Today I’m not really out on a specific shoot; I am just going to get into the car and see where the road takes me. Ideally I’m looking for a new location that will have a lot of photographic opportunities throughout the year. The weather is a little changeable, the skies are a bit cloudy today and we are having some really strong winds at the moment.
I love these days when I’m just off exploring, I see a place name I like the sound of and I take the road to see what’s there and from there maybe a bending road leads me somewhere else. When you get off the beaten track it’s amazing what beauty you can find; hidden villages or a deserted coastline. I’m fully organised; I’ve got some sandwiches with me so if I’m in the middle of nowhere I don’t have to starve, a compact camera, spare batteries and SD card, notebook and being a woman a hairbrush and lipstick!
I stop for lunch by a bridge over the river Dee. It’s just on the edge of a town that I haven’t been to in years, and afterwards I walk down the riverbank to check the view but there’s nothing doing. Although the church spire that overlooks the river sits very nicely above the bridge there is a signpost right in the way of any meaningful shot and due to the lack of rainfall, the riverbed is exposed below the bridge ruling out any chance of reflections. So let’s move on.
A signpost with the name the ‘holly bush’ has appeared and I’m taking the road. My imagination has been whetted, what will I find? A village built around its green with a holly bush that has been there thousands of years taking centre stage, the houses and villagers decorating the holly bush as a sacred shrine. I drive up and down the road twice, at the other end of the road a sign points back down to where I have come from but alas no holly bush, not even a pub under that name. Where and what it was I have no idea, It’s a little disappointing but I carry on my way.
I see a brown signpost ‘country drive’; I’m taking it. Oh gosh! The beauty of this road is taking my breath away; it’s winding high above the river Dee. Below me are fields full of sheep grazing and the river rushing by, and rising high above me are some big houses with many acres of land. Suddenly the road is narrowing and descending winding it’s way down the valley.
Turning a corner in front of me is a ramshackled old farm; the barn doors are on their hinges, an old tractor virtually covered by debris is in the yard and then there, in front of the red brick farmhouse, is an old tractor, half covered with a tarpaulin, only wheels showing. A church is to the left of the house, the gate into the churchyard hanging on its hinges. It’s a timeless subject that could be from the early 1900’s.
The Homestead
I’m out of the car grabbing my tripod and camera as fast as I can; the sun is emerging from behind the clouds making the colour of the farm buildings look even warmer. Suddenly the woman who lives in the house appears. I’m averting my camera in the hopes that she’ll stop being nosy and go away, a person in this shot in modern clothes is going to ruin it.
As I turn back she’s gone and I line myself up on the house, taking lots of shots, I’m elated I’ve got this shot and on leaving take the alluring pathway leading through the churchyard; it leads me straight onto a footpath that runs by the river.
To my left on the riverbank are a couple of very pretty cottages and a pub which looks like a couple of cottages knocked into one. The sun is still out and it’s fairly warm so I’m going to take a walk along the lower path beside the river rather than the higher that runs along a farmer’s field of crops.
The Arches
There is a man with waders standing in the river fishing, virtually right in the centre, as again here, the river is low and the gravel banks are visible. It’s so beautiful down here. I’ve found my new location; come autumn this place is going to look stunning, reflections, colours, and come bad weather, hoary frosts etc it’s going to look very picturesque. Right now it’s in all its green finery.
The sound of the river running past is making me thirsty, as I only popped out of the car to take the farmyard shot, I didn’t take my bottle of water with me; I’m turning to head back to the pub for a long glass of iced clean water, feeing very happy with my wanderings, I will be back here to properly explore the river footpath very soon.
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Living in the beautiful rural county of Yorkshire it was perhaps natural for Ruth to have an affinity with the countryside and its wildlife. Creativity is Ruth’s driving force finding an outlet in television & radio she worked for many years as producer for BBC & ITV.
However a love of photography and for being surrounded by nature called her to go back to her photography training and bring pleasure and joy to people through her connection with our planet.
Staying in the moment when taking her images allows her to experience the natural magnificence unfolding before her eyes. It is this moment of mediation, of gratitude, that she evocatively conveys through her images.