Amberley Gate

Taking a Break at Amberley Castle in Sussex

I was in Sussex, part of a holiday in London and the surrounding area. I had learned about a unique place to stay, situated in the historic Amberley Castle. Now a luxury hotel, the castle was erected as a 12th-century manor house and fortified in 1377, giving it a rhomboid shaped stonework enclosure with high curtain walls, internal towers in each corner, a hall and a gateway. It was used as a fortress by the bishops of Chichester. Our room was in the castle wall, and included a hidden staircase that could take us up to the top of the battlements!

As we walked around the enclosed courtyard before dinner in their incredible restaurant, I had a plastic Holga camera in my hands, loaded with B&W film.

What Is A Holga Camera?

It’s a very basic piece of equipment, with manual “guesstimate” focusing and a plastic window rangefinder for sighting your subject. Oh, and just two exposure settings. The imperfections of the camera have endeared it to many for “artistic expression.”

As we walked towards the gatehouse, complete with a portcullis gate, I raised it to my eye, as I saw doves sitting on a ledge. Just as I hit the shutter button, one of them took flight vertically, and the white of its body stood out against the dark stone of the castle.

The Finished Photograph

Upon developing the film, I scanned it, and did so in the RGB color space, even though it was B&W film. This caused some spurious color crossovers, which I exploited for the warmth in the building, and the yellow in the sky.

The resulting image seemed mysterious, and just perfect for a 900-year old castle.

Oh, And It Is An Exhibited Image!

This image was included in the “Portals” Exhibition at The A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, Texas in 2019