Project Day 7

This is the final project for the Better Landscapes in Just 7 Days tutorial in Practical Photography I am attempting to complete. This project calls for you to make a purchase, if you haven't already done so, of an OS map (or any other topographical map) of your local area. You are to "use its information to find a new location. Visit this location to try out all of your new landscape skills."

Here are my results:

This is the remains of Elagh Castle (the underground chambers remain intact) in a field on the outskirts of Derry. I never knew about this site, although I knew it once existed, and would have never found it without looking at an OS map (OS Northern Ireland C 41062204). It turned out to be less than a 10 minute drive!

One note of caution to those using OS maps, they do contain mistakes. This site is an example. It is labeled as Doherty Tower on the map, but Doherty Tower is actually the Tower Museum within the City Walls of Derry. A few questions about "what's that castle here (pointing at map)?" gave me the correct name for the ruin.

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Day 7: Learn All About Locations

Day 7of the Better Landscapes in Just 7 Days tutorial of Practical Photography is concerned with finding the best locations using Ordinance Survey maps. This tutorial is more about map reading and applying topographical features to your photographic adventures than the mechanics of photography.

The tutorial points out 10 features to look for on an OS map:

1. Rock Features: cliffs can be used for great viewpoints, rocky ground for foreground interest.
2. Coastal Features: rocky, shingle or sand-covered beaches?
3. Lighthouses: excellent focal features for seascapes.
4. Water Features: Rivers and waterfalls, bridges and weirs.
5. Woodland: coniferous woodlands stay green all year long while non-coniferous woodlands provide spectacular autumn colours.
6. Rights of Way: show whether you have access.
7. Other Public Areas: public access routes not easily seen on the ground.
8. Contours: indicate height every 10 metres above sealevel, the closer together, the steeper the terrain.
9. Parking: self-explanatory for the car owners among us (sadly not me).
10. Castles: "romantic" or just interesting, a nice way to spice up your landscape photos.
    

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