Exposure x7

“Cry ‘Havoc!…

| paulamyes

…and let slip the dogs of war.”

William Shakespeare, Act 3, scene 1, Julius Caesar

 

 

2023 York Medieval Fayre by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
Mounted archery demonstration. 2023 York Medieval Fayre.

 

It’s always a bit surreal when the Medieval Fayre is on – things like people in Medieval costume buying drinks in the local supermarket. Even the whole idea of Australians dressing up in Medieval costume and doing re-enactments is a bit of a strange notion when you consider that Australia had no European history prior to the Seventeenth Century. I go most years just for the spectacle, I always like watching the mounted archery demonstration. Amazing skills in hitting a target while at a full gallop. It makes for great photos as well.

 

Just lately I’ve been on a bit of historical journey – over the last 8 weeks I’ve watched all the Time Team episodes on YouTube. It’s been quite an education and it was a very fun way to find out more about where I’m from. I particularly liked the episodes about the Saxon period just because up to recently very little has been known about that time. Another connection is that I spent part of my childhood in Hastings in East Sussex and growing up there you’re very aware of the fate of the last Saxon King of England – Harold Godwinson – at the Battle of Hastings. So when I walked into the Medieval Fayre I was quite delighted to see the Grey Company putting on a display re-enacting that period.

 

2023 York Medieval Fayre by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
The Grey Company focuses primarily on the so called “Dark Ages” period of history (600-1100 AD).

 

 

2023 York Medieval Fayre by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
A Norman knight waits for the start of the demonstration.

 

2023 York Medieval Fayre by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
Rushing into the fray with a blood curdling cry.

 

2023 York Medieval Fayre by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
The clash of swords on shields.

 

2023 York Medieval Fayre by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
A Saxon shield wall prepares to engage Norman invaders.

 

2023 York Medieval Fayre by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
A few insults and banging shields with swords gets the blood up.

 

2023 York Medieval Fayre by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
Engaging the enemy.

 

2023 York Medieval Fayre by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
A well earned breather.

 

Photographically it was a case of using my Canon 6d, the EF24-70mm f4 and EF 70-200mm f2.8. Processing was all done in Lightroom and Exposure X7. I felt a black and white treatment would be the most sympathetic.

Gathercole Reserve

| paulamyes

 

This year our annual visit to the amazing nature hotspot of Wongan Hills took us to the Gathercole Reserve which is a 141 hectare granite out crop 10Km east of the Wongan Hills townsite. At the centre of the reserve is a large granite outcrop, but what makes this one so interesting is that it is unlike most others in Western Australia. Usually granite outcrops are devoid of vegetation but Gathercole has a rich variety of vegetation that forms a fringe around the rock – Rock Sheoak, Silver Princess, Sea-urchin Hakea, Scarlet Honey  Myrtle are just a few of the species – and other plants such as  Granite Kunzea that have adapted to actually live on the rock outcrop drawing their water and nutrients from the very shallow pockets of soil found in cracks and depressions. It all sounded wonderful, but with this years very dry winter the local flora wasn’t putting on much of a show. We then decided to concentrate on doing the walk trail which is an easy 2 hour walk around the rock. There are 12 interpretive panels on the trail to tell you what you are looking at. These explain how the rock outcrop was formed, how it was shaped by wind and rain, and details of the fauna and flora found there.

 

Gathercole Reserve Walk Trail by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
The information board at the start of the Gathercole Reserve Walk Trail in Western Australia.

 

Gathercole Reserve Walk Trail by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
The Gathercole Reserve Walk Trail is a 3.1 km walk throgh the Gathercole Reserve and explores the granite outcrop.

 

Gathercole Reserve Walk Trail by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
The walk trail is clearly sign posted and it is easy to follow.

 

Gathercole Reserve Walk Trail by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
As you walk over the granite outcrop you can see different rock formations. This was caused by rapidly cooling molten rock and millenia of exposure to the elements.

 

Gathercole Reserve Walk Trail by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
On the top of the granite outcrop water collects in the hollows during winter. These pools form the habitat for tadpoles and freshwater shrimp.

 

Gathercole Reserve Walk Trail by Paul Amyes on 500px.com

In spring the reserve puts on a spectacular show of wildflowers as evidenced by the everlasting shown here.

 

Photographically I felt in a bit of a rut so I decided to ditch the normal approach and just take a DSLR and one lens and shoot everything in black and white. Back in the film days I was particularly enamoured by Ilford SFX. It’s a bit of an odd ball film in that due to its extended sensitivity into the red spectrum of light it gave a mild “infrared” look without all the hassles of using infrared film which makes it ideal for day to day use. When I printed it I used glossy  Ilford Multigrade FB Warmtone paper which produced a luxuriously rich image.  I’ve not shot any film in over a decade and I’ve not had access to a darkroom for nearly twenty years so I decided to shoot digitally and emulate the look in Exposure 7. It doesn’t look quite right but it has made me think about shooting some film again. I’ve still got a couple of film cameras all I’ll need to do is find a way of scanning the negatives as I don’t want to get an enlarger and start printing again at this stage.