How to Carve a Dome, a photo from Sevilla, Andalucia

Photographer's Note

This is the beautiful gilded dome of Ambassador's Hall in Real Alcazar of Seville, a UNESCO Heritage Site.

Soon after the Moorish gained control of Seville in 1161, they constructed a number of monuments, one of them being a fortress-like palace known as the Al-Muwarak (the Blessed). In 1364, after the reconquest of Moorish Spain by Christians, the king commissioned the construction of a new palace, at the site of the Al-Muwarak.

Craftsmen from across Andalusia created a magnificent interior in Mudéjar style. Subsequent monarchs expanded the palace, resulting in a diverse complex with different architectural styles. The top floor of the palace is still actively used by the Royal Family.

Hall of Ambassadors is the most magnificent part of the palatial complex. Intricately decorated archways with horseshoe arches give access to the hall which is covered with a stunning dome, created in 1389 in a Moorish style by Diego Ruiz, a Sevillian craftsman. The gilded dome is made of interlaced wood. Just below the dome is a frieze with portraits of Spanish kings.

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The photo was made under a very low light, using ISO 1600 and 1/8 handheld, thus causing a lot of noise and blur. I tried to improve it without using Neat Image, which erases lots of tiny details, as it takes the details as grains. One should definitely go there with a high ISO capable camera, as tripods and flashlight are not allowed.

rbassin, KristinsCamera, worldcitizen, imageme, chrislo, SnapRJW, No_One, ManuMay, krzychu30, jabber, ruisc_pt, Sonata11, kwekwekan, Angshu, delpeoples, adores heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

claudeD (47754) 2014-01-13 9:57

Hello Deniz,

wonderfl picture with a oerfect framing and excellent, colors, sharpness and clarity. Very good contribution to TE.TFS.

WIth regards from Luxembourg

JC

rbassin (27472) 2014-01-13 9:57

hello Deniz
ce dome est splendide, une bonne représentation des détails et du graphisme.
Bonne soirée
Roland

lousat (139906) 2014-01-13 10:54

Waaw Deniz,absolutely beautiful and absolutely perfect,what a symmetry and what a details and colors,i like a lot pics like this,an impressive mastrwork,no doubts.Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

KristinsCamera (2384) 2014-01-13 11:44

well good, because i always wanted to know ;)

were you on your back to achieve such symmetrical perfection?
i think this is your sistine chapel photograph!

lovely detail, another beauty from you ~
kristin

worldcitizen (16226) 2014-01-13 11:45

Hello Deniz,
This is definitely a gorgeous dome, and you did a great job capturing it, even in the low light and without a tripod. I especially like the star-shaped pattern in the center, and the way you framed it as a perfect square. Moorish designs are wonderful. There's a Moorish synagogue here in NYC, and I've been amazed by the artistic detail the two times I visited it.

imageme (1790) 2014-01-13 13:23

Hi Denis, What a magnificent carving artwork from the dome. Great perspective and light. The symmetry is manifested by the four walls, balconies and the doors nicely. Wonderful details and colours even though under low light conditions. Thank for sharing
Anna

chrislo (4099) 2014-01-13 14:16

Merhaba Deniz,
This is a truly wonderful photo. Everything about it is perfect. The architecture is stunning, a dazzling display of Moorish art, brought in perfect symmetry. The colours are vibrant and showcase the artwork well. Nice frame choice, too. A very attractive and eye-catching image.
Kind regards,
Christian

icesurfer (574) 2014-01-13 15:00

Hello Deniz,

In spite of the low ISO and in spite of the relatively small aperture, you did a great job. You can see the noise a bit, but to be perfectly honest I think it's not a problem here: with so much detail and the intricate decorations, it does not take anything from the overall effect.
Colors are very well balanced, and the simmetry is simply perfect.

Thanks for sharing

Alberto

abmdsudi (95869) 2014-01-13 20:50

Hi Deniz
Awesome square centrally framed image with perfect details and nice lighting. Well worth the crick in your neck. Soon you will need either: a camera with live view and a flip screen, or a neck brace :) Seriously, far too few people bother to look up, me included even to first-floor level; they don't know what they're missing. You have smart eyes! An excellent observation so delicately shot, Congrats.
Best regards

SnapRJW (31631) 2014-01-13 22:27

I'm intrigued Deniz - Did you lie flat on you back for this shot? It is so neatly symmetrical. The grain is noticeable but I don't think it interferes with the overall beauty of the subject or your shot which has a feel for the three dimensions of the dome. I think you have done a grand job with a difficult set of circumstances! Have a great day. Rosemary

carlo62 (81265) 2014-01-14 0:09

Ciao Deniz
inquadratura perfetta, una centratura millimetrica.
Eccellente esposizione, non facile, ottimo risultato.
Saluti
Carlo

emka (158672) 2014-01-14 1:35

Hi, I do not see that much blur and noise, it is an advantage of being old, but a see perfect square symmetry and crop. Fantastic details of Moorish craftsmanship, marvelous pattern, filling space like in Escher's graphics was known so many centuries away. I will go there with a camera with big ISO but there will be a lot of noise, unfortunately. Stunning.

