Stand Up

 Some people have commented that the pebble stack in my last post resembled a woman in a large skirt cradling a baby/child, which is what I noticed when I first created the stack. Even though it was unintentional it really does look like that and I was really happy with the way it turned out. It would be impossible to recreate it and I like that the image is unique.

I went on to build a second stack which is is probably more simple in that it is a pile of stones balanced with no special feature but within the landscape it looks really effective and the light play through the water in some of the images is quite cool.

I have included one shot of the background too to provide greater context to the overall setting.

It can be fun playing about on the rivers edge, you should try it sometime.

Pile On!

 Whenever I stop near a river, as I did recently during a walk near Beddgelert in North Wales, I will try to build stacks of river stones and photograph them, before putting them back in the river or on the river bank where I found them.

I try also to take the photo from an angle that lines up with the background although I try to keep the background out of focus, with just enough detail to make the image work. For example in the second image the angle of the stacked stones lines up with the light rock in the background. Sometimes the images work best in colour, especially if I have managed to find stones that match the colours in the background but for todays images I thing black and white look best.

It doesn't always work and it can take several attempts to achieve the image I want. This sometimes means getting wet too as I  find the right position.

While this is a fun activity for me and | like the stacks I don't like to leave them when I am done. For me it is about capturing a moment and then leaving things as I found them and for other people to enjoy the natural landscape. 

Fun By The River

So it might not be everybody's idea of fun but I think that creating stacks of river pebbles like these can be challenging and fun.

Frozen in these images they look sturdy and secure but they are in fact precariously balanced and the smallest slip of the hand or a gust of wind can turn this artistic creation into a pile of rubble.

Once they are built the fun doesn't stop as you try to find the best angle to photograph them.  For these which were built right on the rivers edge it was necessary to stand or rather squat in the river. On the slippery stones on the river bed it was quite trick to keep my balance but I think it was worth it.

The first of today's images is a different view of the stack I shared yesterday and the others are two slightly different views of my second stack of the day. It was a little more adventurous than the first one although I used the same number of stones. I have some more views of this one that I will share tomorrow and then I will post some pictures of my third and tallest stack of the day so come back tomorrow to see more.

Skater Boi!

It was as I was walking back following my visit to the waterfront in Thunder Bay that I spotted this skater practicing a few tricks in the small skate park. I took a moment to capture a few action shots and I am fairly pleased with the results.

The pose of the skater in each trick reminds me of some graffiti I saw in Paris over 30 years ago and which for some time I had copied onto the back of a jacket I wore. I was never much of a skater myself (I never really had the balance or skill) but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the skill that we see in these shots.

I would have liked to spend a little more time watching and photographing this guy in action but that wasn't possible so I will have to make do with these for now, and that means so will you.

A Shoveler Shaking It

I had been watching this Shoveler feeding along the edges of the mere. It swims low in the water dipping its characteristic broad beak under the surface to scoop up a tasty meal. 

Then after a while it just stopped moving and I could tell it was shaping up to do something, I thought it was going to take flight so I was ready to try a shot of it taking to the air but instead it just had a good old shake to limber up those wings. It makes a nice series of pictures and I love the way he holds his head perfectly still, always alert for predators and the way he uses his tail feathers to maintain balance. I am sure that under the surface his feet are working away too but you can't tell from these shots.