Aquarium 1

I have been to various aquariums and while I love water and I am fascinated by the undersea world I didn't think I needed to visit another aquarium while I was on holiday. I figured that there would be better ways of spending my time, seeing something new, and probably for a lot less money. However, I was persuaded that the aquarium at Monterey would be different and that I should go along.

I was so glad I did, I ended up staying almost 5 hours and was among the last people to leave when the place closed at the end of the day. Bear in mind that my grandsons aged 3 and 1 were there too and they didn't get bored at all because there was so much to see.

I loved being able to go outside and watch sealions and sea otters and different varieties of sea birds, I loved the collection of rescued birds in the aviary and the touch tanks were so much fun. The kelp forest was magical and the shoal of sardines swimming around my head in one of the displays was surreal. However the part that surprised me most was the collection of jellyfish.

I think up to now my favourite marine creatures have been (and maybe still are) seahorses, however seeing the displays of jellyfish has really put them in contention for top spot. I could have stood for so much longer watching them because they are so calming, despite the large number of visitors and the heat the slow rise and fall of these pulsating sea creatures, beautifully lit as they were was able to transcend all of that.

Of course I took a lot of photos and here are just a few of them...

These I believe are Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita), I will post some photos of different species in the next few days and in one of my next posts I will include a random shot of "my mate Mark" (iykyk) so be sure to look out for that.

Slow Down

 As I am writing this and selecting photos for today I am listening to the new album by Yann Tiersen Rathlin From A Distance/The Liquid Hour. It is very mellow and full of beautiful compositions, well worth a listen. I will be going to see him perform the new album in Liverpool tonight so I am really looking forward to that. Anyway the title of the blog fits well with the music and fits with the images below too.

The scene in these photos is Glencoe Lochan which we reached after a decent walk from the campsite, following the Glencoe Orbital Walk. I took several shots from different points around the lake but have just chosen these two for today, maybe I will come back to some of the others another time. If you look on Google Maps the lake is almost completely dry so I was very pleased to see it was full when I visited allowing me to get some long exposure shots of the lake and its surroundings. These were both about 2 second exposures using an ND filter to help smooth out the surface of the lake (it was a little breezy) and get these beautiful reflections.

There is a clear path around the lake and this part of the walk is very accessible (the woodland walk we took was less so but very enjoyable) and there were several people out enjoying the weather. I was pleased to be able to slow down and really take in the surroundings and to capture images which I think show off this location at its best. You can tell that spring is well under way with the fresh colours of the trees and in the reflections.

It was so good to visit here with my brother, making memories. I can think of a few people I would happily share this spot with.

Copenhagen - Art and Architecture

 I think I have shared the first of todays images before but the other two, I don't think so.

These are from Copenhagen in the summer of 2018 when I was on a road trip with my youngest son. We didn't really have too much time in Copenhagen and it is a city that I would love to go back to and explore some more. There is some fantastic modern architecture, like the Opera House which sits opposite the Amalienborg (Royal Residence) and Amaliehaven which is a small park on the waterfront. This is a lovely restful spot along the waterfront, in each corner of the garden is a bronze statue created by the Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. I thought they were really impressive as you can see from the two columns in the images above. 

Water Colour

 I have decided to post something abstract for today. I wonder whether you can tell what this is...

The clue is in the title.

It is not a watercolour painting, it is the colours of water, created by throwing a rock into the river and photographing the moment of impact, or the moment just after impact. I love to do this because it always throws up some interesting images and with a selective crop and little colour adjustment I think I have created a really cool abstract image. 

Each time you look at the image different things stand out, for example I can see at least three different types of animal, I can see a black faced sheep, a little yellow gecko, and a little duck chick (or maybe a little rubber duck). As the water is thrown upwards and outwards it catches the light and it looks like brush strokes.

Next time you are by the river why not try top capture something like this, you might be surprised by the results.

In an Orderly Fashion

 

So this follows on from yesterdays post (if you haven't seen it please take a look).

I really love the orderliness of the workshop, with all the tools neatly stored in their proper places.

I think the setting really suits black and white images, which is how they were shot. It adds to the sense of age or history. But when I edited the first image in colour I was really struck by the richness and warmth of the wood and that is possibly my favourite image for today.

I love the detail in the cabinets, the marquetry patterns are simple but beautiful, and all that just to store chisels. Marquetry is something I have done in the past (and will do more when I retire) and I know that even for a simple pattern like this it will have taken time and skill and it shows that the craftsman has taken care not just over his tools but how they are displayed.

Many years ago I had a holiday on the Norfolk Broads and I went into a photo studio in Stalham where I bought a black and white print of tools silhouetted against a window. I really liked the picture and I had that in mind when I took these images. Although that was a good image I am going to say I like mine best...

Dilly Dilly

 

Here are a couple of shots of some lavender flowers as they emerge in my garden.

We used to have a massive lavender plant in our front garden, planted in an old chimney stack. It was so large it would beat against our window when the wind was blowing. I was a beautiful display of colour and so fragrant. No one else had lavender in our street and it was nice to see people stop to admire it and to take in the scent.

