Your R System Images - December 2023

[PKM-UK]

We hope you have fun making wonderful images this month!

(And for those of you who celebrate the festive season, may Mr and Mrs Santa bring you plenty of cheer - along with love, good health, happiness, world peace and all that kind of stuff!).

Stay safe and well…

Phil and Karen

——

Any R System images (stills or movies) can be posted. If you would like to say something about them in terms of the subject, settings, or post-processing, that will be very welcome.

Remember, you don't have to only post things you took this month - sometimes people don't get around to processing/ editing images straight after shooting them. (Think of it more as an ‘images I’d like to post here this month’ thing). Images taken with non-R System lenses are also very welcome - this adds to the interest and diversity.

Images posted here will also be available to view in a dedicated Monthly R System Images Galley, which can be found Here.

Commenting on other people’s posts is encouraged, as it keeps everyone interested and coming back. (Please aim to be considerate, thoughtful and constructive).

We’ll aim to provide some feedback too - but please note we are away for part of each month and busy with ‘life stuff’. The lack of a comment from us is not a sign of disfavour!

Finally, please post in accordance with the RF Shooters Community Guidelines.

Thank you!

 

[PKM-UK]

Images from our recent visit to Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England.

(Shot raw and processed using: DxO PhotoLab Elite/ ViewPoint and Adobe Lightroom Classic/ Photoshop with TK-9 Panels).

You can find out more about Wentworth Woodhouse by clicking Here and/ or Here.

Phil and Karen


1. The original Jacobean house was rebuilt by Thomas Watson-Wentworth, 1st Marquess of Rockingham (1693–1750), and vastly expanded by his son, the 2nd Marquess, who was twice Prime Minister. In the 18th century, the house was inherited by the Earls Fitzwilliam and the family of the last earl owned it until 1989.

• Canon EOS R5
• RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM
• 26.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/400 sec
• ISO 125

2. The recently restored South Pavilion Tower. The vane connects to the dials which depict the direction the wind is blowing. House historians believe the tower may have been used in the mid 18th century by Mary, the wife of the Second Marquess of Rockingham. The son of the Fourth Earl Fitzwilliam, Charles Viscount Milton, used the top floor as his study in the years leading up to his inheritance of the title in 1833.

• Canon EOS R7
• EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM
• 35.0 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/500 sec
• ISO 400

3. During World War II the house became a Training Depot and HQ for the Intelligence Corps and from 1949 through to 1988 it was mostly used as an educational establishment.

• Canon EOS R5
• RF16mm F2.8 STM
• 16.0 mm
• ƒ/4.5
• 1/250 sec
• ISO 5000

4. King George V and Queen Mary stayed at the house for four days in July 1912. A crowd of 25,000 gathered on the lawn to witness the King and Queen on the balcony of the portico, from which the King gave a speech.

• Canon EOS R5
• RF16mm F2.8 STM
• 16.0 mm
• ƒ/2.8
• 1/100 sec
• ISO 500

5. Wentworth Woodhouse has more than 300 rooms and has featured in films such as Downton Abbey and Darkest Hour, and TV series including Victoria and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

• Canon EOS R5
• RF16mm F2.8 STM
• 16.0 mm
• ƒ/2.8
• 1/100 sec
• ISO 1250

6. The house was purchased by the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust in 2017. Since 2022 the National Trust has worked in partnership with the Trust in managing the property.

• Canon EOS R7
• EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM
• 16.0 mm
• ƒ/5
• 1/125 sec
• ISO 125

(Sources: Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, The National Trust and Wikipedia).

 

[JoeTheSnowPlowGuy]

What an absolutely awesome place and great photographs. I hope to make it to the UK someday.

 

[MikeZ]

Phil, another beautiful set. Thanks!

 

[PKM-UK]

What an absolutely awesome place and great photographs. I hope to make it to the UK someday.

Hi Joe,

Cheers - appreciated!

This is one of the bigger properties - though sadly largely devoid of any furnishings. (Hopefully by the time you arrive, it will have stopped raining... ).


If/ when you get here and would like to visit our historic properties, most organisations here have reciprocal arrangements with similar ones overseas.

Otherwise we'd recommend you consider a National Trust Touring Pass (they offer 7 and 14 day versions - though note this doesn't include the usual reciprocal visits with National Trust Scotland) and/ or an English Heritage Overseas Visitors Pass (they offer 9 and 16 day versions). These work out a tad cheaper than the full annual memberships and - hopefully! - include the necessary arrangements to ensure visitors can readily get hold of and use them during their stay.

(If you intend visiting lots of places in Scotland/ Wales, check out the Scottish National Trust and Cadw).

