Hulls come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common – to keep the vessel afloat in water. When not immersed in water the true shape and size of the hull can be seen. The three images in this entry each portray a different style of hull and they were all shot as the sun started to set at Dell Quay, a small sailing club and marina which forms part of Chichester Harbour.
Do click on any of the images to see a larger version.
The Church of St Mary in Stoughton is described in the book ‘Betjeman’s Best British Churches’ as an outstanding example of a well-loved country church, and who am I to disagree. Standing above the pretty village, the late C11 church is approached up a wide but inclined footpath; a challenge I’m sure for a few elderly worshipers walking up the slope to get to the Sunday Eucharist service.
Whenever I find myself in a church I am simply looking to photograph the features which draw my attention. Sometimes it can simply be the play of light, as shown below in the image called ‘Hymns’. The rays of sun only lasted a few seconds so I was fortunate to capture this particular shot. Alternatively I might concentrate on certain details, like the ‘Organ pipes’ or ‘Bell ropes’. I will also use a wide aperture to give me a limited depth of field to isolate an feature but still provide context. The ‘Nave lamp’ is a good example of this technique.
Churches have many things in common, but they are all different. Each and every one has its own character and its this character or personality that I am trying to capture when the camera comes out of the bag and the shutter starts to open and close. I can happily spend an hour or two in an empty church just looking around, soaking up the atmosphere and waiting for the light to add another dimension these wonderful historic places of worship.
Hymns
Organ pipes
Nave lamp
Chancel step
Bell ropes
Contributions welcome
Chancel
Chancel door
St Mary, Stoughton
Do click on any of the images to view a larger version or visit the West Sussex Gallery page for other churches in the same county.
For more information about my ongoing Churches Project do click here.
For a more historical description of St Mary, Stoughton do click here.
Break through
I started this photographic blog in June 2012 and whilst I am not a prolific blogger this just happens to be my 200th post. I recognise this is a very small number compared to many other users of WordPress but for me it’s quite an achievement. Over three years ago I never thought that I would still be updating this site five or six times a month. This partly demonstrates how much I enjoy sharing my images and my thoughts, but even more importantly it is testimony to how much pleasure I derive from making images and the art of photography.
When you reach any milestone, however small or large, it’s an opportunity to reflect and consider what lies ahead.
In the past three years I have become more critical of my own work and tried to be more discerning about what I do and don’t share on this blog. This is certainly true of what I upload to Flickr. I now only upload a handful of images a month, whereas previously almost anything and everything would be shared with the ‘online world’ – if only to increase the number of views and favourites! Don’t get me wrong I welcome all feedback but the photographs I make are first and foremost for me; they are my vision of the world in which I live. If they give pleasure to others then that’s a bonus for me, and quite naturally I hope they do.
I am fairly confident that in the future my photography will be more ‘project based’. I believe this will be a positive step leading to more considered and specialist work, with the aim of achieving a clear objective or outcome. I have a number of ideas, and these will evolve given time. I also recognise that my photographic skills and processing techniques can be improved. After all it’s never too late to acquire more knowledge about a particular craft or skill.
And maybe, just maybe, a photographic ‘break though’ lies ahead – who knows what that might be? One thing’s for sure, only time will tell.
If you are a regular reader of my ‘blog’ can I just thank you for taking the time to look and read what I have to say.
And finally…… here’s to the next century of blog entries!
Kissing gate
The early evening sun finds a gap in the hedgerow and casts it light on the kissing gate.
A simple physical interruption to a country path, but one which entices you to pass through and discover what lies on the other side.
If you click on the image to view a larger version you may see that someone has written ‘Jesus’ in chalk on the top right hand rail. Is the gate symbolic of a different journey perhaps?
St Michael’s in Up Marden is a small, beautiful and unspoilt country church dating back to the 13th Century. Within the South Downs National Park it lies to the north west of Chichester and to the south of the Hampshire town of Petersfield. Invisible from the road behind farm buildings and surrounded by trees and farmland it would be easy to pass it by. Even if you happened to find yourself along this very quiet country lane in this remote backwater of West Sussex, you still might miss the small sign which leads you up an unmade track to the church.
When I visited the church it was quite a dull day and on entry the nave was dark and it took a while for my eyes to adjust to the light. I rely totally on natural light for my work, I don’t even possess a flash but even if I did, I wouldn’t use it as I like to work with the light I am given and not create an artificial look to my photographs. I did though wonder how I was going to cope with such poor light, but the combination of a high ISO setting (1600 or 3200), a monopod, and some careful post processing, I was able to achieve the results you can see in this post.
I spent over two hours on my own, observing and taking in the atmosphere of this lovely building, working out the best way to capture the almost rustic simplicity of this church. After all it is still lit by candles, so there are no ‘modern’ wires or bulbs to take away the fact that this is a very old place of worship for country folk.
The Chancel
The Lord’s Supper
Light through the door way into the bell tower
Candelabra
Cobwebs and cow parsley
St Michael’s Church, Up Marden
The Altar
Within the same area there are churches at East Marden, West Marden and North Marden, but they will all have to wait for another day.
Do click on any of the images to view a larger version in a new window or visit the West Sussex Gallery page for other churches in the county.
For more information about my ongoing Churches Project do click here.
alan frost photography 