Doorways

Crossing the Threshold

Standing at the doorway.

Perched upon the threshold.

Contemplating.

The present is the passageway to the future.

It is a dimensionless threshold separating what was from what will be, an interface between past and future.

The present slips away into the past as soon as it arrives, occupying no time. at all — yet it is all that is real.

What unknown doorways will we pass through?

What passageways will take us from the known into the unknown?

I have assembled a series of doorway and passageway images themed in sepia. The images are derived from photos taken in the Chateau de Pau, birthplace of Henry IV of France.

I acquired the photos using an iPhone 15 Pro, taking the original photos in full color with no filters. Subsequently, the images were digitally processed in Adobe PS Express on the iPhone:

• Cropping
• Contrast Increase
• Dimming of Whites
• Sepia Transform
• Edge and Clarity Sharpening
• Slight Black Vignette.

(All images copyrighted by Archean Enterprises, LLC, 2024 )

Sepia tinting in my digital post-processing reflects the age and antiquity of the subject matter. The image above captures a passageway between a family room and a more formal gathering area.

Contrast adjustments work to pick up the luxurious use of dark wood throughout the castle, where light often reflects off the wood, creating a glossy effect.

Three separate thresholds captured in this image above remind the viewer of the labyrinth nature of the chateau. Doorways framed in wood and stone are differentiated by tonal changes from dark brown to gray, and sunlight reflecting from wood paneling in the far room creates a focal point, drawing the eye through the doorways.

In the image above, the dimming of the whites and the slight vignette soften the scene and remind the viewer that the chateau was also a home.

Throughout all these pictures, the edge and clarity sharpening provide a textural overlay. In this photo, the rough texture of the slightly weathered stone is highlighted.

The post-processing steps for this project were assembled in a single filter that was used for all the pictures to promote continuity between individual images.