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Stonehenge solitude


Stonehenge solitude
Photo Information
Copyright: Stephen Wilkinson (wilkinsonsg) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 323 W: 4 N: 158] (3693)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-08-05
Categories: Architecture
Camera: Olympus E1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm
Exposure: f/6.7, 1/180 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): wonderful beautiful world [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-08-08 4:59
Viewed: 3566
Favorites: 11 [view]
Points: 76
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I visited Stonehenge recently - there were lots of people there - I have removed them via PP in this shot (hence the posting on TL rather than TE).

I have posted the original image as a WS.

For those that are interested I am posting a short series of different views of Stone henge on my TE account.

The following text is taken from this site.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1914

'Stonehenge was built in three phases. The first stage was a circle of timbers surrounded by a ditch and bank.
The first henge was built in about 3,100 BC.
56 holes have been located, now known as Aubrey Holes, named after the 17th century antiquarian, John Aubrey, who found them in about 1666.
We know that these holes were dug to hold wooden posts, just as holes were dug later to hold the stone pillars.
This was the first stage built about 5,050 years ago, a wooden post circle surrounded by a deep ditch and bank.

Then about 4,500 years ago – 2,500 BC it was rebuilt.
This time in stone, bluestones were used which are the smaller stones that can see in the picture.
These came from the Prescelli Mountains in Pembroke, South Wales 245 miles (380kms), dragged down to the sea, floated on huge rafts, brought up the River Avon, finally overland to where they are today.
Each stone weighs about five tons. It required unbelievable dedication from ancient man to bring these stones all the way from South Wales.
Before the second phase of Stonehenge was complete work stopped and there was a period of abandonment.
Then began a new bigger, even better Stonehenge, the one that we know today- this was approximately 4,300 years ago, about 2,300 BC, the third and final stage of what we see now.

The bluestones were dug up and rearranged and this time even bigger stones were brought in from the Marlborough Downs, 20 miles (32 kms)away.
These giant sandstones or Sarsen stones, as they are now called were hammered to size using balls of stone known as ‘mauls'.
Even today you can see the drag marks. Each pair of stones was heaved upright and linked on the top by the lintels.
To get the lintels to stay in place, the first wood working techniques were used.
They made joints in stone, linking the lintels in a circular manner using a tongue and groove joint, and subsequently the upright and lintel with a ball and socket joint or mortice and tenon. This was all cleverly designed on the alignment of the rising of the mid summer sun'.
evanrizo, clix_stuff, Maria74, GoogolGuy, puffy, himajyothi, padre, Yogi, Televana, letr, noelshami, chefcop, eladen, monin, tomek_wap, cloverstar, Greenwood, james, Greenfield, inaam, jean11-3, jvachon has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To dharbott: Thanks :)wilkinsonsg 1 08-09 05:52
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Critiques [Translate]

Oh! Stonehenge! You visited it, lucky you!
It is a marvellous shot,Stephen! I was always wondering, if I ever visit this magnificent monument, how would I take a pic of it? I see now yours is great, I absolutely love the fact you included lots of sky.
Congr!!

Hi Stephen,
This is one place I def'ly want to see before ...(whatever, dont want to think about it now)
I like your POV here ...as a result the sky looks so imposing and the henges looks so small.
I have seen other pictures(elsewhere) of the same place during sunrise, sunset and this one looks quite different from them. Thanks for the info and sharing this picture.

Sorry for such a long note! :|

  • Great 
  • e_g Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 34 W: 1 N: 21] (1127)
  • [2005-08-08 5:50]

Oh, what a sky!
Depeopled, the place looks like as it was in the good old time.
Regards to druids, Stephen!

  • Great 
  • puffy Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1933 W: 132 N: 3028] (16575)
  • [2005-08-08 6:07]

Yes, lucky you.... very nice shot Stephen, I like your POV very much, great composition, nice sunny sky, good details and well captured! Thanks for sharing

Hi Stephen,
Very nicely captured.
I especially like the way you've captured the clouds (painted on God's canvas) :)
And yes, it looks really nice without people. I remember how I struggled to get a 'wide-angle' shot on my trip in 2001.
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers!
~Ashish

  • Great 
  • law Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 509 W: 75 N: 80] (1764)
  • [2005-08-08 7:31]

Hi Stephen,
A superb shot. The photo makes me want to wish I was there. I especially like the sky, makes me feel like I can just stretch and touch the clouds. Good composition and great lighting. Thanks for sharing it.
Lawrence

Absolutely splendid sky, Stephen! Very rich with a nice gradient of blue. Magical!

Excellent shot Stephen. Beautiful colours, their impact accentuated by the POV that you selected.

  • Great 
  • iso Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1088 W: 58 N: 184] (25085)
  • [2005-08-08 9:44]

It's what we call a "success", very interesting, what a sky, a professionnal one.

  • Great 
  • padre Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 1419 W: 90 N: 263] (4035)
  • [2005-08-08 10:07]

The sky is fabulous in this shot Stephen. I was unable to get out there when we were in Europe, maybe another time. I am interested in how being there made you feel? I am told there is an "other world" feeling there. B

  • Great 
  • Yogi Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 102 W: 7 N: 33] (237)
  • [2005-08-08 10:59]

Great work!

