Simply Snowdrops

 After my experimental film yesterday (which I was super happy with and hope you will take a look at if you haven't already) here are some more conventional shots of snowdrops as promised.

There is something special about these little flowers that come up so early in the season. It is still winter and yet they herald the start of spring. They can form impressive carpets of flowers which is why yesterday's images were so effective. But, they can also look stunning as individual plants or in small clusters as you can see in the pictures above.

Other woodland flowers that are coming through right now are cyclamen and aconites which are also really beautiful but they do not have quite the impact that snowdrops do. Soon we will see crocus, daffodils and then bluebells and then we will know that Spring has really arrived.

Experimental Film

 

In February last year (25th to be precise) I posted under the title "whoosh" some long exposure images of the snow drops at Chirk, inspired by driving through snow on the journey there. Each shot was about 2 seconds duration and I used my 24mm-105mm L series zoom lens staring at 105 mm and zooming out to 24mm.

Looking back at those images I am not very happy with them and I thought I would try the same effect again on my most recent visit to Chirk. This time I used a shorter exposure, for the first image it was 1 second and for the rest it was 0.8 seconds. I am overall much happier with the results this time round and feel the effect is much more in line with what I hoped to achieve... something like the look when you make the jump to light speed!

Anyway I hope you enjoy these images and while you look why not listen to this tune by They Might Be Giants, and hopefully your face will not implode.

If more conventional photos of snowdrops is more your thing stop by tomorrow as i also have some of those.

The Passage of Time

 So today I was all set to share some of yesterday's pictures from Dunham Massey but with the weather being so good I was out with my camera again and I got a load more photos and I have decided to work through those before going back to the Dunham Massey shots.

Today I went to Chirk Castle, near Wrexham in North Wales. It is one of my favourite castles and I have shared numerous pictures from there before as I have had some great days out at Chirk in the past. Each time I go however I try to find something new, even if it is just a different angle to photograph the castle or perhaps a detail in one of the gardens.

And that is what I have focused on today, the theme of "Time" is appropriate for today and so the sundial in the small rose garden caught my attention. I don't think I have ever photographed it before and even if I have I am sure that I have never shared the pictures here before.

Luckily by the time I arrived at Chirk the sun was out and the sky was clear so there was no difficulty in telling the time today; you will see that it was just a few minutes before midday when these photos were taken and I can confirm that having checked the time by my watch the sundial was spot on.

Given that it is still so early in the year there are no roses in bloom at the moment but come the summer this little garden will be awash with colour and the scent of roses and will be the perfect place to relax.

Light At The End

I have chosen two shots of the Chirk tunnel on the Llangollen canal because although they are very similar they are taken from different points along the tunnel and I can't decide which one I prefer. 

I really like the first one because of the longer perspective, the light glinting on the brickwork along the length of the tunnel and the irregular line of the handrail. I also like the ripples from the water dripping from the roof. And then because of the length there is a feeling of being in a tube which I like.

I like the second one because there is more detail in the reflections and the shiny colours.

Now, having "analysed" them I have made up my mind which one I like best...

A Life Afloat

I have chosen these three shots to share for my end of year post because they are such peaceful scenes and after a hectic and trying year this peacefulness is what I wish for myself and everyone. 

To all who have followed my blog or looked at my pictures and even shared them in 2017 thank you. I hope you will stay with me through 2018 wherever it takes me.

Happy New Year!!!

Light At The End ...

The first shot for today is quite deceptive because the tunnel appears shorter than it is. This is the Chirk Tunnel on the LLangollen Canal and is viewed from the small basin at the end closest to the Chirk Aqueduct.  It is 421 m in length which is 460 yds if you prefer. It is just wide enough for a narrowboat to pass through with a towpath on the right as you look at it here. It is very dark as you pass through although there is always light at the end of the tunnel. On  a cold and snowy day it is also several degrees warmer inside the tunnel than out. This was an interesting point to start the canal walk and we passed through another, shorter tunnel along the way.

I took the second picture to give a sense of what life afloat must be like. I have often thought that living on a boat would be fun, relaxing and a chance to get away from the pressures of everyday life. Free to move around at a leisurely pace with a new view from your window or deck every day.

Of course it is not all idyllic, you would have to seriously de-clutter, you would have to get used to very limited space and on a day like yesterday things like getting your laundry dry become a big issue. This chap had his washing hung over a clothes airer on the towpath but with little to no chance of getting anything dry. Suddenly the idea of life afloat becomes a little less appealing

Cold By The Canal

Today with warnings on the news that weather conditions would be really bad across the country I took a risk and set off for Chirk in North Wales for a walk along the Llangollen Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal and across the famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (built by Thomas Telford and completed in 1805, now a World Heritage Site) that spans the River Dee.

