... Journal Entry
Discovered in a churchyard - a great place for a bit of walkabout photography to see what you can find and capture with your camera. A haven of peace and tranquility in the midst of the hubbub of suburban life.
Remembering always that a churchyard is in essence a graveyard and any photography therein should be approached with sensitivity and respect, then its church and ancient monuments make interesting vignettes of life long gone by (absolutely no pun intended at all).
Olden grave markers are fascinating things, both to read their inscriptions to get a glimpse of someone's past life and photographically for their monumental style of architecture.
Parish churches more often than not, as in this case, are of Norman construction built to replace Saxon originals so as to assert their dominance after the 1066 invasion. Recognisable by its imposing Norman square tower this one is Grade II listed and is a beautiful building.
The ancient headstone above was carved with the image of a sprig of ivy and there was modern ivy fervently embracing it. Maybe a little ironically? I liked the cheeky daisy growing tall, a happy reminder of life after death perhaps?
As you may be aware, being a walkabout photographer I travel light and to that end use MFT gear for its compact size, light weight and ultimate mobility (especially the lenses). Like today on this shoot I was using my OM-1 II and my 12-45mm f4 Pro (24-90mm crop factor equivalent if you must). I get fed up being told that my MFT system cannot capture detail or doesn't have sufficient dynamic range or has too high noise levels or can't do blurred backgrounds and so on, which images like the one above and indeed the others in this article clearly rebut.
The hear-of-the-matter is the relentless anti-MFT smear campaigning by the FF devotees has become, like a cracked record, both tiresome and frustrating. I wish more photogs would be open to recognising the full worth of a crop sensor system. There are some significant advantages to using MFT that should not be denigrated nor ignored. OK, calming down and getting back to the subject at hand...
Old doors and doorways always fascinate me, as in the one above, thinking about how many people have passed to and fro through them and the changes they have witnessed over the millennia.
The Victorians were great "improvers" of many ecclesiastical buildings much to their ruin and this church was lucky to getaway with just some downpipes and gas lamps.
Below, the last resting place of the Reverend Buchanan and his relatives. These headstones from olden times providing a simple but visually powerful statement of their religious beliefs. May they rest in peace.
As well as taking photos this was also a grand place just to wander about and enjoy its tranquility, a place of reflection and contemplation. The last resting place of the faithful from 1145 A.D. to this very day. Strange thought. Now there's continuity for you.