Summer Solstice at Castlerigg Stone Circle

Not sure I'm with this one Craig, the light is indeed lovely but without the sheep in the corner saving it the stones are a bit lost with not having enough light on them - I think the shot there might have been going in a bit longer and concentrating on the left hand side, isolating some of them rather that trying to get them all in. Must admit this isn't the easiest location to shoot and can often feel cluttered
 
I love the top bit which is perfect. However the bottom doesn't quite convince me. You just want some light, and shadows cast by the stones, and ideally a higher elevation somehow to show the circle. That sheep with the red spot just throws me off. I'd clone it out to be fair.
 
I've only been to Castlerigg once... a long time ago and boy I found it really really hard to photograph! It's a place you want to have lots of potential but the reality is ... it sorta sits in a bit that doesn't offer the easiest opportunities for good landscape shots. The light makes all the difference and with stone circles I always feel it needs to be casting shadows or silhouetting the stones. Im guessing you did wait... but im thinking in another half hour there the light would have been better and caught the stones... but maybe not.
 
As others have said the light's great as are the clouds but compositionally it's not there for me. The sheep is distracting, it's pulling your eyes away from the stone circle and the beautiful light on the fells. It might be that your best shot could have been in portrait or square orientation of those central stones and the area above
 
holty said:
lovely colours
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Mick616 said:
ya beauty.
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SFTPhotography said:
Lovely light and colours - a perfect demonstration as to why summer is the best time to take landscapes (IMHO)
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Stuart Mc said:
Not sure I'm with this one Craig, the light is indeed lovely but without the sheep in the corner saving it the stones are a bit lost with not having enough light on them - I think the shot there might have been going in a bit longer and concentrating on the left hand side, isolating some of them rather that trying to get them all in. Must admit this isn't the easiest location to shoot and can often feel cluttered
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LongLensPhotography said:
I love the top bit which is perfect. However the bottom doesn't quite convince me. You just want some light, and shadows cast by the stones, and ideally a higher elevation somehow to show the circle. That sheep with the red spot just throws me off. I'd clone it out to be fair.
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captures.in.time said:
I've only been to Castlerigg once... a long time ago and boy I found it really really hard to photograph! It's a place you want to have lots of potential but the reality is ... it sorta sits in a bit that doesn't offer the easiest opportunities for good landscape shots. The light makes all the difference and with stone circles I always feel it needs to be casting shadows or silhouetting the stones. Im guessing you did wait... but im thinking in another half hour there the light would have been better and caught the stones... but maybe not.
Click to expand...

Scirocco_09 said:
As others have said the light's great as are the clouds but compositionally it's not there for me. The sheep is distracting, it's pulling your eyes away from the stone circle and the beautiful light on the fells. It might be that your best shot could have been in portrait or square orientation of those central stones and the area above
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Thanks all.

To be honest I was departing the Lakes along the A66 when this colour started coming though so I dived into Castlerigg to see what I could get, the stone circle itself had already dropped into shade and I've shot the stones with shadows being cast years before. (Although the idea of getting up high is a good one...)

Something I do with photography is try and take a photo of what a scene shows me at the time or how I feel, not trying to force something to be what it isn't. My reaction to the light, the stones and my knowledge that it was nearly summer solstice was the Lamb standing in the middle, with a Raven's feather poked in the ground almost acting as a visual chain. I deliberately shot a few compositions, choosing the slightly unhinged one where it was looking out of scene, the weight of the stones off to one side. It was a conscious effort to make the viewer ask what was going on, not to be a lovely well lit/composed landscape. I definitely take on board the critique though because in my opinion it does not matter that I know what the photo says, if the people looking at it don't see that then the photo has failed.

I did shoot the curve of the stones without the lamb so will process that when I get time and post back.

Thanks again for the comments.
 
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