Tuesday, February 10, 2015

A Vantage Point

Two figures feature into this work by a Polish and French team, one the large head at the base, the other the full figure on top. I thought of photographing this from the front, but that would omit the dramatic pattern rising behind it. Choosing to photograph from a side view brings it out.


45 comments:

  1. DRAGON ON MY BRAIN!


    ALOHA from Honolulu
    ComfortSpiral
    <3

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  2. What an amazing series. I am in awe of the skill of the carvers and the techniques they've developed.

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  3. I really don't know how they do these. Those wings are so intricate!

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  4. At the end are we going to have to go to the eye doctor to see the pictures better ...? (just kidding).

    Tomás.

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  5. This is the most amazing so far, I'd love to see this created

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  6. These things are just astonishing. I would never have known about them if you hadn't featured them on Ottawa Daily Photo.

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  7. Just catching up on your Winterfest photos, and I'm excited to see your photos of the sculptures. They are lovely! When I looked at the dragon I was wondering about the size of the blocks of ice, but then I read the last post and went back to your post from last year to see your explanation. Here the blocks are much bigger, 8'x5'x'3' for the single block and 10 blocks of 6'x'4'x3' for the multi block, and the blocks are cut from a pond nearby. Because of our cold they are clear and make for good carving. They have started work at the Ice Park with the slides and other carvings for the Kids Park, but the Park won't open until Feb 23rd when the single block carving starts. I'll be spending some time there with my camera. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your photos.

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  8. That's quite different. Polish and French? That's a miracle. Just kidding.

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  9. Very nicely done! Lovely detail.

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  10. Ice sculpture always amazes me. They also have learned how to use color with ice sculpture.

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  11. @Cloudia: there's a dragon to come!

    @Linda: it must take a lot of practice.

    @Halcyon: it would be a whole lot of being careful with whatever the back is!

    @Tomas: hah!

    @Geoff: by and large these are built over the first weekend, which is the best time to see the carvers at work.

    @Mike: this festival is one of my favourite parts of Ottawa.

    @Elaine: here the blocks tend to be the same sizes, though sculptures like this will consist of numerous blocks. There are a couple of secondary sculptures that were put together by larger teams, and are bigger, but the blocks they use are still the same size.

    @Stefan: I certainly thought so!

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  12. @Revrunner: more people are seeing a dragon in this one!

    @Lowell: quite a combination.

    @Furry Gnome: thanks!

    @Sharon: thank you.

    @Tanya: indeed.

    @Tex: quite different.

    @Karl: I thought so too.

    @Red: here they let the lights colour the ice. I haven't photographed in the evening yet.

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  13. I'm just catching up on your Winterlude ice sculptures. They are wonderful works of art. Enjoy.

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  14. That's very intricate, must have taken ages to sculpt!

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  15. Spectacular, like the others of this wonderful series!

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  16. i must have a really good imagine here ... but i see Puff the magic dragon ... in that shape??! weird. i know i know... i am not puffing a cig or anything ... promise.

    have an awesome week. take care. freezing windy here. hope you are having tons of snow, ins't that what you are wishing for??! ( :

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  17. C'est vraiment magnifique ... quel travail !

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  18. These pieces are so gorgeous. Are there awards for the best? (And how in the world can anyone decide what's best?)

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  19. This one's beautiful. William...could you send me the link again. Somehow I lost it. Thanks.

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  20. @Judy: thanks!

    @Linda: they really did well with this one.

    @Pamela: I've been enjoying the festival thoroughly thus far!

    @RedPat: I certainly thought so.

    @Ciel: only a weekend, but they must have planned for months.

    @VP: thanks!

    @Beth: strangely I don't see a dragon in this at all, but others have. There is a dragon forthcoming though!

    @Anna: merci!

    @Kay: there are, yes, and yesterday's was judged the best. I'm not sure if it's a public vote or a number of judges.

    @Marleen: I thought so!

    @Deb: I have added it into your latest post.

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  21. That pattern is really something, love this dragon and I love your header photo too.

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  22. Besides the sculpting talent, what imaginations these people have!

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  23. I also thought of a dragon, until you looked more closely at the photo.

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  24. I'm guessing NOT Puff the Magic Dragon....

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  25. You did pick a great angle for this shot! It's beautiful.

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  26. Beautiful, but you were told that already.

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  27. @Denise: thanks!

    @Cheryl: imagination is definitely a bonus for this kind of thing.

    @Gill: several people have seen a dragon in this, but I do have a dragon coming up!

    @Norma: nope!

    @Lois: it felt like the right angle.

    @Mari: thanks!

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  28. So happy you showed us the side view.
    What a huge amount of work. Brilliant !

    cheers, parsnip
    sorry I am so late

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  29. I like the name of this carving as well as the details.

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