alan frost photography

Castle Hill Gardens ….. a nod to Michael Kenna perhaps?

By alan frost on September 28, 2024

I always remember a famous photographer (unfortunately I can’t remember who it was) saying –

‘Don’t buy more gear, buy more books by other photographers’.

I only have to look at my shelves and I clearly took this this advice to heart as I have quite a collection of photobooks, mainly by black and white photographers, and I very much enjoy leafing through them from cover to cover, looking and learning from the images on the pages.

Whether consciously or subconsciously it is my view that all photographers and artists are influenced by the work of others. To be in bubble and to develop your own personal style without ever have been affected by their art or imagery is nigh on an impossibility. If you are a creator then it is only natural that should be interested in the work of other creators. Whether you admire their work or not, the very act of looking at the photographs of well known photographers helps define the direction of your own style, and furthers your understanding and enjoyment of this art form.

In the early days of my photography I was akin to a sponge, soaking up ideas, techniques and learning for myself what I did and didn’t like about other photographer’s work. I have written before about the very distinctive imagery of Michael Kenna, who I have always admired although I haven’t looked through my books of his photographs for quite a long time.

Which brings me to this set of photographs all captured at Castle Hill Gardens on a recent stay in Devon. My wife and I stumbled by chance on this wonderful home and superb parkland gardens. From the moment I got out of the car, and I saw the grounds, in particular the statuary, it instantly reminded me of some photographs by Michael Kenna which I had seen in the past. I knew immediately the approach I would take to the composition and how I would process the images I wanted to make.

The square format, the shallow depth of field, the split tone sepia like tint and the addition of a little film like grain would all feature. We walked around the gardens and I regularly dived off in a different direction to seek out some compositions. Before processing the files I made a deliberate choice not to reach for the Kenna books, so that the results would be my own even though I fully admit to being heavily influenced by the memory of Michael Kenna’s interpretation of similar subjects.

Photographer or not Castle Hill Gardens are well worth a visit. We were there in September, loved the walk around the gardens and we were told that Spring is a particularly special time of year to visit. The Palladian style Castle Hill house has been the home of the Fortescue family since 1684 and the current custodians are the 17th generation to live on the estate. The estate extends to 5,100 acres, including the 50 acres of gardens surrounded by Grade 1 Listed Parkland.

I hope you enjoyed this collection of photographs even if they do bear a passing resemblance to the work of Michael Kenna – to be honest I would be very flattered if you thought this was the case.

You might also be interested to read this entry about an interview with Michael Kenna which I posted back in 2018.