After a frustrating afternoon watching my son’s football team get knocked out of the cup, at a semi-final stage, I went off with my camera in search of a creative balm.
The light was lovely, late afternoon, blue sky and just a few clouds. With not much time I stayed local and decided to go to Hutton le Hole just five minutes drive away. The village during normal times is a bit of honey spot for tourists with a popular folk museum, ice cream parlours, quaint cottages and a stream that runs through it off the surrounding moorland.
I didn’t have a particular plan in mind other than to perhaps capture the essence of the place and I think it was this that proved my downfall.
My attention was first taken by one of my favourite cottages:
I had my nifty fifty on me and being unable to frame the cottage in close I crossed the road and went up on the bank on the other side. I incorporated a bit of the white fencing which folllowed the line of the cottage but it’s not that interesting and a bit over-exposed. The owner emerged from the front door but that didn’t add as much interest as I first thought it might.
A family appeared and dropped down the steps to the road. I’d seen them at the other end as I drove in and it looked like there had been an argument as one of them seemed upset. I think the gap between them is more than social distancing! Anyway my thought was to have the line of the white fencing leading the eye down to them but only an ok’ish result.
This is really where I lost a golden opportunity.
Some children were playing on the bank with parents sat a little further away. I asked them if it was OK if I took some photos of their children and they were completely fine but, as has happened previously, I still felt apprehensive and kept my distance. There was a bridge over the stream and I had the idea I’d frame them within the structure but it was rushed, lacked focus and this ended up being my best from half a dozen or so. I should have made more of it as I had the parent’s permission (lesson learnt!!)
Focus terrible here but the bridge has possibilities and I may well return here another day.
The church had some lovely shadows playing on it and I thought the old telephone box with the cottages in the background offered something but nothing special.
More white fencing and a brick bridge but all a bit twee.
Leaving the village I went to Lastingham which is equally beautiful but lower down so the sun had disappeared by the time I got there, so drove on. At the top of the hill outside the village one of the traditional road signs caught my eye so I pulled in.
And so that was it.
No keepers but my reflection is I should try and have some kind of focus when I leave the house and, even if I veer from it, that is better than vague notions of ‘capturing an essence’ of a place. Oh yes, and if I have permission from somebody don’t feel guilty and make the most of it!!