Freedom !!, a photo from Stirling, Scotland

Photographer's Note

I am not one for copying text from elsewhere, but this from a tourist information site says it all so well, I will !

"It seems apt that at the very heart of Scotland, a place so pivotal in her tempestuous and oft-magical history, that there should be a town with a name that translates as ‘Place of Strife’.

Yet, driving through this picturesque, somnambulant village in Scotland’s verdant Central Belt, there is little left of the strife.

Stirling, as we know it now, is a town whose economy is swollen by tourists, all smitten by the post- Braveheart Scottishness that is abound.

It was in Stirling that William Wallace repelled the English in the First Wars Of Scottish Independence, back in 1297. Not only the stuff of Scottish folklore, but thanks to an Australian by way of Hollywood, the Battle Of Stirling Bridge is now cinematic legend, too."

This tower, in acknowledgement of William Wallace is built on a cliff, Abbey Craig, overlooking Stirling about two miles away. It was only ever a folly, and never had military ambitions. It was built around 1860 and is 220ft tall.

The WS shows a statue of the man himself, adorning one of the walls, and also an information board about its construction. I hope it is legible !

The tower's own website is here

The tourist website quoted above is here

A distant view of the tower is here. Stirling is the town you can just make out to the left of the landmark tower.

206/2274

eldancer1, ikeharel, Bluejeans, ktanska, mmohan, timecapturer, macondo, tyro has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

GREGG (8293) 2012-05-02 5:20

Hi Martin,
very interesting architecture of the tower, like a fairytale fortress
captured black bird gliding in the sky
following attractiveness of this photograph
Regards,
Greg

eldancer1 (17330) 2012-05-02 6:45

Awesome timing and capture of this historic tower (and the bird). At least you got some sunlight. Good dof with nice details. Well done, tfs.

ikeharel (38090) 2012-05-02 8:31

Good evening Martin,
I remember this castle prominently stand on a hill above a green valley( 8/1993 when we were there).
And the note depicted perfectly conveys the idea how you notice this castle from the road.
Fine shot over a fabulous elements on this relatively old monument.
Regards
Ike

Bluejeans (64241) 2012-05-02 10:57

Ola Martin ,
Fantástica esta torre , seus detalhes de arquitetura são lindos , belo momento com o corvo no alto , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

rbassin (11381) 2012-05-02 11:02

Hello Martin,
une très belle photo, belle illustration de la liberté.
J'aime bien ce dialogue entre l'oiseau et la tour.
Belle soirée
Roland

ktanska (21637) 2012-05-02 12:08

Hi Martin,
It is a magnificient tower and so surprising that it was not built for any real need. Rich details show well on this sidelight. Those ravens are well placed above the tower.
Kari

npecanhuk (54221) 2012-05-02 18:39

Hello Martin!
Magnificent ancient tower!
Very interesting, attractive and beautiful picture of it!
Sharpness, exposure, colors, chosen pov, vertical format, black & white borders, contrasts and composition are all excellent and really pleased me!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

mmohan (738) 2012-05-02 23:01

Hi Martin, I have many times passed this structure but never made it there.
Nice sharpness in this image, and the light is just enough to bring all attention to the tower on this typical scottish day. Did you go on the top, they say the view is great?
Regards,
Manoj

timecapturer (31278) 2012-05-03 4:02

Hi Martin
like this! Superbly clear and textured shot in a subtle yet quite spellbinding light. It looks so impressive and the theme of the image so appropriate and compelling. Excellent work!

Have a good day - Brian.

macondo (17997) 2012-05-03 6:06

Hello Martin.

I wonder how you're going.

I remember this tower, and the view one gets of it from the castle in Stirling, which is quite elevated. It's a very interesting town, and pleasing to the eye as I recall. Alas, I just drove past the monument when I was there, but no doubt it was raining hammers and nails. You timed this beautifully to capture the bird on high, and there's a nice light on the structure. The exposure retained the detail in the sky; or perhaps you did a bit of excellent and subtle PP. I like the way the slightly off-centre bird and its angle of flight counter the central position of the tower. And of course, a great note.

Regards,
Andrew

tyro (13585) 2012-05-04 2:05

Hi Martin,

I often think just how curious it is that, once you've been on this site for a time, you can very easily recognise each photographer's work just by looking at the thumbnails and without looking at the "bigger picture" or reading the contributor's name.

So it is with this one - I knew it was one of yours straight away. The simple straightforwardness of composition, the very natural colours, not overly saturated or vivid, the subtle contrasts and the lovely soft subdued lighting - all hallmarks of your work. And, of course, once we do see the "bigger picture", we are impressed by the stunning technical quality and the exquisite sharpness.

This is a lovely "straightforward" composition in which the presence of the soaring bird, perhaps a symbol of "freedom", is placed perfectly in the frame and balances the natural slight unbalance of the monument. The lighting on the building is beautifully soft and subtle and lets it stand out beautifully against the very Scottish distant hills and the sky.

Beautiful!

Kind Regards,

John.

P.S. Thank you for an interesting note too. Did you go inside and climb up the monument? I seem to remember it's moderately interesting, with different exhibits on each of the three or four floors, and the view from the top is wonderful on a clear day.