Industrial Landscape

I imagine that a photograph of a grain elevator might not be such an interesting image for everyone but I rather like this shot.

Thunder Bay is on the north shore of Lake Superior and has been an important trading post for centuries as trade goods are brought from the remote parts of western Canada and then shipped across the Great Lakes and exported around the world, from fur, timber, Iron and Silver and of course grain from the great prairies.

This shot was taken from the marina and shows a view of one of the remaining grain elevators and one of the grain ships being loaded. The pontoon in the foreground is a protective barrier for the expensive boats in the lagoon and a popular perch for the seagulls that live and fish along the shore.

Flying High

I have had a week off work and I have really enjoyed not having to think about the job and I have managed to get out with my camera on five of the last six days.

Yesterday I went to Mere Sands Woods and while waiting (unsuccessfully) to get a shot of a Kingfisher I practiced taking shots of birds in flight. I managed to get a couple of decent shots I think but it will be a while before I get around to posting them here so for today I have chosen a few more shots of the gulls that invaded my picnic on Saturday.

Although these birds appear to be hovering they were actually gliding past at speed. Apparently they fly between 15 - 28 MPH with their most efficient loiter speed being 22 MPH I would say these birds were "loitering with intent".

A Common Gull

Here are five shots of a Common Gull taken from the cliff tops overlooking Lulworth Cove. Just moments before, I had swapped lenses from my 150 - 600mm zoom to my Canon 24 -105mm.  I was slightly frustrated because with the bigger lens I would have been able to get some cracking close ups and not had to crop the images so hard however I think that even at 105 mm these are sharp images with a fair amount of detail so I'm pleased with the results.

It was quite windy and so the bird was using the air currents to stay up without exerting too much energy.  I really like the fourth image which shows how it was using its wings, tail and even feet to steer and turn in the air.  Gulls get a lot of bad press for stealing food from tourists and leaving a mess on cars but they are still beautiful birds and very graceful in flight.

In Flight

I thought I would try my hand at photographing birds in flight with my new lens and I knew it would be tricky so decided to start with something large and I figured that seagulls would be a good place to start.  

I have often seen the birds along the prom hovering or making slow passes and it seemed to me that it would be quite straightforward to get some decent shots.

Of course it wasn't straightforward at all and more often than not the birds had shot past before I could focus properly. I can see that I am going to need to practice a lot more however I think these are not bad for a first attempt.

#Seagulls #BirdsInFlight #OnTheSeashore

Town Houses and Canals

I have taken a step back into the city for today's offering.  Here are a few street scenes from Amsterdam which I hope you will enjoy.

I have always liked the town houses of Amsterdam with their ornate roof lines and large picture windows.

I like the third image today, I think it works well in black and white with the metalwork and i like the way it frames the man on his front steps who was catching up with some paperwork while enjoying the late spring sun.

Amsterdam Life

I have some great pictures from Amsterdam, of canals, bridges and canal houses but for today I wanted to share a few slightly different images of some of the city's inhabitants all of which reflect the character and charm of the place.

The first picture was taken inside the Westerkerk on Prinsengracht (which is the subject of the painting in the top right of the photo).  I am sure it is a wonderful place to work as an artist, the light was great and there was an organ recital providing a super soundtrack.

The seagulls in the second photo appear to have an almost romantic connection with each other which caught my eye and seemed really fitting given the setting.

The cat sunning itself on a bench was also a really fitting image for this relaxed and laid back city.

I hope that you enjoy these pictures as much as I do, feel free to leave a comment below...