In the Slow Food country, a photo from Cuneo, Piedmont

Photographer's Note

I took that image along a road on the way to Bra, a small beautiful medieval city in the Cuneo Province, 1 hour and half east of Milan in the southern Piedmont.
All that area is well know for the wonderful hill landscape, the fantastic wines and cheeses.

In Bra in the year 1986, was settled the SLOW FOOD organisation.

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The Slow Food movement was created to combat fast food and claims to preserve the cultural cuisine and the associated food plants and seeds, domestic animals, and farming within an ecoregion. It was the first established part of the broader Slow movement.

The Slow Food movement was begun by Carlo Petrini in Italy as a resistance movement to fast food. It has since expanded globally to 100 countries and now has 83,000 members. It humorously describes itself as an "eco-gastronomy faction" within the ecology movement, and some refer to the movement as the "culinary wing" of the anti-globalization movement.

The Slow Food organisation spawned by the movement has expanded to include over 80,000 members in over 100 countries, every country with its own chapters. All totaled, 800 local convivia chapters exist. 360 convivia in Italy - to which the name condotta (singular) / condotte (plural) applies - are composed of 35,000 members, along with 450 other regional chapters around the world. The organizational structure is decentralized, each convivium has a leader who is responsible for promoting local artisans, local farmers, and local flavors through regional events such as Taste Workshops, wine tastings, and farmer's markets.

Offices have been opened in Switzerland (1995), Germany (1998), New York (2000), France (2003), and the latest, Japan in 2005; the head offices are located in Bra, northern Italy. Numerous publications are put out by the organization, in several languages. In the US, the Snail is the quarterly of choice, while Slow Food puts out literature in several other European nations. Recent efforts at publicity include the world's largest food and wine fair, the Salone del Gusto, a biennial cheese fair in Bra called Cheese, the Genoan fish festival called SlowFish, and Turin's Terra Madre (Mother Earth) world meeting of food communities.

In 2004 Slow Food opened a new University of Gastronomic Sciences [1] at Pollenzo, in Piedmont, and Colorno, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Carlo Petrini and Massimo Montanari are the leading figures in the creation of the University, whose goal is to promote awareness of good food and nutrition

Objectives of the Slow Food movement include:

Seed banks to preserve native varieties, usually in cooperation with more local movements
An "ark of taste" for each ecoregion whose foods and flavors are preserved
Preserving and promoting local and traditional food product know-how
Organizing small-scale processing, e.g. slaughtering, of short run products
Organizing celebrations of local cuisine within the region of production, e.g. the Feast of Fields held in some cities in Canada
Taste Education
Educating consumers about the hidden risks of fast food
Educating citizens about the hidden risks of agribusiness and factory farms
Educating citizens about the risks of monoculture and reliance on too few genomes or varieties
Various political programs to preserve family farms
Lobbying for agricultural policy changes to support organic farms
Lobbying against genetic modification of foodstuffs
Lobbying against the use of pesticides
Teaching gardening, especially to students and prisoners
Moral purchasing of foodstuffs produced by locals using methods that are morally acceptable to the consumer

sined, delkoo, anducina, Rosa_d_MonteLua, Click3, brevbrev14, marknunnerley, JCG, jhm, carper, josepmarin, jmcl, Emile, everlasting, Henryk_Bilor, Shoot_Score, VeeJayCee oznaczył to zdjęcie jeko użyteczne

Critiques | Translate

sined (4523) 2006-12-02 7:44

very symbolic picture in green and blue !

pat0500 (21561) 2006-12-02 7:47

Hi Paulo,
Very good picture and the point of view is well very quite selected.
Hold to me a little wine and from cheese because I come...:)
Pretty colours and beautifull blue sky, very good shot..!
Best regards,
Have a nice weekend.
Patrick

fraggance (380) 2006-12-02 7:52

Belle composition, un petit détail me gene quand męme: l'herbe est un peu sombre.
Amicalement
audrey

anducina (8407) 2006-12-02 8:03

Excellent compo, POV and colours. Very good and original, with that lonely dandelion.
TFS,
Andreea

stefanocer (10642) 2006-12-02 8:17

Fantastica composizione e colori strabilianti , ottimo uso anche della profonditŕ di campo, bravo molto ben fatto.
Stefano.

