Water In Motion

I said the other day that my posts will have a watery theme for a while following my visit to Aberglaslyn Gorge in North Wales.

I love being near water, the sounds and smells and the sights combine to please my senses and capturing some of the essence of that in a photo is a challenge I like to take on. I love the sense of movement and I love the wonderful colours.

Fast moving water frozen in a photograph can produce a great abstract image like the one below...

Gorge-ous

So over the next few days there will be a watery theme to my blog.

Just after New Year I went for a day out in North Wales. I went to Beddgelert, a lovely village that I have been to many times walking along the river and eating ice cream.

This time however the ice cream parlour was closed (it is mid winter and the number of visitors is pretty low) and rather than stop in the village I drove a little further out and parked up so that I could walk back along the gorge.

This is Aberglaslyn Gorge and the rough path works its way along the river's edge through spectacular scenery. The walk itself its just about four miles return or there is a slightly longer circular walk that takes you over the mountain via an ancient copper mine.

The light in the gorge was lovely and the noise of the water as it thundered through the valley was incredible.

The Light at Split Rock

Yesterday we saw the interior of the lighthouse and the lens that projected the light across the lake at 10 second intervals.

Today here are three views of the lighthouse itself perched high on the cliffs and you can see why it was so important to have a light to assist the safe passage of ships along this stretch of the lake.

Three Views of Balance Two

Following on from yesterday's post here is another pebble balance from the shore at Duluth. Again I have photographed it from different angle so you have the horizon in one, the rocky backdrop in another and the wooded background in another.

From some angles this looks like quite a simple stack but in the first image you can see just how precariously these pebbles are balanced and you can see that it wouldn't take much to set the whole thing tumbling down.

I like the third shot because of the bokeh which looks really cool and I also like the fact that the biggest pebble looks a bit like a tongue poking out(at least it does to me).

Viewed from all sides

After visiting the park in Duluth I headed down to the lake shore to get a view of the lifting bridge which is really cool and I hoped to see it in action. Yes I know that's pretty geeky but then I'm a geek so what would you expect.

Anyway it was a rocky beach so I built a few pebble stacks and for today I am sharing four different views of the same stack partly to show how carefully it is balanced and partly to show how it looked against different backgrounds. One obviously has the green of the wooded shoreline and the last two have a mixed background. The first one has a view of the bridge which I think frames the stack nicely.

Pigeon River

Today I am sharing two views of Pigeon River from slightly different perspectives but both shots taken from just above the falls. As I said in my blog the other day (click here) this river forms the natural border between Canada (Ontario on the right) and the USA (Minnesota on the left). Although the river is quite wide and fast flowing it is probably possible when the river is low like this to wade across from one country to the other although you would have to negotiate some quite dense forest on either side. Unless of course you crossed near the falls and used the hiking trails on either side of the river.

I have seen some photos today however that show the falls after heavy rain and the water level is several feet higher and the volume of water rushing over the falls has dramatically increased. The spot where I was standing to shoot these images is now under water and there is dense spray at the bottom of the falls. The scene is far less tranquil than in these pictures and is a reminder of the powerful forces in nature that have shaped the landscape for millions of years.

Sticks n Stones

After a short hike to this little cove I had a bit of fun making a splash and then I spent some time experimenting with some stone balancing.

There were plenty of stones to choose from and with some of the driftwood to provide contrast (and a platform) I constructed a few cool looking stacks.  I think they look really good set against the backdrop of Lake Superior and the forest of the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

Camouflage

Ok so I know grasshoppers are not the most attractive creatures but they are pretty incredible, especially up close. They also have really effective camouflage. 

Take the first image, this chat was sat on some pebbles, basking in the sun. I imagine it was able to absorb a lot of heat because the stones it was on were quite hot but it is the camouflage that is most impressive. I don't know whether this is its normal colouring or whether it possesses some chameleon like colour change bio-technology.

I prefer the colours of the second hopper as it is a little easier for me to see. What I like about this second image however is the detail. Sadly because converting the image for the blog affects the resolution it isn't as sharp but it is still pretty good.

On The Rocks

Having walked around much of the island we found a quite spot in a little bay where we could rest on the rocks and enjoy the afternoon sun before heading back to the port for the boat back to the mainland. 

When we arrived there was no one else there but shortly after we were joined by a family who took to the water by diving of the small jetty and I just caught the splash as one of the children entered the water.

It seems so long ago that we were here on the rocks in Vrango but looking at these images the memories come flooding back.

Good Parenting

Tamron SP 150 - 600 mm  F/5 - 6.3  Di VC USD

ISO 160   450 mm  F/6.3  1/320 sec

ISO 100  600 mm  F/11  1/320 sec

Just before heading to the ferry to go back to the city we stopped in a quite little cove to soak up some sun and enjoy a few moments peace and quiet.  

