Sphinx Scale (Before/After)

(Cairo, Egypt)

f/8 || 1/500s || @117mm || ISO100 || Canon 5D || Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 Embed Code

Paste HTML to embed this picture

The Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khafre at an empty Necropolis complex in Giza, Egypt.

Despite appearances, one of the greatest deceptions in photography is the real height of the Sphinx in relation to the pyramids. Due to the compressing effects of a telephoto lens (or incorrectly called "long zoom"), the Sphinx actually appears much larger in photos than it is in real life, including the photo above.

It wasn't until I first saw the pyramids in person that I realized I'd been lied to my entire life. The Sphinx is tiny, approximately 4 stories high whereas the pyramid of Khafre, behind and a good 100+ meters/yards away, is approximately 135 meters tall!!! More photos to come to illustrate this point, tomorrow.

africa, african, ancient, cairo, centered, desert, egypt, egyptian, empty, famous, giza, great sphinx, head-on, historic, iconic, khafre, landmark, necropolis, old, pyramid, pyramids, row, ruins, sphinx, tourism, tourist attraction, travel, travel destination, unesco, wonders of the ancient world, world heritage site

(Cairo, Egypt)

f/8 || 1/500s || @76mm || ISO100 || Canon 5D || Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 Embed Code

Paste HTML to embed this picture

The Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khafre on a clear autumn day.

africa, african, ancient, cairo, desert, egypt, egyptian, famous, giza, great sphynx, historic, iconic, khafre, landmark, necropolis, old, pyramid, pyramids, ruins, sphynx, tourism, tourist attraction, travel, travel destination, unesco, wonders of the ancient world, world heritage site

RSS subscribers: Click through to the website to see the Adobe Flash object inside.

(Cairo, Egypt)

f/8 || 1/400s || @103mm || ISO100 || Canon 5D || Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 Embed Code

Paste HTML to embed this picture

A before and after image of the Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khafre.

The process done in Photoshop mostly involves using the clone stamp to remove people "clutter." The clarity of the images comes from a boost in contrast and sharpening using old school unsharp mask.

Mouse over the image for an alternate post-processed version (Flash Required).

africa, african, ancient, cairo, desert, egypt, egyptian, entrance, famous, giza, great sphinx, historic, iconic, khafre, landmark, necropolis, old, pyramid, pyramids, ruins, sphinx, tourism, tourist attraction, travel, travel destination, unesco, wonders of the ancient world, world heritage site, frame, palm, tree, empty, nobody

« previous day (p) | today (t) | next day » (n) random (r)

November 15, 2010