Goosander

After the cool morning shots that I went out to capture (and which you saw in my last post) this was my second objective.

The previous day I had been told that there was a pair of Red-Breasted Merganser on the lake and some Goldeneye and I had even seen this pair of Goosander swimming around so I hoped to get some shots of these and the other species mentioned. As it turned out the Goldeneye were too far out on the lake to get a clear picture and there was no sign of any red-breasted merganser. The Goosander is also known as the common merganser and is larger than the red breasted variety. I do wonder whether someone had confused the two and reported the wrong species or whether I had missed out.

Even so it was nice to watch this pair swimming, and feeding together, they certainly make an elegant couple, and I was pleased to be able to get these shots.

I was interrupted in my efforts by a guy who wanted to talk about a range of topics from cameras to film making, street photography and even revolution. He had some interesting anecdotes and ideas some of which were quite compelling. However, while I might share my thoughts about different things from time to time I will try to avoid making this blog political and keep the focus largely on photography and the images themselves.

Have a great day.

 

People of Vienna

So I have gone overboard today and shared quite a few images from out and about in Vienna. Just random shots of people doing their thing as they enjoy the city.

I won't comment on each of the photos, I will leave you to make of them what you will.

I did wonder how the artist would cope with the queue of people in front of the coffee vendor but as it happens I needn't have worried, if you look at the painting he is working on you will see he wasn't including the coffee stand in his composition.

And in the final shot, while I had been quite taken aback by the animal headed buskers this group of lads were not the least bit interested, perhaps because they had got the attention of a pretty local girl to take their group photo.
 

Kings Dock, Port of Liverpool

 There is a nice contrast in these images of the historic architecture of the Albert Dock Warehouses (now the Merseyside Maritime Museum) and the modern architecture of the newer developments on the Strand showing how investment in Liverpool over recent years has helped improve the city centre and make it an attractive place to live, work or visit.

Even on a cold day this is a popular place for families to visit and explore Liverpool's rich history, to reflect on the positives and negatives and also to enjoy the sights and sounds of the waterfront.

Different Ends Of The Valley

These two shots were taken yesterday but they look as if one was taken in winter and the other in summer.

I had just emerged from the darkness of the copper mine high up on the side of the hill. Underground it had been relatively warm but coming outside I was hit with the icy blast of the wind blowing up the valley. There was snow blowing around and with the wind chill it felt like it was -14 C. From the first image you can see the snow storm approaching and even though it only left a light dusting it was enough to let me know that winter isn't ready to end just yet.

Turn 180 degrees and the scene is completely different, apart from the absence of leaves on the trees you could imagine it is a summer's day. Next stop from here was going to be Black Rock Sands near Porthmadog. It is a lovely expanse of sand with impressive cliffs and a great spot to visit so the clear blue sky was drawing me there however I wasn't sure whether I would get there before the snow...

Living The Dream

Recently I was offered a narrowboat for free and I was genuinely tempted by the offer. I have often thought how nice it would be to travel England's waterways on a barge, I imagine it to be such a relaxing thing to do, cruising along at such a leisurely pace enjoying the countryside as well as connecting with England's industrial heritage. I only went off the idea when the question of mooring fees, insurance and restoration costs came up and I realised that for now at least this is not an option I could take up.

But as I thought about, albeit briefly, I recalled this scene from the Llangollen canal between Christmas and New Year. Along the canal there were lots of moorings on the towpath which offered a place to stop for 48 hours before you would have to move on. Then there was the large marina at Chirk and a smaller marina at Trevor where obviously there would be mooring fees. But on the opposite bank I spotted this isolated little camp where the bargee had obviously set up a more permanent camp next to a little clearing with their washing strung between the trees and a bicycle on hand for trips to the nearest town/village. I think this is an idyllic scene and looking at these pictures I can feel myself drawn to this type of life.

Winter Wonderland

Two different shots from a wintry day in Betws y Coed and two different effects tweaking blacka nd white images in Lightroom. I had some assistance from my son so that I didn't overdo the saturation in either shot and I think they look pretty good.

The first shot is a very simple image of the apex of the snow covered roof of a timber building in the village. Framed by the trees and with a slight blue hue it has a cold wintry feel.

The second shot is looking up the valley along the course of the river Llugwy. I love the mist rising above the trees mixed with the wood smoke from the houses on the hill. I have given the picture a lift by adding a slightly yellow hue which has brought out some definition in the clouds which otherwise appeared flat and grey.

Frozen

With snow and ice one of the main features on the news bulletins I thought there would be some good photo opportunities but locally there has been absolutely no snow.

I thought however that it would be topical to post some wintery pictures today so I have selected these shots of icicles taken in Utah in December 2012. I like the windblown array in the second picture and in the last three I like the way the thorns and pine needles have been encased in ice in a way I had never seen before.

I like all of the pictures but if I had to choose a favourite I would say the third one although it is not an easy choice.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.