Sadly it got so old and woody so it has been replaced with some younger plants which are just now coming into their own.

They are such beautiful flowers, and the scent is so relaxing, it is no wonder that lots of hotel rooms use pictures of lavender to soothe their guests.

Common but Beautiful

 

Last weekend I went over to see my son and daughter-in-law and took a number of pictures of their exotic pets. I have sorted out several to share on this page however I just haven't got round to it during the week so I will need to get more organised because there are some really interesting shots that I am sure you will love (or maybe they will give yo chills).

However today I was off work and for the first time in a while I felt really motivated to go out and get some new pictures. I got up at 5:30am and headed off to a reserve near Preston called Brockholes. Getting there early was a good idea because there was lots to see, from Brown Hares, Roe Deer, Longhorn cattle, all manner of birds and lots of wild flowers. The conditions were perfect and I had a fabulous time and got a really nice selection of shots. I would say it is the first time in a long time I have felt so positive about an outing like this and I can't wait to share some of my favourite images.

The first pictures I wanted to share were taken about 45 minutes to an hour into my visit. I had spotted this Common Kestrel hovering in the distance and I watched it settle in a tree off to my left. As I tried to get closer it kept flying off along the treeline and settled just out of range. It was so frustrating but as I very slowly made my approach it had obviously worked out that I was not a threat and it stayed settled for some time.

I was really pleased with the first image because moments before it had pooed (too much information???) so I knew I didn't have long before it took to the air again. I wasn't wrong.

What surprised and thrilled me most however was that the bird flew almost directly towards me and went into a stoop almost directly above me allowing me to get the next two images, before it realised it was just a bit too close and then flew off.

For me the second picture is my picture of the day, possible even picture of the year so far, it is almost definitely going to feature in my calendar for 2023. I love the shape of the kestrel as it hangs there in the sky, I love its piercing glare. I love the way its tail is fanned out so you can see every detail. The light on the underside of the wings is perfect and the shadow of its claws... This bird is so so beautiful. 

OK, I will stop gushing now.

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do.

Night Skies 3

 

Normally when I go out with my camera for  3 or 4 hours I will come back with hundreds of shots and several that I will want to share via this blog. However, when I went out to photograph the night sky I was left with effectively just two views one to the south with the headland illuminated by the beam from the lighthouse and a second facing west taking in the lighthouse itself and the skies above. Not a lot for the time and effort you might think, but actually I learned a lot from this trip and I am very pleased with the images I got. If you look at the posts over the last two days you will see some of the better images and today I have posted my favourite images from the night.

Firstly you have the view to the south, this was a 90 second tracked exposure (ISO 1600, 17mm F/4.0). The bright orange star slightly above the horizon and slightly to the left is Antares, the 15th brightest star in our night sky and the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpio. If you can zoom in you will see the other stars in Scorpio fanning outwards. Above that you have the constellation of Libra, and then above that slightly to the right is the bright white star Arcturus the brightest star in Bootes. 

I know it is hard to make things out and so I am aided by a neat app called Stellarium and another called Star Walk 2 which help to nicely map the sky and get my bearings on what is where. Stellarium is great because I can go back to the sky map for the exact date and time I was there and it takes out the guesswork.

In the second image, which I love, we have the lighthouse casting its beam into the Irish Sea. We are looking west and in the sky above the lighthouse we can see the constellation of Leo, the two bright stars in the centre sitting almost horizontally to each other mark the top of the constellation they are Denebola and Zosma and then towards the top of the frame almost directly above is a lovely cluster of stars, which are part of Coma Berenices, they just have numbers instead of names (eg 12 Comae Berenices).

I don't know about you but I am fascinated by the night sky, just being there in the early hours, despite the biting cold, it was a real treat to be able to look up at the vastness of space and to be able to see so many celestial bodies and to marvel at the beauty that we so rarely get to see.

From Friars Crag

 So here are the last two pictures from my recent visit to Keswick. These are views across Derwent Water from the promontory at Friars Crag, a short walk from the car park and well worth it for these views.

I shot these in black and white because as you can see the sky was very overcast and the colours had really flattened out so I thought that there would be better contrast in the images. I also used long exposures (4 secs for the first image and 3.2 secs for the second) to smooth out the choppy water and that has enhanced the light and shade from the sky as it is reflected on the surface. This has also given a bit of movement to the clouds, almost like billowing smoke. I did need to crop the first image to remove some branches that had initially framed the image quite well but in the end, given the long exposure and the strong wind they were too blurry and a horrible distraction.

I hope that you have enjoyed this series of pictures from around Keswick, I have been out and about a couple of times since then once to do some wildlife photography and once to do some astrophotography so I am looking forward to sharing some of the images I have created.

Lakeland Gem

 Even on a cold morning in early spring I had to wait my turn to get these images as there was another photographer set up on the jetty where I wanted to be but in these surroundings there is no need to rush, it just meant I had longer to take in the beautiful scenery.

Even when I set up my gear I was in no rush as these are all long exposures in order to smooth out the surface of the lake which due to the strong wind was actually quite choppy.