grigand (20290) 2006-12-02 8:37

Ciao Paolo
Complimenti, veramente una gran immagine, un bellissimo primo piano e un'altrettanto bellissimo sfondo con in mezzo un'area in ombra che crea una spelndida profonditŕ.
Ciao
Andrea

sennaista (50) 2006-12-02 8:38

Hi Paolo

I like the composition with that lone dandelion in the foreground. Nice colours too.

Rosa_d_MonteLua (1508) 2006-12-02 8:47

Ciao Paolo,
Really nice composition!
Great sense of depth, very interesting and well captured subject (the dandelion), excellent colors(with right saturation and contrast levels), and spectacular light treatment.
Grazie e complimenti per la foto!
Rosa

Click3 (1886) 2006-12-02 9:29

Hola Paolo...muy linda composición...sencilla pero muy atrayente. Los colores y detalles con tanta profundidad de campo sobresalen.
Gracias por compartir.
Cautivante !
saludos desde Chile, Robert

marknunnerley (2780) 2006-12-02 9:55

Hi Paulo,
very funny introduction. I have read that somewhere in a book. Was it Bill Bryson? Anyway, fantastic colours here. Like the way it is lit at the front. Looks like a bit of fill flash, or maybe just the natural light coming through. Good compo on the dandelion clock.
br,
Mark

delkoo (68) 2006-12-02 9:58

hi paolo,
i like the brittleness of the lonely dendelion,meaning that the food balance is difficult to find,however the quality of your shot is a good mix of blue and green.

ciao
didier

AthaPan (0) 2006-12-02 10:04

Ciao Paolo!

WHat a clever taken photo.
Lovely colours and good use of the flash.

Well done e salute
Athanasios

ndb1958 (9289) 2006-12-02 10:09

Ciao Paolo,
such a beautiful image of the single flower standing proudly in the grass. I really like them so much (but I don't know the English name of them). Brilliant colours and wonderful lightning.
Have a nice weekend,
Ciao Nino

JCG (35153) 2006-12-02 10:50

Hi Paolo,

A beautiful image with strong contrasts of colors. It is very pleasant to look at. I like very much the management of the light. A very beautiful landscape and an interesting comment. Thank you Paolo.

Best regard and a good sunday.

Jean-Charles

Muse (35030) 2006-12-02 11:35

Hello Paolo,
Une vue toute simple parfaitement cadrée avec cette seule "fleur" ŕ l'avant plan.
De trčs jolies couleurs et un tout beau ciel.
Best regards
Denise

xavshot (69835) 2006-12-02 11:51

Bonsoir Paolo
trčs joli POV ŕ ras du sol et belles couleurs verte et bleue. J'aime beaucoup la profondeur de cette photo. Beau travail.
amicalement
Xavier

jhm (211734) 2006-12-02 11:57

Hi Paolo,

Many thanks for interesting note.
You play very well with sun and shadows on the green field, splendid blue sky, but the dandelion remain the real eye catcher. very well done! Thank for sharing.

Have a nice sunday,
John.

carper (96) 2006-12-02 12:22

very nice Paolo,
the food country, very nice title, good photojob, very nice pov and a good composition with a good light and a great composition, well done.
gr. jaap

josepmarin (59385) 2006-12-02 12:33

Ciao Paolo,
tu punto de vista a nivel del suelo, con la hierba y la bella flor (un diente de león?) en el primer plano, los árboles que trabajan como línea del horizonte, y el fantástico cielo azul, forman una espléndida composición.
La iluminación es excelente, con esta sombra que ocupa casi la mitad de la imagen, que da un buen contraste, y los colores son muy bonitos y naturales.
Bonito trabajo, y una gran nota, con mucha información asociada.
Un saludo,
Josep

