Durham Cathedral, a photo from Durham, England

Photographer's Note

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO
I have my favourite personal theme on TrekEarth, which is Riverside @ blue hour. Recently I have presented several blue hour photos of bridges which are most interesting objects along River Tyne or River Tees in North East England. One of my dreams was to capture a blue hour photo at a riverside with something else than a bridge, and that is how I came up with the idea of revisiting Durham with the aim to photograph its famous and being a world heritage cathedral across River Wear. As soon as I arrived in Durham and unloaded my baby’s buggy I realized that it has a flat tire. It limited pretty much my flexibility and I ended up having just a short walk along River Wear and taking a photo from the most popular view point in the town. They say that third time is the charm, so maybe next time I will come back with a blue hour picture.

ABOUT THE CATHEDRAL
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham (usually known as Durham Cathedral) is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093. The cathedral is regarded as one of the finest examples of Norman architecture and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with nearby Durham Castle, which faces it across Palace Green.
Durham Cathedral occupies a strategic position on a promontory high above the River Wear. From 1080 until the 19th century the bishopric enjoyed the powers of a Bishop Palatine, having military as well as religious leadership and power. Durham Castle was built as the residence for the Bishop of Durham. The seat of the Bishop of Durham is the fourth most significant in the Church of England hierarchy, and he stands at the right hand of the monarch at coronations. Signposts for the modern day County Durham are subtitled "Land of the Prince Bishops."

TopGeo, annjackman, ikeharel, serp2000, aliabazari, bukitgolfb301, tyro, Sonata11, danos, macondo, siolaw, timecapturer, abmdsudi, Didi, Graal, raszid62, marabu61, josepmarin, macjake, adramad, jhm, delpeoples, ktanska, jlbrthnn, kordinator, Angshu, No_One, maria-v1981, PaulVDV, COSTANTINO has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

TopGeo (38220) 2012-12-05 7:26

Hello Mariusz! sincere congratulations for the photographic perfection of this image, also characterized by an excellent work in PP. An interesting photo that shows us the architectural beauty of this fantastic Cathedral Durham perfectly preserved. You did a really good shot, Bravo!
Best regards
Georgios

annjackman (23019) 2012-12-05 8:18

Hello Mariusz,
This is a very fine picture of this famous cathedral (which I haven't seen). You took this from an interesting viewpoint with the river in the FG. Wonderful exposure, colours and sharpness in the beautiful light.
Kind Regards, Ann

JFS (32459) 2012-12-05 8:38

Hi Mariusz,
Smooth winter light reflected in this beautiful architecture, the place seems to be really nice, a place to visit in my next visit to UK.
Cheers,
Juan

holmertz (102008) 2012-12-05 8:50

Hello Mariusz,
Durham Cathedral looks superb even before the blue hour. This bright warm light brings out all the marvellous details of the architecture. The buildings below look strangely situated but maybe there is a natural explanation if one sees a wider view.
Kind regards,
Gert

ikeharel (112467) 2012-12-05 10:03

I remember climbing the hill to this cathedral, Mariusz, back in 8/1993.
The golden light enhanced the view on three towers, one is an older era built.
Fine taken and presented.
Ike

serp2000 (47063) 2012-12-05 10:31

Czesc, Mariusz,
Very interesting and informative note and excellent illustration of your words. Attractive composition, fine POV, perfect sharpness.
Regards,
Serghei

SNOOP_Chan (4377) 2012-12-05 10:40

Hello Mariusz, a good presentation of this superb cathedral. Good angle on the shot that allows us to see the buildings on the river bank. Good contrast against the blue sky.
Regards!

jemaflor (146312) 2012-12-05 11:02

Hi Mariusz,
Beautiful pov, perfect light to present the church, great arcitecture, well the complement with this house close the river.

aliabazari (21299) 2012-12-05 13:59

Hi Mariusz drogi
Zobacz piękno architektury jest atrakcyjna. Dobre oświetlenie i kolory.

w stosunku

npecanhuk (79329) 2012-12-05 14:01

Hi Mariusz!
Wonderful and interesting architectural details!
Very beautiful and attractive picture with outstanding sharpness, exposure, colors, vertical format, contrasts, chosen pov and composition!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

bukitgolfb301 (54014) 2012-12-05 15:34

Hi dear Mariusz

Sorry for my no response for several days due to my short photo expeditionary. Just come back and I will ctach up sonnest.

