Westonbirt Sculpture

An exhibit in a sculpture trail at organised by Westonbirt Arboretum some years ago. Unfortunately I can't credit the artist since I didn't make a note of her name.

Doin what comes naturally.

Common Darters in the act of copulation. These fantastically agile insects can be seen flying linked in tandem whilst the female deposits her eggs.

Honey Bee on plum blossom.

An appropriate photo for the spring. Bees are doing their thing so that we might eat plums or any other fruit. Without these little fellas we would we all eventually starve.

Red Admiral

It's approaching the time of year when these spectacular beasties begin to emerge.

MS Oldenburg

A picture of the MS Oldenburg at the jetty on Lundy Island. Built in Germany in 1958 as a ferry for use in the Frisian Islands she now carries passengers and supplies from Ilfracombe to Lundy 20 miles off the North Devon coast. Lundy is home to the first and only statutory Marine Nature Reserve in the UK and as such has a protected status leading to one of the most rich and diverse marine habitats in Europe.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

We'd just returned from a mini cruise to Nassau and missed a hurricane passing through. The light and cloud formations were stunning but we managed to miss the main event!

Nephila Clavipes (banana spider)

Taken in Florida USA some years ago. Seems to be locally common and harmless (at least to humans). About the size of the average hand span.

Autumn Acer

Photographed at the world famous arboretum Westonbirt UK. Probably the most photographed trees in the UK, it's difficult to get an original image. I tried!

Mid-summer 2003

It's all down to the light. Not sure about the composition of this shot and wondered about excluding the rightmost tree. The light however is perfect.

Big Island Hawaii

This young lad is standing on rocks that are probably younger than him. This shot was taken in 2002 at the sight of the lava flows on Big Island Hawaii. The flows were sliding slowly down the hillside and into the sea. The rocks were hot enough to melt the soles of your shoes.

Sand Point, Bristol Channel

Newport South Wales can seen (just) on the horizon. Viewed from the peninsular north of Sand Bay, Weston Super Mare.

Retrospective

After some time without posting I decided to do a retrospective of my photos for the next series of postings.

Here goes............

Rainbow (Hawaii 2002)

Always a great subject but by definition hard to plan for. I was lucky enough to go to Hawaii as a 50th birthday trip. This shot was taken in the early morning from our hotel balcony. The combination of low pollution, high humidity and great light made for perfect rainbow conditions.

The Needles IOW

The spectacular outcrop of chalk monoliths, known as The Needles, that protects the western extremity of the Isle of Wight in the UK.

Moss on wood.

Taken on the isle of Ulva which is a short ferry ride from Mull. It illustrates how wet this part of Scotland is where the moss grows thickly on the trees nurtured by the damp, clean air.

Spinning Baby

Nuff said!

Pebbles and Driftwood

Most people seem to have an affinity with the sea and seashores. These pebbles on driftwood have been honed to these particular forms over time by the action of weather and water. Their form will have changed since this photo was taken in 2005 and given time they will be eroded to dust. Nice image though.

Shipwreck

These wrecks were gently rotting away at Salen on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. Often these small fishing vessels became valueless in the face of stiff competition for the dwindling resources of the North Atalantic fishery. They do however have photographic value for people like me offering great opportunities for composition and colour. One happy coincidence is that I have a niece called Claire and used this shot on a card we sent her.

Dragonfly

If anyone would like to identify the species please feel free. I think taken in France?

Boathouse/Houseboat?

What do you do if you've got a dodgy shack roof and an old boat? You might just do this.

Cutting a dash, making a splash!

This is someone's idea of fun, splashing about in a freezing river in the middle of a UK winter. Shot on a dull day on the river Dart in Devon, January 2007.

Female Baboon, Paignton Zoo

I have no great affinity with zoos however it does allow you to get close to animals that it would otherwise be difficult, if not dangerous to approach.

Courchevel

I stitched this panorama together in Photoshop from half a dozen images taken in 2006.

Try to look cool!

Kids, what are they like?

Fern

I am quite fond of abstract pictures however they are difficult to execute well. I leave you to judge.

