Berlin 1945-2005 Photo

Photographer’s Note

I´ve just come back from Berlin. It has been an unforgetable week-end for various reasons, among them to live the 60 anniversary of the end of the war in Berlin. Close to the emblematic Brangenburg gate there is this background, there you can see how the place was back in 1945. I liked the constrast between the B&W representing the 1945´s time, and the colour portraiting this three generation of germans. This photo has no postprocessing or WS at all.
Finally I renewed my love for this wonderful town so funny, nice, ugly, straight, gay, modern, old, wonderful...

Michael, jpages, Rinie_Hoff, hispic, MaJose, anakin, eleparc, cessy, elihesamian, srabbe, apazevedo, stranger, Reine, TBasco, Elric, ChrisJ, banyanman, MON, Emile, logios, tamoy, alejandroguzman, fireflyz, es841, SampraS, Mistral, Dr_Nibbles, srpablillo, MLINES, Angelillo, wodigori, rasmis, rafid76, henrytf, calimex, Guenther, gunergok, luiscar, noborders, maloutim ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

maciekda (19599) 2005-05-08 15:09

this is very good Miguel, you used the background really well, those people are nicely positioned in the frame, their colors make a good contast with that B&W paining or photo, good work

lcask (591) 2005-05-08 15:12

Brr... like in 1945. Decisive moment I would call your shot. Well composed.

Michael (277) 2005-05-08 15:16

Hi Miguel,

interesting picture with historic interest, as you i like the contrast between the backgroud and the people walking. the little boy is very expressive.
good shot !
Michael

dom_inik_m (1707) 2005-05-08 15:25

Strange idea to paint a mural in black and white (which is not the same thing at all as brick and stone discolored by smoke and soot).
As if the depiction of battles, death and destruction where they really took place should look like most war movies shot in the 1940's, as if keeping past times at distance might allow the viewer to disconnect himself from their drab reality, as if they could not be shown in color, as if color film had not been invented and processed before the 1960's, as if...
I wonder how German TrekEathers'll react to this kind of picturesque treatment.
Nice photo otherwise, Miguel. I haven't much to comment about it, for I feel here that the whys are much more important than the how. But it wouldn't raise so many questions if your picture wasn't as accomplished as it is... ;-)

rbcy1974 (20744) 2005-05-08 15:33

Hola Miguel,
Que interesante, fuistes a Berlin por trabajo, por placer o ambas? Muy interesante el contraste entre las personas en color y la imagen de las ruinas detras. A mi tambien me impacto mucho Berlin, es una ciudad muy con muchos contrastes, no exactamente bonita a mi parecer pero con mucha vida.
Saludos
Daniel

jpages (1670) 2005-05-08 16:28

Hola Miguel! Bienvenido a casa de nuevo! otra vez me ha pasado lo mismo, veo tu foto, leo la nota (esta vez incluso he pensado, mira... como Miguel), y hasta al final no he visto que era tuya!!!
Muy buena idea, me ha chocado la combinación B&N y color, un efecto muy bueno al no dejar ver la escena entera, y has logrado una composición muy buena con el joven, el padre y el niño, tres generaciones... la vida continúa.
Me alegro que te lo hayas pasado en grande.
Un abrazo.

Rinie_Hoff (9332) 2005-05-08 17:22

Hola Miguel, this is a very nice offering to start your Berlin pictures with. I'm glad you had a wonderful time.
Impressive picture this way, Migule and it again evokes that felling of: 'never again'. The people in front of it makes it all the more real, and also creates that jump to the present day. It is there as a warning: this happens if we don't pay attention.....
Thanks.

kingdragon (407) 2005-05-09 2:45

very good mixture of the time
Excellent composition
Well done bro

MaJose (427) 2005-05-09 3:25

Hola Miguel !

