Essex Moods [antikvár]

!'¦ f' r'l ' ''l''' 111', INTRODUCTION How you view Essex will depend on where you are and what you are looking for - as Essex is truly a county with many differing facets. The history of England has played a key part in the development of Essex, from the early Britons to the Romans and Normans, through the Middle Ages with various royal connections, to the strategic importance of the Essex coast in times of later conflict - all have left their mark on the county in a way that shapes its beauty and character that we see today. Man has had a dramatic impact on the Essex landscape - obvious in the case of castles, windmills and churches -and the more you look the more you will discover. Essex boasts a number of superiatives related to architecture within the county, including a few oldest, longest or largest of their kind. Popular culture provides a 'tongue in cheek' contemporary perspective of Essex with its reputation for Essex Girls, Essex Boy Racers and the dariing of the politicians come polling day, the Essex Man. Figures from the last census in 2002 can teU a story of their own - Essex being home to over 1.3 million people sharing 560 000 homes and 7500 kilometres of roads. In this book I have tried to show a view of the county as I have seen it - one of peace, tranquillity and beauty, which can be found in even the busiest of locations - you just need to pick your time carefuUy. Natural beauty is never far away in Essex and it takes many different forms - the county provides a range of different lowland, woodland, gently rolling, estuary and coastal landscapes. In landscape photography the quality of the light is almost as important as the subject matter itself when trying to capture images that are truly evocative and moody. For this reason many of my images are taken at either the start or end of the day, when the sunlight is at its most golden and falls at an acute angle revealing the texture of the subject. For some images however, such as close-up detail work, direct sunlight is actually unwelcome as it leads to too much contrast and a reduction in saturation of colours. For these images I favour overcast conditions when the light is soft and shadowless. I believe that any landscape is the sum of its parts - this is why I have included a few images of details from within the wider landscape, intimate images that show nature at work. Next time you are out walking in the county, try taking the time to really look around you and maybe you will be surprised at what you see. David Gynn [email protected]