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| © Melissa Milligan Photography |
I still laugh when I look at this photo, though not for the obvious reason. This is Clifford's Tower in York, England. I took the photo while in Europe and the UK, during the summer of 1991.
Having once been a travel agent, I used those crackerjack skills to create for myself a month-long whirlwind tour of the UK the likes of which hadn't been seen since "If it's Tuesday, this Must be Belgium." In my case, I was sadly lacking a young Ian McShane to accompany me. I travelled solo.
As is the case with most whirlwind tours, some places got glossed over, sped up, or were left unresearched prior to arrival. Clifford's Tower was one such place.
I remember walking towards it trying desperately to talk myself out of my unrealistic fear of hills (second only to my fear of heights.) So, I grabbed my camera bag and made it about ten steps up the hill before deciding that photos from the ground would do just fine.
Once I finished shooting, I crossed the road and took a boat tour that required no hill climbing whatsoever. It was a lovely ride, but all the while I marvelled at the staggering number of people on the top of the tower that managed to climb that hill. How on earth did they do it?
Years later I was watching a television show about York, and there was the tower looking just as I left it. And what did I see to my astonishment? Stairs. On either side of the hill just out of sight. The cameraman did what I did not - he walked around the hill. Had I done the same I'd have seen those stairs, climbed them and the tower, and undoubtedly gotten some really lovely photos.
Photography lesson learned: look at your subject from all sides because if you don't, you could be missing something great.
Once I finished shooting, I crossed the road and took a boat tour that required no hill climbing whatsoever. It was a lovely ride, but all the while I marvelled at the staggering number of people on the top of the tower that managed to climb that hill. How on earth did they do it?
Years later I was watching a television show about York, and there was the tower looking just as I left it. And what did I see to my astonishment? Stairs. On either side of the hill just out of sight. The cameraman did what I did not - he walked around the hill. Had I done the same I'd have seen those stairs, climbed them and the tower, and undoubtedly gotten some really lovely photos.
Photography lesson learned: look at your subject from all sides because if you don't, you could be missing something great.
Life lesson learned: try thinking.
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