Acropolis by night, a photo from Attiki, Attica

Photographer's Note

My first upload High Dynamic Range (HDR) photo and at the same time my first attempt.
It was at night of Aug 6th with the full moon on the sky at 21:59h when i shoot the three images and post processing in Photoshop.With a bit of attempt you will see people on Acropolis looking the biggest moon of the year.

I hope you like my first attempt in this format.

Philopappos Monument.

Philopappos Monument (Greek: Μνημείο Φιλοπάππου) is an ancient Greek mausoleum and monument dedicated to Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes Philopappos or Philopappus, (Greek: Γάιος Ιούλιος Αντίοχος Επιφανής Φιλόπαππος, 65–116 AD), a prince from the Kingdom of Commagene. It is located on Mouseion Hill in Athens, Greece, SE of the Acropolis.

Origins

Philopappos died in 116, and his death caused great grief to his sister Julia Balbilla, citizens of Athens and possibly to the imperial family. As a dedication to honor the memory of Philopappos, Balbilla with the citizens of Athens erected a tomb structure on Mouseion Hill near the Acropolis of Athens. His marble tomb monument is still known as the Philopappos Monument, and the hill is today known as Philopappos Hill (Λόφος Φιλοπάππου).

The Greek geographer Pausanias (Description of Greece, I.25.8), describes Philopappos’ grand tomb as a monument built for a Syrian man. The monument was built on the same site where Musaios or Musaeus, a 6th century BC priestly poet and mystical seer, was held to have been buried. The location of this tomb, opposite the Acropolis and within formal boundaries of the city, shows the high position Philopappos had within Athenian society.

Description

Philopappos’ monument is a two-storey structure, supported by a base. On the lower level there is a frieze representing Philopappos as a consul, riding on a chariot and led by lictors. The upper level shows statues of three men: of Antiochus IV on the left, of Philopappos in the centre and of Seleucus I Nicator, now lost, on the right.

More about the hill,the mausoleum and monument you can see and read here

yedirenk, Budapestman, edge, syd1946, vasilpro, siamesa, dip, magalik, pierrefonds, belido, Cricri, Amaz, subhendu_bagchi, jhm, leonorkuhn, gervaso, JT50, paura, jlbrthnn, Cretense, jafadabret, amaryllis, raszid62, JCG, Didi, josepmarin, Angshu, Jakab, gunbud, kordinator, yeln, s_lush, geoant68, clic ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

magalik (6103) 2009-12-13 8:28

Hello Danos,

A shot which remember me holidays with my family when I was young. Very emotional for me.
I'm not used to see ths place taken at this time with a such luminosity and I find it interesting. Great atmosphere.
Well done.
Have a good week.

Magali

yedirenk (11244) 2009-12-13 8:52

Hi Danos,
This is a wonderful shot from acropolis with point of view and rich light..very successful night shot,excellent sharpness..a charming atmosphere..TFS
Best Regards

Cevdet

Budapestman (82620) 2009-12-13 9:04

Hi Danos,
an amazing photo of this famous view, the POV is superb, the lights are beautiful, the composition is splendid. Great view, indeed, Have a nice Sunday evening!
George

ciakgiak (30) 2009-12-13 9:13

Ciao Danos,
complimenti per il bel risultato raggiunto al tuo primo tentativo, la luce è molto ben bilanciata e morbida grazie all'HDR, la composizione e la qualità sono eccellenti. BRAVISSIMO.
Un caro saluto
Giorgio

anducina (8407) 2009-12-13 9:14

Hi Danos,
Impressive ancient ruins, the artificial light contributes a lot of putting them into value. Interesting HDR experiment-very effective.
Have a nice week !
Andreea

carper (96) 2009-12-13 9:15

very nice one danos.
a fine photo here, good night shot, fine composition, good quality job here. have a nice evening.
regard jaap

wolf38 (30) 2009-12-13 9:18

Hello Danos. My compliments for this nighttime photograph of the Acropolis. It's really exquisite. The technical quality is absolutely superb. Overall, a remarkable photograph. Regards, Wolfgang.

