For weeks now my photo mojo has flat-lined and to help me kick start some enthusiasm my daughter suggested I dig out my camera and take a walk with her around one of my favourite spots – Roche Abbey in South Yorkshire. [Quite coincidentally today I notice that someone liked my previous post about these ruins so perhaps that is some kind of omen]

I had intended to do the slow photography method but was so enraptured by all the sights that once more I fell into the trap of rushing to grasp the moments.

Moreover, the constant changes of light between clouds and woodland interiors made it difficult to relax as so many adjustments were necessary. As a consequence the delete button has been overworked and I have had to trawl through many photos to find a few worth saving.

The wildflowers here grow deep and dense, often towering above my head and I had to throw off a slight melancholy as the setting of seed heralds the beginning of the end for such sights this year. Still for now they are full of the joys of August.

And before long, we entered the deep shade of woodland with reflective mood pools

I was astonished at how green it still is, deep inside the woodland – making for rather wonderful contrasts with mud-bottomed pools and fallen branches

There is even a small waterfall which runs from the Maltby Beck

When the monks settled here they could not have picked a btter site – plentiful water to channel through their abbey and a supply of natural rocks in the limestone landscape
And then comes the first tantalising glimpse of the abbey itself – more next post!

Afterthought: I can’ say for sure my enthusiasm for photography has fully returned but at least it has been tickled – I think then for my next shoot I will return to my favourite monochrome mode(by shooting B&W jpg & also RAW I get to see the potential for the B&W shots & then can process the RAWs accordingly).
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