There are two things that I did in 2022 that almost everyone else seemed to have already done – number one was catching COVID and number two was finally watching Game Of Thrones.
It was only a few weeks ago when I finally came down with the dreaded virus and in my isolation, I decided to give GOT a go in order to fill the time. This led to watching all 8 series over just a few weeks. It is a truly epic show, the battle scenes are something else and some of the cinematography is incredible.
Much of it was filmed in my homeland of Northern Ireland where a purpose-built stage was created in Belfast and around 25 other locations including this one. The Dark Hedges became the Kings Road and as Tiffany says, it is now an incredibly popular tourist destination. I remember being in the car, driving down it when I was young after a trip to the nearby Giants Causeway and the enclosed feeling that the trees gave. Even on a summer’s day, the road was dark and ominous.
It is a shame that some of the trees have now fallen but some of their wood has been used to make 10 wooden doors with carvings on them that relate to the series and they are hidden throughout Northern Ireland.
As well as the tourists visiting the road, it has also become popular with couples eloping or having wedding photos in the country. To make the most of it, you do now need to be there at daybreak and you need to carefully position both yourself and the couple so that the gaps in the trees are not obvious.
Tiffany has a great tip on lens choice for shooting somewhere like this and as the prequel, House Of The Dragon has just dropped on streaming this week, I’m guessing that this spot will be even busier from now on.
Sony a7iii | 85mm Zeiss Batis 1.8/85 | f/1.8 | 1/500| ISO 400
Lindsey Roman Presets
What Tiffany Said…
“Shot at 7am in the still and quiet hours of the morning along the Causeway Coastal Route at the iconic Dark hedges. For all you Game of Thrones fans it will look very familiar. This spot is extremely busy with large bus tours all day and evening, so it’s only possible to shoot early in the morning and we still had some walkers when we were finishing up. These trees lead up a long driveway that points to a Manor House and frequently make it on the NI news headlines after a windy night, as one seems to fall down each year. The beech trees have formed this lovely tunnel weave effect.
This was the morning after the couple’s elopement handfasting ceremony. They travelled from Lake Tahoe USA and had planned this day for about 10 months. They really wanted to have their elopement portraits captured highlighting some of Northern Ireland’s iconic landmarks, to show family and friends back home, as it was just the two of them who eloped.
It was a mild morning, a little dewy, and slightly overcast. The hedges road was silent, with no cars on neighbouring roads, no hustle or bustle. Just the sound of my camera clicking and the birds wakening up. There are fields of barley on each side, which are tall in August, ready to be cut by the farmers. Silently swaying in the fresh morning breeze.
I have some lovely shots from this shoot that have the couple perfectly in the middle of the road, with equal leading lines, but this shot, It had that sweetness about it. You know the moment you smile when clicking through LR, the photo resembled how they were with each other. The couple were very calming to be around, kind and sweet to each other. This shot just seemed the like one, even though I had to move slightly to the right when shooting to get the best angle of their connection/faces, as the middle didn’t quite work with how they hugged and sank into that moment, I think her shoulder was in the way of her face.
I suppose that’s it, when shooting with a couple I look to capture their movement and energy, avoiding still stances, so when they moved into that little hug and she laid her head down on him, it was magic for that split second. The night before we had been taking awesome portraits, and gliding along windy cliff tops in the sunset, seeing who would drink the right amount of Guinness to the bottom of the Harp icon on the glass, at the pub, but the next morning we were in sync with nature’s new energy, the gentleness of the morning, the world waking up. I think that’s something you don’t get with traditional weddings. Unlimited time/no schedule, two days experiencing different scenes at the best times of light, and sinking into the moments, in the privacy of just us. That’s why this particular shot is so important.
At the dark hedges, it’s best to shoot up the road, in the opposite direction of the big house, as the road inclines, giving you a much better backdrop of the trees.
The leading lines are pretty satisfying along this road, and in any season, the trees give something new each time.
The longest lens I have is 85mm Zeiss Batis 1.8/85, and I used it with my 35mm that morning, the shots are crazy in comparison from the exact same spot. Bring the longest lenses you have and just experiment, the longer the lens, the more mood/enclosure the trees create.
Sunrise and sunset are super lovely at the hedges, but in summer you can really only shoot in the early AM, because there are bus loads every 15 minutes, opening their doors and every passenger walks along.”