I recently visited Tintern Abbey on the banks of the river Wye in Monmouthshire. Founded in 1131, it has served as an inspiration to countless generations of artists, poets, and writers. The abbey itself is little more than a ruin, though there is a tranquillity about the place that is difficult to describe.
Abbey Exterior. Nikon D750, Sigma 24mm A @ f/9, 1/250 sec, ISO 250
Once home to monks of The Cistercian Order, the abbey was allowed to fall into disrepair during the reign of King Henry VIII. I was surprised that no real attempt had been made to restore the structure of the building. Instead it seems that the custodians have deemed fit to maintain the ruin in its current state, as a site of special historical interest.
Abbey in Colour. Nikon D750, Sigma 24mm A @ f/9, 1/160 sec, ISO 320
As a photographer, I was taken aback by the sheer verticality of the place. I had brought a fairly wide angle lens in the hopes of capturing the abbey in its entirety, though it proved far more challenging than I had expected. I also happened to arrive around midday so the light proved fairly harsh, although it made for some interesting contrasts in my final images.
Knowing that the light would be against me, I opted to use a polarizing filter to ensure that I'd retain any detail in the sky. A polarizing filter can serve several purposes and is most commonly used by landscape photographers. The filter primarily reduces the glare in an image. It does this by regulating the manner in which light enters the lens. In practice this results in fewer reflections, and decreased atmospheric haze.
The East Window, Nikon D750, Sigma 24mm A @ f/9, 1/500 sec, ISO 250
You'll notice in the picture shown above that the detail in the cloud has been preserved. This is because the polarizing filter helped to cut out the harsh reflections present in the image. It's important to note however that polarisers also effectively decrease the amount of light that enters the lens, resulting in a darker exposure.
If you're unsure whether or not your gear is compatible with filters, then simply look out for this symbol, ⌀ followed by a number on your lens.
On my lens shown here, the filter thread is listed as ⌀ 77. This means that any filter with a 77mm diameter will screw onto the lens. Notice the corresponding "77mm" on the filter.
Before arriving at the abbey, I had a clear idea in my minds eye as to the images I wished to produce. I was looking for architectural lines, contrast, and shadows. I wanted to convey my own perspective, the things that I found interesting, and I intended to use the relative architectural symmetry to my advantage.
The Spectre Above, Nikon D750, Sigma 24mm A @ f/8, 1/200 sec, ISO 400
As a wildlife photographer, I'm accustomed to having my eyes drawn skyward. You'll notice in the picture shown above that a buzzard is hovering in the uppermost portion of the image. I'd heard him long before I spotted him, and I waited a while for him to drift into shot. The bird is by no means the subject of this image, indeed it's barely possible to make it out. But for me personally, both the presence of the buzzard and the distant woodland, add to the overall contrast of the shot.
Lines & Shadow, Nikon D750, Sigma 24mm A @ f/3.2, 1/500 sec, ISO 160
I posted two versions of this shot because I'm interested to see which rendition you prefer. It's not very often that I can't decide on how I'd like to render an image, and I think they both offer something apart from each other. I like this picture as the woman walking gives a sense of scale, and I find the shadows cast by the towering archways add some nice contrast. I'd be interested to hear your opinion.
Towering Archways, Nikon D750, Sigma 24mm A @ f/9, 1/160 sec, ISO 250
Chapel on the Hill, Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm C @ f/7.1, 480mm 1/640 sec, ISO 500
This building, aptly named "The Chapel On The Hill" is set back quite a distance from the abbey itself. I used a telephoto lens for this shot, and without a polarising filter the reflections on the leaves are very pronounced.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope that you've found this blog interesting and enjoyable. I look forward to hearing some of your feedback, and I'll leave you with an image of this little guy resting in the ruins.
House Sparrow, Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm C @ f/7.1, 480mm 1/320 sec, ISO 640
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All images present in this article are © Alexander White
