Saturday Night, Sunday Morning...

Felt unwell most of Saturday, medication made me feel worse and so it wasn't til later in the evening that I finally felt well enough to go out - first grocery shopping, then hop on the last bus that goes past Old Sarum Hillfort.

A much clearer and starlit night, compared to the thick imprentrable fog of Friday. As I so often find when up on the second inner ring of Old Sarum, it is the very fine trees that I concentrate on. including this, probably my very favourite tree.

In winter, it looks good close up - and far away but trying this now and it just looked clumpy and shapeless too close up - I guess it's the foliage that creates this effect. And as I probably now won't be back up there til those leaves have all dropped, I made the most of it tonight.

LARGE

So, we have the (very) steep bank of the Monument on the right and as almost all the light is coming from the 3/4 moon, this part is deeply in shadow. I like the rim of grasses on the edge here. But I also liked how the street-lamp lit terrace on the distant hillside adds a sort of sunrise glow and so some careful placing of the tripod was needed.

Lens is the very old Nikkor D 17-35mm f2.8, on the old full-frame D700. This image has not been sharpened in editing yet the lens was only stopped down by only one stop. On my original, every single leaf and twig is sharply etched against the sky. Which also shows what a still night it is out there, and yes, a cold one too. I did not hang about tonight as gloves were needed - and they are still very much in hibernation...