edge (7409) 2009-12-13 9:50

Hello Danos, Very nicely done. The lighting is terrific and the effect of HDR greatly contributes to the image. This is a lovely area of Athens. I have walked from the downtown area to the Acropolis several times over the years. I am happy to see there are no construction derricks or other pieces of building equipment here now. Congrats on your first HDR, it was certainly a success. Regards, Roger

delkoo (68) 2009-12-13 10:08

hi danos

Photography is all about light, the way it shines, and the way it is composed. And seeing this i have to say that you did a superb job here.

didier

syd1946 (1167) 2009-12-13 10:12

Γεια σου Δάνο,
Πολυ ωραια νυχτερινη φωτογραφια του Παρθενωνα που αν και τη στιγμη της ληψης ειναι σκοτεινος,παραμένει μεγαλειώδης.Ακρως κατατοπιστικό και το σημειωμα, οπως πάντα.

ευχομαι μια καλη εβδομάδα,
Θωμάς

bebbetto (122) 2009-12-13 10:23

Good shot. First HDR well done.

Silvio1953 (222747) 2009-12-13 10:34

Ciao Danos, fascinating nocturne shoot, splendid exposure, wonderful light on fantastic architecture, very well done, ciao Silvio

vasilpro (41801) 2009-12-13 11:33

Γεια σου Δάνο,
Πολύ όμορφη νυχτερινή φωτογράφιση της Ακρόπολης και του Παρθενώνα, ένα θέμα που αν και είναι πολύ κοντά μας δεν έχω φωτογραφίσει ακόμα. Πολύ καλή η διαχείριση του φωτισμού και η γωνία λήψης.
Καλή σου βδομάδα, Βασίλης.

gilou530 (34) 2009-12-13 12:51

Salut danos
on ne voit pas souvent l'acropole de nuit sur tE, une super POV qui nous donne la totalité de cette merveille, lumiére juste ce qu'il faut pour bien voir
amitiés
gilbert

siamesa (28231) 2009-12-13 13:16

Hello Danos

Fantastic night picture. Perfect lights and excellent point of view.Very well done and thanks fir sharing.
Abraços
maria

dip (21408) 2009-12-13 13:27

Geia sou Dano,
kalssiko to simeio lipsis,auto pou mou aresei idiaitera einai i eukrineia kai o fotismos!
kali evdomada,
Dimitris.

edal (6804) 2009-12-13 15:06

Kalispera, Dano!
It's a world's famous place, but most of all it's a masterpiece of a nocturnal photo.
Just Great!
Gea sou,
Anton

barrufeto_77 (28888) 2009-12-13 15:27

Hi Danos.

Mmmmm...lovely, lovely pic. A really charmful POV with the great acropolis in the top of the mountain.

Well done!

pierrefonds (115408) 2009-12-13 16:01

Hi Danos,

Using a tripod and an exposure speed of three secons is allowing me to see the details and colors of the acropolis at night. It is well framed and it has a good sharpness. Well done, have a nice day.

Pierre

Gerrit (62042) 2009-12-13 16:51

Hi Danos,
excellent nightshot. Very clear with great sharpness and good tones.
regards, Gerrit

syrus_persia (2270) 2009-12-13 20:46

Salam Danos
nice perspective and nice light in the arches of . The picture is well composed.
have a nice day
Cyrus

pajaran (116915) 2009-12-14 1:03

Pozdrav prijatelju, pocela je zima sa snegom, hladno je.
Arhitektura mnogo puta snimana a uvek aktuelna. Trenutkom i bojama prikazali ste ovu staru arhitekturu velikih majstora, mnogo dobra rad i fotografija.
Sve najbolje, lep dan, Paja.

delpeoples (60342) 2009-12-14 1:17

Geia sou Danos, this icon never ceases to amaze me, I could look at it all day. I like the dark night tones and yet your shot is clean and well-exposed with excellent sharpness and definition. It's a fine shot, congratulations, Lisa.