Your note is always useful, this is TE.
Another very sharp and wonderful image indeed by your originality as usual. Very well balanced vertical framework due to your deep consideration is marvelous. Thick and calm but also solemn color touch is so nice and comfortable. Thank you for your sharing with your best shot and have a good day!

Takero from Tokyo

emka (157280) 2012-12-05 16:04

Witaj, nie jest latwo znalezc dobry pov dlatej katedry. Nad rzeka widok zaslaniaja drzewa. Ladnie widac ze stacji kolejowej, ale to dosc daleko. Ale udalo ci sie pokazac wieze w pieknym swietle nawet jesli ti nie calkim blue hour. Nie pamietam co to jest przed katedra, jakis dziwny budynek. Szkoda ze wewnatrz nie mozna robic zdjec a i zamek tez niedostepny.
Niesamowita ostrosc, widac kazdy szczegol.
Pozdrawiavm
Malgorzata

tyro (30513) 2012-12-05 16:09

Hello Mariusz,

You have given us a very comprehensive and interesting note about Durham Cathedral which has really whetted my appetite to visit it sometime soon.

And your photograph, whilst not taken during your favourite "blue hour", nonetheless has been taken in the most delicious afternoon light - I presume it was afternoon because, according to your map, you were looking east and from the photograph the sun appears to have been in the southwest.

The lighting, as I say, is delicious with the cathedral standing out proudly against the sky and brightly lit whilst the nearer, lower building is in partial shade as is the river.

Lovely lighting, perfect exposure, fine true colours and, as always, stunning details and sharpness.

Beautiful!

Kind Regards,

John.

Sonata11 (34119) 2012-12-05 18:37

Witaj Mariusz,
niesamowicie imponujaca i piekna jest ta katedra. Jej wieze sa piekne wraz z pieknymi szczegolami ktore robia ogromne wrazenie. Pieknie wykonales zdjecie tej katerdy. Architektura jest niesamowita. Tak sie kiedys budowalo ze przetrwaly do dzisiaj. Piekne zdjecie, piekne wykonanie i wspaniala prezentacja. Sliczne zdjecie. Bardzo mi sie podoba.
Serdecznie pozdrawiam,
Barbara

danos (110407) 2012-12-05 23:41

Witaj Mariusz,
fascinating the view of Durham Cathedral with the light management to brings out the beauty as the clarity of the image.I like the play of the light with the shadows as the contrast of the colours.

Have a good day,Danos

siolaw (38294) 2012-12-06 2:12

Hi Mariusz
Great POV and crop and a magnificent sight, without apparent signs of modernism (cars, wires, billboards etc...) which I truly appreciate.
Well spotted.
Laurent

macondo (20449) 2012-12-06 2:40

Hello Mariusz.
I have a photo taken from almost the same position, but about 35 years ago. It's a slide, taken on a very grey and wet day. Your photo has a wonderful gentle light of early winter, and I love the way the shadow is creeping up the walls of the small house below the cathedral. Fine composition and very sharp rendition of the delicate details. A splendid architecture shot, and a good note about your taking of the shot.
Regards,
Andrew

timecapturer (49288) 2012-12-06 5:20

Hi Mariusz
one of my favourite places and you have captured it magnificently. Love the light and textures here in this pin sharp execution. Beautiful!

