THE CLAPP COLUMN
Château de Chambord, Loire Valley, France. 19:52pm. 15 August 2015
An unexpected change in the weather forces a race against the sun to shoot Chambord
Travel photography is so demanding on your shooting time, yet the unexpected can happen at the most unlikely of moments. This was exactly what happened in the summer of 2015 in the picturesque Loire Valley, in central France.
After arriving in Blois, a historical town in the heart of the Loire, I begin my photographic warm-up. Travel photography is a mix of all the subjects you may have mastered at home, which in my case is landscapes, seascapes and architecture, with a bit of portraiture thrown in. The weather is consistent, but not today. After a non-event of a sunrise, Rachel and I are on the road to visit another remarkable château…
The Loire châteaux hit list in this middle section of the Loire Valley comprises Chambord, Azay-Le-Rideau and Chenonceau. We find out that morning that Azay-Le-Rideau is covered in scaffolding and wrapped in plastic so we decide to take a trip over to a smaller and delightful château at Sully Sur Loire, as it's fairly close.
On our return that evening, everything is heavy and grey. The more west we drive on this flat landscape, the less inspired I am, that is until I spot some hope. What's this? The classic gap on the horizon is starting to appear through the trees. We are 45 minutes away from Chambord. Will there be clear skies to light it? Hmm, I doubt it.
Rather than take the motorway, I am driving the D951. It is slower, costs less and provides a different opportunity to spot compositions, but this is taking longer than expected. The gap is still there in the skies, and my mind has gone into overdrive.
When the sun reaches a horizon level gap, the contrast levels can become truly incredible. Shadows are deep, the colours can be rich, but above all, the side light can shape the scene in beautiful ways. I have seen some unique and unlikely sunsets in my time, but not with French châteaux and reflections.
We make it to the borders of the château estate, but it is gigantic and I am getting confused. The sun is starting to appear though gaps. I start running through camera settings in my head to save time. I am going to shoot with my compact-system Canon EOS M3 from the other side of a river bank. I hope there are reflections. I’m using the Canon EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5