Longroute (19600) 2009-12-14 1:28

Very charming this night sight of the ethernal acropolis.
The light management is excellent and I like the warm colours you obtained. I appreciate the long format too which is the most suitable for the acropolis and makes the image dynamic.
A very good work,

Best regards,
Donato

nirvana73 (0) 2009-12-14 2:09

Hello Danos
great place
great atmosphere
great architecture
very nice night scene
thanks for sharing
best regards
Ozhan

Urs (14082) 2009-12-14 3:33

Hi Danos

wonderful night shot of the Acropolis, even I'm not keen at all in HDR, it looks natural. What I hate most with HDR that many look rather artificial. Yours obviously is an exception. Fine pastel colors with high sharpness. Well done

Best regards
Urs

belido (19934) 2009-12-14 4:15

Hi Danos,

what I like here is the exposure management and the superb details you hace caught of this very famous site. The crop in panorama emphasises the all that beauty and the awrm lighting makes the image reading even more pleasant. Well done!
Regards,
Carlos

fabianoleite (13575) 2009-12-14 5:41

That´s a place with some stories to tell, and in this picture the light is wonderful. The perspective was very well chosen, I can almost see Plato giving a speech. Congratulations!

BeBeHooker (0) 2009-12-14 6:12

Hi Danos!
Amazing Acropolis. Wonderful point of view. Perfect capture. Ideal DOF.
Cheers!

Cricri (176) 2009-12-14 10:39

Hi Danos
Belle image nocturne de l'acropole avec des lumières parfaitement capturer tout en donnant une jolies teintes a l'ensemble, bon format et très belle réalisation
Friendship
cricri

COSTANTINO (117652) 2009-12-14 10:57

Geia sou Dane,
eksairetiki nuxterinh lhpsh,
omorfh parousiasi ths Acropolis
th nyxta me polu kalo fwtismo.Bravo.
XAiretismous,
Costantino

Amaz (11475) 2009-12-14 11:25

Extraordinary capture, my friend Danos!!
Excellenet shot and amazing colours!!

Absolutely great art work!!

My congrats!!!

mkamionka (75009) 2009-12-14 11:51

Hi Danos,
very good timing. The sky has a great color.
I am surprised that the Akropol is not illuminated. I believe when I was there it was.
Beautiful place.
TFS
M

jaywalker (16105) 2009-12-14 12:07

Hi Danos, Wonderfully managed light in this superb night picture, the Acropolis offers a brilliant focal point, the detail is out-standing, great work & TFS, kind regards Wilson.

Fis2 (171789) 2009-12-14 13:11

Witaj Danos!
Very good night photo.
I like the colors and light.
Good work.
Regards
KRzysztof

adramad (73376) 2009-12-14 14:18

Hello Danos.
Wonderful this night perpectiva of the Acropolis, with a good POV and a magnificent lighting, great brightness for a night photo, the panoramic format turns out to be also very attractive.
Have a good day.
Regards.
Luis.

Graal (103040) 2009-12-14 23:15

Kalimera Danos,
good night shot. Fine presentation of Acropolis. Good panoramic composition. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

mauro61 (53429) 2009-12-15 0:34

cia Danos,
immagine notturna dell'Acropoli con un POv perfetto che ne esalta la bellezza.
Luci ben gestite leggerissima perdita di definizione,
un caro saluto
maurizio

subhendu_bagchi (26091) 2009-12-15 3:17

Namaste Danos,
very good capture of this great architecture in night. Light is superbly managed here. Very well composed and nice use of DOF. Very well done. Tfs.
Have a nice day.
Subhendu

rodgerg (55767) 2009-12-15 3:24

Hello Danos,

An excellent night's shot to this famous place. Good managment of light and framing well selected for a large horizontal composition. The element in dored light arise very well in the black of the night. Greta prospect on the right of the image too.
Have a nice day,
Roger

jhm (211738) 2009-12-15 4:01

Hello Danos,

We get not a lot the Acropolis by night to see.
You did very well with the light stars in foreground
This is very nice done, real a fine picture.
Splendid of composition, good perspective and real colours.
Sharpness and presentation are very well. TFS.

Best regards,
John.

leonorkuhn (16237) 2009-12-15 4:01

Hi Danos,

I have not done experiments with HDR, but the result is quite interesting. The light and sharpness are excellent, you can see buildings in the distance. The Acropolis has a cultural and sentimental value to our Western civilization. Good job!

Greetings
Leonor

John_F_Kennedy (43797) 2009-12-15 4:42

Hello Danos,
Very nicely captured and greatly composed night shot. The colours are very nice and you got a fantastic light.
Best wishes,
Achim

Giorgio (11279) 2009-12-15 5:05

- Beautiful light here also Danos, very true color for this hightshot, excellent framing on this famous place, good idea for the framing and PoV, well done!
Greetings.
giorgio

gervaso (28381) 2009-12-15 5:44

Hello, Danos!

