“Use Tripod, Yes. One Minute Only”

The streets of Barcelona can be quite magical, especially in the ancient Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter). Around every winding, cobbled street corner there is something new to discover – old homes, small boutiques, beautiful churches, and courtyards such as this one pictured below.

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It’s easy to get lost, so I can’t say for certain where I found this little gem. But I know it was somewhere between the Catedral de Barcelona and Santa Maria Del Mar. I stopped to take a picture, and a security guard quickly approached me. I was nervous, thinking he was going to shoo me away. Instead, he said “Use tripod, yes. One minute only”. That seemed fair! He clearly did not want me blocking the entryway for too long. I appreciated the reasonableness of his request. Rather than kicking me out before I could take some pictures, he simply requested that I make it quick. I wish other places were staffed by such reasonable people. Thank you, Mr. Security Guard, for letting me take this shot.

Sun in the Spanish Foothills

I snapped this shot while driving from Andorra La Villa to Barcelona. This little castle is nestled between the foothills of the Pyrenees, just along the E-9 in Spain.

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I almost missed the opportunity to shoot this, because we were driving so quickly along the motorway. Luckily Luke spotted a turn out, so we pulled over, climbed down the hill, crossed an old stone bridge, and shot this from the motorway. I wish I knew the name of this place, but I do not. But it was beautiful moment to soak in together. I could go back to this area of the world again and again …

Waiting for the Sun

I hate waking up early. Always have. But if there’s one thing that will get me out of bed before the crack of dawn, it’s a sunrise photo. For this photo, I’ve been waiting several months for the sun to be in just the right position in the sky and for the weather to be clear. This morning was finally my opportunity to shoot Ely Cathedral reflecting in the nearby lakes. I woke up early (granted, only 6:30am but that’s early for me) and headed down to the footpaths around the lake. It was cold. Dark. Muddy. The weird things photographers do, eh?

This cathedral owes its existence to St. Etheldreda, who was queen and abbess of Ely. Etheldreda restored an old church at Ely, reputedly destroyed by Penda, king of the Mercians, and built her monastery on the site of what is now Ely Cathedral. After its restoration in 970 by Ethelwold it became the richest abbey in England except for Glastonbury.

I have traced my ancestry back to this city, and one of my great (great great…) grandfathers lived here and, being Catholic at the time, probably worshiped in this very church nearly 400 years ago.

Sleepy in Suffolk

Say hello to Kersey, a small picturesque village in the Babergh district of Suffolk. The district of Babergh takes its name from one of the old Saxon hundreds, referred to in the Domesday Survey of 1086. Although the name Babergh is not widely known, many of its historical villages are. The picture book villages of Lavenham and Kersey are very popular with visitors to Suffolk, and this area’s landscapes are made famous by 18th century painter John Constable.

Just recently, I read a study that said 24% of all houses in the Babergh district were built before the 16th century. The area remains largely untouched, and walking through the old village feels like walking back in time. There is a general quietness about this part of the countryside too. All one can hear is the distant sound of doves cooing, and an occasional resident walking through the snow.

It’s a magical place. You should visit sometime.

Frostbite for a Photo

There’s something about snow that magically transforms the English landscape. Suddenly villages are quainter, cathedral are more majestic, and castles are grander. I love when it snows around here. I really do. Especially with photo opportunities like this all around.

But as much as I like how this photo turned out, I’m afraid my memory of this day will always be tainted by the traumatic experience in which it was captured. To reach the spot in which I’m standing, I had to hike through a large icy field. Little did I know that this field was actually a bog containing water up to my knees. I got stuck. I got stuck real bad. I was wearing the worst shoes you can imagine, and there I am standing all alone in this giant empty, icy field with my feet stuck deep in the freezing mud. When I managed to dislodge my feet, I realized my right foot was so cold I couldn’t feel it anymore. It was a solid, icy brick. I started to panic. I was so cold I could barely move, my foot was turning colors, and I was still a mile away from my car. Bad planning! Luckily there was a very nice man who approached me minutes later. He was also a photographer, out there with his tripod. And nice, warm boots. Smart guy. Dumb girl. He helped me put my shoes back on (because my hands were frozen), didn’t laugh at me while I cried there like an idiot in the field, and showed me the quickest way out of the field. After heating my foot in the car for an hour (a very painful process by the way), I was good to go. Thanks to the man who helped me, whoever you are. Thank you.

I wonder if this picture was really worth all that…

…

Yeah. I’m crazy.

Pictured: Framlingham Castle is considered one of the most important and beautiful medieval castles in the British Isles. It changed hands on several occasions and was at one time in the possession of Mary Tudor: here she waited during the summer of 1553 with a large encampment of followers, awaiting the results of the succession following the death of her brother, Edward VI.

King’s College Chapel: So Much Detail My Eyes Hurt

If you read my previous rant, you know that I was unable to use a tripod in the fantastic King’s College Chapel in Cambridge. So my only option for this shot was to sit on the floor, and prop my camera on my legs. It seemed to work out alright. Still mad about the tripod incident…but look at the detail of this place! Almost too much to look at for too long.

