Tom Tauber, APSA, MPSA  

Syrian water wheels by Tom Tauber, APSA, MPSA

May 2021 - Syrian water wheels

About the Image(s)

Equipment: Nikon D300, Lens 12-24mm @ 12mm, 1/160 sec., f/16, ISO 200

My wife and I were lucky to do a ten-day tour of Syria in December 2009, about a year before the civil war started. Syria is an ancient and extremely interesting country. We made friends on that trip. The destruction of the country has made us sad. There are more Roman ruins in good condition in Syria than in Italy. The waterwheels in the ancient city of Hama on the Orontes River, which flows out of the Lebanon, have pumped water into aqueducts since Roman times and need to be rebuilt from time to time. They supply the city and agricultural areas around it with fresh water. Whether they still exist we don’t know. Hama was a center of the uprising against Basheer Al Assad in 2011 and much of it is likely to have been destroyed.

This round’s discussion is now closed!
11 comments posted

Dr. Isaac Vaisman   Dr. Isaac Vaisman
Tom, this image is a constellation of small details and frames which makes a terrific composition. The image is sharp, and the earth colors of the buildings and the reflections on the water complement each other. I believe you used one of the water wheels to frame the others across the walkway or perhaps water barrier. I just wonder what is left of all of this. Great image.   Posted: 05/05/2021 13:47:38
Gabriele Dellanave   Gabriele Dellanave
Tom Isaac expressed my same thoughts about your image but I have a question for you. With that water, profoundly standing still and a bit murky what in the world they were moving? Nice image.   Posted: 05/05/2021 14:36:23
Tom Tauber   Tom Tauber
The Orontes river gets fed from the snows of the Lebanon and actually disappears in the desert somewhere - it does not flow into an ocean. I'm sure there is much more water in the river during the spring and summer when the snow on the Lebanon melts. We were there in December, probably the lowest flow. Just my guess.   Posted: 05/05/2021 14:51:32
Susan Albert   Susan Albert
Great composition, as the structure in the foreground (whose detail can be appreciated) acts as a frame for the main subjects of the photo. The leading line takes me to the wheel. I love reflections, and these help balance the image and provide content for the mid-ground.
Question: Did you expose for the sky and then edit by making adjustments to lighten shadows?   Posted: 05/07/2021 19:10:31
Tom Tauber   Tom Tauber
Susan, the short answer to your question is yes. I think blown out skies are detrimental to an image, especially when there are clouds. The highlights on the buildings in the background are important too. I always watch the histogram and some of my cameras have blinkies that warn of overexposure. I attached the original image and its histogram. Since the shadows are not blocked, I could open them up with the shadows slider. Fortunately, the dynamic range of the entire image was such that the histogram is complete and not clipped. In landscapes especially, it's best to expose for the highlights.   Posted: 05/08/2021 12:39:45
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Dr. Isaac Vaisman   Dr. Isaac Vaisman
The magic of Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) and Light Room (ACR on steroids).   Posted: 05/14/2021 14:37:13
Tom Tauber   Tom Tauber
The histogram is here.   Posted: 05/08/2021 12:40:28
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Susan Albert   Susan Albert
Tom, thanks so much for your answer! Including the original image and histogram is very helpful to me.   Posted: 05/08/2021 13:43:55
Pamela Liu   Pamela Liu
Tom, this image apparently is a great example of frame composition. Excellent!!   Posted: 05/16/2021 22:46:43
Julie Rand   Julie Rand
So interesting with such a variety of shapes that still complement each other! It does appear that the frame is another water wheel on the near side of the water. Thanks for all your answers to questions already posted - I wonder if you found other positions of framing at this site. I appreciate all your answers from today's photo!!!!!   Posted: 05/18/2021 07:52:52
David Stout   David Stout
(Group 3)
A superb example of your "seeing eye" Tom, excellent image.   Posted: 05/25/2021 16:34:53