Jórvík (York)


Blue skies in York | A7R & SEL55F18ZA | 1/400s f/3.5 ISO100 55mm

I needed a long boat, not a camera! The heavens opened during our drive up the A1(M) on Friday afternoon, and didn’t stop until sometime on Sunday morning. This didn’t matter too much, as we had plans to catch up with friends more than anything else, which we managed. Copious amounts of beer, tasty food (including a really authentic Thai place), and great company made for an enjoyable weekend. However, not easily defeated, we delayed our departure to later on Sunday afternoon so that we could make the most of the break in the clouds.

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Fly-by | A7R & SEL55F18ZA | 1/640s f/8.0 ISO100 55mm 

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Tea? | A7R & SEL55F18ZA | 1/60s f/8.0 ISO125 55mm

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Not to scale | A7R & SEL55F18ZA | 1/60s f/4.5 ISO100 55mm

I had a particular shot in mind before we even arrived at York on Friday night, but what with the rain, and huge crowds commemorating remembrance day, there was no chance for the shot. Oh well. One doesn’t really need a reason to visit York—it’s a fantastic city and I look forward to heading up there again soon.

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York Minster | A7R & SEL35F28Z | 1/1250s f/2.8 ISO100 35mm

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Remembrance Sunday at York Minster | A7R & Voigtländer Super Wide Heliar 15mm F4.5 | 1/160s f/4.5 ISO320 15mm

To escape the crowds (as we always do!), we headed to the York Museum Gardens. We had been inside all weekend, and chose to stick to the gardens. The low hanging sun provided strong sunlight, and long shadows.

Those of you paying attention will have noticed that I have shown images created from no fewer than four lenses thus far. My assistant* came in handy (literally), helping me change lenses when I was presented with a particular scene.

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Afternoon | A7R & Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 | 1/400s f/2 ISO100 35mm

York, central to what was previously known as Jórvík, is a very old, walled-city. The wall and towers were still in use after the end of the Roman period in Britain, and were subsequently incorporated into the medieval city walls. As late as the English Civil War they were being used to defend the city, and there is a hole in the wall along from the Multangular Tower (pictured below) that was made by a cannon ball during this period. The later medieval additions can be identified by the use of much larger blocks of limestone that cut through the red tiles in places and by the cross shaped arrow slits on the Multangular Tower.

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The Multangular Tower and Roman Wall | A7R & SEL35F28Z | 1/1250s f/4.5 ISO100 35mm

I’ll end this post with a photo of a new friend :)

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Nom nom nom | A7R & Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 | 1/1000s f/1.4 ISO100 35mm 

See you next time!

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*NB not actually my assistant, but thank you! :)