David Noton On Location

Carcassonne, Aude, France. 5:43pm. 18 September 2011. David reflects on his favourite pictures of Carcassonne and explains how much time and effort was required to get a shot as inspiring as the location itself

David reflects on his shots of Carcassonne and reveals how much effort was needed to capture his inspiring image

Carcassonne is one of those places that looks best from afar. The view we catch fleetingly from the A61 (whilst whizzing from Toulouse to Narbonne) of the fortified Cité high on its mound, commanding the valley of

the Aude, takes some beating. But setting up the tripod on the hard shoulder of a busy autoroute was not really an appealing option, so, back in 2011 as we pitched camp on the banks of the river, I knew the task of finding the definitive viewpoint would be the hardest bit; a task that would likely take many days.

After much scrutinizing of maps, cycling of lanes and plodding of footpaths, I systematically narrowed down the options and eventually found myself lurking in a vineyard to the south of the Cité as a late summer afternoon turned to evening, pacing by the tripod, waiting for the light, savouring the view.

I think, by now, you know I like a bit of history in my pictures; Carcassonne in Occitanie, the historic cultural and linguistic region of southwest France, certainly ticks all the boxes on that account. Inhabited since Neolithic times, Carcassonne is located near France’s often fluid border with Spain and on trade routes linking the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Massif Central and Pyrenees. Romans, Visigoths, Catalonians, Cathars and the English have come and gone. During the Hundred Years' War, Edward the Black Prince failed to take the impregnable fortress. Now, though, legions of Dutch campers conquer it annually, and within its walls kitsch tourist pastiche predominates. But from afar it remains justifiably one of the most famous views in France, and one I have attempted to do justice to many times.

I have pictures in my library of Bastille Day fireworks arcing over Carcassonne, others with swaying poppies in the foreground, the ramparts from close and afar, with the bridge over the river, and at dawn, dusk, and night. This photograph, though, marks the last time I’ll shoot there. It’s good to know when to stop. Much as I love the area and am bound to be back, I’ll not try again, as I don’t think I could improve on this.

It had been raining all day, but then as the sun dipped, the clouds started to break and evening light painted the Cité. I exposed, mindful that the sun could disappear any moment, but I knew the light would get better, and so still I waited. Then I saw a localized shower drifting in from the west and sure enough, as if by special request, a rainbow started to glow delightfully right over the towers. Almost wetting myself at what I was seeing I hurriedly composed to include the drama of the sky above, turning the polarizer to maximize the colours in the rainbow. The spectacle lasted just two minutes, in which time I managed horizontal and vertical compositions before the moment passed.

Looking now, nine years later at the picture, I love the tight long-lens composition with the strong graphic shapes. I shot with the old push-pull EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6l IS lens; not the best lens Canon has ever made. The Mk II version is much better, and now resides almost permanently in my bag. But when all is said and done the desirability of the lens I used matters not one bit now in the longevity of this picture.

Neither does the camera, the 'old' 5D Mk II. Two generations on the 5D Mk IV has more pixels and deeper shadows, but really, that’s all nonsense. Just because our more recent images have been captured with better equipment, that doesn’t make them better images. What matters is being there, boots on, by the tripod, set up, ready to capture such magic, such decisive moments. I reckon I spent two to three hours there in the vineyard waiting – how else would I like to spend a Sunday evening? These are the memories that make me a wealthy soul. NEXT MONTH LAOS