DavidRabinowitz 8 Posted January 12, 2013 beautiful landscape Alf...well preserved tones and fine lines...regards....David Link to comment
alfbailey 1 Posted January 12, 2013 The wind was filling my eyes, my mouth, my hair and seemingly everything else with sand, I just hoped the camera wasn't affected! Thankfully it wasn't! Bamburgh Castle must be one of the most photographed castles in the UK, I just hoped to get a slightly different take on it with the sand blowing across the foreground. Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated. Thank You. Link to comment
Jack McRitchie 150 Posted January 12, 2013 This place can't possibly exist in our world. Obviously you fell through a rabbit hole that landed you in some far more heroic age. It's lucky you happened to have your camera with you to bring back proof that such magical realms really do exist. Link to comment
trisha jean-angela 3 Posted January 12, 2013 Ok Alf, that is it... you have teased me long enough; I am moving! ;) Very beautiful and magical image. I wonder what this would look like in soft color with diffused light? Maybe like the heavens opened up and answered my prayers, there might even be unicorns. Still excellent here in b&w. Beautiful work! Thank you for sharing. :) Link to comment
gardena 0 Posted January 12, 2013 Alf, I have seen many images of Bamburgh castle in photography books. As you say it's much photogarphed. But this is certainly different. I admire you patience, determination and imagination. Regards, Adreinne Link to comment
photo by patsy dunn 1 Posted January 13, 2013 Hi Alf, Beautiful b/w scene with wonderful tone's & lines. Take care, Patsy Link to comment
steveshinn 0 Posted January 13, 2013 Thoughts of "continental drift" came to mind. Very well done, your troubles were rewarded handsomely. Link to comment
sranga 2,135 Posted January 13, 2013 portrays the aloofness, majesty while underlining a sense of purpose.Could be the opening shot of a movie! Link to comment
sherrybell 0 Posted January 13, 2013 Excellent image, love how well the B&W works with the blowing sand, the vastness of this area is expressed well in this image. Great composition and POV. Excellent Image! Best Regards, Sherry Link to comment
ruudalbers 0 Posted January 13, 2013 A beautiful result with very nice lighting, Alf!With best regards,Ruud. Link to comment
JamieK 1 Posted January 13, 2013 striking. perhaps a slightly wider aspect ratio? best, j Link to comment
llgarcia 1 Posted January 13, 2013 A very daring shot to take the way you described the scene, Alf. But it paid off with this image with beautiful tones and drama in the foreground leading up to the castle that is well placed in the composition.Best regards! Link to comment
AlainD 0 Posted January 13, 2013 Superb composition and B&W work. The lines in the sand really make the picture. Well seen and done!Regards,Alain Link to comment
dom1 1 Posted January 13, 2013 Great lines. I feel like I'm taking a tour of the best of your country. Thanks! Link to comment
ianward 0 Posted January 13, 2013 Great shot Alf, I had the pleasure of being there last year. Link to comment
alfbailey 1 Posted January 14, 2013 DAVID Many Thanks for your interest and positive feedback! I cursed the wind in the first instance, not knowing it would lead to a photo opportunity. Best Regards Alf JACK Strange you should mention Rabbit Holes, the place was full of them! In fact the grassy bank that the castle sits on was positively riddled with them. I did happen to fall down one as I walked, but was saved from an encounter with the Mad Hatter by my strudy tripod! I shudder to think how close I came to being known forever more as "Alice"I love the analogy Jack!Sincere Thanks & Best Regards Alf TRISHA Ahhh but thats just a tiny bit you have seen so far! The coast of Northumberland is a wonderful place, steeped in history and full of character, its one location you can't miss when you visit!.There is of course a colour version, but I have of late become a bit obsessional about B & W. I will post the colour version at some point in the future though.Thank you so much for your thoughts and kind words Trisha. Best Regards Alf ADRIENNE Iconic structures like this are, for me at least, the most difficult to photograph without being repetetive of others work. I was most fortunate to encounter the high winds at sunset, although I have to admit initially I was cursing the conditions.Sincere Thanks for your thoughtd and positive feedback, much appreciated! Best Regards Alf PATSY Thank you so much for your thoughts and kind words, much appreciated! Best Regards Alf STEVE I knew all that grit in my mouth would have a happy ending : - ) Many Thanks for your thoughtful feedback Steve! Best Regards Alf RANGA "Majesty" is a great adjective to describe this place. If you take a very close look at the larger view, you will see tiny figures to the left of the image, this might give an idea of the scale of the place.........it is huge!I quite like the thought of it being the opening scene to a movie........I suppose it does have a sense of grandeur about it. Sincere Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback Ranga! Best Regards Alf SHERRY Its really gratifying to read that the sense of scale has come across so well. the castle itself is enormous and the empty sweeping beaches are a photographers dream Sincere Thanks for your interest and invaluable feedback! Best Regards Alf RUUD Many Thanks for your thoughts and kind words! Best Regards Alf JAMIE I shot the scene at 38 mm and although I could have widened it to 24 mm with the lens I had on, I wouldn't have changed lens in those conditions to the wider 14 - 24 mm.But more to the point I was very aware of proportions and scale, and I think it would be easy to lose the detail of the castle and its standing as the prime element of interest if indeed I chose to go much wider.Interesting thought though, I will take a look at the file and see what else I shot during that session. Sincere Thanks and Best Regards Alf LESTER Nikon build cameras like tanks it would seem, as it suffered no ill effects whatsoever from its ordeal in the windy sand blown environment.Sincere Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback Lester!Best Regards Alf ALAIN Many Thanks for your interest and thoughtful feedback.I suppose instinct tells a person to take shelter when faced with strong winds and sand. It is only us fool photographers that would stand in the face of it just to get the shot. : - )Best Regards Alf DOMINICK Ahhh now theres an idea that I fully intend to include in my book.......a Virtual Tour of the UK through photographs ............when I eventually get round to finishing it : - )Cheers Dominick! Best Regards Alf IAN It is just an amazing stretch of coastline. We were staying at Almouth just a few miles down the coast from Bamburgh. We spent a week in the area and just didn't have enough time to see everything.Many Thanks for your interest and kind words Ian. Best Regards Alf Link to comment
