Untitled [The Nile and temples, Philae]

In this beautiful view of the Nile approaching the first cataract the photographer introduces Philae, one of the largest surviving temple complexes of ancient Egypt. Here the temple is completely dominated by the hills behind and the organic lumps of rock at the river's edge, so that its massive architectural forms appear tiny in comparison. The resulting scene surely gives priority to nature over man's achievements, while drawing attention to the granite rocks and hills from which parts of the temples were quarried. The low viewpoint is carefully selected to maximise the volume of the stones in the foreground, which seem to bask like creatures in the warm sun. A soft light picks out their forms, but a brighter sunlight reflects off the hard geometric planes of the distant temple. The combined effect of this light and the positioning of the buildings right in the centre of the composition allow the temple to command our attention.