Saturday 31 March 2012

Siblyback Lake - Fauna | Best Shots


Sunday 18 March 2012.

This post is the second in a series of three. The other 2 being: Siblyback Lake - Landscapes | Best Shots Siblyback Lake - Playing around with composition.

Had a brilliant walk at Siblyback for Mother's Day on the 18th March. This has got to be one of my favourite places in the surrounding area. It is a flooded valley with a dam at the south-western end and a stream flowing into the valley at the northern end.

3 Ducks, Siblyback.

Highlander.

Resting..

Mallard Duck. (Close-up.)

Long Tailed Tit.

Chaffinch.

Chaffinch and Mallard.
All photos taken with my Sony HX100v.

Friday 30 March 2012

Daily Photo - Fri 30 Mar

Abstract. I shot these unfocussed to give a nice abstract look. The first photo are of street lights and the second, of tinsel at Christmas. I'm running out of photos to upload so I'm saving the sets for proper posts. The second Siblyback Photos should be posted tomorrow (maybe even tonight if I get around to it!).

Abstract #1

Abstract #2

Thursday 29 March 2012

Daily Photo - Thurs 29 Mar

I know it's not nature but it's one of my favourite photos! The Tornado arriving in Plymouth. The latest steam locomotive to be built. I would add different photos but most of them are in sets and I want to post them together in proper posts rather than daily photos; I try to save those for the single photos.

60163 Tornado arriving in Plymouth.
Taken with my Panasonic DMC FX550.

Wednesday 28 March 2012

Sunday 25 March 2012

Quick Photo

Just been outside and saw Venus, Jupiter and the Moon together. Made a lovely sky scene above the Saltash horizon! Venus (top), Jupiter (left of Moon).


Daily Photo - Sun 25 Mar

Beautiful sunny day, writing essays outside in the garden. We have 3 harebell plants growing under a bush in the garden; with the sun behind, it makes a perfect summer photo.

Harebell.

Saturday 24 March 2012

Daily Photo - Sat 24 Mar

Skeleton Leaf in the back garden.

Skeleton Leaf, Saltash.

Exploring The Back Garden!

Gate Post Ladybird.

This afternoon, the sun was out, the sky was clear, I decided to get some fresh air. There are so many places to take photos - many of them on our doorsteps, so I embraced this opportunity and went and found some arty places in my own back garden.

The photos in this post are me just exploring certain techniques, testing out features on my camera: close ups/macro, soft focus back-ground, automatic, etc.


Left and below, is the gate post in the garden. There a quite a few ladybirds in the garden at the moment, on the wall of the house, the patio, but I thought it was a bit more interesting having one on the latch for the gate.
Gate Post Ladybird - Macro.
I absolutely love macro photography! So many intricate designs that aren't appreciated by many people. I feel it opens up another world, if you will. 

Daisy - Macro.
My guinea pigs. The ones below are of Tilly.



















The next photo was testing out background de-focus. 

Sundial, Back Garden.
Triple headed daffodil. Thought it was quite interesting.

Triple Headed Daffodil.

Daffodil Behind.

Water Feature.
Using soft focus background.

Empty Snail Shell.

Dandelion - Macro.
Background de-focus. The acer tree in the garden is starting to bud. I think this makes a lovely Easter card.

Acer Spring Blossom.

Thursday 22 March 2012

Siblyback Lake - Landscapes | Best Shots

Sunday 18 March 2012.

This post is the first in a series of three. The other 2 being: Siblyback Lake - Fauna | Best Shots & Siblyback Lake - Playing around with composition. Links to these will be added to this blog when they have been written and posted later this week (hopefully!).

Had a brilliant walk at Siblyback for Mother's Day on the 18th March. This has got to be one of my favourite places in the surrounding area. It is a flooded valley with a dam at the south-western end and a stream flowing into the valley at the northern end.

I remember I started this blog saying which camera I had used. When I have some more time I may go back and add which camera they were taken with at the bottom if anyone is interested in the way types of photos turned out. All of the photos in this post were taken with my Sony HX100v.

