaba mahmut
van gölünde güzel bir kış manzarası.ışık ve komposizyon güzel olmuş.tanıtımın için sağol.
ellerine sağlık.
sevgi ve saygılarımla.
gürkan akçakır.

midyat (2545) 2007-02-04 17:31

Dear Mahmut
I spent my large part of life at the Van. Van is the most beutiful city in Turkey. Your photo is well done. I walked many times at the same place. Congrulations...

Tezic (17867) 2007-02-04 17:37

Merhaba,
Sade ışık ortamı , yumuşak pastel renkler ve yer yer karlı zemin dokusu ile hoş bir kompozisyon olmuş.. suya yakın martıların yansımaları çok güzel...

KemaLMerT (12048) 2007-02-04 17:50

Selam,
Yumşak renkler, net fotoğraf, güzel kompozisyon.
Eline sağlık.
Kemal Mert

isabela_sor (47748) 2007-02-05 4:10

A bad weather and a difficult light,but you've managed all great and the result is a great picture!Cok guzel
Selamlar

Ferrus (789) 2007-02-05 7:24

Merhaba Mahmut bey,
I like your note very well: it made me learn a lot about Gola Wanê. I wonder if there is the possibility to extract salt from the salty water. Like that, you could sell the salt and maybe immigrate other fishes?
Well, we know that such projects might be difficult (because the lake is in the "east"...). Maybe there is already such a project...if you know about I`d be happy to learn from you.
By the way: the photo is well

Saygilarimla
Ferhat

guli (227) 2007-02-05 8:34

bu manzara ve fotoğraf karşısında ne denilir bilmem ki...
çok güzel bir an. insanın orda olası geliyor.
doğru zamanda doğru yerde olmak buna denir.
tabi fotoğrafın tekniğini ve güzel çekiminin de hakkını vermek lazım.
iyi çekim MahmuT TEBRİKLER.

hyasar (7775) 2007-02-05 16:00

Merhaba Mahmut,

yumusak renkler ve durgun suyla cok huzur veren hos bir fotograf olmus. Tebrikler.

Hakan

stego (24132) 2007-02-05 17:38

Merhaba Mahmut,
Beautiful photo. The compo is great, very powerful and dynamique, and the light is almost magical.
Very informative note.
Regards, José.

bostankorkulugu (42866) 2007-02-05 19:06

yumuşak ve sade atmosfer çok dinlendirici... van en çok görmek istediğim yerlerin başında... yakında inşallah...

selamlar

korkut

:)yarına

boonie (779) 2007-02-06 0:13

Mahmut
Great mood in this capture - I can feel the cold - the patches of show add to the message you are sending. Fine composition.

Thanks for the kind comments on my traveling cat.

Dan

doubay (674) 2007-02-06 5:49

Hi Mahmut
very beautiful shot of lake Van with very nice melancholic atmosphere. Your note is very interesting too.
Regards
Andreas

triptych2003 (1534) 2007-02-06 18:50

hi mahmut

i love the way the sun is bursting out of the clouds. the positioning here is very good too. i've just noticed the snow. it must get very cold there. the birds are an excellent inclusion. well [email protected]

atilgone (0) 2007-02-07 4:43

Merhaba,

Güzel bir kış manzarası. Işık kullanımı ve komposizyon güzel olmuş elinize sağlık. Teşekkürler

salvator (19110) 2007-02-08 3:41

Merhaba Mahmut Bey,
Kompozisyon ve bakis acisi cok guzel ve dengeli, isik kullanimi cok guzel, kuslar canlilik katmis, renkler yumusak ve cok hos. Neticede guzel bir fotograf. Elinize saglik. Selamlar. Salvator.

kiwi_explorer (12209) 2007-02-09 19:01

Hello Mahmut,
Reading your description, it sounds an interesting place to visit. The presence of birds (looks like seagulls) got me puzzled at first because they don't normally hang around lakes... but the herrings explains it. Well composed scene capturing a gloomy winters day. Well done ...TFS
Cheers,
Renier

Rosa_d_MonteLua (1508) 2007-02-10 7:06

Hi Mahmut!
Interesting composition with a well chose perspective and special sun effect.
Good colours and nice clarity.
I like, particularly, the contrast between far red buildings and the grey surronding environment.
TFS and best wishes,
Rosa

ElAprendiz (30) 2007-02-10 8:31

Hello friend Mahmut
A great line of vision. The opaque tones of the firmament, to a sun that is timid, conform a beautiful composition. The depth of field that radiates the wharf on the lake, very is guessed right, catching an endless number of details
Good work
John

tigra (2968) 2007-02-18 14:54

Hello Mahmut
Wonderful winter composition..
I like the contrast between the snow and the sea!
Katia

Rycho66 (414) 2007-02-20 13:18

Hi Mahmut
Extra composition and great winter atmosphere .
Very good light and colours
regards Richard

rbassin (27472) 2007-02-21 14:09

Bonsoir Mahmut
Cette vue est baignée par une très belle luminosité.
La composition est bien équilibréea avec la courbe formée par le bord de la mer.
Roland

cimcim (3712) 2007-02-23 9:23

Merhaba Mahmut Bey,
Pastel tonların hakim olduğu sade yalın ve çok güzel bir fotoğraf.
Paylaşım için teşekkürler
Ayçin

pebbles (0) 2007-02-25 7:54