Regards - Brian.

abmdsudi (95869) 2012-12-06 5:24

Hi Mariusz
A very typical English architecture so well depicted, full of contents and good viewpoint with greatest effect. It looks just attractively drags the eye in to explore from top to bottom, and the colours look great against blue sky. Superb control of exposure with very fine clarity rendering much definition to the scene. But what so delightful to me is the subtle angled warm light and shadows makes this looks special. Great work, nicely taken shot, Congrats.
Kind regards

Didi (61589) 2012-12-06 7:26

Hi Mariusz
Good vertical composition.
Very interesting lights direction on the architecture.
Well done
Best regards

SWEETFREEDOM (24623) 2012-12-06 23:52

Hi Mariusz,
the warm light over the cathedral in very charming. good details and p.o.v.
regards
Alessandro

Graal (103040) 2012-12-07 0:49

Czesc,
dostojnie wygladaja te wieze. Fajny POV, super jakosc zdjecia. Interesujace informacje masz w notce. Solidna praca.
Milego lykendu zycze.
Aleksander

raszid62 (18457) 2012-12-07 2:58

Cze¶æ
Imponuj±ca i wspania³a, o cudownej architekturze ta katedra, osadzona jeszcze dodatkowo na wysokim brzegu rzeki. Zadziwiaj±cy kontrast jej ogromu i ma³ego w porównaniu zni± , tak naprawdê wcale nie ma³ego domu nad wod±. Piêkne kolory jesiennego, slonecznego dnia. Doskona³a jako¶c obrazu.
Pozdrawiam
Józek

marabu61 (11587) 2012-12-07 6:30

Hello Mariusz
Oh bugger, what a bad luck with the flat tyre.
But despite the circumstances, you captured this cathedral beautifully. It is quite intimidating how the church is overpowering the house on the riverfront. It doesn't look so small but still is dwarfed by the huge church.
have a good time
Daniel

Fis2 (169759) 2012-12-07 10:12

Witaj Mariusz!
Wieze sa imponujace.
Piekna architektura tej katedry.
Dobry pionowy kadr o naturalnej kolorystyce.
Milego wieczoru.
Krzysztof

josepmarin (59385) 2012-12-07 10:50

Hi Mariusz,
a nice light and a few warm tones bathe this wonderful architecture in order to emphasize its grand beauty and its spectacular shapes.
Your POV from the river provides a very powerful image of this precious cathedral, which dominates the image elegantly.
A great composition.
Best regards, my friend,
Josep

chawax (20764) 2012-12-08 6:12

Hi Mariusz,
The cathedral looks very impressive from there ! Very beautiful golden light. Excellent sharpness.
Have a nice day,
Olivier

macjake (98262) 2012-12-08 8:37

Hi Mariusz
so what happened to your fancy creative titles! haha....I was looking forward to reading one and trying to figure out its meaning! Perhaps next time :)

the best part of this photo for me, has to be the lower portion.
especially where the light is striking the side of the stone and the white window borders.
the darkness and shaded areas go welll with the brightness along the top.

looking forward to the blue hour rendition.
Cheers
Craig

adramad (72564) 2012-12-08 12:29

Hello Mariusz.
A superb composition of this cathedral, which looks awesome with those mighty towers, beautiful architecture, is majestically rising in the high bank of the river. Although you could not take a picture when blue, no matter, this is wonderful.
Ideal lighting and sharp.
Perfect work. I love it.
The interesting note enhances even more the good work.
Enjoy the weekend.
Warm regards.
Luis.

jhm (211734) 2012-12-09 2:39

Hello Mariusz,

This is a very fine picture of this famous cathedral with the three visible towers.
Also the foreground with this house gives more touch to the picture.
Sharpness and clarity are excellent, together also pleasant colors.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice Sunday,
John.

delpeoples (60342) 2012-12-10 0:09

Dear Mariusz

A superb photo of a superb subject. And don't worry about missing the Blue Hour, the golden tones you captured here are exquisite. And we have your little girl and her flat tyre to thank :) Superb vertical frame, wonderful reflections and a magical light. I couldn't ask for more, but will be interested to see the Blue Hour.

