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!
7 comments posted




Margaret Sprott   Margaret Sprott
A very unusual image and I appreciate your explanation since I know nothing about Syria. At first I did not like the boards projecting down but the more I look at it, the more I like it and realize it sets off the water wheels. I love how you got the reflections too.   Posted: 05/09/2021 10:31:56



Pinaki Sarkar   Pinaki Sarkar
Dramatic Framing for a new viewpoint. Nice Image.   Posted: 05/12/2021 09:18:57



Phyllis Peterson   Phyllis Peterson
Syrian Water Wheels is a very interesting photo. First, I think you were so lucky to have been there before the civil way and its great that you have photographs of the country back then. I'm not familiar with the land and culture. I hope that they still exist. It would be so remarkable to see.
This photo is incredible, I love the lines of the wooden frame over the top of the image. And the arches and turrets on the building drew my eye. What's special are the overlapping wheels on the building. Not sure why but the image seems slightly not level. It seems to drop down to the right.
But overall, exposure, texture, impact: excellent image!   Posted: 05/14/2021 13:59:56



Carolyn Todd-Larson   Carolyn Todd-Larson
I really like the perspective on this photo, the framing, and the story behind the image. Thank you for sharing the background so we knew what we were seeing. I am wondering if the image would be improved if you brightened the buildings and the reflections a bit.   Posted: 05/21/2021 10:40:16



John Larson   John Larson
This image certainly has distinctive features and therefore meets the Photo Travel definition and we all hope it is still there. To me the image is of the far water wheel(s) and the building. The overhanging arches are distracting to me.   Posted: 05/21/2021 15:47:41
Tom Tauber   Tom Tauber
John, this a water wheel in the foreground. The pieces of wood hanging down are paddles that drive the wheel. My intention was not only to frame the background but also to show the construction of the wheels.   Posted: 05/21/2021 16:18:24
Tom Tauber   Tom Tauber
John, this a water wheel in the foreground. The pieces of wood hanging down are paddles that drive the wheel. My intention was not only to frame the background but also to show the construction of the wheels.   Posted: 05/23/2021 13:48:48