When I left home first thing the weather was atrocious with heavy, driving rain and bitter cold, it seems that those conditions continued all day but at Chirk and along the canal things were a good deal calmer.

As you can see from these two images the sky was mostly clear and blue and although there was a cold wind I was wrapped up well and managed to stay warm for the duration of the walk (8 miles in total).

I have walked here before but in the summer or spring and there are usually lots of other walkers but today it was really tranquil and I think these two pictures give a perfect representation of how peaceful it was. I was thrilled to capture the rainbow in the first shot as it arced across the snowy fields.

I like the solitary tree in the second shot too. If I had had my tripod with me I would have tried a longer exposure to smooth out the surface of the canal and enhance the reflection but to be honest I really like the picture as it is, even with the sunspots. There is a warmth to the image and I will add the tree to my collection of nature's hearts. I know, I am such a romantic but I like to photograph hearts that appear in nature and I am sure that when the tree is in full foliage the heart would not be as visible.

Emerging Blossom

I had intended to follow on from yesterday's post with some shots from the dairy at Erddig but as you can see I have taken things in a different direction. The reason being that my recent post Spring is Springing has been so popular it has stormed into top ten most viewed posts (currently it is at number 8) and so it seems that in these cold and frosty winter days there is a real taste for these signs that better weather and a change in the seasons is coming.

Today I headed off to Chirk Castle in North Wales, where there is always a spectacular display of Snowdrops at this time of year.  I only took a couple of pictures of Snowdrops however as there was plenty of colour and new growth to catch the eye albeit much of it very small and only noticeable if you were looking for it (which of course I was).

Given how small everything was I relied on my 100mm Macro Lens today, it is a beautiful lens and has never let me down as I try to get great close up shots. I hope you will agree that today it has served me well.

The first two pictures are of apple blossom emerging, each little bud was no bigger than a small pea and I love the pattern of the veins in the new petals. I am reminded by the first picture a little of the plant "Audrey II" from Little Shop of Horrors.

The flowers in the third picture were so tiny and delicate, they were growing in the shelter of a wall in the castle's kitchen garden.



It has been pointed out to me that the budding leaves in the final picture look a little bit like a paintbrush, which I guess it does.

Faster Faster!!!

Vroom Vroom!

As the natural light faded the drivers turned their lights on adding a little more drama to the racing.  I love how close up top the action you can get in rallying  and you can see from these shots its really close.

WRC On The Edge

More from the Rally Fest and today's pictures show how hard these guys are pushing the limits of their cars and their skills as drivers. The drivers in today's shots are Elfyn Evans, Dani Sordo, Haydn Paddon and Ott Tanak.

Both Sordo and Paddon in the Hyundai were carrying some damage to the bodywork showing that both drivers had been right on the limit but damage aside they didn't hold back at all.

The fourth picture is of Haydn Paddon just off the starting line, earlier in the day we had watched the National Rally Championship drivers on the same course and while they drove around the course the WRC guys flew round and in this picture you can see him going sideways round the bend.

Signs of Spring

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of some Lichen growing on a rock to show the rich warm colours, the first two pictures today are of new lichen growth on the branches of a fruit tree. We tend to overlook these small plants but they really do deserve a closer a look, the colours and intricate shapes are quite spectacular.

The next two pictures are of Witch Hazel blossom which in the winter garden at Chirk provided a real burst of colour and a light fragrance.

Taken together these pictures show that spring really is on it's way...

Chirk Estate

In February I visited Chirk Castle with the intention of getting some photos of the snowdrops in the woodland on the estate.  Unfortunately the night before my visit we had had the most violent storm with high winds which caused a great deal of damage to the trees and grounds.  Driving up the approach road I had to carefully steer around the fallen trees and branches and when I reached the car park I was told by the National Trust staff that the Castle and grounds were closed and I had to leave.  

I was really disappointed but I was able to take a few pictures of the farm buildings and the old post box which served the estate workers before being asked to leave again, as the staff were going to close the gates to the park.  From the first picture of the farm and the focus on the weather vane it can be seen that it was a beautiful day with clear skies, giving no hint of the terrible storm just a few hours before.

It was another 10 days before I was able to return which was when the pictures from the past two days were taken.