Amberley Gate – Limited Edition Fine Art Photograph of a Historic English Castle

Taking a Break at Amberley Castle in Sussex

During a holiday exploring London and the surrounding countryside, I made a stop in Sussex to stay at the extraordinary Amberley Castle—now a luxury hotel, but originally a fortified 12th-century manor house. Erected in 1377 with soaring stone curtain walls and a gatehouse once protected by a working portcullis, the place felt like something out of a medieval dream. Our room was literally in the castle wall and even included a secret staircase leading up to the battlements.

Before dinner in their incredible restaurant, I took a walk around the courtyard with my plastic Holga camera—a favorite for its charming unpredictability and artistic quirks. The Holga is wonderfully primitive: zone focusing, minimal exposure control, and a plastic lens that gives you what it gives you.

As I approached the gatehouse, I noticed a few doves resting on a ledge. I raised the Holga, and just as I pressed the shutter, one of the birds lifted off into the air. Its white form flashed upward against the dark stone façade—an accident of timing that made the image.

When I developed the black and white film and scanned it in RGB color space, unexpected cross-coloring emerged—spurious tones I chose to enhance rather than correct. The warm hues in the stone and the strange yellow cast of the sky weren’t planned, but they suited the 900-year-old mystery of the place perfectly.

Exhibition Note:

Amberley Gate was selected for the “Portals” exhibition at A Smith Gallery in Johnson City, Texas, in 2019.

Available in a Limited Edition of 25, with 2 Artist Proofs.