Harbour Walls

 While seated on a bench overlooking the harbour at Whitby I spent some time watching people walking along the harbour wall across the small beach in front of me. As I did so I realised that with the layered clouds above and the weathered patterns on the stone walls this would make for an effective image. Add to that the people walking by I thought they would make great images.

Although in the first image the colours show off the richness of the stone really nicely I think the black and white images are better. Il like the lone figure walking, hands in pockets, his head slightly bowed, and illuminated by the sun which was fairly low in the sky directly behind me. I wonder what he was thinking as he walked alone, I could come up with a number of different storylines.

I was really pleased when the couple in the second image actually stopped in the frame and started to point at something off to my right, one shielding his eyes from the sun so he could more clearly see what he was being directed to. Again this scene lends itself to all sorts of potential storylines and makes this, in my mind at least and effective image. 

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Island Harbour

Canon  EF 24 - 105 mm  F/4 L IS USM

ISO 100  105 mm  F/20   1/125 sec

ISO 100  40 mm   F/20   1/125 sec

Today's pictures show the colourful harbour at Vrango taken from the vantage point of the Lotsukiken (the red house or observation deck from yesterday's pictures). 

I really like the row of huts in the first picture I like the uniformity with the bright white walls and the dark grey of their roofs.

As I review my roadtrip pictures I think this was definitely one of my favourite places along the way. Maybe because it was so relaxing and away from all the crowds. I will certainly go back here in the future.

Harbour at Dawn

So after the drama of yesterday's storm I have chosen something a little calmer for today. This shot shows the lighthouse at the entrance to the harbour at Thunder Bay. I had got up early so as to capture the sunrise and it paid off because it was a clear morning and the sky was a beautiful colour in the stillness and calm of dawn. I got some lovely shots and I think you will agree this is a good one.

At Silver Islet

A couple of week ago I posted a photo, taken using my phone, of the front of the old store at Silver Islet and gave a very brief history of the once thriving mining town here. I really loved visiting the area although it is no longer a bustling mining community it has a very special feel to the place and was probably my favourite spot that we visited during the whole trip. 

I liked it so much that one morning while camping in the provincial park I got up early, borrowed a bike and set off on my own for the ten mile round trip to take some photos before other people started arriving. It was warm and the air was quite still so I managed to get some nice shots of the small harbour, a small lake and the islands just off the shore as well as the many interesting buildings which have stood for many years against the harsh weather conditions in this area. I will of course be coming back to share some of these pictures with you and I look forward to doing so. 

This photo is a rear view of the old store taken from the jetty, it involved a bit of scrambling to get to this spot as the jetty itself was fenced off but it was worth the effort, for this and the several other shots I took from here.

This isolated community as I say had a special feeling to it and I could easily see myself settling here in a cabin facing out into the bay. 

On The Quayside

The first of today's pictures is a view of Runswick Bay, I took this shot because I liked the way the village is reflected in the wet sand in the foreground. I had originally intended to get down onto the beach a little further along the coast at Kettleness. I was looking for a path down the cliffs and was told by a local fisherman that the path was very poor and quite dangerous in places and that the final 100 feet was via a rope. I did not fancy that loaded up with my camera gear so I was directed to Runswick Bay which fortunately has easy access to the beach and the shoreline beneath the cliffs.

Further north from this spot is Staithes a quaint little fishing village and location for (Captain) James Cook's first job in a merchants office. In the summer season the place is a hive of activity with lots of tourists but on a cold February day it was anything but. Most of the shops were closed and the few people brave enough to face the steep streets down to the harbour and then the arduous climb back up didn't stay very long.

The second shot is of a few of the small fishing boats at anchor in the small harbour taking shelter from the incoming tide and heavy seas. All of the boats were very colourful but look quite sad.

The last two shots are by far my favourite. I think they are really evocative and full of character. The lobster pots were, like the boats, quite colourful with brightly coloured tags and floats but having taken both colour and black and white shots I think the black and white are the stronger images.

While taking these pictures I spotted a local lobsterman, checking on his pots and making sure everything was in order. He took some time to answer my questions too which was really nice.  He explained that these pots/traps are for both lobsters and crabs depending on the time of year and that they set them up to three miles offshore and would go out everyday in order to make a living. He was frustrated because the weather and sea conditions had not allowed him to get out to sea and so he was not making any money for that day.

Silver Linings

Today's selection are the last images from my overnight trip to Millom in Cumbria. 

Walking around the old harbour I came across a bench looking out across the water and so I sat to enjoy the sunset. It was a lovely spot, I could easily imagine a couple sitting together in what was really quite a romantic location.  

As the light was fading the clouds look quite dark but as you can see from some of these images every cloud does have a silver lining.

Dingle Harbour

So having driven across Brandon Mountain via Conor Pass I drove into Dingle.  It's a quaint town and there was a nice market going on I remember buying some nice cakes and other tasty treats for lunch.  In the town itself I bought some little gifts for friends.  

The area is famous for a dolphin called Funghi that often can be seen in the harbour and there are boat trips to see dolphins and whales along the coast but I didn't go as conditions out at sea were fairly poor although it looked nice and calm in the bay.

After a tour of the town I walked around the harbour so I have chosen a few pictures of the boats and the town from across the harbour.  I have chosen some black and white pictures for today because under the grey skies they look best. I think the third picture is my favourite, let me know which is yours...