My good friend Paul

Getting good shots with the low light levels on stage can be a problem but worth the challenge. Tight shots add to the atmosphere.

Three Lochs Isle of Mull Scotland

Another glorious day in the Western Isles.

Common Blue

I was lucky to get both butterflies in focus in this shot as the depth of field using a macro lens is exceedingly narrow.

Iceberg

This iceberg broke off LaConte glacier in Alaska and had drifted toward Frederick Sound. We were told that the larger icebergs beach themselves on the shallows at the mouth of the fjord where the gradually melt.

Water

The clarity of upland rivers and streams is a testament to the purity of the air and lack of pollution. The patterns created by the water movement on the backdrop of colourful granite pebbles is beautiful and serene.

Lighthouse

On a good day the Western Isles of Scotland has some of  the most beautiful and spectacular scenery in the world. This photo was taken from the CalMac ferry out of Oban, on the way to Mull. On occasions the weather conditions can make  photography a challenging prospect, on this day, perfect. 

Daddies girl

Kids get a lot of photographic attention these days and getting natural shots is quite a challenge. Children have a sixth sense when there is a camera about and act accordingly. Again this is not, technically, a photographic triumph but it does convey a sense humanity in a universally shared experience.

Surprise dolphin

Having taken this photo it was much later that we discovered that I had snapped a dolphin in the shot (see inset). Your photos are always worth a second look. Mull of Kintyre, Scotland

Graffiti

Graffiti is often a subject depicted by photographers, this example was on a portable building within paint splatter distance of the Guggenheim Bilbao.

Hornet Moth

Pictured in Normandy France, common in Europe. This is the first specimen I have ever seen and what a beauty.

Brown Bear

I am not a great lover of zoos or captive animals in general however they offer opportunities to get in close to otherwise difficult photographic subjects. This fellow was a captive of a French safari park. Not technically a brilliant shot but the eye is in focus and there is some movement. 4/10

Easy Rider

You can walk down a street and some images just shout out at you. I remember seeing the movie 'Easy Rider' as an impressionable youth. I just wanted to be Peter Fonda riding that bike! This image just composed itself all it took was my youthful memories and the random meeting of two peoples lives. My thanks to the owner whom I never met.

From Kupreanof Island Alaska looking toward LaConte Glacier

This photo, taken in the twilight, was of Frederick Sound Alaska in 2005. We had booked on a wild camping, whale watching trip with the WDCS. Possibly the most enjoyable holiday ever. The trip included not only memorable encounters with whales but the most enjoyable company of some really great people.

French lizard

These lizards are commonly seen in France sunning themselves on the warm rocks. This individual was snapped near Annecy.

Hoverfly

Hoverflies are the most obliging of insects as they can fly in a stationary position with consummate precision. This makes them an eminently suitable subject for wildlife photographers. All that is required is masses of light, fast shutter speeds, precise focussing and of course a little luck.

The Leg

Occasionally you see a pattern in everyday life that compels you to snap a picture. This dismembered leg is a case in point. It may not work for everyone but it does for me, go figure!

The Devil's Slide Lundy Island UK

The classic climb, The Devil's Side, is a must do climb for those who enjoy classic rock.The island is administered by the Landmark Trust and it is possible to stay on the island in some of the historic buildings that include a castle and a lighthouse. The climb enjoys that fabulous feeling of exposure that sea cliffs provide and is on the rugged, weather exposed  side of the island.

Switzerland

Typical Swiss view taken from a typical Swiss mountain railway.

Red Crested Pochard

Shot (not literally) at the Slimbridge Wildlife and Wetlands Trust this Red Crested Pochard was very obliging. The WWT reserves are a great place to hone your wildlife photography skills.



Fecamp France


Care needs to be taken when photographing sunsets, correct exposure is fundamental. The problem is made more difficult by the ephemeral nature of the subject. As a rule one must expose the image so that the sky is correctly exposed.

Etretat France

This dramatic cliff structure has been admired and depicted by artists for many years. This is my modest effort, somewhat manipulated in Photoshop.