I hate going all the way to a heritage site, armed with a camera in one hand and a carrier bag with a day’s supplies, only to find the subject I was hoping to grab the perfect photograph of is now partially hidden behind scaffolding. Restoration works are a vital part of conserving our heritage, but why can it not be done when I’m not trekking along to take a photograph!
Well Xavier Fargas bears no such handicaps when it comes to producing a stunning image of a relic being restored. The of Djoser, Saqqara, Egypt was his subject, and he incorporated in the scaffolding to capture not only the beauty of the itself, but also made the scaffolding looks pretty too!
Needless to say, that’s no easy feat! The effect of the picture to give the a “glowing” effect, as well as the strong oranges of the stone against the deep blue of the sky, this image is definitely one which conveys the beauty of this site.
Dr. Zahi Hawass has an interesting article over on his website about Saving The Step , which has suffered from strong desert winds and rising water table leaving it vulnerable.The article goes into detail about the restoration works being carried out to save this relic, and preserve it for generations to come.
Read more about The of Djoser here at Heritage Key, and have a look through Xavier Fargas’ Flickr photostream to see some of his other stunning images! You can also join Dr. Hawass on a tour in this video: