Saturday 20 February 2010

Chester

Chester is a walled City in the most southerly part of England's Northwest region and is also one of the traditional Marcher counties, bordering North Wales. It’s an extremly picturesque city with lots to see and do. It’s quite small and so getting around on foot isn’t a problem. And now for a bit of history; It was founded as a "castrum" or Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix in the year 79 by the Roman Legio II Adiutrix during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian. Chester's four main roads, Eastgate, Northgate, Watergate and Bridge, follow routes laid out at this time – almost 2,000 years ago. One of the three main Roman army bases, Deva later became a major settlement in the Roman province of Britannia. After the Romans left in the 5th century, the Saxons fortified the town against the Danes and gave Chester its name. The patron saint of Chester, Werburgh, is buried in Chester Cathedral.

Chester was one of the last towns in England to fall to the Normans in the Norman conquest of England. William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle, to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border. In 1071 he appointed Hugh d'Avranches, the 1st Earl of Chester.

Chester has a number of medieval buildings, but some of the black-and-white buildings within the city centre are actually Victorian restorations. Chester is one of the best preserved walled cities in the British Isles. Apart from a 100-metre (330 ft) section, the listed Grade I walls are almost completely intact.

The Industrial Revolution brought railways, canals, and new roads to the city, which saw substantial expansion and development –Chester Town Hall and the Grosvenor Museum are examples of Victorian architecture from this period.

Below are a few of my photographs of Chester, unfortunately I didn’t visit on a particularly nice day but I’ve still captured some interesting shots that display the city’s aesthetic qualities.

IMG_2759Chester Town Hall

IMG_2767One of the Victorian Restored Buildings

IMG_2727This is Eastgate Clock, it is said to be the most photographed clock in England after Big Ben. Eastgate is the main shopping street.

IMG_2744Part of Chester Cathedral

IMG_2853A very friendly squirrel! There are quite a few, they seem to enjoy entertaining the public by rolling around in the grass and dirt only a few feet away

IMG_2926Part of St John’s Church ruins

IMG_2918Ruins of St John’s with the new St John’s in the background

Sunday 14 February 2010

6: Artificial Light

"One Aim of 6: Artificial Light is to familiarise you with the special Properties of Artificial Light sources so that you can achieve successful exposures and colour balance. The other is to introduce you to the use of photographic lighting and the idea of controlling light to create particular effects."

Artificial light isn't used as much as Natural Light by amateur photographers as it requires more technical expertise and isn't as readily available. Daylight is easy to use as it needs no preparation, however it only illuminates everything outdoors during day time hours. Knowing how to work with the different types of Artificial Light extends the range of a person's photography as there is virtually no limit to the amount of lighting equipment that can be used.

I'm looking forward to learning how to use the different types of Artificial Light so that I can shoot not only during the day.