The River Dee
A notable river, the Dee rises deep in the heart of the Cairngorm mountains on the Braeriach plateau, some 4,000 feet above sea level in an area known as the Wells of Dee and it eventually reaches the sea at Aberdeen, some 87 miles from its source.
The Dee below Balmoral adopts a winding and slow moving course until it reaches Ballater, where it once more increases in tempo.

The Photograph was made with Hasselblad 501C, 50mm Carl Zeiss Plannar lens and red filter. The film is Ilford FP4 125 rated at 80, developed with Rodinal. Printed in Ilford paper with Ansco 130 developer.

TUDOR HOUSE

The Tudor period is the time when the Tudor family came to the throne. Henry VIII is the most famous tudor king. One of the most startling transformations in the history of English architecture took place in the Tudor period. It was not, however, a transformation in style. Buildings were still largely Gothic in form; at least during the first half century of the Tudor period. Instead the transformation was a social one; building effort now went towards secular, rather than ecclesiastical buildings.

Curiously, changes in architectural style resulted in buildings shrinking; becoming more intimate. Rather than the move towards spaciousness so evident in the late Gothic period, Tudor architecture focussed on details. Windows and doors were smaller, but more ornately decorated, more complex. The smartly pointed arch of the Gothic period gave way to the flattened Tudor arch. And that brings up a second noticeable characteristic of Tudor architecture; the use of brick in building. However in several areas of England, notably Cheshire, Lancashire, and Warwickshire, wooden houses, generally in oak, are more numerous than brick.Where bricks were too expensive plaster was the infill of choice, resulting in the typical "black-and-white" small Tudor house, whitewashed plaster set between blackened oak timbers.

STONE AND WATER


There are river rapids, that transcend their condition and become more than their own matter..

There are rock formations that inhabit their space with such perfect solidarity and assurance that they bring a sense of confidence and rightness..

(Arthur Ollman in John Sexton Photography Book)

Photograph was made with Hasselblad 501C, 80mm Carl Zeiss Plannar lens and using yellow filter. The film is Kodak Tmax 400 rated at 320, developed with Pyrocat MC with N process using semistand agitation. Printed in MGIV FB Ilford paper developed in Dektol, archival processing, and selenium toning

The Flying Buddha

On the fifth year of his Enlightenment, when the Buddha was dwelling in Kutagarasala in Vaishali, he saw his father on the death-bed by his divine eyes. He felt the urgency of preaching his doctrine to his father for his spiritual evolution, as he was just about to attain the arahatahood. Furthermore, a war had broken out between the Sakiyans of Kapilavatthu and the Koliyans of Kolanagara (also called Vyaghapajja) over the water-dispute of the Rohini river – which demarcated the territories of the two kingdoms. As the Khattiyas of the two neighbouring kingdoms earlier enjoyed pleasant relationship; and intermarried and dined with each other, the Buddha wanted to protect the two countries as well.

The Buddha therefore, flew to Kapilavatthu to visit his father, and preached him to become an arahanta. Soon, Suddhodana became an arahanta and died.

After the death of Suddhodana, he became the peace mediator for the Sakiyans and the Koliyans. He thus averted the bloody feud between the two neighbouring tribes. Both the tribes then encouraged their men to join the Sangha as a token of gratitude for his mediation; and each extended hospitality by inviting him as its guest. The Buddha accepted both the invitations and dwelt alternately in Kapilavatthu and Koliyanagara.

See Samyutta Nikaya iv.341; Majjhima Nikaya i.387; Theragatha Atthakatha i.318.

THE PLACE OF THE GREY ROCK

Literally Necropolis mean the city of the dead. However there are many interpretations of the origin of the name Glasgow Necropolis, the most common being ‘the dear green place’. However many scholars have argued that it actually means ’the place of the grey rock’ – being the Fir Park, now known as Glasgow Necropolis. This site is as old as Glasgow itself and overlooks the Molindinar stream where St Mungo baptised his Christian converts in the 6th century. In earlier times a druidical grove is said to have crowned the brow of the Grey Rock. At a subsequent period, tradition assigns this sylvan vale as the scene where Aymer de Valiance and Menteith met to plot the treacherous betrayal of Sir William Wallace at Robroyston.

The Necropolis has been described as a ‘unique representation of Victorian Glasgow, built when Glasgow was the second city of the empire. It is a memorial to the merchant patriarchs of the City and contains the remains of almost every eminent Glaswegian of its day. The Necropolis remains one of the most significant cemeteries in Europe, exceptional in its contribution to the townscape, its symbolic relationship to Glasgow Cathedral and to the medieval heart of the City.

http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Parks_Outdoors/Parks_gardens/GlasgowNecropolis/glasgownecropolishistory.htm

Yesterday upon the stair


Yesterday upon the stair
I saw a man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
Oh how I wish he’d go away.

Author © Unknown

Ornament of The Thistle's Chapel

The Order of the Thistle is Scotland's great order of chivalry, and membership is considered to be one of the country's highest honours. The Order is traditionally given to Scots or people of Scots ancestry, who have given distinguished service. Appointments are entirely in the personal gift of the Sovereign.

The Order of the Thistle has roots in the Middle Ages, but the presentday order was largely created in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland (King James II of England). The nave of Holyrood Abbey was adapted as its chapel, but in 1688 the Abbey was ransacked by the Edinburgh mob, furious at King James’ Roman Catholic allegiance. After that, the Knights of the Thistle had no chapel of their own for over 200 years

The image was made with Hasselblad 501C with 250mm Zeiss Plannar lens, a yellow filter and Kodak Tmax 400 rated at 320; The negative was developed with Rodinal 1:50 with N process; The print was developed with Ansco 120

THE ELEMENT OF NATURE

Feel the warmth of the sunlit rock and the muffled rumble underfoot the river rapids, and the sponginess beneath the soft leaf mulch. Feel the harmony of the nature elements

The camera was Hasselblad 501C with 50mm zeiss plannar, the film was Tmax 400 rated at 250 developed in Pyrocat, the print was made on Ilford Multigrade IV FB Glossy developed in Dektol

THE BELL HARY TOWER

At Canterbury, the great central tower was finished externally towards the end of 1497, but some work still remained to be done inside, and it was not until six or seven years later than Wastell constructed the fan-vault here, his smallest but also his loveliest. Bell Hary, is a great central tower or it better say as the finest in the land, with a lantern type which means that usual lighting is enchanting. Admittedly the fans are again truncated, but here this does not matter because the four central ones melt into the four corner ones in a design of exquisite intricacy, rendered all the more telling some years ago by the application of colour to the stonework, probably in accord with the original practice. To gaze up at this vault at Canterbury is like peering into some finely wrought Gothic casket. (Clifton-Taylor, The Cathedral of England, 1967)

I used a 6x6 Hasselblad 501C and 250mm zeiss plannar lens with yellow filter. The film was TMax 400 rated in 320, developed in Rodinal, and the print was made on Ilford Multigrade IV FB Glossy paper developed in Dektol and ansco 120.