CAPTURE NEW HORIZONS

Nikon D700 - Sigma 50-500mm f4 / f6.3 - 1/4000 @ f8 - ISO 800 - Tripod  If you are a regular visitor to the MacLean Photographic blog you'll know that the Vale of Belvoir is one of my favourite places to visit, not only due to its proximity close to my home town of Grantham but also because it one of those great undiscovered photographic locations, with a variety of landscapes in a relatively small area. The focal point of the Vale is Belvoir Castle, home of the Duke of Rutland. Perched high on the hill, surrounded by woodland, the castle is a very photogenic piece of architecture.  On every visit to the Vale I usually end up shooting it from one angle or another. The first shot was taken on a very foggy day in October 2012 and for most of the morning the castle was shrouded in mist. However as the sun started to break through the castle and the trees were revealed.   Grabbing the Nikon D700 and fitting the Sigma 50-500mm lens I took this image with the foca...

Last night we had some more snow in Grantham but this morning the thaw had started to set in, so I headed out to the Vale of Belvoir to capture some last images of the snow before it melted away. I headed up to Woolsthorpe by Belvoir to take some images of the village but decided to stop at Denton on the way to get some shots of St Andrew's Church for my records.  The sun was still quite low, as it always is at this time of year. This created a scene with deep contrast and I has to be careful with the exposure. After 30 minutes and several shots in the bag I headed to Woolsthorpe and trudged up the hill in the snow to get some shots across the valley towards Belvoir Castle on the opposite side. Finally I headed the other side of the castle to get some shots of the snowy fields and also some of the castle.  While I was there I saw a Red Kite soaring overhead and a quick change of lens resulted in some nice images of this beautiful bird of prey. I headed back ...

The setting sun catches Belvoir Castle sitting on the ridge overlooking the Vale of Belvoir, bathing the stonework in a red glow.   A glorious sunny day provided plenty of photo opportunities for the first time in 2013. This was shot 20 minutes before sunset and the low angle of the sun behind me emphasised the imposing 19th Century building in the surrounding landscape. This shot was taken on the west side of the castle from the Barkestone Le Vale road using a Nikon D700 and a Sigma 50-500 f4 / f6.3 lens. Belvoir ( meaning 'beautiful view' in French but is pronounced 'Beaver' in English) is the home of the Duke of Rutland and is situated five miles to the west of Grantham.  There has been a castle here since Norman times and is the fourth building to occupy the site.  The current castle was rebuilt in 1816 after a devastating fire destroyed most of the previous building. Belvoir Castle is open to the public from Easter until late summer - more informatio...