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LLanthony Priory #3

Llanthony Priory ruins in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales

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The story behind this image

As part of a couple of days 'glamping' experience in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, my wife Liz and I took a trip into the Vale of Ewyas to visit the famous Llanthony Priory.

The remains of the 13th century priory are particularly photogenic, and we spent a good hour wandering around admiring the structure from different angles.

It was a bright, sunny afternoon, which normally I wouldn't consider the best lighting for trying to photograph brooding ruins.

However, by positioning myself carefully inside the skeletal pillars of the great hall, I was able to use the interplay of light and shadow to create a pleasing and evocative effect.

Even as I was taking this image I had in mind a pre-visualisation of the scene rendered in monochrome, to place all the emphasis on the chiarscuro lighting without the distraction of colour.

I'm glad to say my pre-visualisation worked out well, with this final image looking nothing like the scene in front of my eyes at the time, but atmospherically much more in tune with the now faded ancient splendour and mystery of the priory.

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Image data

Filename - brecon beacons llanthony priory 03.jpg

Camera - Canon EOS 6D

Lens - 24-105mm zoom @ 24mm

Exposure - 1/13 sec @ f11, ISO100

Location - Llanthony Priory, Wales

This image - 533x800px JPEG

Conversion - Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop CC

Comments - Polarising filter used to darken blue sky.