Nicely Framed

Canon 24mm - 105mm 1:4 L

ISO 125    65mm   f/10   1/125 sec

ISO 125    102mm   f/8.0   1/125 sec

ISO 100    73mm   f/10   1/125 sec

Three more views today from Easby Abbey.

I love wandering around ancient ruins and trying to imagine what the building would have been like during its heyday. Trying to imagine the sounds and smells and recreate the bustle of activity in the different parts of the buildings. Who would have been wandering the corridors and running up the stairs and who would have looked through this magnificent window when it was in its full glory.

I also marvel at the skill of the masons who constructed these buildings with the limited technology available to them. 

It is also fun to watch the expressions of the modern day visitors as they also explore the ruins, especially the children climbing on the walls and playing hide and seek and telling their parents to "come and see!" 

Ancient Window

There is so much about this image that I like. I really like the warm colour of the stonework, I like the rough texture of the stone where you can see the markings of the masons tools. I love the shape of the arch and the diamond pattern of the leaded window. I like the sunlight as it shines through and I can image sitting here on a sunny day looking out from the castle across the fields.

A Place To Sit And Think

So today's picture has taken quite a bit of time to prepare. I have recently been experimenting a bit with a technique (I don't know if it has a name) trying to highlight colour in a black and white image. Sometimes it works and others it doesn't. Today's effort is a work in progress rather than the finished item and I will be coming back to it at some point as I really want to get this right.

I love this image but in black and white it is lacking something and in colour the beautiful floor gets lost. So I tried something different. At first i actually wanted to make the chair pop out becaue the colour of the wood and the straw seat is really beautiful but in lightroom which is what I have used the process is quite tedious and not very precise so after three or four attempts I gave up and decided to bring out the floor which is also quite amazing. Again the process hasn't worked as well as I had hoped so more practice is needed. Maybe I need to try in photoshop using layers, if anyone can given me some pointers I would be very grateful.

In spite of its imperfections I hope you will agree that  the image is good and the overall effect is really nice and so worth striving for perfection.

Openings

The three pictures in today's blog were taken at Chirk Castle which is one of my favourite castles, the buildings and grounds have so much to offer and there are lots of great photo opportunities.  I have chosen a couple of shots of some of the doorways and one view from a window overlooking the courtyard.  I love the colour of the stonework and the old wooden doors.

I hope you enjoy them...