Emile (20352) 2006-12-02 23:29

Hola Paolo.
Una foto sencilla con juegos de luz y sombra. Tiene una buena profundidad y el cielo azul ayuda en el contraste de colores. Bien captada con muy buen POV.
Saludos.

tjanze (5674) 2006-12-03 2:18

Hi Paolo!
Excelent composition.Photo like this you can take in any middle European country.
Single flower works fantastic.Light +++.
Bravo! Regards!

pablominto (53746) 2006-12-03 2:55

Hello Paolo,
The inclusion of the dandelion makes this one!
Great minimalism!
Greetings,
Pablo -

brevbrev14 (140) 2006-12-03 4:43

ciao Paolo, che bella!!
bel contrasto di colori e bellissimo il fiore solitario!!
la luce del flash in primo piano crea un effetto molto particolare!!!
BRAVISSIMO!
ciao!
Valeria

anesugur (18789) 2006-12-03 5:22

Ciao Paulo,
Very beautiful composition and POV.
Wonderful scenery with superb light and colors.
Best regards. Uğur

everlasting (19680) 2006-12-03 6:22

Intersting note to accompany this worms-eye view. Lovely rich colours a fine composition, Paulo, more than a beaut landscape.

jmcl (14535) 2006-12-03 11:15

love the simplicity and beauty of this image .. simple objects in a striking composition .. the shadows of the dark foreground to the bright background are just wonderful ..

John

quillo (11858) 2006-12-03 17:38

-

Hola Paolo, una imagen muy interesante y atractiva sobre todo por las diferentes planos de luces y sombras que le da la composición un atmósfera de una extrańa belleza, me gusta.

Espero que no te importe que la agregue a mi tema de "Dandelion plant / Diente de león / Dente di leone".

Gracias y un abrazo.

-

jdwyer264 (1084) 2006-12-04 9:50

Good shot Paolo.
Great sharp image with crisp colours and very nice composition.
The DOF and clarity throughout are very good.
The light which breaks over certain areas adds a lot of atmosphere and spacial awareness, very very nice.
Have a good day.
TFS

Henryk_Bilor (20803) 2006-12-05 2:23

Hi Paolo
Beautiful composition with the flower.
Nice colours and lighting.
Have a nice day.

osse (2808) 2006-12-07 4:33

Hi Paolo
Beautiful composition and landscape shot. Good colours, DOF, sharpnes, details and low POV.
Well done Paolo

osse

AmiBe (6042) 2006-12-10 17:34

Ciao Paolo,
excellent blue/green contrast (maybe just a bit too much sky)
The dandelion really makes the shot and it's perfectly positioned.
Good light and shadows.
Well done

pady (4800) 2006-12-14 13:59

Ciao Paolo,
A very good composition. I like the way how the dandelion take a pweerful place in your composition.
Great job
Cheers
Pierre-André

lucero (1102) 2006-12-19 3:31

Hola Paolo:
Es curioso como un pequeńo elemento en la fotografía, que es lo que pasa en este caso con la planta en la parte derecha, puede cambiar tanto la imagen.
Ese elemento le otorga mucha más fuerza a la imagen, y sirve para centrar la mirada y pasar luego a admirar el bello paisaje.
Un saludo. javi

Mańana :-)

sebinho342 (19329) 2006-12-19 4:13

wow a delight this one too, this makes me remember a picture of xavshot named "coincer la bulle". Colors are beautiful, saturation is at its best, half half composition very pkleasant for eyes.
Have a good day

Shoot_Score (650) 2006-12-24 10:46

Paolo,
I spotted the photo from afar. BUT the most important enlightenment I had was the Note!!! Thanx a milion for that!
I will now do some research on SNAIL and SLOW FOOD!

In keeping with this theme, let me wish you buone re-Natale or
http://www.treklens.com/gallery/North_America/United_States/photo223570.htm

Jay in SLOW Nova Scotia

VeeJayCee (2410) 2007-01-08 8:33

Well seen and very well taken Paolo. The dandelion seedhead and its position makes this image superb.