Dracula's Abbey
Whitby Abbey
Whitby Abbey
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May, 2016Views
1255
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Awards
Winner in Abandoned Places in Black & White Photography Photo Challenge
People's Choice in Ruins Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Emotions
Impressed
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angelabravin
November 28, 2016
A fabulous shot....the black and white underlines the drama of the decadence of such a once-splendid religious site. Well done, congratulations!
Platinum
helenbissellbland
November 28, 2016
Thank you Angela for your lovely comment. It's a beautiful site and I am pleased if I have done it justice.
keithfey
December 29, 2016
Perfectly captured and processed.. I can spend a lot of time pondering this delightfully mysterious picture, Well done.. Regards Keith
Platinum
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This is Whitby Abbey and was taken on a beautiful afternoon in spring. It was my first visit to Whitby, which is where the book 'Dracula' is set. The ruined Abbey sits on top of the hillside overlooking the town and is ominous in its beauty.Time
It was taken on a busy Saturday afternoon over an Easter weekend. I had to try and find a spot where I could take a view of the Abbey that I liked and which was also devoid of people. This was quite difficult to do.Lighting
It was a bright spring day, which did not suit the mood I wanted for the image, although the cloud structure was interesting. I decided to convert the original image into black and white to better suit the mood I wanted.Equipment
This was taken with my Canon 70D, and was handheld. I am not a big user of tripods and I am not keen on flash, preferring to use ambient light wherever possible. I took shots of a variety of views of the Abbey but this was the one I liked the best.Inspiration
Whitby is a beautiful and interesting seaside town and one I have wanted to visit for some time. I was very keen to see and photograph the Abbey, as any ruin is an interesting, irresistible challenge for most photographers. The ruin is magnificent and I was keen to capture both the outline of what remains and the intricate brickwork.Editing
The original image is colour but I converted it into black and white using the Nik Collection Silver Efex program, as I thought black and white suited it better. I wanted to give the impression that the Abbey was lit by moonlight rather than by sunlight. The Silver Efex program is flexible and is great for developing a black and white image.In my camera bag
I have since upgraded my camera to a Canon 6D full frame. I usually carry a 50mm prime lens, a 25-70mm (f/2.8) lens and a 70-200mm (f/2.8) lens. I also have a 135mm prime lens, which I take out if I am hoping to take some candid portraiture as it's so sharp.Feedback
Check which angle of a building you wish to photograph and then find out which time of day this angle will be illuminated to suit the image you wish to capture. Overcast days provide more even lighting, whereas bright sunlight causes shadows, but can also illuminate detail in a building that is otherwise lost.
