Giverny

23: Giverny, Peter Masters 2014 

This photograph is instantly recognisable as Monet’s Garden. This is situated in Giverny just outside of Paris. It’s about a half hour train trip from memory. I’ve been there two or three times to photograph this bridge in particular and the water lilies so reminiscent of so many of Monet’s paintings. It’s almost impossible to get a decent shot of this.

In particular because it’s always completely crowded with tourists. Typically at any time of the day, anytime it’s open there would be twenty or thirty tourists on that one green bridge and a line up on either side. It’s just so difficult and frustrating I have to say. 

But on this particular day there was an incredible downpour, incredible rainstorm that you could barely breathe or see your way through the rain but I bravely ventured out with my camera and got this opportunity because everyone had run for shelter. So the only way I was able to get this was in the very dark and very moody light that you can see here. Because it was so dark it’s given this photograph a very grainy, dark, impressionistic atmosphere. And when you zoom in on it, you can see that it’s very lucky to hold together a shot like this. I like it though because the graininess, the impressionism, the lack of sharpness gives it, I think, a Monet feel. I feel very lucky to have been able to get this image and spend that time seeing what Monet could see. 

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Newcastle Libraries · Giverny