Sunday, May 09, 2010

Another visit to my beloved Nord of France (2)

After quite a bit of editing, here are 69 of the photos I took on the first of May in the North of France, around Henin-Beaumont.
Enjoy!

9 comments:

Ladybird... and butterfly said...

I love the kids running over the rail track!
The other pictures have a 'deserted' beauty to them...

Koos F said...

Thanks Simone! It's one of my faves as well.

E.L. Wisty said...

A wonderful series with excellently selected targets, angles and framings all around!

Koos F said...

Thanks Maria! Welcome to my lonely world.

Anne-Marie said...

Great set, Koos. Two things struck me watching them- the lack of humans outside in so many shots, which makes the area look almost deserted, and how different the slag heap looks from different angles. My favourite was the one with the tree going across in front of it, of all the heap shots you took.

Koos F said...

Thanks Anne-Marie!

Glad you appreciate it.
Well, sometimes it takes my patience for people to leave the scene. Part of me feels a bit awkward around strangers, and doesn't know what to do with them, be it in conversation or giving them a naturally fitting place in my photos.

I was hoping the slag heap would show more than just the one face, while keeping its identity.
I liked the contrast between the rather grim heap and the abundance of white blossoms.

Koos F said...

Thanks Janys, and yes I think your comment explains it all. People simply tend to stay inside.
As a result the region has an air of loneliness about it, which I find very attractive.

Vallypee said...

In many ways these photos feel more Belgian than French. It isn't unusual to feel this kind of solitary loneliness in the backstreets of most Belgian towns, is it Koosje?

Shutters down, we're not at home for you. A bit forbidding it can be. Great studies again, Koos. xxx

String said...

So it's a slag heap? Wow...love those pics and you did capture the different faces. My favs, the stone doorway with the heap and then the manhole, tree and house! But always great to view the lot!