Normanton Church
Apr, 2016Views
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Lesabre1954
May 27, 2017
I love architecture and this capture re-enforces the beauty thereof. Excellent shot!
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Behind The Lens
Location
Rutland Water provides a scenic setting for the fairy-tale splendour of Normanton Church, a structure that appears to float on the lake when the reservoir is full. Normanton Church is the county of Rutland’s most famous landmark. Photographers and their customers should be grateful for the public outcry of 1970 that saved Normanton Church from destruction when plans to flood the area around it were being set in motion. When the demands of a growing population had to be met, consultation took place to decide on a suitable site for a much-needed new reservoir and the Gwash valley in Rutland was chosen. The valley had to be cleared and so Normanton Church was deconsecrated and scheduled for demolition, but the general public had other ideas and their protests were successful. When it came time to flood the area, it became obvious that the church would be partially submerged once the high-water level was reached. This would mean the gradual erosion of its lower walls and foundations. Finally, it was decided that the lower level of the church should be filled with rubble and topped with concrete to create a new floor. This would be approximately 60cm above the water level. The church would become a small island once the reservoir was filled, and so a causeway was built connecting it to the nearby shore of the lake and an embankment was constructed around the building.Time
The shot was taken in the evening.Lighting
I had visited the church in the hope of capturing a great sunset but it was one of those evenings when the sun just did not appear. Instead I got this beautiful soft light which showed off the colours of the church beautifully.Equipment
The shot was captured on my Nikon D810 at 24mm on either a 14-24mm f2.8 or 24-70mm f2.8 zoom (can't remember which but I used both lenses that evening). Settings were f8 1/13sec at ISO 64. The camera was mounted on a Feisol tripod and triggered with a cable release for maximum stability. Mirror was locked up too I think.Inspiration
This location is stunning and a common place for photographers to visit. It was my first time visiting and I had an idea in my head that it would look amazing with a sunset and 10 stop ND to smooth out the water. I didn't get the sunset and the filter mostly stayed in the bag but this shot was crying out to be captured.Editing
Yes. The sky was quite flat so I added contrast to bring out the lovely cloud formations. The building is pretty much untouched other than a tiny bit of additional saturation to bring out the warm tones of the stonework.In my camera bag
Nikon D810 with the holy trinity lenses, Lee SW150 filters and the Feisol Carbon tripod strapped to the outside.Feedback
Be patient. If the shot you originally wanted isn't there to start with, it doesn't mean that you cannot find a good alternative!
