Pic(k) of the week 37: Castles of the river Loire from 500 feet - Château de Chenonceau

Early August, we flew our 1954 Piper Super Cub aircraft from Belgium to an area in the middle part of France called the "Loire valley". Often referred to as the "Garden of France", it has an abundance of vineyards and fruit orchards along the river Loire. 

But it also has a large architectural history with over 300 fortresses and castles (Châteaux), some dating as far back as the 11th century. In 2000, the area was recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

The main reason for the three day photo-flying adventure was to try and shoot aerial photographs of some of the castles. Flying between 500 to 1000 feet above the local terrain, makes for a very different perspective on these architectural wonders.

The image below is one of my personal favorites; Château de Chenonceau, built in the early 1500's, is the second most visited castle/palace in France after "The Palace of Versailles". 

Château de Chenonceau from 500 feet looking East

Image details:
Fujifilm X-T1 with the Fujinon XF 18-135 F3.5/5.6 LM OIS WR lens
ISO 400, 62mm (94mm full frame equivalent), 1/950s
Iridient Developer for RAW development
Nik ColorEfex Pro 4 with Pro contrast

Even though I don't own the lens, it was the second time I shot the 18-135 lens.   I initially mentioned that the 18-135 would make for a great Aerial photography lens and that has been confirmed 100% during the above trip. For more check out my first review of the 18-135 lens here

More images of the trip to the castles of the river Loire, can be found here while my aerial photography gallery lives here.

Remember: "You haven't seen a tree, until you have seen its shadow from the sky" - Amelia Earhart 

BJORN



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