Fantástica foto. Ya te lo han dicho, pero el contraste del mural con los transeuntes es espléndido visualmente. Es una idea impactante, y muy, muy triste.
He leído los post, y me alegro que pasaras unos días tan especiales.
Un saludo.
Ma José

P.D. : tu foto va a mi cesta ..

hamster (1045) 2005-05-09 6:42

Very good one. The contrast of color people and B&W background is a key to success of this photo. Seems that these people walks in 1945's Berlin.

anakin (2775) 2005-05-09 9:24

Hola Miguel una interesante foto, con una buena combinacion de elementos y colores, logrando un fantastico contraste.
well done
saludos

JesusV (922) 2005-05-09 17:15

Original e impactante, ayer vi una instantanea muy similar de la puerta de Bradenburgo en El Mundo, deberías pedirles copyright. :-). Veo que tienes nuevo juguete y que le estás dando un buen uso. ¿que lentes has comprado? ¿como llevas el salto a una DSLR?

Saludos,

Jesus

coco (27948) 2005-05-09 17:39

Enorme. No son muchas las fotos que haya visto en TE con un significado tan grande. En un solo disparo una mirada al pasado. ¡Y de qué forma!.

Mientras esas tres generaciones caminan tranquilamente, detrás de ellos se ve... "el horror" (como diría Brando en su papel de Kurtz).
¿Y como conviven ellos con ese "horror"?.

eleparc (24059) 2005-05-09 18:49

slt Miguel, j'aime bcp cette image! ce contraste entre la Berlin détruite et l'allemagne du XI siècle est fascinante! de beaux personnages;-))
Wilkommen zurück nach madrid

ndb1958 (9248) 2005-05-10 4:48

Great composition. Great contrast! ... and I like your note.

olopez (4870) 2005-05-10 9:41

Hola Miguel,
Vaya!, falto unos pocos días (ando bastante liado personal y laboralmente hablando) y me pierdo un montón de acontecimeientos. Felicidades por tu cumple y enhorabuena por la compra tan excelente que has hecho, la 350D tiene una pinta bestial.

Original composición y excelente resultado, el contraste del fondo en BN con los transeuntes es muy bueno.
Muy bien visto.
Hasta pronto,
Oscar

cessy (13647) 2005-05-11 0:56

excellent, Miguel
very nice shot, sharp and the back ground and the three people are very well composed

alainh (35379) 2005-05-12 11:08

Ola Miguel
a very nice realisation. Good idéa for work.
thanks for this share.
regards
alain

Ebbe (9571) 2005-05-12 15:46

A great one Miguel! The color on B&W is a great effect. I also like the positioning of 2+1 facing each other but at different distance from you.

elihesamian (26091) 2005-05-14 1:13

What a great work,Miguel!
it's a nice remembering for end of the sad war in earth history.
you captured the view with strong contrast,B&W background for those live people works excellent.And the old man knows better than all about the war that maybe he saw it and now he say his sad memories for his kid.
very good work and an intellectual shot,nicely done,Miguel!
Best regards
M

Rockyboy (20582) 2005-05-14 6:29

Very good picture here, Miguel and very important too... Hope we will never seen that!!! I like also your composition with the people in colors and the representation in B/W as background. Well seen!

Konigludwig (38) 2005-05-14 17:41

Hi Miguel,
Original composition. Great contrast!Very good picture.
Compliments!!

Paker (2636) 2005-05-14 22:52 [Comment]

Show Comment +

mlopes (492) 2005-05-15 15:59

Hola Miguel
This is just amazing, really well seen and better made.

You seem to have a gift to spots this kind os compositions!

It's funny how the persons fit so well in this scene, the leather jacket of the young man and the little hat of the boy seems to be taken from the painting.

Thanks for sharing
Mario

doume (38) 2005-05-17 12:50

I like the composition. Poeple in front are not at the same level and give deepness to the picture. Old man and young boy seem half way beetwen past background and present foreground (even their dresses look more old fashion). Could'nt be better if you choose poeple and give them position.

Furachan (0) 2005-05-20 9:14

Miguel, this is masterly, unbelievably well seen, not just 3 generations of Berliners, but 3 perfectly positioned subjects in a haunting frame. Striking. Francis

srabbe (1424) 2005-05-20 14:26

It is a very interesting picture, Miguel, very original, with this B&W background, and colored people, I really like it !
Sophie

apazevedo (5469) 2005-05-22 12:40

Olá Miguel!
Fantastic picture here, I really love it. The background is really perfect and contrasts amazingly with those three generations of germans. A very good work!

stranger (720) 2005-06-02 9:23

really nice shot :) congragulation , first I tought it's a mixed one , you did the job man:) You should have waited so long to have 3 generation together in the frame & just one from each generation :)

keep posting .
Shahab.

rico (501) 2005-06-14 1:25

Me gusta la diferencia de colores y las personas en un plano diferente. Muy interessante!

