click photo to enlargeEastern England has been particularly dry this past month or two. Where I live didn't have any rain in September, and there wasn't a great deal in August. Consequently the rate at which the grass is growing - it usually slows in September - is now positively sluggish. It makes keeping lawns cut an easier job, but a lot of grass has taken on a very brownish-yellow cast. Trees are shedding their leaves earlier too, especially the horse chestnuts which are very copper coloured.
But, a benefit of the dry weather has been the regular appearance of blue skies and fair-weather clouds. With the exception of a few overcast days when there was a blanket of stratus, suitable light and skies for photography have been plentiful. Moreover, on some days the light has been absolutely beautiful - clear and sharp, producing fine shadows and, with the lower sun, deep colours. I've taken advantage of this weather to photograph churches: some that I visited for the first time, and others that I returned to in the expectation of improving on my previous efforts. Here are two recent images.
The first photograph shows the mainly C14 and C15 church of All Saints, Haslingfield, in Cambridgeshire. The pebble-faced chancel is the oldest part, with Norman masonry and details, though with windows of the 1300s and 1875 inserted. The nave is largely C14, with a C15 makeover, and the tower dates from thate latter period. There are two peculiarities about this church that immediately strike the visitor: firstly, the four octagonal pinnacle turrets on the tower that must be inspired by those on not-too-distant Ely Cathedral; and secondly the odd, but graceful, curved lead roof of the south porch (dated 1746).
The second image is a view at Billingborough, Lincolnshire, that I've photographed before in winter. Passing through the village, and taken by the quality of the autumn light, I took a detour and photographed the C17 Church Farm and the nearby medieval church of St Andrew. I meant to catch this view earlier in the year when the wisteria on the near building was in flower, but never got round to it. Maybe next year!
photograph & text (c) T. Boughen
Photo 1 (Photo 2)
Camera: Olympus E510
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 13mm (26mm/35mm equiv.),(15mm (30mm/35mm equiv.))
F No: f6.3
Shutter Speed: 1/640 (1/800)
ISO: 100
Exposure Compensation: -0.7 EV
Image Stabilisation: On
