My get-pushed partner for this week - Brigette @brigette - said, "My challenge for you is to make an image that represents what Christmas means for you and yours!"
Well as a practising Christian the 'what' is easy - indeed, the answer is in the name: Christmas comes from the old english 'Cristes maesse' the mass or celebration of Christ.
How to capture that in an image? Followers of my project will be very familiar with both the exterior and the interior of Paimpont Abbey which is, in fact, dedicated to Notre Dame de Paimpont who is said to have appeared to St. Judicaël in 645AD when she asked him to build an Abbey by the banks of the lake. I've never actually posted an image of the statue of ND de Paimpont so I'm rectifying that today in answer to my challenge.
What Christmas means to me is illustrated perfectly by this statue of Mary cradling the infant Jesus in her arms. It is some 600 years old and made of polychromed wood. Unfortunately, the statue is in a rather dilapidated condition but plans are afoot to have it renovated in the near future. Rather than posting a close-up, I have chosen to show the view that the approximately 40,000 annual visitors have of the statue positioned in an alcove halfway down the Abbey nave.
(Views nicely on black if you have the inclination.)
I love the colour that is here - even after 600 years! It is beautiful framed by that particular arch which has a name but I can't remember what it is! fav
@vignouse Hi Richard - I love this image and the context around it that makes it meaning for you. I like the view point you've taken - there is something special about that first glance before you take in the detail. :)
@kt8ird Thanks Kate - the Abbey is lit only by diffused winter daylight but ND is additionally lit by two small (hidden) tungsten spots. I balanced the image for tungsten so the blue is tungsten 'balanced' daylight. I did do a local correction to apply the right colour balance to the daylight lit areas, but in the event I liked the mood created by the blue colour cast, so I posted the uncorrected version.
Ian