Joaquin (420) 2005-06-17 0:25

Hola Miguel, felicidades por esta foto como destino destacado. Es una foto de mucho contraste entre presente y pasado, realidad y mentira, vida y destrucción. Excelente trabajo. Saludos, Joaquin

babul (610) 2005-06-17 20:35

exelent image remaind my one of the pictures from 2 ww from warsow whare a photographer use a back drop to cower the ruins of warsow i like the people dres in bleck give nice contrast well dan

hankprijs (597) 2005-06-18 17:21

This is a very nice picture. Thanks for attending me!
Black and white and the colors of the people. Great!

sergecross (3438) 2005-06-20 17:58

Miguel, nice (flashback) to the past. It contains a good theme. Congratulations!!
Continue writting your coments to me...
Sergio

oskitar (73) 2005-06-29 10:40

Lo digo tal y como lo pienso , la foto es digna de un genio macho, simplemente excepcional en todos los sentidos, es simbolismo, lo que da a pensar e intepretar, como estan los personajes posicionados, el contraste de color entre el blancon y negro de un pasado y el color de la nueva vida. DE PREMIO!

Elric (560) 2005-07-14 21:44

Truly a photo with a very good contrast and message. Apart from the thoughts that the background photo brings to us, I really wonder like you how do modern germans feel infront of a photo like that. Good work and note. TFS.

ChrisJ (70351) 2005-07-16 3:40

Hola Miguel

This is a stark reminder of the dark days of 1945. Good inclusion of the 3 color human figures passing with apparent disinterest. Excellent tonal range in the b&w backdrop, & well seen. Bravo!

Stepan (27175) 2005-07-22 15:59

A wonderful idea, a great work, a intelligent composition.
Stéphane

pitai (3925) 2005-08-20 17:30

Hola Miguel,

Solo para dejar mi testimonio que me parecio una fantastica foto. Super original, bien elaborada y muy atractiva.

Saludos,
Gabriel

P.S. Lindo portafolio de fotos!

annagrace (2463) 2005-08-21 17:32

Great capture, I thought this was some serious post processing but now I recognize they were in front of a poster! TFS!

Alli

banyanman (7716) 2005-08-27 11:14

You did well to spot this opportunity, Miguel. It has resulted in a picture that is fascinating to look at, and the black & white/colour contrast is very effective. Congratulations. Cheers . . . David

MON (135) 2005-08-28 13:58

Very good photo with a good subject. I also like the contrast between B&W (represent the war, horrour, tragedy) and colour (represent peace and future). Congratulations!

quillo (7232) 2005-08-31 13:41

HOLA MIGUEL: ENHORABUENA POR TUS FOTOS SON BUENAS, PERO ESTA ME HA IMPACTADO, EL CONTRASTE DEL PASADO Y EL PRESENTE Y SUS COLORES. ¡OLE LAS BUENAS IDEAS!

un saludo..... Paco

P.D. Lastima que tus notas no estén en castellano.

efigesta (12181) 2005-09-03 22:10

Hola Miguel! Una composicion muy atrayente y llamativa. A primera vista da la impresion que ubieras usado alguna edicion en la foto. Pero no! Grande efecto optico!! Muy buen trabajo!

barrufeto_77 (25869) 2005-09-05 4:19

Curiosa foto. Más que por lo bien o mal que esté hecha, por lo que viene a decir.

Bonita, bonita, de verdad.

Emile (20017) 2005-10-05 9:53

Hola Miguel.
Con esta foto nos trasladamos a esos momentos tan dramaticos. La composicion la lograste muy realista gracias me imagino al retrato gigante en blanco y negro detras de los personajes. El efecto del señor con el niño es magnifica, parecen buscando los remanentes de su hogar en aquella epoca.
Felicitaciones. TFS.

javierdenavea (608) 2005-10-24 13:38

Felicidades Miguel. Eres como un cazador al acecho. Como ya te he dicho antes, me gusta más todavía después de saber que no es un retoque.
Un saludo,
Javier.

tamoy (173) 2005-10-27 14:48

Great view and interesting note. It effectively projected the sight. What a waste to see those rubbles of once majestic buildings that could have exist until today. But the carnage of so many innocent lives as a result of that war was so enraging.

sergio1 (12150) 2005-10-28 12:44

Hola amigo que tal?

