Dreaming Spires and Students

[Kaye Leggett]

The past couple of weeks I have been attending a travel photography course. After each session we are given homework This week was the challenge to go into Oxford (my local city) and photograph it as a tourist - after all the city is full of them.

I decided to try and capture the dreaming spires and the students: the spires are a bit of a myth there are some but not quite as many as you think in a concentrated area: the students are very much a reality except I went into the city at 8am which means the spires were more prominent !

To try and see the city differently I climbed the cathedral church tower and also visited one of the colleges - neither of which I have done before (well you don't when you're a local, do you ?).

C&C appreciated - I have oodles of opportunity to revisit........

1 - The Bodleian Library Quad




2 - Jesus College




3 - Radcliffe Camera from the University church tower




4 - The Sheldonian Cupola




5 - Balliol College commemorating the admission of ladies to their college in 1979




6 - Balliol College Chapel




7 - The rare breed - A Student

[IzzieK]

Kaye! what a wonderful way to go about your day for your inspiration...I enjoyed this one very much, well apart from #2...I like it too but it is not as "catching" as the other images. #1 is interesting with the shadow of the spire; #3 Radcliff Camera, is it really a camera or your camera. I particularly like this one...the rest of the shots are excellent and the last one, I like that sign you put on the frame itself...good idea, different and interesting way to title that one...

Excellent series.

[John 2]

Great set of images Kay. To me. part of your achievement is that you have found something different in what is for the most part, a very familiar location. Nice work. BTW, in my experience, holiday photographs are rarely this good. You just don't have the time ponder.

[Shadowman]

Nice series, those spires can really accentuate a composition.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Kaye,

Good series.

Being picky; I wondered about the black point on #3 and #4 in particular.

I agree #2 is the weakest, too many similar tone 'depth layers' to the image, so it isn't apparent which is the subject and since many overlap, it doesn't, for me, work to show even that aspect very well.

However, as has been said, they are above average; good exposures, very natural looking perspectives, sharp, good colours, etc.

I was also taken with #1 for the shadow.

Well done, Dave

[deetheturk]

Great series Kaye, well done!

[ST1]

Good series Kaye well done for finding the viewpoints. The shadow in the first really makes that image, well seen

[bnnrcn]

Great set Kaye

[Ziggy]

Nice series Kaye.

I find the Balliol College Chapel fascinating. What a beautiful building.

[Mike Buckley]

Terrific series except that #2 doesn't measure up to the quality of the others. Great use of the shadow in the first one!

[Kaye Leggett]

Kaye! what a wonderful way to go about your day for your inspiration...I enjoyed this one very much, well apart from #2...I like it too but it is not as "catching" as the other images. #1 is interesting with the shadow of the spire; #3 Radcliff Camera, is it really a camera or your camera. I particularly like this one...the rest of the shots are excellent and the last one, I like that sign you put on the frame itself...good idea, different and interesting way to title that one...

Excellent series.

Thanks Izzie - I agree and I think the concensus is that the 2nd cliché photo is just that, a cliché.

The Radcliffe Camera is the buildings name - it is part of the historic Bodleian library and the word camera in latin is 'room' - so means just that, a room !!

And thanks to all of you for your encouragement and praise. I did some preparation for the day - something our instructor is emphasising all the time - and the results paid off. I may have missed other things but was pleased with these results. I too particularly like the first and third.

[davidedric]

Lovely set, Kaye, and I think you also caught the city in her Sunday best clothes.

Reminds me of four happy years there as one of those students - and that was long before the Balliol ladies arrived

Dave

[pnodrog]

Kaye I enjoy reminiscing so much that I have lost my objectivity so I cannot possibly comment... Good series. Several times I have explored Oxford after a pleasant train ride from Charlbury. Unfortunately I never had the luck with the weather you managed.

[Rebel]

Very nice Kaye, have you tried a mono conversion of #1?

[Tom Barry]

Wonderful series.

[Kaye Leggett]

Continued thanks for your comments and really pleased it has evoked memories - in some part that is what photography is for I feel.

Hadn't thought of a B&W conversion - I'll maybe give it a go, but Oxford does say, honey tones to me so 'seeing' it in monochrome is not easy.