Gareth's t'Egypt pics

[Gaffzilla]

This was August 2006. We got to bed at 02:30 after the flight and had to get up 2 hours later for our first tour which was Karnak Temple.

The first pic was taken at about 6:10 a.m and we were SHATTERED. The golden light of dawn is just going. This is the sacred lake and to say it's one of the first pics I took it's one of my favourites. Feel free to rip it to shreds. Apart from re-sizing for display these images are as they came off the SD card, and yes I know the sky is bleached-out.

Gareth

Some more pics from Egypt - please can I have comments on content and if you've any suggestions about composition, brightness, contrast etc and how to change them I'd be really grateful.

Another from Karnak:

The 2.5km avenue of Sphinxes

Rameses II at Luxor Temple

Taken in very low light this one. Of all these pics this is the only one that was slightly unfocussed.

Approaching Philae Temple by boat. Another with a very white sky.

Another of my very favourites

One of the numerous sunsets we saw - this was as our boat approached Abu Simbel, and this one HAS been cropped

 

[dod]

Ah, Egypt, never been but would love to get there sometime.

Not a bad collection at all Gareth, Rameses is probably my favourite, good colour, exposure, sharp. Not sure if cutting off his top really impacts on it at all

Looking at your own favourite the blown sky doesn't bother me at all. I'd have liked to see a closer crop on the tree's and their reflection though, the bit on the left doesn't add anything really.

Looks like you had a great time though, more than a wee bit jealous

 

[minimeeze]

We got to bed at 02:30 after the flight and had to get up 2 hours later for our first tour which was Karnak Temple.

And you call that a holiday?

Some lovely holiday shots there, pity about the blown out skies in some of them, but I'm sure some of the PS experts will advise on how you can restore a blue sky.

My favourite of these shots is the laid down statue in the sand (sorry, no idea what it is!). I think it works well and give a feel of the 'ancient times' of Egypt.

 

[Gaffzilla]

My favourite of these shots is the laid down statue in the sand (sorry, no idea what it is!). I think it works well and give a feel of the 'ancient times' of Egypt.

That's Rameses II - he's absolutely everywhere when you go to Egypt. That pic is my No 1 favourite out of the 1200 I took during the fortnight. Why did I take so many? Well the light is so bright you can't see the screen (no viewfinder you see), so you just point the camera in the right direction and hope for the best. Then you take another.... and another.... just to be sure!

Anyway, with that number of shot's I was bound to get some good ones!

 

[Gaffzilla]

More Pics - comments please!!!!!!

Abu Simbel welcomes the newly risen Sun

Yes I do know about the thirds rule but couldn't think of a way to crop this without losing something. It's the mausoleum of the Aga Khan at Aswan, the good thing about getting a boat at sunset is that you can see multiple sunsets!

This was Rameses II at Memphis - no sign of Elvis though

 

[RobertP]

Nice series of pictures there. Certainly looks like you have thought about the compositions .

We are seriously considering Egypt. Well I say we, I'm considering the idea and my wife is looking at possible travel arrangements and itinerary . Nothing definite yet. Can I ask if you went with a package deal or?

 

[tiler65]

Great series.

The best thing I saw when I went was the granite statue of Ramses that had fallen/pulled over at Memphis. It is just HUGE. I loved Egypt.

Just a note on the shots (this is one for all the serious tgs out there), in some of the shots it looks like a hazy kind of light which is just probably the dust from the desert (I know I've been) how do we get rid of the haze in camera. Is it some sort of polarising filter?

Thanks for sharing.

 

[oldgit]

great series.

I went there on my honeymoon a decade ago. Got loads of naff shots on a point
and shoot 35mm somewhere.
Blooming hot is what I remember, that and the squits. Lost a stone in a fortnight.

 

[Gaffzilla]

We went with Hayes and Jarvis - the whole thing was brilliant. we had 14 nights which included 4 days free in Cairo at the end of the holiday. Don't go on any organised trips - we got a taxi at £25 -£30 per day - they'll take you wherever you want to go and far cheaper. If you can stand the heat go in august - there's nobody else there! 12 on our boat - it could take 100. Crew/passenger ration 4:1

Tiler65 - is this the fellow?:

 

[tiler65]

Exactly.

This from one piece of granite.

How they got him through the doors I dont know







Did you go to the Egyptian museum and try and take some illegal snaps? (not those sort :nono

I did and got caught but luckily just a telling off.

 

[Gaffzilla]

Did you go to the Egyption museum and try and take some illegal snaps?

Who - me?

to tell the truth these were taken on a day-trip from Cyprus in 2003 - before the photo ban came in. The light is VERY poor inside the Museum so they weren't that good anyway.

 

[TONY YOUNG]

there r sum nice pics in your collection. one question though, how did you take the pics inside the egyptian museum, as i went there last year and every1 had there cameras taken off them including there mobile phones with cameras on them.
where did you stay, we went to hurgarda

 

[Gaffzilla]

as I said: "these were taken on a day-trip from Cyprus in 2003 - before the photo ban came in"

We stayed: Luxor Aswan Abu Simbel and Cairo - and on the boat of course.