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Maxton Kirk


Maxton Kirk
Photo Information
Copyright: Peter Traynor (chefcop) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 781 W: 48 N: 491] (4638)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-11
Camera: Nikon D3, NIKKOR 24-70 f/2.8G ED AF-S
Exposure: f/6.3, 1/160 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): borders kirks and abbeys [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-11-16 3:10
Viewed: 393
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A remarkable hidden gem in the village of Maxton I tried to bring out detail of this autumnal scene with a little HDR.

Here is the brief history of the 'Kirk' as displayed on a sign in front of the Church.

Maxton Kirk, like so many other churches, is dedicated to St Cuthbert. There is reputed to have been a place of worship, in continuous use, on this site, for almost 1000 years. ‘St Cuthbert’s Church of Mackistun’ is first recorded in the reign of William the Lion (1165-1214), but there must have been a ‘church’ here for some time before that date. According to Charter 297 of the ‘Liber de Dryburgh’ John, Bishop of Glasgow, in the year 1326, “because it is an act of piety to succour the needy and to exert oneself for the poor”, gifted Maxton Church to the monks of Dryburgh as some recompense for the burning of their Abbey by Edward II in 1322. The Church was a plain oblong shape with a thatched roof until 1790, when the thatch was replaced and with the addition of a North Aisle in 1866 and a vestry in 1962, it is what you see today. Maxton Kirk lost its Precentor in 1872, and as the result of a petition signed by 86 members of the congregation, the Kirk Session agreed to the purchase of a ‘kist of whistles’, the first harmonium to be installed in a church in Roxburghshire. The following year warm air heating was installed. The fine stained-glass windows in the North wall, were donated in 1914 by Alice Chisholm in memory of her father, mother, brothers and sisters. William Chisholm (1803-1885) was schoolmaster of Maxton for 54 years. Within the church is the Maxton War Memorial, and the crypt contains the remains of Kers of Littledean. The Bell was cast in Middleburgh in Holland and bears the inscription – ‘1609, Soli Deo Gloria Jan Burgerbuys me fecit’. The earliest gravestone within the churchyard is thought to be that bearing the inscription ‘William Maben 1647’, and the others of interest, also from the 17th century, bear the names of James Ridel and James Fiudes. Buried within the graveyard is John Davidson, the ‘Maxton Poet’. Born in the village in 1825, the son of a village joiner, he spent his spare time writing verses and prose essays, and paying frequent visits to the celebrated John Younger of Lesudden, the shoemaker, fishing fly maker and writer. Encouraged by John Younger, he worked at his versifying, and ‘the last earthly concern that interested him, as he died a slow and prolonged death from consumption’, was to have his poems published. He died in 1860, weeks before his slim volume of thirty pieces of poetry was published. Maxton Church has been recorded by NADFAS, and the graveyard by the Borders Family History Society as Vol XIV in their Roxburghshire Monumental Inscriptions series.

Peter
shelbeesmom, korbee, bupga, philwalters, Jonela, glint, Adri, tyro, Csilla61, jean11-3, mumek, bluelena1972, Dai has marked this note useful
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To shelbeesmom: Infochefcop 1 12-06 22:04
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • bupga Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 297 W: 6 N: 355] (2655)
  • [2008-11-16 3:31]

Wow dramatic result Peter, the HDR works well in the textures of the building and the falling leaves in the foreground plays special elements in this image. Nice work.

tfs.........Buddy

  • Great 
  • korbee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1368 W: 0 N: 1667] (13527)
  • [2008-11-16 3:33]

Wauw Peter this realy looks like a scene in some horror-movie or an old Hitchcock film from the 30s(Rebecca,the 39 steps),you have a good feeling for light and landscapes.
A situation like this,sun on the land with a grey cloudy sky is perfect,but unfortunately you must be lucky to capture it because it can change by the second.
So your timing is pretty good!
jan

Hi Peter
Nice shot, lovely composition and great POV. Looks Amazing.
well done and best wishes for you.
M. Latif

Hi Peter

The lighting has given this a bit of an eerie mood.
Like your HDR work, nice details in the clouds.
Interesting note as well.
TFS

Regards Derek

very nice work Peter nicely filled frame colouring is exceptional you have made a realy good job of this well done
tfs
regards bryan

Hello Peter. Nice shot, I'm still undecided about the merits of HDR, it works well here. Good contribution to T.L. and excellent Photographers notes. Thanks for sharing.