Wonderful night shot showing all those ruins, a wide view which gives us a notion of the size of the place. The lighting, helped by the moon, I suppose, is excellent, not so dark, which allows to see more details. Beautiful job! Well done!

anokutan (15097) 2009-12-15 5:49

Hello Danos,
Excellent nightshot. Very clear with great sharpness and good tones.The light management is excellent and I like the warm colours you obtained.

JT50 (1491) 2009-12-15 12:07

Hi Danos,
A great photo of this historic place.
I think even the colour offers that kind of mood.
Good PP work. The flares of the two lights distracts
a bit. I have done workshop to see how it looks with
out the lights. I hope you don´t mine.
Have a nice Wednesday.
Janak

[workshop] [compare] +

paura (25802) 2009-12-15 16:00

Danos,
Eu gosto especialmente da forma como você ajustou a exposição aqui, amigo. Lindo trabalho.

Abraço

Paulo

jlbrthnn (76043) 2009-12-16 2:00

Hello Danos,
For a first HDR test, it is successful rather well. The lights and the shades appear in a satisfactory way. These very famous monuments easily are discovered. Beautiful historically and technically interesting image. Cheer.
Have a nice day
Cordially
Joël

Cretense (68709) 2009-12-16 3:25

Γεια σου Δάνο!

εξαιρετική νυχτερινή καταγραφή του Ιερού Βράχου, με τον Παρθενώνα κατάφωτο, αλλά και το Ηρώδειο στο κάτω μέρος, εξαιρετικό σημείο λήψης, άψογο κάδρο και σύνθεση. Πάρα πολύ καλός φωτισμός, δεν είναι "ορατή" η εφαρμογή του HDR και αυτό είναι πάρα πολύ καλό! Συγχαρητήρια!

Ηρακλής

jafadabret (56501) 2009-12-16 5:30

Bonjour Danos.
Je sais par expérience que l'Acropole la nuit est difficile à prendre en photo. Ici c'est une parfaite réussite alors que curieusement le Parthénon reste dans l'ombre. L'ambiance nocturne laisse à ces vestiges tout leur mystère.
Bien amicalement
Jacques

sacimar (38173) 2009-12-16 10:05

Hi Danos,

good night picture of the acropolis, I went last year to Athens but I coudnt take good pictures at night like this one, nice job,

Best regards

Sergio

amaryllis (37047) 2009-12-17 5:01

Bonjour Danos
quelle superbe photo de nuit de cette ville et fortifications avec une lumière bien gérée;un cadrage excellent et une présentation excellente
amitiés
juliette

raszid62 (18457) 2009-12-17 14:33

Hello
Athens Acropolis hill is a true symbol of Greece. Beautiful colors of pictures and very good composition.
Best regards
Joseph

jemaflor (148094) 2009-12-18 8:50

Hi Danos,
Well made your night shot, good pov and light capture, interesting presentation about this famous monument.

DRAKOLIMNH (1224) 2009-12-18 9:27

Εκπληκτικό το πάντρεμα της καφέ απόχρωσης με τα γλυπτά και τα αρχαία της Ακρόπολης-μια σύνθεση που πραγματικά γοητεύει -συγχαρητήρια,
Πέτρος

JCG (35153) 2009-12-19 8:58

Hello Danos,

An overview of this impressive site if known throughout the world. Indeed the slight HDR brings a soft light on the Acropolis. I still have not tried this technique so far, I think I'll try it, like you... Beautiful glance and thank you for your interesting comment.

With all my friendships and a very good WE,

Jean-Charles

Didi (61589) 2009-12-20 4:30

Yassou Danos
The main subject is not underlights, never mind
Very nice composition in spite of the two spots.
Best regards

john1 (4028) 2009-12-20 9:03

Hello Danos,

Excellent night shot, wonderfull POV of the Acropolis.
Great light and sharpness,I see that it's your first HDR, I often use this technique, especially for architecture. Great job, congratulations.
Thank you for sharing.

A good Sunday.
John

josepmarin (59385) 2009-12-22 4:32

Hi Danos,
Your first attempt with the HDR has given you a good result, and it is not easy.
I like the visual angle that allows us to enjoy the whole beauty of the Acropolis, in a night very attractive image, in which the lighting of the monuments adds a nice aesthetic effect.
A good work, my friend.
Best regards,
Josep

Merry Christmas for you and yours.