Just off to the side I spotted a family of Greylag Geese with the watchful and alert parents  keeping a close eye on the young and making sure that I didn't come too close.

I think the adult is rather a handsome creature but the youngsters are rather less so...

Island Life

Canon EF 24 - 105 mm F/4 IS USM

ISO 100   28 mm   F/4.0   1/800 sec

ISO 100  32 mm   F/11   1/400 sec

I just love the colours in these pictures and looking at them I feel drawn back to Vrango. I hope that looking at them you also can see why I loved this place so much.

On Saturday I was chatting to a couple who had just come back from what they described as a disappointing cruise and they told me that they didn't think much of Sweden. I guessed they hadn't been to Gothenburg or the archipelago because if they had they would have fallen in love with the place just as I did.

Grey Heron

Tamron 150mm- 600mm F/5 - 6.3

ISO 400   600mm   F/6.3    1/320 sec

I have really liked the black and white pictures that I shared over the past few days and I think this grey heron looks really good in black and white too.

It was actually sat overlooking the penguin pool at Chester Zoo, perhaps in the hope of stealing a free meal. He really is a handsome fellow

Barnacle Heart

Regular visitors to my blog will know that I have a thing for hearts in nature and whenever they appear I am sure to photograph them. Of course then they end up here in the hope that others will see them and appreciate them just as much as me.

Here are some links to a few previous posts on this theme (Pebble , Beetle , Fern ) and as you can see they turn up in some unexpected places.

Today's heart is a small colony of barnacles clinging to the rocks at the base of a cliff exposed by the retreating tide. It is an unusual sight and although perhaps not the most stunning photo it is interesting nonetheless.

Entrance to Dunharrow

I liked this shot for the opening in the rocks which reminded me a little of the entrance to the realm of the ghost king in The Lord of the Rings. I also like the way there is a tree growing on the top of the rock and I am amazed that it can get any nourishment in such a barren spot.

Silver Islet from Sibley Cove

The shore of Lake Superior is full of little gems with wonderful vantage points and great views like this one from Sibley Cove looking towards Silver Islet. This was a beautiful calm summer's morning and I tried to imagine what it would be like here in the winter with the lake frozen over. That is a sight I would love to see.

Superior Stack

On a walk along the short trail to see a rock formation known as the Sea Lion we stopped off at a lovely little cove and had some fun skimming stones and climbing on the rocks. At one point there is a rock wall adorned with pebbles each with the names of previous visitors scratched onto them. I left my own memento and then built this stack of stones on the edge of the lake. 

I took a number of pictures with different backdrops because from different angle it looked good fitting into the landscape. 

I have chosen this one for today because in most of the other shots the stack forms part of the landscape but here it is the focus of the image.

What Makes an Island

A  closer look at the shoreline shows some of the tiny creatures which colonise the rock pools and help to build up the coast. 

As well as these two macro images the other shots show different views of Hilbre Island looking across the seaweed covered rocks and pools.

One of the nice things about visiting the island is the fact that invariably it is possible to see some of the common seals which live in a large colony on a sand bank out in the bay. I tried to get some pictures of the colony but due to poor light and with the distance I wasn't able to get a good shot. However as the tide went out and the seals came to rest on the sand they were incredibly noisy and the sound carried clearly across the water. It was a nice bonus on my early morning walk.

Edge of the Bay

These pictures are still from Little Eye looking towards Hilbre Island. The islands are at the point where the River Dee flows into Liverpool Bay. To the left is the North Wales coast and then there is the Irish Sea. 

In most places across to the islands the sand is firm and quite safe but in places there are patches of quick sand so great care is needed. As the tide was just going out the sand and the silt beneath it was still waterlogged. As I made my way towards the main island I stayed close to the rocks expecting this to be the firmer ground but at one point I sank into the mud almost to my knees which was a bit of a shock. 

In A Flap

The last of my pictures from Skomer (well the last that I am posting to my blog anyway) and I hope you will agree that they're pretty good. I have really enjoyed sharing my photos from that trip I think they are among my most favourite shots since I started this blog.

Tomorrow I will be choosing something very different and then later in the week I will begin a series of very colourful pictures from a recent day out which I can't wait to share with you.

A Summer Visitor

Something quite different for today and something much harder to photograph than the puffins.

This is a breeding pair of Wheatears that were flitting about the scrubby ground and burrows of the Manx Shearwaters sleeping below my feet. 

With my long lens (Tamron 150- 600mm f5 - 6.3) which is quite heavy, the strong wind and the speed at which these little birds were darting around getting a clear shot was incredibly difficult. I don't think I have really nailed it with these pictures but these are the best I could do on the day. I think I needed to be settled down and possibly in a hide to get better than these but as I had never seen these birds before I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to get the shot. It has inspired me to do more proper wildlife photography.