Friday, October 7, 2011

People at Ephesus (revised)











Ephesus is steeped in history and is an ancient site with an interesting past. I find it hard to adequately describe what was once a very vibrant and important centre in ancient Greek and Roman times. I enjoyed not only seeing and hearing about the history but also having the opportunity to photograph. What I enjoyed this day was photographing people in the surroundings of this wonderful location. I asked Abbe to be my first subject and she willingly obliged. I then became a little braver and asked three sisters if I could photograph them and they agreed. They explained that they came from Germany, however, were originally from Iran and that they have Persian names. Parastu, Tarane and Ellenhe were initally a little shy but warmed to the camera and myself. Pat and Trisha happened along and joined in talking with the girsl and photographing them. Further into the site, I saw an attractive woman speaking animatedly into a small microphone, attached to a camera, held by a man. When she stopped recording I spoke with her. Danilo introduced herself and her husband Luah, her cameraman. Danilo explained that they were from Brazil and were recording the various sites they visited and were looking to put together a DVD. I asked if I could photograph her and Danilo agreed. I also took photos of Danilo and Luah together. I was given a business card and encouraged to view the blog on their website. After leaving Danilo and Luah I noticed the throng of people travelling along an old well worn mable road that led to the ancient library of Celsus built in AD 135. This particular structure is impressive and I wondered how I was going to photograph the library with the masses of people around me. I climbed onto some old stone steps and got out my long lens and was able to photograph at a distance over others' heads. I noticed a lady in blue being photographed and took a few quick shots. What took my attention were the number of umbrellas, which seemed in the main to below to tour guides. I imagine there was a dual purpose for their use, to block out the warm sun and for group participants to find their guide, which is a problem when touring in groups, particularly when there are many tour groups at the same location. What struck me as I walked along a road that was used so many years ago, was that the road had been well travelled over the centuries, and it is now being walked upon by the many thousands of tourists who visit each year. The city that was once very popular in its time, is now popular once more.






No comments:

Post a Comment