Exploring with my camera
In early May I took myself and my camera to Brittany for two weeks to photograph the Enclos Paroissiaux which are particular to western Finistère. I was quite nervous about the trip – driving on the right, and coping with only very basic French … Continued
On our last morning in France we stopped at the French National Memorial at Notre Dame de Lorette – nothing prepares one for this and photographs from the ground simply can’t capture the size of this cemetery where 20,000 soldiers … Continued
Vimy Ridge was the site of a battle in WWI in April 1917, as part of the fighting around Arras. All four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Corps in the First Army fought together and were tasked with capturing the … Continued
I had visited several cemeteries and battle grounds and reflected on what I had seen. It was disturbing and unsettling, but nothing quite prepared me for the atmosphere of Beaumont-Hamel, where I shivered and felt heavy as I walked into … Continued
We stayed in Arras for two nights, visiting cemeteries and countryside around the city. The aim was not to follow the historical path of the war, or specific battles, but to photograph for an illustrated talk and to ‘react’ to … Continued
We planned a few days in Northern France to do some research on WWI battlefields and started at the end of the war, the Armistice. The Armistice was finally signed in Compiègne on 11 November 1918, and brought to an … Continued
The time in Brittany was coming to an end and the last walk was around St Barnabé.
Gargoyles and grotesques abound on the outside of The Church of St Suliau in Sizun! This is perhaps my favourite of the Enclos Paroissial. It is situated at a crossroads in the middle of the village. The tall, thin spire can be seen … Continued
The Church of St Salomon in La Martyre is a remarkable Enclos Paroissial, situated in a small village near Landerneau. I spent time here in a previous year but each time I visit I see something different, or perhaps just differently.
The Enclos Paroissial of Argol is in the middle of the Crozon Peninsula. The Church of St Peter and St Paul was built in the 16C and added to and rebuilt in successive centuries. The enclosure is walled, accessed through … Continued