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King’s College Chapel is the chapel to King’s College of the University of Cambridge, and it is considered one of the finest examples of late Gothic English architecture. It contains the world’s largest fan vaulted ceiling. The chapel itself was built in phases by a succession of English Kings from 1446 to 1515, beginning with King Henry VI and ending with King Henry VIII.

During the Civil War the chapel was used as a training ground by Oliver Cromwell’s troops, but escaped major damage, possibly because Cromwell himself, being a Cambridge student, gave orders for it to be spared. Graffiti left by Parliament soldiers is still visible on the north and south walls near the altar.

The Adventures of Mr. Angry Face and King’s College Chapel

Ah, King’s College Chapel in Cambridge. This is a splendid example of late Gothic architecture. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? If only my experience was as peaceful as this photo looks!

Upon entering the chapel, I saw a sign that prohibited film cameras, flash photography and mobile phones. It seemed like a pretty specific list, so I assumed tripods would be included if not allowed. Well, I was wrong. Mr. AngryFace immediately told me to put it away. Fine, fine. I’ll obey the rules. I begrudgingly put away my tripod, and continued to take handheld shots. For this particular shot, I sat on the ground and rested the camera on my legs. It seemed to work well, but it is certainly limiting. My friends and I left the chapel, and worked our way around the building as we left. I stopped to take a picture from the outside (using my tripod, of course), and Mr. AngryFace came running out of the building waving his hands in the air, shouting “I already told you NO TRIPOD!” …. what? I was confused. I was no longer in the chapel. Well, apparently the “no tripod” rule applies to everywhere within the grounds of King’s College. Though there were certainly no signs to suggest this. It didn’t even occur to me that I couldn’t use a tripod once I left the chapel. I’m still floored … why, exactly, are people so dead set against me taking pictures of their beautiful buildings, and providing free advertising via sharing said beautiful building on the internet?

rant over

I hope you enjoy this image, even if King’s College clearly does not want you to enjoy it.

What to do when I’m bored on a Saturday night in England?

Visit a beautiful cathedral, of course! Hubby and I had spent most of our Saturday chilling on the couch watching TV, when I suddenly got the “photo bug”. It’s that feeling I get sometimes when I really want to take a picture. So we decided to spend the evening in nearby Peterborough. Best part? They light up the cathedral at night. I didn’t know this, and was pleasantly surprised upon arrival.

About the Picture: Night shots like this can be tough, especially when the artificial light illuminating the subject is not even. I took 5 exposures, and processed in photomatix as usual. But the sky is a single, long-exposure shot masked in photoshop. Otherwise, the sky would be quite grainy.

About the Place: Peterborough Cathedral began as an abbey, established at Peterborough in 655 AD. It has been a site of Christian worship for almost 1350 years. The first abbey was largely destroyed by Viking raiders in 870. In the mid 10th century a Benedictine Abbey was created from what remained of the earlier abbey, with a larger church and more extensive buildings. Only a small section of the foundations of the Saxon church remain beneath the south transept but there are several significant artifacts including Saxon carvings from the earlier building. A new church, the present building, was begun in 1118 and finally consecrated in 1238.

Drivers Brave Flooded Road to Avoid 30 Mile Detour

I was out for an evening drive, looking for photo opportunities, when the road to Wisbech suddenly disappeared into a giant body of water. I had driven this stretch of road before; I remember seeing the landscape dotted with fences, horse gates and a few barns. But today, there was nothing to see but miles of water. It stretched across the road, and in both directions for as far as I could see.

I pulled over, and walked to the water’s edge. A few local families hovered around, and little kids in Wellies were splashing about. For the village of Welney, situated in the heart of the Fens, this is an annual occurrence. According to a local woman, this particular stretch of the A1101 (called the “Welney Wash”) crosses over part of a flood defense system. Its an area of several thousand acres that provides storage for floodwater that the River Great Ouse cannot discharge directly into the sea without overflowing its banks. The excess waters are held within the washes until tides and river flows allow discharge back into the river and the sea. This can take a few days or several weeks, and creates an difficult situation for the local villagers who typically use this road as the main route between Wisbech and Cambridge. Locals must drive an extra 30 miles to avoid the flooded road! As such, many drivers are braving it just to avoid the long detour. Seems pretty crazy to me! After doing a bit of searching, I found this video of two guys driving the road a few weeks ago: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dXq8kl0bI8

Anyway, in this particular photo, a man is using the flood waters to give his car a bath! Meanwhile, a brave soul emerges from the around the corner after driving the entire stretch.

Wandering Sheep Country in Ireland

I snapped this shot while hiking the appropriately-named Sheep’s Head Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland. The sheep wonder freely in these hills, and though they are a bit shy of people, this little guy was kind of enough to pose for the camera. Sheep’s Head Peninsula is full of Irish natural beauty, and the hike was worth every bit of the rain, fog and cold.