rshenderson 20 Posted January 14, 2013 Alf..... Very nicely done in b&w. When I first seen it in the thumbnail I thought they were waves, but in large view it is indeed blowing sand. Love the tones and the detail. How did you manage this with what seems to be a higher ISO rating? Regards, Bob. Link to comment
swede621 0 Posted January 14, 2013 One of your best IMO. I find it very difficult to photograph sites which have previously already been shot by hundreds of thousands prior to me. How can I make my shot different enough from all of the others before me? Well, this is an excellent example. I'd be willing to bet that there are very few (if any) shots like this one. Of course, the B W also presentation further separates it.I'm sure that the safety of your beloved D700 was always in your mind.Really well done, Alf.Thanks for sharing.Cheers... Link to comment
hamidfarzandian 0 Posted January 14, 2013 A unique shot of unique scene in a unique time! I loved the sturdy rocky castle in far in a field full of motion and instability! Its the art of a very talented photographer. Bravo.Hamid. Link to comment
drorbaldinger 0 Posted January 15, 2013 Fantastic contrast between the "static background" (the castle) and the "flowing foreground". Beautiful photograph. Link to comment
ndj 0 Posted January 15, 2013 A superb capture of this ancient castle Alf! Sounds like hideous working conditions. I'd have been quite nervous about my gear too having lost an old pentax slr to dust years ago. I see you used quite a high ISO to achieve a high shutter speed to freeze the movement of the sand. I'm curious to see if you tried any longer exposures to accentuate the movement of the sand. Might be interesting to have the drifting sand backlit by some low angle sun using a long exposure. Might not be possible either. Your resulting shot makes for an excellent B&W Alf!All the best,Neil Link to comment
tibig 0 Posted January 15, 2013 The effect is as if you see the time drifting by, while the castle is there, fixed in the middle ages. The luminous skies also contribute to the contrast between the fast and unstoppable flow of the foreground and the serene peace and "safety" of the castle.Regards, Tibi Link to comment
alfbailey 1 Posted January 15, 2013 BOB Many Thanks for your thoughts and invaluable feedback, much appreciated!I must apologise for the misleading ISO information, it was a typing error and should have read "ISO 200" (I have corrected it now).The speed that the sand was blowing mean't I didn't really need a particularly slow shutter to achieve the effect for this shot, but I did try a few long exposures. Sadly because of the extreme high winds the castle didn't look as sharp as I would have liked, but it achieved an interesting effect. I might post it anyway just as an example.Thanks again Bob & Best Regards Alf JERRY Sincere Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback, much appreciated! I know exactly what you mean about the iconic type of buildings and scenes you refer to. It can be a real challenge to try and add an element of orginality to such a scene, but I always aim to at least do better than my previous attempts, even if I know I can't better what has gone before. Its always worth a try.I was acutely aware of the D700 being impregnated with sand particles, and protected it as best I could, but Nikon build them well, and unless I was foolish enough to try and change lenses under those condition, I think it was relatively safe.Cheers Jerry! Alf HAMID Many Thanks for your interest and thoughtful feedback, very much appreciated!The proportions of the huge castle are impressive, and the deserted beach was another bonus, and like the shifting sand, it was courtesy of the very high winds.Best Regards Alf DROR Many Thanks for your thoughts and astute words, very much appreciated!Nature can be a strange companion, just when you think things like weather are against you, it surprises you with a gift of something different to view and photograph. Cheers Dror! Alf NEIL It was blowing in gusts that nearly took me off my feet at times. The area as you can see, offers nothing in the way of shelter. I was a bit nervous myself, but refrained from changing lenses the whole time I was there in order to minimise the risk.My apologies for the misleading information relating to the ISO, it was a typing error and should have read "ISO 200"I did try some longer exposures with the sand coming directly towards me and illuminated by the low sun, in fact exactly as you have described, and in part they looked really good, but for some reason the castle just didn't look as sharp as I would normally consider acceptable, and therefore I haven't posted them. I might just post one though as a matter of interest.Many Thanks for your thoughts and invaluable feedback Neil. Best Regards Alf TIBI It can be quite mesmerising watching the drifting sand, a bit like watching moving water, or clouds drifting by. That is until you get sand in your eye of course!Sincere Thanks for your interest and for that beautiful and eloquent description!Best Regards Alf Link to comment
patspics 5 Posted January 16, 2013 Yet another wonderful mono. Super clarity and comp! Link to comment
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