I have questions...

I love being outdoors and every day I try to get out for a walk. Usually that means in my local area and I will walk between 3 to 5 miles. I maintain a brisk pace and if I am on my own I will have my headphones on and listen to music. The scenery doesn't change too much but the weather does and with the changing tides the walk along the sea front the view is always good. I see lots of people along the way, some other regular walkers; old retirees like me, couples, dog walkers, young mums with kids on scooters, bikes or in prams. Many will return my smiles and say hello while others head down are less keen to engage.

Today was no different however as I was walking along I startled by some joggers who approaching from behind ran so close to me that they almost hit my elbow as if oblivious to my presence. This annoyed me the first time it  happened and even more the second time, Why did they lack basic spatial awareness? Am I invisible? and then as I walked on I started to wonder about other things; Why when I offer a cheery "good morning" do some people just look away? Why when I catch someone looking directly at me and I smile do they scowl and pretend they haven't been caught out? why do some people walk along with their phones on speaker and have conversations that everyone else can hear? As I walked on I noticed that I was starting to feel grumpy and I shouldn't let things like this bother me, I will continue to smile and say hello, and I will try to notice things that will lift and inspire me. What I did notice this morning was a beautiful male pied wagtail in breeding plumage strutting "proudly" and "hopefully" in front of a potential mate, and I also spotted the first pair of Swallows that I have seen this season, swooping low over the beach catching flies and I look forward to seeing more as they arrive over the coming weeks.

I also tried to think about what pictures I would share in my blog post today. I wanted something that would promote calm so I decided on the following images of a stone stack I built on the banks of the river Coe in Scotland last weekend. I had been for a really good walk in the morning and before heading off to explore more of the area in the afternoon I spent a few quiet moments on the riverside next to the campsite. My aim when I build these things (as I do occasionally) is not to build really high or elaborate stacks but to create an object that fits within the landscape so I try to use the light and the backgrounds to create a finished image and then when I am done I return the stones to where they came from (if they don't fall down first). I think that with the stack in these pictures, taken from different angles I met my objective. Have a look and let me know what you think...

  

Stand Up, Stand Out

 

So for this post I have chosen three variations of the same image. 

The first being pretty much as shot with just a slight correction for exposure and contrast. 

The second image is a step into the unknown for me as I have messed about with curves, something I have shied away from in the past and I cannot be sure that you see what I see. I think it looks alright but you might think otherwise, I think the adjustments I made have made the greens really stand out.

The final image is a simple black and white conversion and a tweak with highlights and shadows.

I always like black and white images but I think with this composition colour works best. I would love to know what you thinks so please leave a comment... do you have a preference between the first and second images???

Fun with Rocks

Here is my last selection of shots from my riverside walk last weekend. 

The first two images are different views of the stack I shared yesterday and the final two are of the largest and most challenging stack which including the base rock is made from 17 stones and I was really pleased that it stayed upright. I was tempted to put another pebble on top but decided to play it safe.

I really like this one, in colour you can see the stones lit up by a chance ray of sunlight that snuck through the clouds and I think the final image has a really moody quality to it. 

I like the fact that these look part of the landscape but they have a fragile quality too which is at odds with the solidity of the rocks themselves. 

As well as working on the three stacks that you have seen over the last few days we (my son and I) attempted a stone arch. We failed but I think that if we had selected smaller stones and gave ourselves a little more time we would have succeeded.

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.

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