The Barsley Brief

Last weekend I visited Farnham, also known to some as Nottingham forest!  This is because the Lower Bourne Woods in Farnham are a commonly used film location.  The first film to be filmed here was Gladiator starring Russell Crowe.  The opening scene from the film with the Roman army lined up against the enemy horde was filmed in these woods, since then famous films have included Children of Men, The Golden Compass, Harry Potter (can’t remember which), Wolfman, and now Ridley Scott’s 2010 Robin Hood.

In the Bourne woods the film crew are constructing a Fort / Castle, on the top of a hill overlooking a peasant village complete with vegetable patches and surrounded by wooden walls and defences.

The Castle

The image above (click for full size with any image on the page) shows the Castle that the film crew have built in Bourne woods, this is an impressive structure even close up!  It is constructed of scaffolding, covered with a wooden frame which I then believe is coated in fabric and plaster of Paris which is then painted in a brick design.  The Castle is huge, and has ramparts on the other side for reverse shots of the archers shooting over the wall.

The Ramparts

From the back the Castle looks very different, you can see the beautifully constructed ramparts from this shot which are sure to be featured as the castle comes under attack.  You can also see the scaffold construction.

The Battering Ram

There were a few clues as to what might take place here, most noticeably the battering ram!  You can just see this on the left of the above picture.

The Village

From the side of the castle this picture looks down at the village, with a series of differently sized huts with thatched roofs.  Some have vegetable gardens, one looks like an ironmongers.

The Village Gates

The final image shows the village gates, from the right of the image you can see the walls are built up on a mound of earth and sharpened stakes point horizontally at would be attackers.  The village gates are also made of logs with towers either side.  Ignore the trucks, not very period!  Then on the left another tower.

Other pictures I have show the large marquee tents where I assume they will be dressing and doing makeup.  Also there is an area where they are producing the props.  Interestingly many of the village props such as benches and tables have been burnt to a crisp in this area.  I believe this is a sign that the village will burn to the ground!

To conclude it was fantastic to visit the set (I say “visit the set” but it is a public forest).  It’s especially interesting to get a feel for the camera angles they use, for example from the rear or one side most of the castle is just naked scaffolding, (except for the ramparts previously shown.  Also looking round the village the village walls only extend a few meters at the front and much of the rest is exposed.  If I were planning an attack the rear of the castle or side of the village is completely undefended.

After seeing the set up close it will be interesting to see it in the film, I wonder if they’re looking for extras… …

Popped out this morning, around 9am to a local woodland which my father helps manage, went for a walk, to take some pictures and do a little maintenance.

Still haven’t read any more of the photography course, still trying to take more “lesson one” images – Read more about my first try here.  The first assignment was two parts, one photographing something in different ways and two abstract.

So here’s my first photo from today.

Portrait Woodland Path

This was my first image of the morning, a portrait shot of a woodland path, I like how the path takes your eye to the bottom centre of the picture, but don’t like the trees on the right which stick out a bit too much.

Landscape woodland path

Here I have taken the same shot landscape.  This is probably my favourite shot of the morning.  Here you have the leading lines taking your eyes to the end of the path, the woodland floor creates a horizon (is that the right term?) around a third of the way up the picture (rule of thirds).  Also there is a tree on the right which stands out fairly clearly about a third into the page.

2 / 3s Ground Woodland image

For this image I knelt and tried to move the horizon (where ground meets air) to 2/3rds up the image.  I’m not really so happy with this image, the ground now takes up too much of the picture and therefore the leading lines of the woodland tunnel are missing and the intricate branch line is cut off from the picture.

Off Centre Woodland path

This last image I dont like at all, I wanted to take this shot of the woodland path “off centre” and it didn’t really work.  The bushes / Brambles on the left was intended to be a subject in this image and the path but instead as a woodland is quite “messy” you don’t really think of the brables as a foreground subject and there is nothing interesting to focus your eyes on.

Tree bark, abstract

Finally an abstract image.  this hasnt really worked,  My aim was that the upward cracks in the bark are offset against the horizontal bumps which appear at a third and two thirds up the image.  though I don’t really think it works.

Some conclusions, I am starting to understand how much better photos can look when you consider the rule of thirds and leading lines, though I struggle to find things which interest me enough to photograph.  Or when I do I don’t have my camera.  Although abstract images are some of my favourites to look at (Other people) I don’t seem to look around enough to see abstract photo opportnities.

Hopefully more soon!

In an earlier post that you can find here I wrote that I wanted to learn some photography skills.  To this end I am initially focusing my learnings on Jodie Coston’s free online photography course.  Lesson one was entitled Composition And Impact – It’s A Beautiful Photograph, But Do You Know WHY It’s Beautiful?  This lesson focused on how to take a good photo, eg the rule of thirds, get in close, leading lines etc.

To tell you the truth I think I need to spend a bit more time on this the first lesson!  The “assignments were to take an abstract photo and to take several photos of one thing from different view points.  Yesterday (Sunday) I got out in the snow and took a few photos.  They don’t exactly fit my assignments but  put a bit of thought into them so I’ll try and illustrate why.

So I was out and about while it was snowing (lightly) in Matfield.

Matfield Village Green

This was one of the first photos I took on the village green,  When I took this photo I really didn’t like it but now seeing it on the PC it is growing on me.  The subject of this picture was the Village Green sign.  Normally I would just look at something and photograph it dead centre, here I tried to think about it more and position it off to one side ala “rule of thirds”.  I also like how the tree comes into the photo on the right but that was just luck!

The Post Office

The road into Matfield

Above are two images which focus on the cycle route 18 sign.  I have seen many pictures which take a seemingly ugly object but the positioning and background makes it into a brilliant photo.  When I first bought my camera I walked round Matfield taking pictures of everything including the Post Office all completely centred and straight on.  This Post office image I have tried to break up by placing the cycle route sign in the foreground.  Not sure its a great picture though.  The next photo It of the same sign from a different angle.  I quite like this image, you have the sign on about a third of the picture and the road creating a “leading line” through the photo.  I’m not sure whether the snow storm improves the photo or distracts from it.

Finally nothing to do with me learning photography (because I hate this last picture) but the obligatory “it’s snowing” image!  After an aborted trip to work, don’t think I got out of second gear in the car and then was turned away from the train station I have spent the day working from my home office keeping warm with copious cups of tea.  Though a beautiful view out of the office window!

From my office window