Colours of Autumn

 I had planned on sharing these images over a few days but I couldn't resist putting them all into one post.

The light yesterday was fantastic and it really helped to show off the autumn colours at their best whether it's the multitude of greens, the blue sky, the sunburst through the branches of the vibrant red of the leaves backlit by the sun.

I think my favourite image is the second one because when photographing red plants it is incredibly difficult to get an accurate representation of the colour and I think with this shot I have nailed it. I am not one for blowing my own trumpet however as a colour blind photographer I also miss a lot of the reds and greens so again with this shot I think I have done exceptionally well. 

Gateway

This gate was at the end of the path leading into the village of Beddgelert. I love the sculptured wood, the elongated shadow and the sun glowing through the tree. Although it was a very cold day there is a warmth to this image with the soft light.

I wanted to see how the image worked in black and white and I think it works really well, possibly even better than the colour version... 

What do you think?

Sunrise over Ullswater

I think yesterday's image was pretty special but I think today's morning view is even better.

At the far end of the lake there is a light covering of mist and on the side of the fells you can see frost and ice.

I love how calm and still the water is, almost glass like and reflecting the sun perfectly. I call this a sunrise but actually it was almost 11a.m. but the winter sun remains low in the sky throughout the day.

A few minutes before I took this shot I met a couple who were also enjoying the lake, the woman went in for a swim but the water was too cold for her to stay in more than a few minutes. I asked her partner if she was doing it as a punishment or if she had lost a bet. He replied that actually it is good for you, leaving me to wonder if it is so good for you why didn't he join her.  Of course I know why he didn't, it was too flipping cold.

Misty Morning Sunrise

I love this view of the sunrise above Dowthwaitehead with the mist rising through the valley.

The trees look fantastic  silhouetted against the misty backdrop and the sunburst adds real drama to the scene.

Bejewelled

At first glance as I walked through the meadow alongside Colemere the dew encrusted spiders webs were just a pretty white (very damp) blanket but as the sun rose above the treeline the early morning rays lit up the webs in a glorious display.

A Moody Landscape

Today's blog finds me a little closer to home than my recent posts. After a grey and miserable start to the day the skies cleared and we were treated to a brilliant blue cloudless sky and so after lunch I headed down to the beach at Caldy looking across the Dee Estuary towards Flintshire (North Wales). 

Normally from here you can see North Wales just a few miles across the bay and often you can see the mountains of Snowdonia but today the light meant things were a bit different. You may just about make out the Flintshire hills on the horizon but only just and even then only as a faint smudge or shadow.

Because I was shooting into the strong sunshine I have used a Cokin P series graduated ND filter to ensure these shots are not washed out and as such I have not had to do any real changes in Lightroom. There is a slight vignetting on the third shot but all in all I think it adds to the image.

I had experimented with shooting these scenes in black and white and I think they looked really good but as much as I like black and white photography I think the colours in these shots are spot on as they emphasise the moodiness and sense of isolation in each view.

Sunburst

This is the last of the pictures I will be sharing from my recent trip to North Wales when I visited the Syngun Copper Mine near Beddgelert and then the beach at Black Rock Sands near Porthmadog. I really didn't think I would get so many usable images from that day because the conditions were so mixed but I have been pleasantly surprised. 

As you can see it was a beautiful day although if you have followed my posts over the last two weeks you will be aware that it was actually bitterly cold and although the sun was high in the sky behind me a snow storm was blowing in.

I took this shot in landscape mode and again as here in portrait mode and while you might expect a beach scene to look better as a landscape image I think that with the position of the sun it looks much better in portrait mode. 

Shooting into the sun can often lead to washed out or over exposed images but I think I managed to get the settings just right for this one and I love the flare on the sun which was achieved in camera without the use of a filter.

Right Place, Right Time

Yesterday's picture of the harbour at Whitby was taken on the way up to visit the Abbey. Of course at that time of day the abbey was closed to visitors so these pictures were taken from just outside the walls. 

It was a beautiful evening and I was really glad to be there. As the sun set the sky had a beautiful and warm orange glow which was in contrast to the cold stone of the abbey walls. 

I was lucky enough to be able to capture the sunburst through one of the arches, it was only a fleeting moment so I was pleased to be able to get this shot.

Intrepid Adventurer

I thought long and hard before posting this picture as I tend not to post images of my family but although this is a picture of my daughter she can't be identified from this shot so I decided it was OK to use it. 

It is one of my favourite photos from the trip for a number of reasons. I love the sunburst and its reflection, I love the colours, I love the stillness of the water, I love the view of the Sleeping Giant and the reflection of the treeline on the far shore. I think it is a fantastic image.

Most of all though I love it because this was such a special moment. Setting off in the late evening to explore the lake we approached the island and we saw a family of otters swimming off to the reed beds and later a family of Loons, we experienced complete calm and it was wonderful bonding experience, creating some wonderful memories. 

As we paddled back to camp the sun had dipped below the horizon and we returned in the dark guided in by torchlight. It was such a wonderful evening and sharing my love for the outdoors with my daughter is a moment from the trip that will always be precious to me. And on a day when I remember my father and the many things we did together it seems fitting to share a picture that sums up in part why I love being a dad.