Regards Phil.

Hi Peter,

This is a very nice shot with great POV I loke the shades and tone thrown up by the shadows. The colours are all nice and vibrant well done.

Regards
Jon

  • Great 
  • glint Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 620 W: 3 N: 531] (3604)
  • [2008-11-16 9:26]

Hello Peter,
the HDR treatment has certainly brought out the deatils and added to the atmosphere of this place.Ilike the play of light and shadows.The detail of the ploughed field in the distance helps to give dOF.
Bev

This is one of the best shots I've seen from you. Very emotive. It's easy just to take a photograph of a place, but it's a different matter being able to excite some kind of emotion from people with an image when they see it. Well done. The important elements like the sky, and the dappled light on the church are just about perfect. I don't think that it would have worked as well at any other time of year

  • Great 
  • Adri Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 524 W: 23 N: 1853] (11198)
  • [2008-11-18 4:19]

Hi Peter,
A very beautiful hdr-picture!
Beautiful mysterious atmosphere.
Great colors and light and a wonderful sky.
Well done!

TFS and greetings from Netherlands,
Adri

  • Great 
  • tyro Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 220 W: 79 N: 822] (3895)
  • [2008-11-18 13:50]

Hello, Peter.

This is really lovely. A wonderful depiction of this beautiful little church and I love the gorgeous dappled shadows across the stonework.

The HDR work has enhanced the shot very well indeed and, unusually for some of the HDR stuff that I see, the effect is very sympathetic and not at all overdone.

An excellent picture and an excellent note to accompany it!

Kind Regards,

John.

Hi Peter!
This is a wonderful scene in mysterious mood with lovely colors and details. That is very nice the ancient church in the background, and I like the fallen leaves everywhere in the foreground.
Thanks, Csilla

Hi Peter,

Missed this one, lovely detail and colours, you have managed to get a very natural look.
I think Photomatix pro 3.1 has been toned down a bit and if you go easy on the sliders you can get very realistic results.

Douglas

Very moody, very dark Peter, even though it's pretty light, the mood is sad. I love the treatment here, the drama it has brought to the picture! Is this HDR? Be sure that if you pull info off the internet, to add links where you got the information! I like how you did this!
B-)
Linda

Hello Peter,

It is difficult to explain how someone has captured drama but that is just what I feel about this shot!
A wonderful depth of colour, light and shade!
Excellent composition with the kirk standing proud against a superbly captured sky.

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

Hello Peter,I like your use of HDR to bring out all the colours and details of this charming 'kirk'.
The light over the churchyard and the building,and the backgound of the cloudy sky are really beautiful.
Your notes make interesting reading too.
Tfs, regards Jean.

Very beautiful light effect on the building, Excellent creative photography.

  • Great 
  • mumek Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 220 W: 2 N: 107] (1833)
  • [2009-03-06 21:09]

Hi Peter!
Very well taken and composed scenery from Maxton.Fantastic play of the colours, light and shadows. The note is very interesting and informative.My compliments
regards
ziggy

Hi Peter,
this is the kind of picture I like the most where there's a beautiful main character well presented. Of course the off center placement works well, but what makes the difference here adding that little bit of extra is the treatment in pp. The hdr added a great mood giving the idea to be staring in front of a beautiful paint. Looks perfect to me, from the pov to the light management everything seems to be just spot on and you delivered a great result! I like it a lot!
Thanks and regards,

Ele

  • Great 
  • Dai Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 121 W: 54 N: 115] (761)
  • [2009-05-24 12:39]

Hi Peter
Great HDR composition. The colours, PoV and focusing are spot on.
Nice one
Dai

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