The Light Pyramid was commissioned in 2012 and is a major landmark in Milton Keynes, situated on a stunning viewpoint in Campbell Park with amazing views of North East Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire. It can be illuminated from within and is lit to commemorate special local and national events - the first being the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on 4th June 2012.

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'Pyramid Reflection' was taken just after 6pm on April 16th 2016, while I was out shooting for the MK50 photography book, which didn't have a name at that time! It's a panoramic image, meaning it was shot in six vertical sections and then 'stitched' together in Adobe Lightroom - although the print version I have for sale currently is cropped to suit standard picture frames. Spring is definitely the best time to shoot this scene, as at other times of year the reeds in the foreground are either non existent (winter), untidy (autumn) or so tall that they obscure the reflection (summer) - making this by far the best time to capture the scene. The original is a much wider

 

Positioning the reflection perfectly involves a careful balance of walking up and down the hill on the other side of the pond until the ideal composition is reached - something which I demonstrate to clients on my Campbell Park Workshops! Too high and the reflection is hidden by the far bank, too low and it disappears behind the reeds, even when this short.

 

Beyond this, it's just a case of having the right light, cloud and shadows in order to bring everything together - as was the case here. Not to mention avoiding all of the many water birds which have a habit of landing in the scene at the wrong moment and disrupting the reflection completely! I have shot this exact view many times since, but have never experienced the same combination of conditions which worked so perfectly.

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As I mentioned above, I was approached by Destination Milton Keynes and asked if Pyramid Reflection could be used as part of their UnexpectedMK advertising campaign, which I was very happy to do, as a huge advocate of Milton Keynes. Since then it has appeared on the wall in their Visitor Information Centre, on the home page of their relaunched website in 2020, and in various other locations - not forgetting of course as a double page spread in the MK50 photography book, which later also became known as 'Unexpected:MK'!

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This image is now available to order as a mounted print here, and also currently in the Love Local Hub shop opposite M&S in the Centre:MK until Christmas - where you can also see it on the wall. Thank you for taking the time to read this page!