I think you could spend quite a while photographing Oxford College Entrances. This is Magdalen (pronounced Maudlen), just along the High Street. It dates from 1458:
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| Magdalen College Entrance in 2021. OM4ti/85mm, via HP5 & HC-110. Cropped from 35mm and printed on the lovely Adox MCC fibre paper. Yer Man there has obviously clocked me, standing on the opposite side of the street. I had been standing a while, waiting for break in the traffic and spotted him a way off, striding purposefully along. I was fortunate to get him on his own, without other distractions. |
Brasenose College Entrance, dating from 1509:
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This is actually a more typical scene in the city, with the bicycle exiting stage right. Bicycles are ubiquitous in the city and would appear to be the preferred mode of transport, particularly for students. You have to be careful where you leave them, though - we saw quite a few notices along the lines of 'Bicycles left here will be removed'. I guess the metal locks they use can do a bit of damage to the railings, which are rather lovely and definitely worthy of a photograph in themselves, although that will have to wait until next time...
Beautiful buildings. Are the general public allowed inside the university grounds to sightsee, make photos, etc.?
ReplyDeleteI think visitors are allowed in most of the Colleges for sightseeing, although certain areas remain private and at the minute they are just starting to re-open after being closed due to Covid-19 restrictions. I don't think there are any restrictions on photography, but I guess they wouldn't be too keen on someone setting up a tripod in the middle of the quad. You are asked to 'Keep off the grass' but from what I can see (looking in through the gates of colleges as I walk past) the grass seems to have been clipped using a pair of scissors - you'd have to be totally devoid of any sort of social awareness to even think about walking on it.
DeleteSome Colleges are free to visit and others charge a nominal amount (£3). Magdalen college is one of the more expensive at £8. It seems that all the Colleges are free on certain days of the year.
Next time we go I think we'll try to visit at least one. Brasenose is free (donations welcome!) so that's a definite maybe. It'll mean taking the Hasselblad, of course. I couldn't contemplate anything less. I mean, even the thought...
I will utter no blasphemies about how you could save weight and still get highly detailed photographs . . . .
DeleteAh come on now...you know that's never going to happen! :)
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