All three images were shot on my 17 - 40mm wide angle zoom and using a variable ND filter to compensate for the longer exposure times. The first image was at 21mm for 1.6 sec. The second at 17mm for 5 sec and the third at 34mm for 2.5 sec. I am so pleased I have the variable filter in my kit because it has allowed me to experiment and get some really interesting images.

I do love this spot, it has changed a little bit in the past few years, I remember being here in 2017 in the snow and the wooden jetty was very fragile with warnings (which I ignored) to keep off. Now things are a lot more sturdy so I didn't have to take any risks.

Derwent Water from Crow Park

 

Here are two very similar views of Derwent Water near Keswick, taken from slightly different vantage points along the shore. I have used a long exposure (1.6 seconds) to try to calm the movement in the lake and  f22 with an ND filter to help bring out the detail in the sky. As you can see there was a really dramatic sky with quite oppressive cloud cover which has created a strong atmosphere. I like the shaft of sunlight coming almost straight down over the jetty and the lake cruisers.

I have also processed one in black and white as I think the scene looks just as good in full colour or black and white.

I have been here several times in recent years and each time there is something different in the view. It is really impressive and hopefully you will agree well worth taking the time to take it all in.

Memories

 

I recently took my mum out for a day trip to the Lake District, we went to Keswick but on the way stopped off at one of my favourite sites; Castlerigg. I had thought mum had been before but it turns out she hadn't so t was really nice to take her round and shared some of my memories of visiting. Over the years I have been here for sunrises and sunsets, a lunar eclipse and a comet and I once met a lovely young couple who I photographed sat in the circle as the sun was coming up. Each time I have been I have met someone new and enjoyed chatting with them, which is unusual for me as I normally keep myself to myself. Perhaps there is something about this place that brings me out of myself.

Frozen in Time

 

Here are a couple more shots from my recent visit to Chirk Castle. This is definitely one of my favourite castles and even on a very cold winter's day with the sun frequently interrupted by heavy snow it offers lots of great photo opportunities.

The building itself is closed for the winter but the grounds are open and the exterior as always looks marvellous.

Whoosh

As I said yesterday I went to Chirk Castle to see the annual display of snowdrops in the castle's beautiful grounds. I took a few photographs of the carpet of flowers but I wanted to try something different and I would love to know what you think of the images below.

 I have used a long exposure for these images (2 seconds for the first image and 0.8 seconds for the other two) using my EF 24 - 105 mm f4L USM zoom lens. While the shutter was open I pulled back through the full range to create the movement in the finished image.

I was inspired to try this effect because on the way to Chirk I drove through a snow storm and I wanted to create something that represented the experience of driving through snow. With the snowdrops it seemed appropriate. I think that maybe in the second image I have come closest to what I had hoped and I think that pictures two and three are the better images but as with any abstract image it is open to interpretation.

I would really like to know what you think.

Wet n Wild

Here are a few more images from my shoot yesterday down at the New Brighton seafront during storm Eunice.

The first shot shows the storm surge breaking against and over the wall of Fort Perch Rock, the walls range in height from 24 feet (7.3m) to 32 feet (9.8m)  and I think the corner in this photo is towards the higher part of that range so that gives a sense of how high the waves were, as the surge hit they got even higher and it was necessary to retreat to a safer spot.

The lighthouse is 94 feet (28.5m) and at times the waves obscured most of the building, which even allowing for perspective shows how high they were.

This last image is very similar to the one I shared yesterday, it was a little earlier in the sequence of shots, I love the curl of the wave as it retreats and is fighting against the wind. I have applied a mask to the sky to enhance the layers of cloud and help add emphasis to the foreground.

 

Iconic Landmarks

 Notre Dame and the Eifel Tower, two landmarks that are instantly recognisable and must be among the most photographed sites in the world. Rather than posting the typical "tourist snap" type image I have looked for different views to capture. I hope you will agree these make for interesting images. Which is your favourite???

Shedding Light

I thought these street lights made interesting subjects, especially against the backdrop of Parisian architecture, (the first image using the famous rose window of Notre Dame as the background).

For each blog post I input the location where each photo was taken, I put "Notre Dame" in the search on the map and Google selected a town in Indiana USA, which was founded in the mid 1800's rather than one of the most famous landmarks in one of the most famous cities in the world. The cathedral's construction commenced almost 700 years before the town that takes its name and although it wasn't finished for almost 200 years it still predates the town by over 500 years. Apart from the 6,646 people who live there and the students who have studied at the colleges there I am sure that Notre Dame IN is not the first place people anywhere else would think of.
 

City of Light

 I have gone through my archives for today's pictures and over the coming days  I will share a few more images of one of my favourite places.

Ordinarily I would rather be out in the wild, close to nature where I can take things at a slower pace but I have always had a lot of affection for Paris since I first visited with my pen friend's parents when I was just 10 years old (almost 50 years ago). I have been lucky to visit many times since then and I have lots of happy memories there. These pictures help to recall some of those memories.