Buy a Postcard! Lincoln Cathedral and me…

Approaching the county town of Lincolnshire by road or rail one will spot the cathedral miles before arrival . To say it dominates the skyline is probably an understatement. On a fine day – there are some – the magnificent building simply demands attention.

Lincoln’s Newest Building (when I took the shot): 2016

I have lived in Lincoln, I have holidayed in Lincoln, I have made many hundreds of photographs in Lincoln. However, when I came to look for images to support this blog, I discovered I had very few that featured the cathedral. There are several reasons for this – including poor weather, sun in the wrong place, scaffolding – but the main one is my belief that, if you need a good image of a famous attraction, you should buy a postcard. Photographers dedicated to the task, like John Hindes (1916-1997), have done all the hard work. So why bother knocking yourself out or settling for second best?

Children and the Art of the Stonemason, Lincoln Cathedral: 2016

That said, I enjoy being around the cathedral: the shot above was taken close to the little cafe there and is one of the few interiors you can experience without paying a considerable fee. Aside from other visitors to this area, I found the relatively new addition of memorial paving stones quite interesting.

Lincoln Cathedral was once the tallest building in the world, a title it held for more than two centuries. It was home to one of four surviving copies of the Magna Carta until that historic document was moved to neighbouring Lincoln Castle. It attracts visitors from all over the world and is a popular venue for special occasions. Once, I happened to be passing just as university students came tumbling out from their graduation ceremony:

It must be said that I happened across the celebration by accident; I was making my way back to my digs after browsing second-hand books. I much prefer the place during the early morning when there is nobody about, my snooping witnessed by the inanimate:

It was during a very early morning walk that I made my favourite photograph of the cathedral. A huge billboard had been erected, advertising a display over the city by the RAF display team, the Red Arrows (currently based in Lincolnshire). I made a connection with the shapes of the aircraft and the cathedral spires. The rising sun was in the wrong place but then, I wasn’t after a postcard.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Camera used was my Olympus OMD.

Wall, for wall’s sake

I’ve been trying my hand at this blogging malarkey for a couple of weeks now; the idea seems to be to maintain the momentum by publishing posts regularly… and often. But then, not to sacrifice quality for the sake of quantity; and so this morning I had that kind of feeling one gets when faced with a blank piece of paper, pencil in hand and no real idea of where to start. The first mark dilemma. A wall. Best ignore Eric Weiner when he said ‘nothing kills creativity faster than a wall’ and face up.

Looking through my files this morning it soon became evident that walls – as subject – have featured quite regularly in my life. I may be a wall lover, without realising the fact. Certain walls have stopped me – both in a physical and metaphorical sense – and I have recorded that moment.

There are walls that have had historical significance, constructed for protection:

Walls with great character:

And walls that have been used as a canvas for the street artist’s statement:

I guess (hope) there will be plenty more walls to come. Thanks for visiting; as usual the photographs were made using an early Olympus digital camera and my current OMD, except for the cute Portuguese wall which was made using an Olympus OM1, film stock was Kodachrome. I’ll leave you with a wall I found in Lincoln – I researched the markings and resolved the enigma, but that’s another story.

Early Doors, First Light

‘Then a change began slowly to declare itself. The horizon became clearer, field and tree came more into sight, and somehow with a different look; the mystery began to drop away from them.’

The words above are from one of my favourite books – The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame – and are found in the chapter, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

I have always been an early riser and wherever I find myself I will be up and about with my camera before sunrise. I love the way the scene – from city streets or country lanes – in front of me unfold; the deep shadows and the striking shapes they create, the slowly revealing detail, the sudden rustle that makes you start and the unseen population of all those who have been there, leaving their mark or a simple feeling of presence. The Maud Foster drain, cut in 1568 (when Boston was one of the wealthiest ports in Europe) and once used to transport corn and flour (the windmill in Boston still stands) is now empty of traffic. But with a little imagination…..

I’m a Lincolnshire lad and I love my home county. All the photographs here form part of my ongoing project: Notes in Passing, Lincolnshire. I’ve been tramping the streets and lanes for many years and this summer I aim to try and fill in some gaps and try to make some sense of what I have. The county town, Lincoln is a particular favourite of mine when it comes to exploring.

I don’t always get photographs, but my early morning walks are never unproductive; the experience of being there at that time is reward enough.

For the tech-minded, the camera used was an Olympus OMD (bar one, which was shot with an earlier Olympus digital) and a Zuiko Digital short zoom lens. Thanks for visiting and here’s a swan: