Week One: Irish Castle

I was in Ireland over Spring Break last year, and I went to Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone and admire the amazing architecture of the castle and grounds. I took a ton of pictures, but I particularly like this one because to me, it really conveys the age and power that the building has and must have had when it was new. I love the shadow that the rising sun makes over the stones, with the highlights on the right and left sides of the building and through the windows. I like that the highlight on the right side is perfectly aligned with the wall, giving it a wonderful clean cut that shows off the dimensions of the building. I also like how the brightness of the sky really makes the more shadowed building stand out. More on the shadows- looking at the picture multiple times just shows that many different types and shades of shadows there can be in even one photograph. The very bottom of the picture has the darkest shadow, that of a tunnel leading underground where there is no natural light. The darkness of some of the other places in the picture (such as inside the very top of the building) suggests to me that those places do not ever see the full light of the sun. They contrast nicely with the points of almost too bright light- the windows draw my focus due to the lightness of their color and the intensity with which the light comes through. Overall, this picture demonstrates the versatility of shadow and intensity, and it allows my eyes to wander all over and not get bored. I love natural, beautiful things, and this picture to me demonstrates a wonderful ancient beauty.