The shot below was taken in the car park. I love the silhouette of the boats in the reflection on the lake. I know the rule of thirds in art - divide the picture into a 3x3 grid and place major points on one of the intersections to look aesthetically pleasing! I prefer the sun in the middle. I also think the fence at the bottom adds a nice border.

Siblyback Lake Boats.
Along the eastern side of the lake: next 2 photos, below.
Here, the brown early spring trees contrast against the clear blue sky.

Tree Peninsula.
One of my favourite types of photo for me is sun rays through trees. The way the branches seem to disappear where the light is coming through and then the light reflection on the lake behind. Perfect!

Sun And Silhouette Trees, Siblyback.
I tried varying the shots I took at the lake, using the moveable screen on my camera to get this low angle shot of a half floating log in the beach. This is looking towards the sun in the south west, towards the dam which is immediately between the forest and the browner patch of land on the right hand side of this photo. I absolutely love the varying colours on the log and the light patterns on the sand beneath the water. I took a few other photos of the same view but picked this one - mainly due to the fact that the water is the best out of these. The water was too flat and not as rippling in the other shots.

Floating Log, Siblyback.

Lakeside Tree Silhouette.

Single Tree by Stone Wall.
Moving towards the northern end of the lake through a mini woodland.

Add caption
In this woodland was a stream flowing onto the lake. The bright sunshine outside making the silhouette trees and lack of light keeping the two ducks simple and serene.

Two Ducks, Siblyback.
Proper countryside!

Siblyback Countryside.
I always look out for the small and/or unusual things. This barb had been pushed along to another one. Call me weird, I thought it was interesting!

Barbed Wire Field.
So much going on in such a tiny space: The tree on a mini headland, the rocks, the sand, the grass, the water - all conversing with each other. Shame about the footprints on the beach.
This photo is the view I am featuring in one of my posts of the trilogy from Siblyback. Siblyback Lake - Playing around with composition.

Siblyback Tree #1.
Rusty Barbed Wire and Moss Post.
Northern end of the lake. In the marshes, I managed to work my way through the reeds to get these two shots. (above and below) Love them!
Below, my favourite part is the sun creating a slightly red tinge to the photo giving it a slightly vintage feel. Maybe a warm summer evening? Heaven!

Moss Post.
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Daily Photo - Wed 22 Mar

I have JUST this second finished a long post where I had written so much. I clicked publish, and Blogger decided to completely delete it, draft and final copy. To say I'm annoyed is an understatement!!! I did however refrain from throwing my laptop out the window! So please bear with me as I do not have time to write it again today. I'm afraid a Daily Photo will have to suffice for today. Sorry for the disappointment.
Managed to recover it! I feel so much better now!

This photo is from a couple of years ago. A place called Meavy on Dartmoor. This was taken with my first digital camera - a not very good Samsung that ate batteries. Since then, I'm not very keen on Samsung. Nothing personal, just all the problems I've had with products, but maybe it's just my luck!

Moon Over Meavy.

Wednesday 21 March 2012

iPhone Post #3

Mobile phones - pros and cons. Pro: If a perfect shot comes about and there's no digital camera to hand...
This shot was just taken while out in the garden. An 'idea-photo' for next time when I do have my camera to hand. The crow flew away quite quickly, I wouldn't have got this shot if I'd rushed in to get my camera.

Saturday 17 March 2012

Daily Photo - Sat 17 Mar

I seem to keep discovering school work that I haven't done! Just when I think I've finished, I find more that I had forgotten about. I need time for writing posts for the blog and I don't have a lot of time at the moment so I can only post a daily photo for today. Hopefully, after exams finish at the end of June, I can go out more and find some great photo settings. Can't wait until summer!

Sand Heart. Seaton, Cornwall.

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Milestone.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me since the blog started only back at the end of January.
The milestone of 500 views has been reached in only 45 days!
I know my procrastination can be annoying but people liking my work has helped me with self confidence and I am grateful to know my photos are being appreciated.

So once again...

Rust & Old

Cellar Door.


Here, I am showing all the rust photos I've taken over the years that I love. I love the colours it produces and age being shown.
Not particularly to do with nature but I still like the effects. Here's something a little bit different. Daily Photo for today will be more natural!









