Lately I do seem to be keeping an eye on the BBC weather forecast, looking out for when we're going to get a clear sky at night. This is why I nipped out last night at short notice to see what I could get.
I also wanted to do a solo trip to Roche Abbey too which is where I found myself. The abbey, now in ruins, is in the parish of Maltby, Rotherham, and has its own little micro climate where the temperature will drop, leaving many feeling spooked. Looking online apparently ghost hunters have spotted a hooded monk roaming the grounds! Thankfully I saw no such apparitions.
It wasn't lost on me though that the name of the trail from the main road is called the Ghost Trail!
Once onsite I walked down to the abbey through the trees and past the gatehouse. I wanted to jump the fence and go onto the grounds, but being by myself I opted to stick to the public footpath and go around the back of the Abbey which is a perspective I have not shot before.
I played with different settings, and once happy set off a series of 200 images, cut short to about 170 as the clouds came in. I also experimented with torchlight on the structure using blues and greens, but the below warm light at 50% power seemed most natural to me. I've cloned out a handful of planes, there are still some in, but I also like that Polaris is out of the shot, it adds another dimension I feel..
Shown below is an image I shot a number of years ago on a previous visit with 2 others, where numbers build confidence and I stood backlit holding the XR21 torch aloft. I do like this shot a lot and this is taken from a more traditional direction..
As a photographer I try to mix what I do in my shots, I've done still life, some macro work, lightpainting and I enjoy a good model shoot. If you'd like to check out any of my other work I'm on Facebook, or you can find me on Instagram under neilru75
Thanks very much for looking
Kind Regards, Neil