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Wednesday 21 February 2018

Fountains Abbey


Last Friday, it was bright and sunny when I opened my bedroom curtains in the morning so I decided I'd drop my plans for the day and take off on an excursion. (The freedom to do that is still a joyous novelty!)

I headed for Fountains Abbey, a well-known National Trust beauty spot, about an hour and a half's drive north of here. It is so popular that it is fairly unbearable in the summer. There was the promise of snowdrops and fewer people about on a winter's day. I'd forgotten, however, that it was the half-term holidays for a lot of schools so it was busier than I anticipated.

I did enjoy my day but - does this ever happen to you? - I found myself quite underwhelmed when it came to taking photos. I just wasn't 'seeing' them and that left me frustrated. It was all incredibly muddy too, unpleasantly so, even on the paths and having to watch where you're walking is a distraction. Then the sun disappeared! So it wasn't the best day out but it still beat being in an office or stuck in the house.

There were snowdrops too, a welcome reminder that the seasons turn. Warmer, more colourful days will be here soon.


9 comments:

  1. That's a very attractive viewpoint you found for the Abbey and a pretty shot of the snowdrops, despite the mud and schoolchildren! I have the same problem sometimes, usually when visiting somewhere I've been to before and it just doesn't "grab me" as it did before. What works sometimes for me is to make up my mind that I'm going to take a different kind of photo - so I concentrate on details, think about crazy angles, photograph into the light, focus in on textures.....of course, I usually end up taking other things too but having a different agenda sort of "breaks the ice" for me.

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  2. Lovely shots Jenny. I get than sometimes. I'm sure the time of year doesn't help. Winter can be beautiful but I am ready for the change of season now. When I visited Yorkshire in late April last year it was very noticeable how the Dales were not as far along as it was around Bingley.
    Jacquie x

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  3. The Abbey looks lovely. I often find that when it is cold & windy the urge to stop to take a pic is just not there!

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  4. A lovely spot! I find I tend to prefer sunny days when visiting such a spot, while an overwhelmingly cloudy day can feel wrong for the photographer's mood.

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  5. Hi Jenny - stunning photos though ... and yes England is blissful in the Spring ... so glad you're enjoying being free ... cheers Hilary

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  6. Still, you got these lovely shots.

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  7. You still got these great shots. It is disappointing when you can't nail that special photo especially after making a special trip. That has happened to us a few times lately.

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  8. Do I ever not feel the muse to take good photographs? Yes, far too often. In fact, I am in a stretch of time like that at present. But, I am glad to read that your retirement is giving you the freedom to just head off on a lark on a day when the spirit moves you.

    BTW, I see John is a regular visitor to your blog. You and he seem to share similar interests and photography skills. Sometime you should head to Cambridge for a visit.

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  9. Snowdrops are one of my favorites. And yes, many times I don’t feel or get the photo I saw in my mind. It’s been even trickier now that I can’t really drive myself. But snowdrops are a most definite siping of spring to come!

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