Mount Grace Priory Manor House, a photo from North Yorkshire, England

Photographer's Note

And finally in this series�..
The entrance to Mount Grace Priory is through this manor house. It was restored and extended from the 15th century priory guest house in 1654 by Thomas Lascelles for his home. Further restoration and extensions to the manor house were made in 1901 By Sir Lowthian Bell, who also began the preservation of the monastic ruins. In 1953 the whole priory site was given to the British government by the executors of the will of Sir Maurice Bell in lieu of death duties (Yes in the UK if you have over a certain amount of property, the government tax you when you die � that is how large properties are lost to families as they often haven稚 the actual money to pay the death duties) The priory was given to the National Trust, but it is managed by English Heritage. There is a small museum upstairs in the manor house

We were talking to the historian working at the priory. The entrance and shop are in the original 15th century part of the building and he showed us some of the original stones inside, which bore the marks of the stonemasons who built it. Apparently each stonemason at the time had their own mark, which they used as an inscription to identify their work. I found it quite moving to touch those inscriptions that had been done 600 years ago. It made it more personal somehow. One particular mark he told us was a Huguenot mark, so that is another link with France, the origins of the Carthusian order who inhabited the priory.

An easy way to access the other shots in the series for more information, is to click on the English Heritage theme (left)

I took this shot as we were leaving, and as you see the sun was getting very low (although it was only 2pm) and there is a lot of shade. In the WS there are two alternatives.

coco, Paolo, andante, carper, riclopes, jwmunro, josepmarin, chrisnet, tcht, eska, peter1892, singuanti, steveryan2006, delkoo, plimrn, Philippe, cobbydale, JCG, john_c, stego, alvaraalto, siolaw, mortijo, tibervince, axiotea, pboehringer has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

coco (30439) 2007-01-12 7:02

Hi Kath.
The frontal composition works very well and the light, as is usual, also works well in the photo.
About the WS, tjhe titled alternative make me a doubt. Wich is best for be the main post?
Anyway, a nice work.

Regards.

Paolo (41258) 2007-01-12 7:15

Hi Kath, amazing view, well composed with beautiful tones and light.
excellent quality, POV and note.
thanks, have a nice w.e.
ciao

andante (7092) 2007-01-12 8:42

Very sharp details, Kath. Because of the different layers of light it gives a very good sense of depth. Great capture! Cheers,
Enrique

Gerrit (62042) 2007-01-12 8:49

Hi Kath,
very impressive manor. The light on the house is delicious and the framing with the blue sky and the hedge excellent.
Regards, Gerrit

rbcy1974 (20758) 2007-01-12 10:02

Hello Kath,
Very nice capture showing the grand architecture of this place.
Colours are very rich due to the light. Its too bad about the sun as having that light throughout the entire building would have been great.
Regards
Daniel

carper (96) 2007-01-12 10:38

very nice photo Kath,
the light is very good. I think personal that a shot like this one could be made better with a super wide lens, you get then some more space for the composition, anyway, good photo, fine details and I said it before great light, very good job.
gr. jaap

riclopes (35577) 2007-01-12 11:37

Well, Kath, you acomplished your mission showing every angle of the buildings of this place. This is not so exciting as your previous post, but I know that the important thing is the 'mission of TE' and not every images have to be spectacular. The lighting is beautiful and I like better the frontal fa軋de to the lateral, on the complementar image. About this and the alternative, I'm not so sure...this framing is interesting and more original, but I think I like more the general view, with the inclusion of the road and a better sight of the autumnal trees behind the house.
Ricardo

jwmunro (286) 2007-01-12 12:47

Hello Kath -

This is a nice image. IMO, the image feels a bit cramped, especially on the left side. The hedge in the foreground is nice touch and the bit of light on the hedge makes it stand out as a foreground element. Without the light I don't think it would work as well. Well done!

I took a look at the alternative views and found both to be very acceptable images. I think I prefer this one though.

