David's Gaze

The experience of Michelangelo's David in person cannot
adequately be captured in a photograph.  This is but a feeble
simulacrum.  Rather than present the extraordinary intensity
of his gaze in black and white, I elected to keep it in color so
that the slight stains might be seen.  (Also note the small chip
in David's right lower eyelid.)

This photograph is also my small protest against the policies of
museums like Florence's Accademia forbidding all photography.
Precluding flash photography I can understand, since the flashes
distract other patrons and interfere with their enjoyment, but
forbidding all photography simply protects sale of the museum's
own cards and books.  So I stood behind a column and took this
extraordinary closeup -- for those technically inclined, this was
taken without any support other than resting my arm against the
column, using my 28-300mm image-stabilized zoom lens at its full
300mm focal length (for reasons beyond the scope of this
discussion, actually 480mm on my camera), at 1/45 second (ISO 800), yet
the image is absolutely razor sharp!  I love Canon's lenses!