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A different perspective on the Great Wall. This time we are looking down from the top of the section that we were climbing on. The steep and rugged mountain scenery only added to the respect for the builders of the wall. It can be so steep in places and what makes it harder to climb and descent is that most of the steps are of different height. You can never quite get into the rhythm and find yourself stumbling along the way.
In this photo I wanted to show the grander scale of this area. It may be one of the more touristy parts of the Great Wall but it was nonetheless beautiful and we loved the experience. Not only it was surreal to see the wall in real life but the surrounding scenery was fantastic too. When we were at the top I really felt what it must have been like in the old days for soldiers stationed on guard duty. We were able to disconnect for a brief moment from civilisation below and when I was thinking of the wall before the trip, this is how I would have imagined it.
I am continuing with me monochrome theme for China photos. Do not worry, there will be some colour ones coming later on. I have just become very entrenched in the black and white concept. When taking and processing photos for monochrome, one becomes so much more aware of the importance of composition and understanding what are the key elements in the scene. In this photo for me, there parts that I wanted to emphasise were the wall itself (obviously), as it winds its way to the other side, and also the dimension and shapes of the mountains. I liked the patch of light near the top of the range straight ahead and this is where the wall lead me through the scene so it worked for me as a compositional element. I also liked how the middle ridge extends further from where the wall ends and that helped me to tie the mountains to the wall.
I borrowed the title for the photo from the Hobbit but it just fitted our hike to the top of the wall and then back down. I can imagine soldiers having to do it every day and night for many years - there and back again as the Emperor commanded.
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