Christ Blessing the Masses, a photo from Rio de Janeiro, Southeast

Photographer's Note

The statue of Christ Redeemer was designed by the French sculptor Paul Landowski, and constructed by the engineers Heitor da Silva and Albert Caquot in 1931. The statue is made of reinforced concrete and faced with soapstone (with spotlights on the statue there is a bluish glue). The statue measures 30 m (98 ft), but with its pedestal of 8 meters (29 ft) height, it stands a full 38 m (125 feet) above the peak of the 710 m (2329 ft) Corcovado Mountain. An unforgettable video shows recent Repair Work on the Statue. If you are faint of heart, do not watch this video!

Between 19 December 2015 and 8 January 2016 I made three visits to the incomparable Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. The first time was on New Years Eve when the Crystal Symphony was anchored in the Bay of Rio, and we saw New Year's Eve Fireworks from the sea. The second visit was on 2-3 January when we stayed overnight on the ship and strolled up and down the Copacabana Beach taking in the sites. The sky was overcast and the city's two iconic hills — Sugar Loaf and Corcovado — were both obscured by clouds. The third and most successful visit occurred during 5-8 January when we stayed in a hotel on the Copacabana, and spent a whole day with Trekearth friend, Paulo Carvalho. Picking us up at 8.00 in the morning, Paulo gave us 12 hours of his time, taking us all over the magnificent city that will host the 2016 Olympic Games. Shortly before closing hours, we were atop the peak of Corcovado where the statue was intermittently appearing and disappearing in the clouds. This was my favorite of a score of images, especially with the glow of the setting sun just at its feet. I apologize for the noise in the photo. I shot the scene with an iPhone 6 Plus, instead of a dedicated camera.

Finally, it is common knowledge that lately the economy of Brazil has not been very healthy. In the Workshop, see the cover of "The Economist" magazine shows how Christ Redeemer expresses his frustration.

ikeharel, pajaran, jhm, danos, papagolf21, ChrisJ, Royaldevon, shevchenko, lucasgalodoido, ourania ha contrassegnato questa nota come utile

Critiques | Translate

pajaran (115025) 2016-04-26 22:50

Pozdrav.
Lep pogled i trenutak, interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Dobar rad, lepo pokazana statua Christ the Redeemer, dobar kontarst, lepo uhvacen trenutak sa posetiocima i oblacima koji dolaze.
Lepa statua.
Sve najbolje, srecno.
Paja.

Hello.
Beautiful view and the moment, interesting and good text ...
Good work, nice demonstrated statue of Christ the Redeemer, a good kontarst, nicely captured the moment with visitors and the clouds coming.
A beautiful statue.
All the best, good luck.
Paja.

jemaflor (146382) 2016-04-26 23:08

Hi Bulent,
Well managed your photo with this backlight and the statue silhoeutte, well also these human presence, good photogenic result.

emka (157280) 2016-04-26 23:30

Hello Bulent, Funny shot with all these people. Pity it is rather dark. The figure of the Christ is not specially beautiful, but it is big and the view from there is really magnificent. But the crowd there is incredible. As to Rio itself, I didn't like it specially but of course the setting with all these beaches and mountains is magnificent.
Next week I go for the new trip, I think the farthest country from any ocean, so not for you :).

Warm regards MAlgo

danos (110407) 2016-04-26 23:58

Hello Bulent,
great the view of this landmark of Rio de Janeiro,the statue of Christ the Redeemer.Excellent presentation as the dark silhouette of the statue outline perfect against the cloudy sky.Well done.

Regards,Danos

lousat (138683) 2016-04-27 1:15

Hi Bulent,it seems that we had the same idea for the today post...a big statue and a bad light...ehehe..your is most most famous,not like mine,but mine is too big! Interesting capture of the symbol of Rio,i think that the view from there on the city must to be a spectacle! Have a nice day and thanks,Luciano

jhm (211734) 2016-04-27 2:00

Dear Bulent,

Your second picture is the is the reflection of today's world, I would also my hand before my face, when I see the world of today.
Your picture is a nice contrast and suitable perfect today.
I am maybe a black viewer but I am affraid.
Very well done, TFS.

Kindest regards,
John.

papagolf21 (152605) 2016-04-27 2:59

Bonjour, cher ami Bulent,
Ce Christ rédempteur figure parmi l'dun des emblèmes reconnus internationalement de la ville, au même titre que le Pain de Sucre, la plage de Copacabana ou le carnaval de Rio.
J'apprécie beaucoup la prise de vue très originale.
Amitiés.
Philippe.

ChrisJ (171340) 2016-04-27 5:37

Hi Bulent,

I like the partially silhouetted lighting in this instantly recognizable icon of Rio. The backlight has been well managed. The people add scale and there is just enough shadow detail to make out their features. Tfs!

Royaldevon (85674) 2016-04-27 5:49

Hello Bulent,

The back lighting gives your photograph a wonderful 'spiritual' effect. It is almost as if the light is swirling round the statue and the extended arms are welcoming it!

It took me a while to recognise that there were people standing at the statue's feet. My immediate perception was a rocky base; I suppose that shows the impact of Christ the Redeemer!

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

gervaso (28177) 2016-04-27 7:14

Hello, Bulent!

So you've been here recently! This place is so difficult to take pictures, because it's always so crowded! But you made a very nice job, with the clouds in the background giving an interesting atmosphere to the photo! Well done!

worldcitizen (15970) 2016-04-27 17:40

Hello Bulent,
The silhouette of this famous and imposing statue seems to welcome us and pull us in. I like the contrast in size with the tiny tourists on the bottom of the frame. The cloudy sky adds more drama, and something a bit divine to the atmosphere, too. This is definitely one of the most recognizable sights in Rio.

shevchenko (20560) 2016-04-27 23:38

Hi Bulent,

Impressive statue view in silhouette version, good frame and informative note to introduce this landmark architecture of the city on coast, interesting composition, thanks for sharing.

Ally

Tue (91658) 2016-04-28 2:14

Hello Bulent,
I guess this huge statue must be very impressive to visit and your photo and the chosen POV convey this feeling really well. The people in the foreground are a great addition, all seem to be in awe of what they are seeing. The light and clouds make it look even more special.
Lars

Nicou (193806) 2016-04-28 7:27

Hlelo

Ces personnes en découpages en premier plan et quelle vue quel découpage dans e ciel les bras ouvert une merveille superbe compo et vue.
Bravo et amitié
Nciou

Silvio1953 (220717) 2016-04-28 13:32

Ciao Bulent, great view of fantastic statue, lovely composition with a lot of people, wonderful colors and splendid light, very well done, my friend, have a good week end, ciao Silvio

lucasgalodoido (27698) 2016-05-05 16:06

Olá Bulent,
como sempre uma bela imagem do Cristo, e como sempre de novo, cheio de gente. Belo trabalho.
Parabéns e Abraço,
Lucas

ourania (51103) 2016-06-06 14:21

Hello Bulent,
I've always found this statue awesome, ever since I was a child, I always feel awe at the sight of large statues but this one is really special for its location and for the way the metropolis below refers to it. The silhouette in your picture is perfect and we can discern some important details through the mist that veils it. The silhouetted crowd is vibrant, huddled at the feet of the statue in an almost symbolic way. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a great evening,
Ourania

kiks (12805) 2016-06-09 2:55

very mystic photo with the low clouds! I like it very much.
tfs
KIKs