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Poster of absinthe #1

Poster with Van Gogh and absinthe, Phillipsburg, St Martin, Carribean

The story behind this image

I can't claim any artistic credit for this shot!

This is a straight picture of an advertising poster outside a shop that sells nothing but Absinthe. We're in Phillipsburg on the island of St Martin in the Carribean, and I'm wandering around, camera in hand as usual, while my wife Liz, daughter Allie and son Andy check out the shops.

I really enjoy these impromptu walkabouts in foreign towns, as everything is visually fresh and exciting. In fact, it's hard not to get carried away and photograph everything regardless of whether or not it's interesting or has artistic merit!

However, I was really attracted to this poster, with it's vibrant colours and Van Gogh styling. The advertising pun, showing the potential effects of drinking the product, also appealed to my sense of fun and appreciation of visual rhetoric.

Image data


Filename - poster absinthe 01.jpg

Camera - Canon 5D

Lens - 24-105mm zoom @ 80mm

Exposure - 1/60sec @ f5.6, ISO400

Location - Phillipsburg, St Martin, Carribean

This image - 568x800px JPEG

Conversion - ACR & PS-CS2

Comments - Hand held exposure with lens stabilisation.