Potty

 Having taken a break from shots around Venice recently I have now run out of the star light/star trail images. Even though I shot several hundred separate photos because of the stacking process I only ended up with 8 or 9 final images which I hope you have enjoyed.

For today I have chosen something completely different and you might think a little odd. I was walking around a public garden in Venice when I noticed this row of pots lined up on a wall tucked away next to a greenhouse. I knew straight away that it would create a nice, simple image.

It will probably come as no surprise that my favourite of the two is the black and white one. I do like the warmth of the colours in the second shot but I think there are better shadows in the first image.

Anyway my next blog will be something of a landmark so I am going to have to try and do something special, be sure to look out for it... 

In the Spotlight

 I took lots of photos of people round and about the city while I was in Venice. Some good and others not so good and I had selected a handful to share today. However I thought that this image deserved a post of its own.

I think it was a bit of a lucky shot if I am honest, I had been walking along a narrow side street following this gentleman and another younger man (not in a stalker sense, just they were walking ahead of me) and I hoped to capture a shot of them silhouetted at the end of the street but one turned right to peer through a gateway and this chap turned left and waited for his friend. I think the shot was a little under exposed but I have been able to do some basic editing to bring out what I wanted to see in the image. I am super happy with this shot with the effect of the highlights and shadows. Although it is a very simple image I think it is really good. 

More From The Dell

 I continued to mess about (experiment) with long exposures, these two were both 6 second exposures to see what sort of effects I could create. Fortunately down in the dell by the riverside there was not too much wind and so the foliage is still fairly sharp despite the lengthy exposure but the water has a sort of brushed on appearance which I rather like.

I like the overall feel of the setting in the first image and in the second I like the steely or leather like quality to the water. By using this technique there are so many colours visible that you would miss as the water rushes by.

Light and Shade

 Here are a few more shots to show off the colours of a woodland autumn.

I have experimented with the second image showing it in black and white and while I do like to image I don't think it works nearly as well as the coloured version.

The last image is of a curious looking fungus, it is a variety called Helvella crispa and is known as a fluted white elfin saddle. Apparently some people say these are edible but there is some dispute about this and they are definitely not to be eaten raw. 

In The Shady Woodland

I love walking in the woods in the early morning. The sound of birdsong, the sunlight through the canopy creating a patchwork of light and shade and in spring the sight and smell of bluebells forming a carpet of green and blue.

Did you know that the native bluebell is a protected plant? in the UK if you remove bluebells from the wild and you are caught selling them on for personal gain you can be fined £5,000 per bulb!!!

Did you know that every part of the bluebell is poisonous? It is best just to look on and enjoy their delicate beauty and breathe in the wonderful fragrance.

Did you know that in ancient times bluebells were used to make the glue that stuck feathers onto the shaft as flights for arrows?

Close Up In The Garden

I haven't been able to post anything for a few days  but I am back with a couple of contrasting images from the botanical garden in Gothenburg.

I really like Hostas with their broad fleshy leaves and I love the fresh green and the variegated patterns here in the shade. At home we have a beautiful Hosta but every year it gets destroyed by snails so we don't get to enjoy it for long  so it was good to snap these specimens and get in close to show them at their best.

The final picture is a real contrast as I focus right into the heart of a beautiful peony with its yellow, coral like stamen. 

Light and Shade

Canon EF 24 - 105mm F/4 L IS USM

ISO 160   24mm   F/4.5  1/1000 sec

ISO 250  47 mm  F/4.5   1/1000 sec

Today's shots were captured in the Botanical Garden and Palm House in Gothenburg which is beautiful oasis in the city, bordered on one side by a canal.

It was a really hot day and so finding a few moments in the shade of some of the less formal gardens was really good but to see the brightest flowers we had to brave the heat of the day.

In front of the Palm House there were two ornamental basins with magnificent displays of deep blue flowers. I think this first image looks wonderful.

We nipped inside the Palm House to find a huge selection of succulents and Cacti and if we had thought it was hot outside the interior of the Palm House was something else, not just hot but really humid as well. We met a group of noisy school children inside too so with the heat and noise we didn't stay too long, just long enough to get a few pictures. I love these spiky balls of green and the way the light catches them.

Woodland Gems

I have connected these three images from my New Years Day walk at Mere Sands Woods. I had gone to photograph some of the bird life there but as I walked through the woods my eye was drawn to some of the objects on the woodland floor. 

These pieces of fallen timber are all host to a myriad of other life forms, ferns, fungi, lichen and moss as well as all manner of insects and invertebrates. Each fallen log or branch is a miniature eco system in its own right. I love the richness and variety of colours and the way the light and dappled shade creates patterns on the ground. 

When we walk we often miss so much beauty around us, especially the stuff beneath our feet and so it feels good to share these pictures with you as a reminder to look down as well as up when walking in our wonderful woodlands.

Barnacled Break Water

As promised here are a few more shots of the sea defences which I started with yesterday.

I like all of these pictures but I think the third and fourth shots are my favourite.

I really like the shapes, colours and textures and the variations in light and shade.

Do you have a favourite image from this selection?  If so what do you like about it?  Do you think the pictures work better in colour or black and white?

In the shady woodland

Today I have chosen a few images from various locations around the New Forest to show off the different colours under the forest canopy.

Sun and shade bring out all the shades of green and adds to the atmosphere in this fantastic woodland