Mind the Step

Posted by Ian Bramham (Manchester, United Kingdom) on 15 July 2008 in Architecture and Portfolio.

The spiral staircase inside the tower of the redundant 15th century St.Peters Church, Marlborough.

Some grain added in post processing.

For purchasing high quality archival prints of any of these photos you can send me an email by clicking here or by going to MY NEW WEBSITE where prices are listed in the gallery sections under each individual photo.
.

Links to the websites of other photographers whose work I love and who have all helped me enormously over a long period of time. I find the work of all 3 to be inspirational.

Hugo Poon
John Leech
Ian Smith

vfxy Photoblogs | Cool Photoblogs | Listed on Photoblogs.org

Comments (19)

Kylie Greenan from Richmond, Australia

I really love the angle of this shot, the split person, like his feet are at the top of the stairwell, it is a very interesting image with lovely tones, well done Ian!

15 Jul 2008 5:20am

@Kylie Greenan: Thanks Kylie!

Vincent Bertrand from Montréal, Canada

This feels so small and claustrophobic. I very much like the added grain. Another winner shot, Ian.

15 Jul 2008 6:19am

@Vincent Bertrand: Thanks....I was trying to give a sense of just how small the stair was but none of my attempts were working until this one which I took on the way back down from the top of the tower.

Enrique Vidal from Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Wow, I really like this one! Love the light and grain. Very tight place to be in. Really nice!

15 Jul 2008 7:15am

@Enrique Vidal: Thanks Enrique!

Ted from South Wales, United Kingdom

I feel claustrophobic already...nice effect Ian...looks a century-old shot.

15 Jul 2008 7:18am

@Ted: Thanks Ted!

MadScientist from Düsseldorf, Germany

Whoa, a *very* narrow place, think I would suffer from claustrophobia... - a great effect! These legs at the left are yours?

15 Jul 2008 7:41am

@MadScientist: Thanks...yes, it's a very narrow stair and with not enough headroom so you have to bend backwards going down the first part of the spiral. You guessed correctly that those are my legs in the frame.

Michael Skorulski from Cigel, Slovakia

A wonderful gritty image, Ian. Looks rather dangerous!

15 Jul 2008 7:47am

@Michael Skorulski: Thanks Michael....no, not dangerous but something I do find really interesting. It wouldn't however be the place to go if you were claustrophobic or afraid of heights. The view from the top of the tower was worth the climb.

jkjond from Grange-over-Sands, United Kingdom

Amazing how well lit this is, I'm sure there will be far more in this exposure than you could make out on location at the time.

I like these last two uploads, quite a contrast in your flow, this one especially successful.

15 Jul 2008 8:29am

@jkjond: Thanks John....I tried taking a few photos of this stair but this one was the only one worth keeping. The natural lighting was very difficult and I had my 10-20 on the camera which doesn't like the pop-up flash (it casts big shadow arcs as the lens is too wide for it)

I felt like a brief change from all the landscape photos I've been posting recently.

paulski from Muncie, IN, United States

excellent capture. wowo, those are some tight quarters. nicely done...

15 Jul 2008 11:17am

@paulski: Thanks Paulski!

ordinaryimages from KY Bluegrass, United States

extraordinarily ordinary. best...jf

15 Jul 2008 12:28pm

@ordinaryimages: Thanks very much jf!

Cheryl from Texas, United States

this is a wonderful image! very well in pp, the graininess is perfect. your perspective is excellent on this

15 Jul 2008 1:43pm

@Cheryl: Thanks very much Cheryl !

Lorraine from Canada

Holy cow that's wonderfully angled, love it...it's totally marvy ;)

15 Jul 2008 2:46pm

@Lorraine: Hi Lorraine :-)

Marcie from United States

Love this perspective...and how you've captured just the feet at the top of hte stair. Well done!

15 Jul 2008 3:00pm

@Marcie: Thanks Marcie!

IanSmith from London, United Kingdom

Hi Ian... This is quite an image! Not one for the claustrophobic I'd imagine :o)

Always be careful of your lens in situations like this. I was in amongst a bunch of pro's who were waiting by the Thames for the Red Arrows to fly over the London Eye a while ago (I often follow them, to see what kind of shot I'd get), and one woman smashed her 400mm Canon prime lens against the wall whilst turning! (An expensive 'oops'). Details of the event: http://www.raf.mod.uk/news.cfm?storyid=CCA67B98-1143-EC82-2E89A277AD340ED3

15 Jul 2008 3:02pm

@IanSmith: Thanks Ian....your comment had been sent to Aminus3's very efficient spam folder for some reason!

The worst knock I've subjected this camera and lens to was when I fell over on some seaweed covered rocks on the foreshore at low tide but fortunately the heavy duty plastic lens hood took the blow and I got away with nothing more than a mark I could wipe off (apart from my leg that is...I was limping for an hour or so afterwards :-)

I used to go to airshows like the ones at Fairford and Farnborough in my youth and the red arrows were always a firm favourite.

Nataly from Santa Monica, United States

"Claustrophobia" is the first thing that comes to my mind. The second thought is "a mine", considering the coloring and the grain. Then I read your description and... it`s a church. Great processing, angle and the atmosphere.

15 Jul 2008 3:20pm

@Nataly: Thanks Nataly!