From the Harbour Wall

This view of Staithes was taken from a jetty just inside the harbour walls the other side of which the cold North Sea was battering with huge waves. Safe within the walls there was only a gentle swell so it was clear that the wall was performing a really important function.

I have tried something different with this image reducing the saturation of the foreground and background to highlight the colours of the houses in the village. I have slightly raised the saturation in the sky to add a little bit of colour.  I think it works quite well but if you have any comments please leave them below.
 

Autumnal Colours

Autumn is a great time to capture the fantastic colours all around as the season changes and we move closer to winter. A walk in the woods at this time of year presents a riot of greens, yellows, oranges and shades of brown and just about everything in between.

Recently at Dunham Massey I took a few pictures of the fallen leaves. In the first of today's images I thought it would look most striking in monochrome making the pale leaf stand out in stark contrast to the dark and leathery background.

In the second shot I have used a selective colour technique (something I have had fun experimenting with before) to really bring out the rich and vibrant colours of the fallen leaves.

I think both techniques work really well and I love both of these images, I hope that you do too.

Shipwreck

At Glasson Dock Marina (near Lancaster) there are some really lovely boats; narrow boats which navigate the canals and yachts and motor cruisers that sail out into Morecombe Bay and beyond. There is also one vessel sunk at it's moorings with the wheelhouse being just about the only part above water.

It really is quite sad and shabby and not particularly photogenic but as I walked past I noticed a plant in full bloom just behind the wheel and I thought instantly that it would make an interesting shot. I have tried to add a little extra interest by using the adjustment brush in Lightroom to highlight the flowers and make them stand out against the black and white background. I think that it works quite well..

Not Gloves for Foxes

So for today I wanted to share this picture of a woodland glade with a mass of beautiful foxgloves. It was really nice walking along the edge of the woodland and looking out across the open fields and farmland and then as I turned back into the woods I spotted this lovely quiet and secluded spot which provided a nice splash of colour in contrast to the varied greens.

Then just as I got back to the car park I used the last space on my memory card for the second of today's images. Again this is a beautiful purple foxglove. I have had another go at choosing a monochrome background and highlighting the colour in the flowers, it was quite fiddly given the shape of the flowers and my limited skill with this technique but after several attempts I don't think this is too bad. Let me know what you think.

Street Life & Café Culture

A few more street shots from around Paris and Versailles and a couple more experiments with the technique of selecting colour highlights.

I really like the contrast in these pictures between the young people absorbed in their smart phones and the older people taking in the world around them. 

I love the joyful expression on the face of the girl in the café. 

I love the over the top style of the couple in the last picture.

I like all of these pictures and can't pick which I like best, let me know if you have a favourite.

I have in the past preferred landscape and wildlife photography but I really enjoyed my experiment with street photography, There is so much of interest to see in our cities and in the faces of the people around us. So keep coming back to see more.

On a side note I am a very private person and in my blog and in my social media I don't often post pictures of myself, but if you are interested you might catch a glimpse in the reflection in the café window #justsayin 

Street Chic

So for today I have selected a few more shots from Paris' Left Bank and I have also tweaked a couple of them to make some of the colours pop.

The first image is of a mobile crepe stand, the guy really looks the part and he seemed to do a good trade.

The second shot was an accident as I was lining up to take a picture of something else and a bus load of tourists disembarked in front of me and they all streamed past me as if I wasn't there so I snapped a few. I picked this one and chose to highlight the girl because of her choice in bright clothing.

The third picture is another of the book vendors along the riverbank and I have introduced some colour by highlighting the painting in the foreground.

The final shot for today was taken walking from the La Durée shop on rue Bonaparte to the chocolate shop of Debauve & Gallais on Rue des Saints-Péres. I thought this couple had such style that I couldn't resist capturing the image.