More From Burano

Today here are a few images from Burano, a couple of picture postcard views of the coloured houses and canals and also of an old church viewed across the lagoon from Burano set against the backdrop of the snow covered Italian Alps.

There are a couple of shots of one of the posts that line the canals, I have chosen one in colour because with the colourful buildings behind it looks really good, the other one I have posted in black and white because it isolates the post from the background which was the effect I really wanted and I think it looks fantastic.

Snowy Stone Stack

Although I had gone to North Wales hoping to capture some snowy landscapes the light really wasn't good enough so I took a walk along the banks of the River Llugwy and I built a couple of pebble stacks.

Here are a couple of shots of the first one. I think the wet stones look really good against the background of snow and evergeens.

I think it is quite striking but after I had taken the pictures I removed the stones. I had considered leaving them to be seen and enjoyed by other walkers but I decided to adhere to the policy of leaving nothing behind but footsteps. After all I have the digital images to keep and share.

Rising With The Sun

In the past week I have missed posting to my blog on a couple of days because I went to Birmingham and then to Manchester to see my absolute favourite band The Cat Empire in concert. Their recent album Rising With The Sun is fantastic and full of energy, all their music is really and it's well worth a listen. Anyway these early morning pictures of Snowdon lit by the rising sun seem fitting.

Misty Mountain Morning

Today has been a good day because I have just got back from the opening of an exhibition at the Williamson Art Gallery where for the second year I have had two photos accepted for the Open Art Exhibition. What made it even more special though was that my youngest son also had a picture accepted. It's a real thrill to see your work on display for others to view and it was a really high standard this year, so I am so proud of my boy!

Anyway today's selection of pictures follows on from my Snowdon Sunrise series. A few years ago I camped out on the mountain with my eldest son and some friends, it was in January and the overnight temperature was - 11celcius and we had camped overlooking Llyn Llydaw which was the lake in yesterdays shots. I couldn't find the exact spot on my way up the mountain so hiked up further than I had originally intended.  The path up was quite a hard slog but as you can see from these pictures it was well worth it.

These shots show different views of Glaslyn a small(ish) glacial lake just below the summit of Snowdon. The first two pictures were taken from slightly different vantage points with my back to the mountain. As you can see the clouds were quite low and it was still a little misty.  The second picture, for me at least,is the better of the two because the surface is calmer and so there is a sharper reflection. I think the picture give a real sense of how cold it was on this particular morning but within a very short space of time the clouds cleared revealing the summit and allowing me to get the next two stunning images. I like the way the snow appears to be flowing down the mountain and how the pattern in the snow is reflected in the surface of the lake. The final image is taken from just below the lake as it spills over a series of falls down to Llyn Llydaw in the valley below.

In The Snow

The forecast tells me that there will be snow across high ground in the UK this weekend but its an absolute certainty it wont be anything like this.  These pictures were taken in March in Austria en route from Salzburg to Venice

Schonwald im Schwarzwald

A few pictures today from the Black Forest.  These shots were taken on the shore of a small lake near Schonwald im Schwarzwald up in the mountains.  We had stopped to get something to eat but as it was out of season all the shops and cafes were closed for lunch. We tried to get some Black Forest Cake but there was none to be had but the alternatives were really good!

Triberg im Schwarzwald

After the difficulties I had yesterday things have been much more straightforward today and as a result you are being spoilt with a plethora of photos.

In total we have driven 1059 miles so far and we are in Triberg in the heart of the Black Forest. It's been sunny and warm but with plenty of snow on the ground. The scenery is spectacular.

Today's pictures are a mixed bunch, the first three were taken in the Black Forest Museum. Pictures 1 &  2 are of the very bizarrecostumes worn locally in the past to celebrate Shrovetide. Not a festival that I'm familiar with and the costumes are I think pretty scary.

The third picture is a little curiosity and I'll leave it open for comment to see if you can work out what it is... Please have a go!

I couldn't resist the picture of the berliner as it made me think of JFK... It also sort of fits with the other window displays I've posted this week. I couldn't resist the doughnut either, it was really good.

The snow rabbit was completely natural and I couldn't resist, again there has been a rabbit in one form or another in other posts this week.

The final image is a view of the apartment where I am staying, it's absolutely lovely, and probably a place I will come back to.

Well that's all for today, don't forget to have a guess re number 3

Natures Hearts

So today is my 150th blog post and it's Valentine's Day and I thought I would spread some love by posting pictures of nature's hearts.

The first picture is of a message I wrote as a picture message while I was in Utah, the snow was piled high on a garden wall in Park City, I hope the  home owner  didn't object.

The second picture is a heart formed from sea spray which I captured on my mobile phone on a cliff top near St David's in Pembrokeshire.

The next two images are of pebbles collected whilst walking, and the final image is of a snow heart in Delamere Forest one winter's day.

I hope that you all feel the love x

Fun in the Snow

So here we are, it's New Year's Eve and my last post of 2014.  We rarely get snow here and so there are limited opportunities for decent snow pics.  I went out today in the hope of getting some good shots but the light was poor and so I didn't get as much as I had hoped.

When I got my first  DSLR I took a similar picture to the ones above with my eldest son at more or less the same location, Llyn Brenig in Conwy, North Wales. Today both boys were kicking at massive snowballs and I love the effect as the ball explodes.  I particularly like the second image because the angle shows the snow flying towards the camera in an arch.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to view my blog over the past few months and I hope that you will continue to come back as I post more in 2015.  

I have now done the draw for the print that I have been promoting since Boxing Day.  Thank you to all those who shared and retweeted, I am sorry there can only be one winner (who I will notify directly so that we can arrange delivery etc).   For those who took part but weren't lucky don't worry I will be doing this again around Easter when I expect to reach my 200th post.

Please keep liking and sharing and feel free to leave comments either here or on the facebook page.