Me encantan esta foto por el combinado colors de la gente y fondo tipo poster en blanco y negro
Buen trabajo
Sergio

alejandroguzman (4672) 2005-11-01 13:02

Vaya Miguel,
no habia visto esta impresionante foto en tu album
me dejo sin palabas
simplemente ESPECTACULAR.

abrazos
alejandro

aralda (1240) 2005-11-24 3:23

Found this photo again, and I like it even more than last time. There's a dynamic between the three people which makes the eye go round and round the painting in the back. The fact that these three people are all wearing black coats fits well the composition. I like that the only touches of color comes from their skin tones, and not from their clothes (well, excepting the little one can see of the shirt and tie of the man to the left).
Raluca

es841 (1854) 2005-12-07 17:33

Splendide photo...
Elle représente tellement de chose et véhicule tant d'émotion...
Bravo!!!
Luc.

SampraS (617) 2005-12-07 17:35

Miguel!!
THAT IS AWSOME PIC !!
cheers
Adam

pawelen (92) 2005-12-07 18:01

congratulations! It looks really interesting. Cheers mate!

Mistral (13694) 2005-12-15 16:58

Olà Miguel!
It's a great composition this one! You mixed perfectly different levels creating a powerful image.
Really good!
A smile.
Luca

Paolo (40731) 2005-12-18 3:25

That shot Miguel is really brilliant and perfectly composed, with that drmatic background image and the walking people in the foregroun.
excellent light and focus work.
great shot.
thanks ciao

Dr_Nibbles (283) 2005-12-22 8:46

vaya, tío, esto sí k s una foto de puta madre ;-)

Son exactamente las cosas mencionados en tu nota los k más me gustan. El contraste entre color y b/n, y las generaciones.

Hasta pronto,
Bertolt

dimenticare (2) 2006-02-20 10:46

thank you all!

more informations to this project, on my homepage:

www.LorenzoChiara.com/berlin1945

a dopo
M. Backhaus (the panorama-artist)

srpablillo (225) 2006-03-29 11:22 [Comment]

Show Comment

saharafree (0) 2006-05-04 19:03

Hola Miguel . Qué alegría rescatar estas imágenes de mi época pre TE en las que sólo navegaba y buscaba de algunos sitios especiales para mi , en este caso Berlín y descubrir otras vertientes y enfoques con tus fotos . Recuerdo ésta , la de la estación de tren (creo que parece regional S-bahn) y algunas otras . Todas me gustaron mucho . Podría escribir el mismo mensaje de admiración en cada una . Creo que con éste basta . Recuerdo esa imagen colocada justo el pasado verano en la Puerta de Brandemburgo , la idea tuya es original y crea un efecto interesante , puedes escuchar el estruendo de destrucción retrospectivamente en un viaje al pasado y volver al presente y así mil veces . La ciudad es fantástica , tal como describes . Fantásticas todas las fotos(necesito tiempo para recrearme) y muy interesante perfil (que comparto)
Buenas noches !

(otro)Miguel

s10001in (1485) 2006-06-28 5:09

Miguel,
Next to excellent.
Just amazing my friend.

Very well done.
You took me back to history.
Exceptional well.

TFS,
Shailendra
Coming back :D

drago (4826) 2006-06-30 17:45

Miguel your idea and as a result,your photo is a masterpiece!I have no words to say,it ha sthe power to travel us back in time...TFS
Panagiotis

manatee (4293) 2006-07-08 20:35

Me gusta mucho esta foto, el contrast es exelente, hablo de contraste de la epoca de la ropa, el blanco y negro y color, es un contrats ede todo tipo y crep que esta foto es exelente.

hablando de las fotos, me referia a que Daniel es valeinte en subirlas a Trekearth por que era un desnudo y que tal vez se lo iban a borrar.
Hablando de espana acabo de regresar de alla, estuve viviendo en Salamanca y pienos regresar el siguiente ano, estoy en un doctorao alla.
Un abrazo y gracias por tu nota, me gustaria poder ver mas fotos del pride, podrias orientarme en donde puedo ver mas?