Thank you for sharing

John

josepmarin (59385) 2007-01-12 13:41

Hello Kath,
Perfect setting and good low POV, that highlights the beauty of this architecture, and a very well worn out lighting, with the half of the set with the light of the Sun and another half inside the shade.
It is an elegant, beautiful and clever composition, very well done. I like it.
Regards,
Josep

chrisnet (23062) 2007-01-12 13:51

Hello Kath,
This is a very nice manor and and like much the tones of this beautiful architecture, excellent POV here. Good work.
Regards
Christian

tcht (7565) 2007-01-12 14:28

Hi Kath
Good tonal variation of shadows on the building. The lighting is excellent! However I somehow think the foreground could be improved. It seems a bit dark and I don't think this type of foreground is really necessary, butthe texture is quite nice. Well framed pic though.
Best regards
CheukHin
ps somehow your 2nd workshop appeals to me more :D well, just my personal taste...

markstaples (15670) 2007-01-12 16:17

The image quality is second to none and you've managed the light and shade well. But please forgive my honesty Kath, but I'm not keen on the composition. To me, the hedge stopping abruptly seems to unbalance it. I hope you are not offended. I'd much rather have a view like the back view in the WS since the angle and compo are better.
Mark

gilou530 (34) 2007-01-12 17:20

salut kath
pas facile ces differentes zones de lumi駻e, mais avec le D200 il les g駻e super bien, belle batisse au pur style anglais
amiti駸 et bon WE
gilbert

peter1892 (1681) 2007-01-12 17:30

Hi Kath - it's a nice way to round off this series of images, the colour & light on the house itself is excellent.

I will say though, that I prefer the WS version taken from a little further back (Ws #1). I'm not sure why exactly, it just appealed more to me for some reason!

guillaumejm (0) 2007-01-12 17:39

Hello kath
It was a very nice sery, on one of my favourite themes : old monument presented in a nice green context.
Just a remak: I think there is a mistake it the date of picture, or my last night was very very long!.
It is also a very good idea to post complementary pictures in WS. I really appreciate.
Kind regards
JMarc

singuanti (15250) 2007-01-12 22:24

Hi Kath. I agree with you about the workshop not being as strong even though I usually prefer a wider angle. It must be how much better the light is here and the composition is less busy here. Good shot Kath.

steveryan2006 (439) 2007-01-13 3:18

Nice combination Kath of areas in light and shade. Good color but would have loved to see more light a te bottom.
S.

Stepan (27210) 2007-01-13 3:28

I enjoyed discover these places, especially in such a pure and beautiful light. The foreground is a little too dark here, but I'm still fascinated by the light and the walls texture.
I'll have a short break. See you in a week.
St駱hane

delkoo (68) 2007-01-13 3:58

Hi Kath,
amazing view, well composed with beautiful tones, , light and sharpness.
great quality, very interesting note.

have a nice W.E

DIDIER

plimrn (21344) 2007-01-13 4:13

Hi Kath,
I'm with the group that prefers the WS version; I think it's the way the road gives a feeling of welcome where in this version; the hedge gives a closed off feeling. In the alternative, I like the framing of the trees above, I even like the motion blur. As to the back view, I agree with Mark about the more interesting angles but for me the golden light outweighs the angles.
HLJ, Pat

Philippe (11836) 2007-01-13 5:27

Hi, Kath. The light on the fa軋de of the manor is very good. Here I like the fact that you show us the whole building in a single shot. Maybe the hedge in the foreground blocks the view a little.

cobbydale (1958) 2007-01-13 7:20

Shows the details of the building really well, and you've done well to manage the light with the sun so low. I agree with CheukHin that the foreground is a bit dark, but a good shot still, and extremely informative notes as usual.
cheers, Leon.

JCG (35153) 2007-01-13 9:40

Hi Kath,

A photograph which finishes in beauty this very interesting series as well in the quality of the images as of the comments. Here I like much the exposure and the soft light on this splendid masonry, the details arise really well. Contrasts are very pleasant. A very beautiful work. Thank you Kath.