No_One (4) 2014-01-14 5:12

Hi Deniz,
1389?? that is incredible. To think that this jewel of architecture was created so long ago is just flabbergasting. Your composition of this scene is just perfection itself, with every millimeter of the screen being used to show the unique and wonderful view, while the light conditions have come out superbly. I see in your note that there was noise in the scene, but my eyes see this as nothing but beautiful.
The golden bronze tones, the light, the subject, the composition. A stunning shot, and I thank you for sharing the image, and the excellent note.
All the best
Noel

ManuMay (36447) 2014-01-14 9:40

Hi Deniz!

What a wonderful work!!

Perfect sharpness and resolution, even hanheld has been a perfect capture, not easy for sure...and thanks to your neck!! ;)

Great details and colours and prefect brights, and pefect square, sometimes lenses made difficult such perfection... this kind of art is always amazing to me...I love it!! It reminds me a capture that I´ve posted many years ago...I´ll show you here...

Mudejar ceiling

I hope you enjoy it...

Best regards...

Manu

krzychu30 (15512) 2014-01-14 10:53

Hi Deniz,
the beauty of this dome is obvious,but your presentation and especially perfect symmetry makes it really stunning!
Looks like it was an extreme difficult challange to capture it without tripod.The high ISO seems to be indispensable here.

Best regards
Krzysztof

parvatibb (1387) 2014-01-14 13:13

fazla düzgün bir simetri, istediğin kadar tam altında dur, benimki tamamen kiskanclik olabilir
yere yattığını da hatirlamiyorum... acaba boyun kaslarin mutasyona ugradi ve normal bir insaninkinden daha fazla mi geriye esneye biliyor :P

EstudioChispa (2182) 2014-01-14 14:33

The grain/noise is a non-issue, Deniz. This is (per usual for you) a well-conceived and perfectly-executed image of wondrous beauty and historical significance.
EXCELLENT!
Best regards,
Russ
Austin, Texas

divail (8334) 2014-01-14 18:57

Bonsoir Deniz,
La photo est superbement composée et présentée. Les couleurs, les reflets et la multitude de détails sont très intéressants. Belle idée.

Diane

BennyV (34748) 2014-01-15 2:21

A superb architectural capture, Deniz. Lovely colours, just enough liight and cropped to perfection.

Benny

ruisc_pt (11594) 2014-01-15 15:11

Hi Deniz,
Remarkable shot in unfavourable conditions.
Congratulations
R

Sonata11 (34119) 2014-01-15 21:09

Hello Deniz, Impressive details, beautifully this picture has been taken. Colors, sharpness, clarity and I like your POV. Perfectly well done. Tfs.
All the best,
Barbara

GyurMaster (24996) 2014-01-16 10:15

Dear Deniz,

It's an amazing shot, except one thing which hit my eye: it's very noisy, which is unusual from a photographer, who always strives for perfection. Some noise reduction may help to solve the issue.

The view is still very impressing though!

Best Regards,
György

kwekwekan (1078) 2014-01-16 18:06

Hello Deniz,
An excellent capture of the dome. The lines are straight and free of distortion, which beautifully emphasizes the dome's symmetry. Though I am sure you would want a tripod if it were allowed, the details still seem very clear and sharp to me.
Thanks for sharing,
Caleb

Angshu (56760) 2014-01-17 1:14

Hi Deniz
The central part of the picture is sparkling with no evidence of noise..
Indeed since I have this same camera, in many a times I felt the necessity of a higher ISO. But here in this picture, the grain is hardly noticeable..so its great!
Now wondering aloud...did you actually lie on your back to take this shot? I marvel at the wonderful symmetry..and your square format fits this picture wonderfully!
Best,
Angshu

sevy (58) 2014-01-17 2:35

Hello Deniz,

I do not like to much to write this, I find it a bit ridiculous, but here, simply: Wow !
For sure there is the strong architectur work of this place, but really you managed this efficiently. The full centered vertical view and the square shape just following the borders of the frame.
The kind of shot giving the wish to go and visit this place.

Yves.

siudzi (34141) 2014-01-18 2:34

Hi Deniz,
I like this work a lot! Even the very poor light conditions you were able to capture this amazing ceiling well with strong graphical impact. The warm tonality made it eye-catching and charming. TFS!

Have a nice weekend!
Gosia

macjake (98544) 2014-01-18 11:25

Hi Deniz
I'm always intrigued how these dome photos taken from the floor appear to fool our brains.

Is the dome concave or convex? it looks as if it goes both ways depending how the brain WANTS to see it.
very cool.

despite the rules of no tripods (I hate that), it still looks great with the slow shutter. fine crop and compo, strange but interesting colors too.
cheers
craig

delpeoples (60342) 2014-01-19 19:01

Gidday dear Young Deniz

Ahh this is a photo after my own heart. I love the subject, as you know, Moorish architecture floats my boat and this is stunningly beautiful. The photo is superb, immaculately composed and lit. It really is your superior light management that has turned this beautiful subject into something which is three-dimensional and comes alive. The square framing works a treat.

Well done, have a beautiful day
Lisa

adores (46979) 2014-02-02 8:02

Hi Deniz!
This is not an easy pov, but you managed well to capture this beautiful ceiling. I like these details, specially those within the circle. Very well framed!

giorgimer (35017) 2014-04-03 5:09

Great zenithal view with perfect light and details, it really gives the idea of the place