Thanks for sharing, have a lovely week
Lisa

ktanska (44484) 2012-12-10 10:51

Hi Mariusz,
This view brings back memories, as my sister lived in Durham 10 years ago. This is famous photo point, but looking at TE pictures it hasn't been uploaded here too often. Beautiful sunny weather. Winter time is better than summer for this location as those bushes are quite dense with foliage.
Kari

fabbs99 (17179) 2012-12-10 20:05

Hello Mariusz,

The Durham Cathedral looks wonderful by the riverside.Impressive architecture and beautifully shot with good sharpness and lighting.Fine natural colours and good composition. Very well done, TFS.

Cheers
Farhat

mesutilgim (0) 2012-12-12 13:46

Hello Mariusz,
Veyr nice capture with perfect chosen format and perfect layout.
My favorite detail here is the sunlit house at the shore.
Many interesting notes makes your entry a perfect TE entry.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

jlbrthnn (76043) 2012-12-13 12:53

Hello Mariusz,
The contrast between the home and the church is spectacular. The photo is interesting. The exhibition and the quality is excellent. Bravo.
Have a nice evening
Best regards
Joël

andywo (4725) 2012-12-20 8:39

Czesc Mariusz
Kolejny interesujacy obiekt z fascynujaca historia!
Bardzo ciekawie wybrales kadr, wieze katedry prezentuja sie tutaj wyjatkowo malowniczo. Doskonala jakosc pracy.
Pozdrawiam
Andrzej

kordinator (8738) 2012-12-22 1:23

Hello Mariusz
Impresive cathedral you captured.
Very interesting and informative note.
Attractive composition, excellent, perfect sharpness.
Great photo job.
Kind regards
Saša

Angshu (56760) 2012-12-27 1:17

Hello Mariusz
I remember your earlier & if I am say, more creative rendition of the Durham cathedral. I also remember the interior shot of the corridor from Malgo (emka). This is infact very nice as well...very post-cardy with good amount of details in good light & under clear blue sky. And I tend to agree with Craig after seeing the rather dull title for this picture...year end blues I guess? ;-)
Best Regards
Angshu
Wish you & your family a great 2013, full of happiness, health & joy

No_One (4) 2013-01-13 7:13

Hi Mariusz
Durham has been on my bucket list ever since I first seen the incredible cathedral many years ago. Though I have yet to get there, it's an immense pleasure to enjoy your spectacular capture. Perfect ght, pov and wonderfful choice of portrait orientation.
All the best
Noel

maria-v1981 (10966) 2013-02-06 3:07

Hello Mariusz,
Beautiful and most impressive and the wonderful light here emphasizes this impressions very much. Durham Cathedral has a magnificent architecture. All composition is a masterpiece.
Have a nice day,
Regards,
Maria

TimWilson (236) 2014-09-07 9:26

Very nicely composed shot and almost the "traditional" image of the Cathedral. I'm lucky enough to live only 6 miles from the cathedral but yet to take a shot from this angle... :(

The colours you've captured here do justice to one of the most beautiful buildings in the North East.

PaulVDV (62804) 2017-06-07 9:12

Hello Mariusz,
Wow! These towers are really standing out above anything else!
Good choice of point of view and presented from a good angle.
The colours of the towers provide a good warm-cold contrast with the sky in ever-sunny England.
Best regards, Paul

jmdias (114296) 2018-05-04 9:51

mariusz

you had everything here, the classical pov, the sun, the sky and the lantern visible. marvelous this classic view. perfect, this was what I wanted to find and I didn't find.

take care

jorge

COSTANTINO (115563) 2020-08-21 22:13

Hello dear friend and have a nice day
and a happy weekend
thanks for your useful notes about the
cathedral church of Chist...an interesting
photo showing to us the great beauty
of this dURHAM cathedral...
this is a very fine picture
welldone
regards
Costantino