Normanton Church - Canon 5d w/17-40

This is Normanton Church on Rutland Water, a large reservoir and nature preserve in England. The church was slated for destruction during the construction of the reservoir because it was below the new water level, but a public campaign saved it. Instead an embankment was built around the church and the lower half, below the water level, was filled with rubble and concreted over.

Now the church is a museum and a popular venue for weddings. There happened to be a wedding the day I was there and you can see the car, a classic Morris Minor convertible, ready to whisk the newly weds away.

This image is made up of two landscape images stacked vertically (a vertorama) and blended together in Photoshop. The exposure for both frames was f/16 and 25 seconds using a ten-stop ND filter.

Shot of the day
Beyond Monochrome

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Comments

  • Harry

    Lovely use of the curve of the shoreline. The long exposure has done wonderful things to the sky and lake. Top-notch photo.

    2012-09-02

  • Tolga Kart

    Love the execution. Long exposure works very well here.

    2012-09-02

  • shooter

    Miles this is a place I have promised to visit but never gotten around to doing so, I love your spin on it.

    2012-09-02

  • Stephen Probert

    This is great. Sky, water, church and then the little car make this very interesting. Would love to shoot a wedding here!

    2012-09-03

  • David Kleinert

    Love the sky in this image...nicely exposed.

    2012-09-03

  • urban daisy

    Your horizon is straight, but the church looks like it's sinking. What's doing that?

    2012-09-03

  • urban daisy

    Oh! I mean, it's a pretty as anything pic, Miles, just distracted by the sinking thing. It is a great shot, just don't understand it.

    2012-09-03

  • Miles

    Thanks everyone!

    Urban Daisy, the church is sunk! Half the church is below the water level of the reservoir and originally it was slated for demolition but they decided to build an embankment around it to protect it. The bottom floor of the church is completely below the water line!

    The angle is a bit weird perhaps.

    2012-09-03

  • tom

    I like composition, in particular the curve on the right leading into the diagonal line. The blurred clouds create a nice dynamic touch.

    2012-09-04

  • Françoise

    beautiful! The long exposure offers the picture a great affect!

    2012-09-04

  • Boris

    Beautiful photograph ! I love the mood

    2012-10-01

  • urban daisy

    Oh!! Laughing!!

    I thought you'd done something extra odd with your pic. But a sunken church .. who'd have thought? Thanks for explaining. :-)

    2012-11-24