We're also in Historic Houses, but while this provides access to some otherwise expensive/ exclusive properties, access and availability is more limited.

In addition, if you like zoos, some have partnered up and offer free reciprocal entry - we're members of Chester Zoo, but get access to seven other zoos.



Phil

 

[PKM-UK]

Phil, another beautiful set. Thanks!

Hi Mike,

Cheers - much appreciated!

As usual this was a fascinating property, but on a truly bewildering scale.

P&K

 

[Woodbadger]

P/K,
As usual, a wonderful set. I am constantly amazed by how you manage to get these images taken devoid of other people. I enjoy visiting historical sites and photographing them, but very seldom have much luck in this regard. What is your secret…a cloak of mass invisibility?

 

[PKM-UK]

P/K,
As usual, a wonderful set. I am constantly amazed by how you manage to get these images taken devoid of other people. I enjoy visiting historical sights and photographing them, but very seldom have much luck in this regard. What is your secret…a cloak of mass invisibility?

Hi Ian,

Cheers - much appreciated!

Ask that question of Karen and she will give you one of her looks, which would basically say ‘I’m married to someone obsessed with getting people-free shots’.

Of course, this is true - partly because I want to show the subject without distractions, partly because I don’t feel comfortable about posting images of people without their express permission.

If you promise not to tell anyone I’ll let you into my secrets…

1. Get it right first time - arrive there early, or when it’s quiet (or preferably both).
2. Have infinite patience. (I have zero - but this is significantly more than Karen).
3. Plan B - take a number of shots with identical framing/ settings and people in different positions - ideally enough so that every part of the scene is ‘people free’. (Unfortunately, this is often closely tied in with point 2). Load these as layers into Photoshop, align them and then use masking to ‘eliminate the people’. (A very satisfying process).
4. Plan C = Plan B plus use Photoshop‘s healing tools to ‘eliminate the annoyingly persistent people’.
5. Karen’s preferred option - embrace the presence of people to show scale, and/ or use them artistically.
6. Always smile, always remain calm and polite - and remember other people have every right to be there.

In fairness, particularly when inside tighter rooms and spaces, many people endeavour to get out of the shot.

A very useful and powerful Photoshop technique (which I really must get round to trying!) can be viewed Here.



Phil

PS. Another handy trait is to time it so the weather is grim. As we appear to be ‘rain gods’ this isn’t usually a major issue…

(At Wentworth, it was mid-week, raining - and we were the first ones through the door. It was much busier by the time we left).

 

[Hali]

Images from our recent visit to Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England.

(Shot raw and processed using: DxO PhotoLab Elite/ ViewPoint and Adobe Lightroom Classic/ Photoshop with TK-9 Panels).

You can find out more about Wentworth Woodhouse by clicking Here and/ or Here.

Phil and Karen


1. The original Jacobean house was rebuilt by Thomas Watson-Wentworth, 1st Marquess of Rockingham (1693–1750), and vastly expanded by his son, the 2nd Marquess, who was twice Prime Minister. In the 18th century, the house was inherited by the Earls Fitzwilliam and the family of the last earl owned it until 1989.

View attachment 22677

2. The recently restored South Pavilion Tower. The vane connects to the dials which depict the direction the wind is blowing. House historians believe the tower may have been used in the mid 18th century by Mary, the wife of the Second Marquess of Rockingham. The son of the Fourth Earl Fitzwilliam, Charles Viscount Milton, used the top floor as his study in the years leading up to his inheritance of the title in 1833.

View attachment 22678

3. During World War II the house became a Training Depot and HQ for the Intelligence Corps and from 1949 through to 1988 it was mostly used as an educational establishment.

View attachment 22679

4. King George V and Queen Mary stayed at the house for four days in July 1912. A crowd of 25,000 gathered on the lawn to witness the King and Queen on the balcony of the portico, from which the King gave a speech.

View attachment 22680

5. Wentworth Woodhouse has more than 300 rooms and has featured in films such as Downton Abbey and Darkest Hour, and TV series including Victoria and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

View attachment 22681

6. The house was purchased by the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust in 2017. Since 2022 the National Trust has worked in partnership with the Trust in managing the property.

View attachment 22682

(Sources: Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, The National Trust and Wikipedia).

These are absolutely wonderful, Phil and Karen! I love the way you showcase the beauty of these places. I feel like I'm standing there.

 

[Hali]

I'm still in my weird creative phase. This is a focus stack of 25 images of frozen flowers with a texture applied with the subtract blending mode in photoshop applied to the top layer (for those inquiring minds)
The RF 100mm macro is probably tied for my favorite lens of all time.

• Canon EOS R5
• RF100mm F2.8 L MACRO IS USM
• 100.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/100 sec
• ISO 2000