Un abrazo y muchas gracias por tu nota y tu fotos, son exlentes.

Elias

Angelillo (9065) 2006-08-25 14:07

Hola Miguel,

Ya había visto esta foto, aunque fuera de TE, y en grande y es verdaderamente impresionante, para quitar el hipo. Yo también ví ese mural y ni por asomo se me ocurrió una idea tan brillante. Son muchas cosas ya dichas por otros: el contraste el color (tiempo presente) y el blanco y negro (tiempo pasado), las tres edades representadas por los tres personajes vivos, algo así como tres generaciones repasando los fantasmas (grisaceos, sin vida) del pasado... Tantas cosas! Por esta y otras fotos, y por muchas cosas, gracias!

rasmis (291) 2006-10-06 13:01

Hi Miguel, this a very touching and impressive shot. Good composition and contrast. Well done.

rafid76 (2611) 2006-10-25 4:31

clever composition. colors are great. they are between old and past in b&W and people alive in color! very sharp well done

DLM (6447) 2006-11-17 16:35

Wonderful image, so much has been said already , a masterpiece,tfs
Dave.

calimex (1029) 2007-01-19 0:15

Wonderful, rich, emblematic shot. It works on a human level and political level. I have never been to Berlin or Germany, for that matter, but I am instantly taken there on a deeper level than I expected when I clicked on the image. I am fond of this for the layers of history and present day that you present, but mostly for the present-day faces, from the child with a wondrous look in his eyes to the young man in movement on the right, to the older man standing still with the child. Bravo.
José

apologie (201) 2007-03-29 13:04

me encanta esta foto
sabes algo de nika?

pari_ali (425) 2007-04-24 17:08

the painting has a 3 D effect that places the people right in it. Your perspective has helped continue this impression and the old and new do give a strange feeling.
Great composition and well captured
TFS this special picture.
Pari

cristi123 (0) 2007-05-27 18:02

Miguel muy bueno la gente el marco los colores,realmente maravilloso el contraste

Very good Michael the people the frame the colors, really wonderful the contrast

brevbrev14 (372) 2007-05-29 3:49

Hi Miguel, i like lot this composition!
great your note...
I like a lot the contrast of colours and BW background!
bravo!
ciao!
Valeria

jcprovencher22 (150) 2007-10-10 8:08

Great photo! Strong effect ! So many reflections...
Regards. Jean

GosiaKrakowska (36) 2007-10-14 10:28

Absolutely striking. So much that I have been left speechless, breathless for few moments. So many layers in this photo...one great metaphore.

Guenther (6853) 2007-11-06 9:20

Hola Miguel,
acabo de ver esta "vieja" foto tuya en la primera pagina de TE!

Todos los comentarios posibles ya han sidos dichos (se dice así?? no creo ...), simplemente un masterpiece, Enhorabuena!!!

luiscar (3282) 2008-07-21 12:37

Hola Miguel

Que sensación más buena deja esta fotografía…es una maravilla ver el contraste entre la devastación y ruinas con la gente paseando impasible a todo aquel horror de la guerra.

Es una de las imágenes con sabor… vamos de las no habituales.

Saludos.

gaby (19793) 2008-07-28 11:57

Hi Miguel, excellent image very well composed - love the contrast between the oled BW photo and people in color- well done and nice to meet you again in TE
Best Regards
Gaby

noborders (14199) 2008-08-25 11:49

Superb photo, very intelligently concieved, I feel full of admiration... Plus, it seems to have been taken without effort, which is even better so (isn't it ? - just genious...)
Bravo,
Cath.
(I'll also add it to my 2nd favorites !)

maloutim (3989) 2009-02-21 11:39

Hola Miguel!
Me gusta mucho tu foto, sobre todo porquè no hay post procesado! Los personajes en color sobre el segundo plano de rovinas negro y blanco dan un efecto optimo!
Visité Berlin en 1991, 18 meses despues de la caida de la pared, y era muy interesante tambien. Vì este imagen y la encontrè muy interesante, con muchos mas edificios de Berlin Oeste y de Berlin este! Supongo que ahora es dificil hacer la diferencia entre las dos partes!
Gracias por compartir!
Saludos cordiales!
MarieLouise.