Angshu (56760) 2009-12-22 19:53

Hello Danos
Perhaps the first time I am seeing the picture of the Acropolis at night, lit up by a mixture of moon and artificial light. I have never done a HDR, but seeing this shot, I find it pretty impressive. I wish you could have captured the moon as well, but I guess it would have been quite high up in the sky given the time you took this shot. Good work!
Wishing you a very merry Christmas
Regards
Angshu

Jakab (3867) 2010-01-03 4:30

Hello Danos,
a really good approach to this unbelievable peak of human culture. The night shot well enhances the monumentality of the Acropolis and gives a certain feeling of admiration. I like the well balanced lighting, a succesful attempt.
Best whishes
Laszlo

janusz2054 (2) 2010-01-11 10:45

Hi Danos
Wonderful night shot from Acropolis.
Perfect lights and very nice point of view.
Best regards
Janusz

Greg1949 (9011) 2010-01-26 4:13

Danos, nice work, the HDR seems to do a fine job here. I like the version with the lights better than the workshop. Nice details and color.

Greg

gunbud (34066) 2010-02-12 19:57

Hi Danos,
The night lights bring out fantastic details to these beautiful ruins.
Great panoramic view of this wonderful site.
Regards, Tom

kordinator (8738) 2010-06-21 1:27

Hello Danos
This is a wonderful shot from Acropolis.
Amazing night shot.
Excellent light management and sharpness.
A charming atmosphere.
Regards
Saša

yeln (11516) 2010-10-13 4:33

hi Danos
iskrene čestitke za ta hdr. odlično narejeno z lepimi barvami in svetlobo. TFS!
vojko

s_lush (16602) 2010-11-27 13:30

Hello Danos,
The HDR format gave you a possibility to get realistic contrast and natural night view of this famous historic place and its old architecture. Perfectly good image, compositionally and technologically!
Best regards,
Sergiy

geoant68 (331) 2011-05-08 0:18

Δάνο,
πολύ καλή η νυκτερινή φωτογραφία της Ακρόπολης,που έχει επεξεργασθεί με την μέθοδο του HDR.Το αποτέλεσμα φαίνεται πολύ καλό χωρίς χρωματικές παρεκλήσεις.

Πέτρος

ikeharel (114435) 2012-03-29 2:09

Kalimera Danos,
Magnificent night photo on the icon in Athens, the ruins are a bit in dark area - but can be vseen clearly.
Good view upon the hill, from same hight looking over.
Ike

jmdias (116307) 2012-04-04 7:49

danos

very beautiful view of this famous monument, the most famous image from greece. I liked this nocturn view and its details. nice job.

hugs

jorge

elenimavrandoni (0) 2012-11-27 16:58

Δάνο, βρίσκω εντυπωσιακή τήν πρώτη σου προσπάθεια στο HDR!Μια πολύ καλλιτεχνική φωτογραφία πού δεν αφήνει χώρο για σχόλια γιατί μιλάει απο μόνη της!
Ο χαρακτηριστικός βράχος με το αθάνατο μνημείο μας σε μια εκτέλεση μοναδική!Τα συγχαρητήρια μου!

clic (76) 2013-03-18 10:53

Geia sou Danos
You did a professional overlay of those three pictures taken successively to show the best of "the barely visible on location" that you show with natural tones, the coloured spotlights beamed towards the monument being turned off!
The main buildings as well as the view on distant downtown are seen with the same lighting balance for quite a successful photographic experiment.
Many compliments for your post-processing skills!
Se xereto.
Robert

Miguel82 (47110) 2013-04-13 11:50

What a magnific night view of this monument Danos,
Your photo note is very useful and give to the reader some usfeul details
Good pov, excellent management
Regards

Photo Information

Copyright: Danos kounenis (danos) (110407)
Genre: Lugares
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-08-06
Categories: Arquitectura
Camera: Canon EOS 5 D, Canon Zoom EF 24-105mm 1:4mm L IS USM, HOYA Pro1 Digital 77mm MC UV
Exposición: f/4, 3 segundos
Details: Tripod: Yes
Versión de la foto: Versión original, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2009-12-13 8:22