Pile On!

 Whenever I stop near a river, as I did recently during a walk near Beddgelert in North Wales, I will try to build stacks of river stones and photograph them, before putting them back in the river or on the river bank where I found them.

I try also to take the photo from an angle that lines up with the background although I try to keep the background out of focus, with just enough detail to make the image work. For example in the second image the angle of the stacked stones lines up with the light rock in the background. Sometimes the images work best in colour, especially if I have managed to find stones that match the colours in the background but for todays images I thing black and white look best.

It doesn't always work and it can take several attempts to achieve the image I want. This sometimes means getting wet too as I  find the right position.

While this is a fun activity for me and | like the stacks I don't like to leave them when I am done. For me it is about capturing a moment and then leaving things as I found them and for other people to enjoy the natural landscape. 

Hairy Beast

 Highland Cattle are magnificent creatures. I know they're just cows but they are more than "just cows" they have a real presence and they evoke strong feelings.

These specimens are part of a small herd that are often found on Whitefield Moor just outside of Brockenhurst, these were making the most of a little shade from the afternoon sun at Whitemoor Pond. Along with the New Forest Ponies they are quite the tourist attraction, with lots of people stopping to take photographs.

Despite the small swarm of flies attached to its nose the cow in the first image looks quite serene, and is happily ignoring me.

I like the second image, when I look at it I think it has the bearding of a Roman Emperor, all it needs is a Laurel crown to finish the look.

The third and fourth images are the same except for the fact one is colour and the other is black and white. I can't decide which I lime best. I like the image because the cow is slowly ambling towards me. It looks purposeful but despite its size and those formidable horns it does not feel threatening at all. Nevertheless I got out of its way once I had got the shot, it was definitely not going to change course on my account.

This could be a movie set...

This is the Chateau de Pierrefonds. I visited here for the first time way back in 19## when I was just 9 years old  on a visit with my penfriends' family. I was amazed with the magnificent building with its fairytale turrets and towers, cobbled courtyard and the wonderful staircase guarded by the statue of a knight on horseback.

It had such an impact on me as a child that when I took my own family on holiday top France I was keen to show them this magical place. 

I visited again just recently, stopping off for a brief visit to break the journey from Versailles to Calais on my way home. It gripped me just as much this time round as it did the first. I had to wait ages to get these last two shots without anyone in the shot, at one point there was a woman stood in the middle looking back at me, aware that I was waiting to take a picture and she just wouldn't move. In the end I started snapping away with her in the shot, she quickly moved...

I said it is a magical place and I said in the title to this post that this could be a movie set and in fact it was used as a set for the TV show Merlin. The producers of that show clearly were drawn to the spell of the chateau. I will share some more images in due course but for today, enjoy!

In The Undergrowth

I was really excited yesterday to capture the picture of the Roe Deer that I shared in yesterday's post. But not long after I was able join a small group of photographers who were gathered near a collection of logs and fallen branches and I was equally as thrilled to capture these shots.

It was obvious that someone had put some seed down and there were lots of tits, robins and chaffinches popping down to feed, even the odd nuthatch. As well as the bird life however we were able to spot this cute little Bank Vole. He was clearly taking advantage of the free food and although he was very shy he kept popping out of his hole under a log to munch on the seeds and nuts. I love way he clutches the seed in his tiny paws.

It required a good deal of patience to get a decent shot because he moved so quickly and would disappear from view for long periods of time, several of my fellow photographers moved on after a while but patience and persistence paid off and these two photos are among the better ones. It also shows that we need to pay more attention to the little things, we notice birds all the time because they fly around us but the undergrowth is teeming with life, it is just harder to find.

Prehistory

I was going to call today's post "An exercise in patience". I have often said that one of the qualities any photographer needs to develop in patience and when you are trying to photograph sites like this, the neolithic stone circle at Castlerigg which attract a lot of visitors it is really hard to get the perfect uninterrupted shot.

When I arrived there was one other photographer there with his camera set up on a tripod and as I was setting up he commented that we could be there a while. Of course there will be lots of people enjoying the site and that is fine but with a bit of patience and careful timing it should be possible to get a decent shot as people walk behind the stones.  However on this particular day there was one  group of people who stood on the far side of the circle talking. They kept looking over at us as we patiently waited to take the shot and it really felt like they were deliberately testing us. They did eventually move off out of shot but only after the couple on the right of this image sat down on one of the stones and unpacked their picnic lunch. Now I thought that was inappropriate just because it didn't seem right in such an ancient site but it was also incredibly annoying as it spoils the shot to some degree.

I know that you will probably be thinking well that's just hard luck and that yes I need to be more patient and that is fine. You may even think that if I want the perfect photo without people getting in the way I should get there early. As it happens that is what I plan to do next time however I also met another photographer that day who had been up at the stone circle at 3.00 am to capture shots of the Milky Way and even then he says there were several people about and so even an early start won't guarantee my patience won't be tested. 

Anyway I am sorry, I have moaned for long enough and if you have stuck it this far thank you for your patience. Perhaps you should also take up photography I think you have something of what it takes...

As I said this is a shot of the Neolithic Stone Circle at Castlerigg near Keswick. The snow covered fells in the background are from left to right Clough head, The Dodds, High Rigg, Great How and Helvellyn. Even with the other visitors I really like this shot and I will definitely be going back in the hope of some even better shots.

Close up on royalty

So perhaps you were expecting something different when you read the title of the blog today but this beautiful Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is worthy of the title; there is something very regal about it with its bold colours and striking pattern. With wings outstretched it looks very much like a stained glass window, and close up it has such poise.

I think you will agree this is a real beauty.

Photography requires a great deal of patience, whatever subject you choose to focus on but with wildlife it is even more necessary and butterflies and insects in particular can be a real challenge. When you finally get the shot you want though, it is absolutely worth it.

Gotta Love a Tree Hugger

While camping lake side in the provincial park we were visited by lots of critters on a daily basis including chipmunks, skunks and squirrels. During our stay we saw grey, black and red squirrels but by far the most friendly were the reds, like this one that let me get up close as he posed for this delightful portrait. He had been active around the site all week but had been quite difficult to photograph because he was so darned fast so patience was the key to getting this shot. 

I think that you will agree he is adorable.