Brooding light, brooding trees, the symmetry of composition. Today I visited Dyrham Park near Bath. I've known of this place for ever, yet despite driving past the entrance many times, this is the very first time I have visited. I was there for a meeting to do with the National Trust voluntary work I do. So it is fair to say I went to Dyrham Park, but didn't see much of it, other than the inside of offices in the old stable block. Luckily however I had arrived earlier than expected so in the intervening 25 minutes before Paula from Tyntesfield arrived, I had a wander. To be truthful I had a wander photographing the lines of trees emanating from the visitor reception area.
The light was a classic end of autumn light, dull, overcast, dark, heavy cloud. As if the sun has popped its head over the horizon, thought better off it and dimmed the lights. It was quite blustery too. Yet when I arrived in the car park those bare brooding branches against a dark foaming sky really caught my attention. Dark skies, dark branches, whatever but black and white (and a few sepia) over compensated images. I did try a few colour images but they just didn't grab my attention.
On purpose I made these darker than in reality, the image above being at f5.6 and 1/200 sec on ISO 200. I like taking images in manual mode while out and about as what enchants me is the contrasts, not the view. That said it was an absolutely fascinating meeting which lasting nearly three hours meaning it was even darker when I got back to the car in near darkness. Good days these.
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