As I write this, I'm sitting in Dunstanburgh Castle, with my back to the remains of the Lilburn Tower built in the early 14th century. I've never blogged from a castle before, and this seems to be a good time to do so, given that the place is open for another hour yet, and I've got a couple of hours before the last bus back to Bamburgh (then a two-mile hike to the campground). It's both easy and hard to imagine people living here 600-700 years ago.

I've just spent the last hour or so shooting numerous panoramas in and around this broke-down fortress so it's good to sit for a spell, listening to the wind whip through the medieval arrow slits in the stone wall and rustle the dry, brown grass outside it. It's a crystal-clear day with a deep blue sea, fishermen down on the shore, a sailing boat gliding by slightly further out, seabirds wheeling and calling in their never-ending plaintive voices.

Earlier today I did a "PTC" or "piece to camera" with one of the media guys. In a PTC, one talks at length about something, repeating the process for a total of three takes: one for full coverage, one for your upper body and head, and then just a close up. In my case, the goal was to explain the equipment, technique, and process I use for making the immersive panoramas that have been linked in this journal.

The PTCs are usually reserved for the various directors to explain their thinking regarding the excavations as they progress, for posterity. In my case it's just to help the staff make their own panoramas, if they decide to invest the money and equipment in something similar. With that done, all that remains is to make them copies of the panorama files and a final day in the Bowl Hole tomorrow.



The front of Dunstanburgh Castle as seen from the sea



Pano near Lilburn Tower in Dunstanburgh Castle (1 of 21)