With my best regards and a good WE,

Jean-Charles

john_c (24666) 2007-01-13 10:21

Hi Kath,
Well composed with a good low angle POV. The lighting and shadow effects are impressive and the details of the facade are very discernible. A fascinating note, particularly about the individual marks of the stonemasons. It would be wonderful to be a descendant of such a mason and travel about England searching for that ancestor's distinctive mark! Well captured.
John

t0mmm1 (5442) 2007-01-13 14:44

Hi Kath,
wonderful view and wonderful "little" house. I like the colours... you know, I ussually have the light off in a dark room while I look at the photos... and I like this strong contrasts here, but most of all I like the way the light falls on the building creating wonderful shadows.
Have a nice weekend,
Tomi

vincz (19113) 2007-01-13 16:09

A very impressive and beautiful building. The picture suffers a bit of the low light bringing lots of shadee on the foreground and part of the building. Not a real issue on the buiding where you keep very high quality and details, maybe more on the vegetation on the foreground that appears to much as darkening half of the picture. Maybe cropping half of the vegetation would have given an even better setiings to this beautiful building.

stego (24132) 2007-01-13 17:49

Hi Kath,

Certainly a beautiful photo, with a wise pov and the amazing light control, solors and sharpness that are usual in your works.

Nevertheless... I don't find in it that punch of the others of the series. Probably it's just the house itself and the gradens that isn't that interesting photo wise, something a bit contradictory, as it is wonderful... Or the light - although you managed very well to control it, getting great definition both on the sunshine and on the shadows, that big shadow is a bit annoying.

There is also a strange perspective efect - at first sight it looks a bit inclined to the right, but actually the roof is inclined (because of pov?) to the left.

But, hey, I am being too perfectionist here. I wish my better photos were as nice as this one.

TFS, Regards, Jos�

alvaraalto (42804) 2007-01-13 18:16

Hi Kath,
I like this typical English architecture. The contrast between the sunlight and the shadow on the fa軋de makes the composition beautiful vivid.
The strong horizontals in the picture make it a very good composition.
Groet Rob

siolaw (38294) 2007-01-14 2:14

Hi Kath,
A good general view from fine POV showing the monument in its entirety...colors and sharpness are superb ... i like the opposition between green FG and autumn BG too
TFS
LAurent

mortijo (12828) 2007-01-14 4:25

Good view with nice details. The note is very interesting.

Graal (103040) 2007-01-14 11:07

Hi Kath,
interesting old house and note, fine light and shadows, pleasant colours also. Well done photo.
Gr., Aleksander

tibervince (781) 2007-01-15 3:09

Good Morning Kath,
Your serie is fantastic... I took the time to read your notes and I trully am impressed how you described the places you have seen and how you captured their "essence"... thank you very much for sharing...
Vincent

axiotea (21651) 2007-01-15 8:00

Hello Kath,
I like somehow better the 2# image in your WS than that one because there are more sky which gives more color contrast, the shade is less strong and I like the inclusion of the branches, even though we can see the motion blur on it. Colors are well rendered, the note interesting and informative.
Cheers,
Marilyn

pboehringer (770) 2007-01-15 16:56

The best part of this post is the light! Amazing that it is already so low by 2pm. The composition isn't really the greatest and stands a little bit aside of the others from this series. Something more interesting in the fg could make it better, but what? Definitively no this hedge.
Hmmm, but that light - delicious!
Regards, Peter

Angshu (56760) 2007-01-16 4:01

Hi Kath
Difficult to choose between this & the WS 2..the slight motion blur on the branches is very appealing as is the diagonal road in the FG...but this has a stronger light & shade effect. May be I like WS version a tad better. Love the light tones of the low sun here in all the posts. Thanks for posting the WS giving us an opportunity to compare & get an idea of variable compositions
Regards
Angshu