Fotos

La Cité, Carcassonne

>>Wider shot

Throughout the centuries, the historic site of Carcassonne has played a decisive role in the history of Languedoc.
An Iron Age Oppidum transformed into a Roman town in the 1st Century BC, the city-state became the possession of the powerful Viscount Trencavel who ruled over Bas-Languedoc. At the end of the crusade against the Albigensians, the city, with its improved fortifications, became one of the strongholds symbolizing royal power on the frontier between France and Aragon.
However, after the Treaty of the Pyrenees made the Roussillon a French possession, the city lost its strategic role and its defense works were neglected. In the 19th Century, the residents of Carcassonne and the Historic Monuments Department (Service des Monuments Historiques) commissioned Eugène Viollet-le-Duc to restore the ancient fortress to its original appearance.
©www.carcassonne.culture.fr

As for the photo, it was taken during one of the rare occasions in which I could actually use the tripod I so effortfully took with me. The thing I mostly regret was not being able to take a hundredth of the great pictures I envisioned (and France is quite a beautiful country, from N to S, E to W), even when they were right on my face. That was due to the fact that, as in most amateurish travelling conditions, photography doesn't come first. If you are not travelling alone, then it might not even be considered an important part of the trip (sigh).
Finding the right lighting conditions, the best perspective, the least crowded place and the time to stop the car on the motorway and go back to that ideal spot is not easy when you have very limited time to go from one lieu to the other.

For other pictures of my trip to France, click here.


Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi
19/6/2007 20:02:56
Shooting Mode: Aperture-Priority AE
Tv (Shutter Speed): 1/4
Av (Aperture Value): 22.0
Metering Mode: Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation: +1/3
ISO Speed: 100
Lens: 70.0 - 300.0 mm
Focal Length: 119.0 mm
Image Quality: RAW
White Balance Mode: Auto
AF Mode: One-Shot AF
Noise Reduction Off
Drive Mode: Continuous shooting