A sort of Louvre with ponds and gardens

Whatever one may think about the French kings (among many other kings and emperors) of the "grande époque", it is undeniable that they had an acute sense of sumptuousness and magnificence as well as an accurate taste for space and perspective, i.e. for the refusal of any containment, that very containment that nowadays people seem to adore, being locked up in overcrowded cities and suburbs, with a sky encumbered with skyscrapers among the smog from cars and factories! 

Of course, when you arrive at Versailles, you immediately get that feeling of no-containment and immensity, with that amazing view on ponds and gardens: a  panorama of alleys, trees, lakes and flowerbeds at 360°!

Have you ever tried to photograph snow? Then you know what sort of hell it can be, particularly by sunny weather. But what is even more difficult is to photograph a landscape made of snow and trees, with all the spots of bright whiteness in front of a dark background. And here you must be aware that even with some sophisticated cameras you will get enormous problems with the management of light and darkness. The problem is quite the same in Versailles, with all those white statues surrounded by dark trees.

The following pictures have been shot during a single afternoon in Versailles, and are just a part of the whole collection. None of them has been touched up, but, of course, all of them will undergo a big post-production process on Photosh... Much later!