It’s been a busy few weeks and no time to get out with my gear, so I’ve been looking through my archive. The image below was taken at Bolton Abbey, along the Strid just under ten years ago. I’d just bought an EOS 50E and was still getting used to it, and had inadvertently added some exposure compensation so the shot is slightly over-exposed. Still, I’ve always liked this one.
On my return to Bolton Abbey last year, I wanted to re-create this shot and see if I could improve on it, but time waits for no-one and the focal point of the first image had been removed, and no matter what I tried, I couldn’t get a composition that I felt was as strong as the one I found years before.
It’s a shame, because that fence made a great lead into the image. It just goes to show that when you have the chance, take the shot, because you might not get a second chance.
Thirty minutes from home in the opposite direction of Fountains Abbey is Bolton Abbey, located near Skipton, in the Yorkshire Dales. The Abbey ruins sit in a large estate that stretches along the River Wharfe and not only has the Abbey ruins, but there are plenty of walks along the river. Part of the Abbey remains intact and is used as a parish church.
Bolton Abbey and Parish Church
Bolton Abbey is a place I’ve been to several times and despite having a specific couple of shots in mind when I go, I’ve yet to make the shot. On this occasion, a bright sun in a clear sky made it impossible to capture. However, a sunny day in late October is nothing to be sniffed at, especially in this part of the world, so it was a case of just enjoying the day and thinking of something different. The shot below was the result of trying to find a different view, and I only took the one. When reviewing it on the LCD I was hardly impressed, but after fiddling with it in Nikon View, it has grown on me.
Bolton Abbey, this time with the sun behind me
On this occasion, the ruins were a bit of a bust, but a walk to the Strid more than made up for it. The Strid is a narrow, rocky passage in the River Wharfe that forces the water through at breakneck speed. In the rain it can be quite treacherous (sadly, there were flowers laid by a tree stump near the rocks as a reminder that people have died there before.)
Not the Strid, but a miniature waterfall captured on the way to the Strid
Thankfully, the rocks were dry so there was an opportunity to set up a tripod and capture the water. This is one of those places where I can spend an age taking picture after picture and just enjoying the scenery.
The Strid
On this occasion, failing to capture the two shots I’ve been after for the last 9 years was more than compensated for by a fantastic day out in the rare October sunshine, plus some nice shots I hadn’t planned on. Besides, that’s why rule 19 is go back. The more I go back, the more likely I am to get the shots, and I may just bag some I wasn’t expecting to, just like yesterday.
When I read that rule back to myself, my first thought is Cartier Bresson’s famous line about the decisive moment. Personally, I’ve never subscribed to that school of thought. There are, after all, many decisive moments. I do get what he’s trying to say though, and some moments are better than others.
My rule has a broader application. For example, take the photo below…
This is a shot of Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire, taken earlier today – a gorgeous sunny day with crisp October air.
This is a shot I’ve tried to capture three times now. Each time is a little disappointing, but this is the view of the Abbey I like the best. Only trouble is, no matter what I tried, there was no getting away from that sun shining brightly in the sky. (This was actually one of the best of the bunch!)
This is where timing comes in. This was shot in the early afternoon, so the sun was high in the sky. If I’d have shot this earlier in the day, then it might not have been such a problem. Having said that, Bolton Abbey is close by so I have that luxury, but sometimes you don’t and you have to make the best of the hand you’re dealt, like today, but today was about more than just the Abbey. More of that later.
WeavingLight 