The sky looks so powerful...

Stonehenge? The story for itself :))
I hope I will visit it one day!

Regards,
Yogi

very beautiful landscape photo stephen
awsome colors and great details

Fantastic colors, excellent composition Stephen! The clouds and the sky suits to the mood absolutely!
Gabriella

  • Great 
  • linus Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1360 W: 10 N: 687] (9665)
  • [2005-08-08 12:28]

Hi Stephen,
Lovely sky that you captured here. The only problem is that the sky makes the Stonehenge look so small and insignificant. When I think of SH, this massive and imposing structure comes to my mind. So I am in two minds about this picture.

  • Great 
  • letr Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1207 W: 423 N: 1190] (6649)
  • [2005-08-08 12:33]

Technically PERFECT picture , like everything about it !! Excellent work !!

What an amazing capture this is. Makes the stonehenge look all the more mysterious. The sky, the colour and lighting are so lively. The angle...POV ...fantastic. Very well seen and captured.

Very beautiful sky with all those shades of blue and two layers of clouds Stephen.

I beleive this is a perfect composition.

Bravo!

You did well to get rid of the crowd Stephen and it has really made this into an exceptional shot. Great composition and marvellous sky. Cracking shot. TFS

Peter

Wonderful shot of the sky. The clarity and colors on this are amazing. Terrific job.

I was ontrigued to know what time of day you could take a picture at stonehenge without it being full of people. You removed then well!:-)

Gareth

  • Great 
  • nova Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2821 W: 267 N: 842] (8311)
  • [2005-08-08 18:34]

Wow! What can I say? The sky is gorgeous and the pp work excellent! Very good picture that deserves all the smilies that you are now getting! And a big thank you also for the beautiful notes accompanying this wonderful picture! Michel

Hi Stephen,

Yes, I think this is a better image than the one you posted on TE.
It's all to easy to critique - so please take these comments as constructive :-)

The sky is fantastic, adding lead-in lines to the subject of Stonehenge.
I like the sizing of the stones here - but their impact is still held back, probably by the horizon cutting through them, and the weak foreground (grass).

I wonder if it would have been possible to really lower your POV to get the stones backdrop against the blue of the sky?

Nice effort, either way.

Lovely strong image. Thanks for all the info too.

U know what stef! U are lucky! Microsoft gives a closely cropped image of this as a wallpaper for their windows... I always Use to wonder if the image was just made up... U certainly proved me wrong by posting it... Beautiful one! I love the colors and the location is amazinh :) Thanks for sharing this wonderful capture ! :) I could have cropped a litle closer though (its just my opinion... :)) TFS :)

Take care...
- Hima.

Fantastic skyline. Cheers G

Excellent shot of the area Stephen. I see the clouds were cooperative that day. Good composition and sharpness. Well done.
Also, well done on the coffee challenge. I had you as one of my top 3.

  • Great 
  • james Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 182 W: 2 N: 92] (388)
  • [2006-02-26 9:56]

Fantastic, i cannot think of any other words to describe how wonderful a photo this is. Everything is perfect thank you for sharing....james..p.s. im not usually this speechless

Hi Stephen
Perfect composition.Clouds very very nice...Good job.
TFS

Kerem

A great image, with a good angle, a very good sky and with good sharpness and lightness, thanks for share.

Hi Stephen!
I liked this photo. It is visible, as clouds fly. And stones seem toys of giants. I think from this photo I have learned about Stoneheng more than if has visited there.
Natalia

I didn't comment on this? I do apologise sincerely, completely and utterly :) Just yesterday I was reading something about it and then about those circles in the grass. Of one thing I am sure: the little green men built Stonehenge :)
Hopefully I'll see it someday...

  • Great 
  • TAY Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 65 W: 11 N: 5] (267)
  • [2006-07-07 1:57]

Hi Stephen,

Very nice shot.

Very nice! Surprisingly one of my friend have similar type of picture as her desktop background. Loved the details and colors. Well captured and PP. :) Vandana

WOW a monumental sky above this secret place.

Nice postcard shot ! So the sky is always like this there... Well done for people erasing, sometimes we would like t do it for real hmm !

  • Great 
  • kapil Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 106 W: 45 N: 67] (496)
  • [2007-01-16 22:10]

excellent image saturation.Very nice cloudscape.I liked the picture. Stonehenge looks beautiful all the time but this POV is unique one. TFS

  • Great 
  • Nina Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 139 W: 73 N: 14] (1231)
  • [2007-02-02 15:53]

I love your composition here Stephen, you were right to keep all of that fabulous skyscape and put the Stonehenge in context. Removing the human presence was a good idea too.

A wonderful shot,the sky is fantastic!It reminds me of a Constable painting.
Glad you removed the people, the shot has so much more impact without them.
Best wishes Jean.

Abi gerçekten güzel yakalamışsınız. Çalışmalarına hasta oldum. Ellerine sağlık.
Behram..

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