[delb0y]

The Rollright Stones:

Nikon D7100, 18-55 kit lens at f/9, 22mm, and 1/100th with a ND filter on the top left hand corner as the sky was doing nothing for me. I went back later (when there were more clouds further up in the Cotswolds) but it was no better.



Rollright Stones (Square) by Derek Rutherford, on Flickr

[Browser Mike]

Hi Derek,
The sky can be a pain in the proverbial unless your name is EdMak. Then you swop it for another.
In my opinion the composition is good. I think that the tree adds both scale and interest to the scene. At the same time I do feel that the scene is on the dark side and the shadows absorb detail. Only my opinion of course, the experts may think otherwise.
Cheers,
Mike.

[MrB]

Derek, although the subject of the image is the rock circle, the big nondescript sky distracts from them for me. Perhaps a crop that removes much of it, while leaving sufficient of the tree to give a sense of scale, might be effective regarding the image title?

Cheers.
Philip

[delb0y]

Derek, although the subject of the image is the rock circle, the big nondescript sky distracts from them for me. Perhaps a crop that removes much of it, while leaving sufficient of the tree to give a sense of scale, might be effective regarding the image title?

Cheers.
Philip

Cheers guys.

Yep, I agree. That is better a better crop.

As mentioned above the sky wasn't playing today. I took a 10 stop filter with the idea that I'd get some nice long exposures of the very still rocks juxtaposed with moving clouds. Alas, it wasn't to be. So I brought the tree into the frame to try and force something, but it hasn't worked. The site is about 45 minutes away so I'll head up there for a sunrise or sunset, sometime. I reckon there's a good shot to be had, but it's a bit of a lottery until you get there as today there was great sky in the next valley along but not in that one.

When I went back a couple of hours later there was some kind of ceremony taking place within the circle. One fellow in robes and a couple exchanging vows of some kind. All very pagan-ish or druid-ish. Maybe

Here's one of the whole stone circle, just for interest:

[EnglishBob]

Interesting Subject, used to live not far from a stone circle in Derbyshire, The Nine Ladies. Nothing on the scale of these though.

I think I prefer the second of these two images, but as you said, the sky wasn't doing you any favours.