Seizure

The plan for today had been to go hiking, but by the time I’d had breakfast I’d gone off the idea for some reason.  What I really needed was a photography day ...
 
I basically have two passions – hiking, which always involves taking a camera – and photography, which inevitably involves some hiking.  The only difference is how much equipment I have, and how far I walk ;-)
 
So I loaded up the car with two camera rucksacks and set off – for the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.  It is nearly 3 years since I last visited and I have never been on my own before.  It is nice to have company, but it is also nice to be able to do your own thing, and if that means sitting by the lake for nearly 45 minutes watching the herons then so be it.
 
I went to the main galleries first, including Longside gallery, with my ‘little’ camera rucksack, EOS6D (which is great for low light) and just two lenses.  I didn’t use the 24-105mm lens at all – the 17-40mm lens did the job.  Then having walked all the way round the lower lake (along Oxley Bank from Longside Gallery) I returned to the car, swapped rucksacks for the ‘big one’ and set off again with two cameras, 4 lenses, tripod, ND filters, remote release, and other assorted accessories to walk around the upper lake and take in the exhibits I’d missed on the ‘first pass’.  And did I use all that equipment?  No I didn’t.  I’d though that the lake might lend itself to a very long exposure, several minutes or so, hence the ND filters, but the shot wasn’t there.  I did, however, use my 100-400m lens, with 1.4x extender to  photograph birds in flight over the lake.  It is a shame that the herons weren't that active - herons in flight are wonderful.
 
Great day.  I really enjoyed myself.

As for the blip, well it was hard to choose one.  But I decided on a shot of Seizure which was created by Roger Hiorns.  The previous time I had seen this exhibit photography was not allowed, but it is now.  It is amazing.  To quote from YSP’s web site “Seizure was created using 75,000 litres of liquid copper sulphate, which was pumped into the former council flat to create a strangely beautiful and somewhat menacing crystalline growth on the walls, floor, ceiling and bath of the abandoned dwelling.”  I am not entirely sure that my shot does it justice, but although they let me take my camera in, the rucksack with all the accessories was ‘banned’.

And a few extras too, since I took so many photos today …