Week Three

The Aln at a Glance

Right outside the castle grounds runs the river Aln. To the right of the river is the domesticated grounds of the castle which are always nicely mowed and kept up. To the left is the pasture which has sheep, mud, and feces strewn about. The river is what divides the two different atmospheres. The differences between the two sides is shown in this picture. Even the greeness of the grass is different on one side versus the other. This picture represents the class divisions that have cultivated this country since the beginning of time.

Old Yet Strong

When compared to the York Minster, the Durham Minster seems much more sturdy. It is not crumbling with time and still seems to hold its ground. I feel this picture shows the immense strength of the cathedral and how it still overwhelms the town to this day. It towers above the tallest trees and makes other still life figures appear miniscule.

Whisps of Color

While touring the university in Durham Roy took us down into an underground chapel. This chapel happens to be the oldest part of the university, dating back to the 11th century, but still remains fully intact. Looking at the pillar within the chapel, I realized the delicacy of the ancient stone. The soft, red whisps flowing so delicatley within and around the stone. It seems as if the pillars were just erected in order to support the weight of the ceiling when compared to the back wall which seems old, decrepid, and rough.

The Bagpipe Man

On the way to the game on Shrove Tuesday a man, followed by many others, exited the castle through the barbican while playing a bagpipe. I enjoyed this picture because of the solemn expression on the man's face. This was supposed to be a joyous time with excitment surmounting for the game that is about to be played. Apparently, this man was not as excited. It may have had something to do with the drizzly rain damaging his bagpipe.

Silence of the Sheep

Sheep are everywhere in the country of England. It does not matter where you travel. I decided to capture this fact and in attempt I was given this look by a sheep. The sheep, it seems, is telling me to "back off lady" because I was chasing them around the pasture. The entire time I was following these sheep, this was the only one that would turn in my direction. At that moment I formed a connection, a bond if you will, with that sheep. If only I could tell which sheep it was.

The Bright Light of Faith

I chose the title because of how the light shines on the cathedral in such a way that it is hard to even recognize the small cemetary surrounding it. Everything other than the cathedral of Durham is blackened, except for the bright green color of the blossoming grass which is also a symbol of life.

The Eye of God

This is not an actual picture of the eye of God. It is actually a picture of a dome window in Durham. I still believe that it appears to be an eye, and only the eye of God could be that large and domineering. I was able to adjust the coloring in order for the blue to contrast with the white in a more abstract manner.

The Art of the Shrove

On Fat Tuseday the British participate in a soccer game for the masses. Many people showed up to play and this was an action shot of the locals dueling it out. I was able to capture a brief moment in time where the water in the puddle to the right was splashing over opponents and the boys to the left are becoming parallel to the ground in attempts to gain control of the ball.

Suspended

This picture was taken looking directly up into the tallest towers of a cathedral. I thought the ceiling looked more overwhelming in the picture than it felt in real life. It seems to be suspended in mid-air. I also liked the contrast of the white ceiling of the tower and the dark nave of the cathedral because I thought it brought out the drama of such a building.

Wooden Comfort

This picture depicts a row of identical chairs within a cathedral. I liked this picture because of the symmetry and extending lines. The chairs may look small because of the downward angle the picture was taken at, but in fact they were the size of an average dinner table chair.