Burton’s Mausoleum 22nd October 2016

After my visit to Kilmorey Mausolum earlier in the week, I took a trip to Mortlake to see Burton’s Masoleum another memorial looked after by the Environment Trust. Set within the grounds of St Mary Magdalen Roman Catholic Church, this mausoleum is the resting place of legendary Victorian, Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890).

According to the Environment Trust’s website, this is the brief story behind this intriguing man and why this incongruous structure can be found in a South West London suburb:

“Few have been able to match the width of his talent and range of his accomplishments.  Soldier, scholar, poet, cynic, geographer, magnificent swordsman, fearless traveller and a pioneer of successful exploration in Africa, he wrote many books and papers including a translation of the Kama Sutra.  He soaked up the lore and life of Islam and learned to recite the Qu’ran.  Nevertheless he believed deeply in firm British rule in its burgeoning Empire.”

“After Burton died in 1890 his devoted wife, Isabel, had the Mausoleum built to represent an Arab tent; a rippling canvas set in stone from the Forest of Dean.  It is of great cultural importance for its fusion of the Christian and Muslim symbols.  Muslim symbols are found in the frieze of the crescent moons and several stars around the pelmet structure.  Inside there are a number of oriental lamps from Burton’s happiest posting to Damascus and strings of camel bells.”

This time I took my other lens, the one which came with the camera. As it’s an 18mm – 55mm, this would enable me to take different shots with a different focal length rather than being restricted to the single one of the 50mm lens.

The other challenge I set myself was to set the camera to manual so I would have to adjust the setting to ensure each shot wasn’t under or over exposed.

Here are the results:

 

Criteria Ref: P1, P2 & P4.

Kilmorey Mausoleum 20th October 2016

Having visited the Kilmorey Mausoleum initially in September, I needed to arrange a further visit to take some further photos.

I’d contacted the Environment Trust and was disheartened to hear that the next opportunity would be during the Open House event in mid December. This would have been too late as the project needs to be finished by 8th December. No way I could do this in time…

I was initially disappointed, but determined to find out if there was a possibility of seeing it before that date. Luckily, when I spoke to another person within the trust, they had organised a visit the following day. Would I like to join them? Of course I said ‘yes’. Was so grateful for that opportunity!

The next day, I arrived about 10 minutes before the arranged time. Good job I did as the parking is a bit limited nearby. While walking from the car to the site, I too some shots on my approach using the 50mm lens.

This is the wall outside on the road and the gate to the garden:

When I went inside I met Sophie Harman, plus Martin Day and an American called Nathan Evans. Sophie is the Heritage Project Manager (Historic Buildings) and Horticultural Coordinator (Model Market Garden) for the trust.

I realised that I’d met Martin before. He’s a volunteer for the trust who gave a brief tour of the mausoleum and told its story during the September open day. He’s a very outgoing and entertaining individual with a wonderful depth of knowledge of the local area.

Nathan is a travel writer who is penning his first novel set during the mid Victorian era. Part of the plot involves the Kilmorey Mausoleum and several other stone resting places in London and Paris. Will be worth looking out for when it’s published in a couple of years time.

While these two were chatting away, I quietly got on with my own mission. The following, again, were taken with the 50mm lens. This had its advantages and disadvantages.

External shots

Not happy with some of these – just couldn’t get back far enough to get the perspective.

Detailed external shots

This is where the 50mm lens comes into its own. Great for capturing details and getting close up.

Internal shots

I certainly will need a tripod to capture the light inside. Quite magical…

Hand shots

I really liked the hand shots – it reminded me of the work of Helena Almeida which I saw previously at The Photographers Gallery. This is where the 50mm came into its own. One major thing to consider next time.

Last, but not least, I had to concoct some abstracts…

Criteria Ref: P1, P2, P4, P5

People & The Environment – First Thoughts

When the concept of the first course project was revealed to the class,  I was quietly relieved that I would be focusing on the concept of people and their environs or how people affect their locations. This is because I already had some  particular locations in mind.

Back in September, I had the opportunity to take part in a secret art sale on behalf of the Environment Trust for Richmond. The trust’s mission is to “promote and support community involvement in and responsibility for the environment within the London Borough of Richmond.”

As part of their remit, The Environment Trust also is responsible for the care and maintenance of buildings and sites of historical merit or community interest. When I visited the trust’s offices to discuss the secret art sale, I was told about some of the buildings and sites which they look after. These include the Kilmorey Mausoleum, Burton’s Mausoleum and the Vineyard Passage Burial Ground. I also discussed the possibility of capturing these places as part of a future project.

It may seem a bit grisly & ghoulish, but I find these places to be quite beautiful and peaceful. Places of contemplation and quiet. Also, they’re teaming with life – both plant and animal.

I already have know that I’m drawn to cemeteries and other final monuments within the environment. During my NCFE Level 2 Photography course, one project focused on the cemetery of a local church. I found details that I hadn’t spotted before despite walking through the area many times. It was by slowing down and making the close observations that I came to my final set of images.

One main aspect I find with my photography is that I have to feel comfortable & at peace in order to be focused. Also, the location is important – close to home & easily accessible enabling me to make repeat visits to a place so I can study it fully. As a single mother who’s in the process of starting her own business, this is essential.

Another aspect is how I see things & process images. What brought this home was when Zig showed images from various well-known war photographers during today’s class. I found it quite distressing to look at them. I know that, as I have a very strong visual memory, what I see stays with me. Ok, I have found that it can be frustratingly selective, but if it does imprint, when I recall an image, it brings up the initial emotions. Which is why I would rather bring out the beauty in things & pick out the details people don’t normally see.

I had already visited one of the locations, the Kilmorey Mausoleum, during September. The location was part of the Open House Weekend, when people get the opportunity to visit places of interest not normally open to the public on a regular basis.

The Environment Trust describes this hidden gem as:

“This Grade II* listed Mausoleum built in the early 1850s is set in about a third of an acre of land in Twickenham.  It was commissioned by Francis Needham, the 2nd Earl of Kilmorey for his mistress Priscilla Anne Hoste.  The designer Henry Kendall chose an Egyptian-style constructed in pink and grey granite at the cost of £30,000 which was a huge sum at the time.  The granite is covered in Egyptian symbols and skylight stars in the ceiling allow the sun to illuminate the interior.  The large marble bas-relief carved by Lawrence MacDonald is located on the interior wall and depicts Priscilla on her death bed with the Earl at her feet and son Charles by her side.  The enclosure wall and cast iron railings have just been renovated and look wonderful. A key element of the site’s appeal is the wildlife garden that was created by Trust volunteers.”

These are some of the photos taken on the day using aperture priority with the 50mm lens on auto focus:

After today’s class, I visited Vineyard Passage for the first time. Again, I took these on aperture priority with the 50mm lens on auto focus. Nestled between two buildings, it was nice to explore a place. Can’t believe I had passed many times without being aware of its existence.

So, that’s my starting point. These shots weren’t particularly great, but it gave me a better idea of what could be achieved using the 50mm lens. You have to think a bit harder about the shots themselves & where you position yourself to take them. Plus, you need to be aware of what’s around you & take a look before stepping back to get the composition correct. All part of the learning process. As they say, the longest journey commences with just one step…

Criteria Ref: P1, P2, P4, P5