Category Archives: France

Photographer’s Choice – Pete Benda

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Quintessentially Southern France

In village of Molleges in Provence, France

Village of Molleges in Provence, France

Remember Judy’s shot from Saint-Paul Asylum in Saint-Rémy? This image was captured that same morning by Pete in the nearby village of Molleges as they biked through the countryside in Provence. If one were to tour the many small villages in southern France with a sketch pad, depicting different architectural details, the textures in the stone, the wood doors and doorways, the entry steps and railings, and the many plants and flowers that the French grow with such great care, this image could very well be the summation of all those details. The lines, shapes and materials simply merge together so perfectly that it’s difficult to imagine any design improvement.

Pete is a painter as well as a photographer. It would be interesting to see his canvas interpretation of this scene. Perhaps he’ll do that some day and share with us.

Photographer’s Choice – Judy Benda

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Saint-Paul Asylum, Saint-Rémy, Provence, France

Judy Benda - Vincent van Gogh's Inspiration

Judy Benda - Vincent van Gogh's Inspiration

During a European tour in 2011, Judy and Pete traveled to the Provence region of south eastern France. They visited Saint-Rémy and more specifically Saint-Paul Asylum where van Gogh committed himself after his famous ear episode in nearby Arles. He resided here for about a year which was one of his most productive periods, inspired by the gardens and the surrounding countryside.  The beautifully framed photo above was an attempt by Judy to capture some of the magic seen by the artist.  The mountains in the background are part of the Chaîne des Alpilles, the bare rocks rising prominently above the lush growth in the foreground with a touch of blooming lavender. To view van Gogh’s interpretation of these mountains (with olive trees), click here. Close the new tab or window to return here. Another painting during his stay at Saint-Paul is Starry Night.

Judy’s camera was the Canon Powershot SD890 IS with a focal length of 20.423 mm, a shutter speed of 1/400 sec and an aperture of f/5.0. The ISO was a low 80.