I had photographed Precentor’s Court in York in the afternoon on a shoot earlier in the year and intended to return for a dusk shoot, so with the nights drawing in and sunset at around 6pm I picked a day with a sunny afternoon forecast and set off on the train.

From the station I walked down to the river and across Scarborough Bridge to see how the autumn colour was coming along in Museum Gardens – still a little early for the best colour, but the trees along the bank of the River Ouse between Marygate Tower and Lendal Bridge (above) were looking quite nice.

Round at Precentor’s Court the late afternoon sunshine was lighting the West Front of the minster quite nicely, so I took a few shots before heading into the city centre to treat myself to fish and chips for tea in King’s Square before sunset.

As the light started to fade I headed back to the minster and found the lights in the windows of the cafes on High Petergate added a bit of warmth to a shot from under the trees in front of the minster.

Back in Precentor’s Court the street lights were on but the floodlights on the west front of the minster weren’t operating, so I walked round to the other side of the minster to photograph the magnificently restored East Front, which looked very fine in the glow of the floodlights on College Street.

As the sky darkened further I walked back through Dean’s Park, stopping for a 40 second exposure of the floodlit central tower and the glow of lights inside the cathedral along the way, making my way out just before getting locked in (as the park closes at dusk)!

I rounded off the shoot with a third and final visit to Precentor’s Court which was OK but would be improved with the floodlights working on the West Front of York Minster, so another visit in the future beckons – but I was pleased to come away with some good shots of the restored East Front so the trip had been worthwhile!