I love the blues and browns this photo shows. This was a small area between Dunvegan and Glendale where there are so many inlets with fantastic by-the-sea walks. ê


Rusty Fence Post. Isle Of Skye, Scotland.
See: Other posts about Trumpan Church - click here. & more info about the church.
This bench is set beside the wall of the mediaeval church. The church is set upon an exposed hill open to the elements and overlooks Loch Dunvegan. The weather has aged any object here beautifully.

Moss Bench. Trumpan Church, Isle Of Skye, Scotland.
Waternish Map
Link to site.

Walking down from Trumpan towards Loch Dunvegan, you come to what is a spit of land bending around with beaches on both sides. Many things get washed up and I collected some fantastic driftwood formations. The photograph below being one; maybe a bit big to carry back up the hill seeing as it was half a gate, so I decided to snap a quick shot of the mesmerising colours the sea had created on the wood. The rust bleeding in to the layers of wood.
 
Old Wooden Gate. On beach by Trumpan, Isle Of Skye, Scotland.
A day out in Portree when the sun was shining, was one of the best days of the holiday. We had just gone to the highland games and walked around this beautiful town down to the harbour where there were some photo opportunities. Looking over to the Isle of Raasay was one - I have another shot somewhere looking back from Raasay to Portree. I must put them in a post together! On the harbour wall, right at the end lay fishing gear which I had to get a closer look at. I managed to get some of my favourite macro shots. These barnicles on a buoy and the yellow make this photo so simple yet a very good shot.

Barnacle Covered Buoy, Portree Harbour, Isle Of Skye, Scotland.
Climbing up to Waterstein Head. My first post to this blog explains more about why I love it so much and why it is so unique) WE had to climb over a fence which was fun in itself! barbed wire and a narrow fence stump to hold ourselves up with on the other side! The view in this photo is looking to the cliff edge in the direction of the Outer Hebrides.

Barbed Wire, Waterstein Head, Isle Of Skye, Scotland.
We went down to Milovaig near Waterstein one late afternoon to do some beach combing (came back with a crab claw, lots of driftwood and some unusual shells!) when I spotted the sun flickering through a tree as the gentle wind blew the leaves. I went up to take a photo by an old fence post, looked down, and it was too good to miss! A rusty hinge with the sun behind. I thought it was different!

Rusty Fence. Milovaig, Isle Of Skye, Scotland.
I'm not going to write about Calum's Road! I've done it once already so if you're interested in the history which I have to say, is very interesting you can click this link to find out about it. This is on the Isle of Raasay on a very quiet trip we did one day. Unfortunately the exhaust on the car was hanging off and the roads on Raasay are worse than those on Skye, which are worse than those in the rest of Scotland, which are, infact, not much better than those in the rest of the UK! So we had a lot of fun driving really slow over the numerous pot holes...until we reached the end of the only road tot he end, let alone the only SINGLE TRACK road! We arrived at an old castle ruin and the start of Calum's Road.
It was a great day out and I highly advise visiting Raasay if you're in the area. There is actually lots to do. The old mine, Calum's Road - with the ruined castle next to it, the youth hostel pub, and not forgetting the countless views of the surrounding land.

Calum's Road, Isle Of Raasay, Scotland.
Visiting the local graveyard, I found loads of photo opportunities and one of my favourites was this snail on a gravestone. I don't know what else to say about it. I just like the photo. Nothing wrong with that!

Snail On Gravestone, St Stephens-by-Saltash Churchyard.
Back to Scotland. Sorry about all this back and forth. Blogger doesn't seem to upload the photos in the order I want!
Glendale Mill. End of. Lovely and picturesque.  

Mill Wheel, Glendale, Isle Of Skye, Scotland.
Oh, Lorgill, without a doubt, one of the best walks in the area. A very long walk from the road but, me oh my, is it worth it. Crossing a stream on the way, this truly feels like another world. I can't remember the length of the walk, but it was long. I had forgotten by the time we arrived here. You know in movies where characters have been trekking for ages and come to a paradise and the camera slowly brings it in to view - I was in such a movie, but a real life movie with no cameras! We came around from behind a mound to a fence. Slowly, looking over the edge of the steep hill, we see a valley with terraced rocks on the other side, a river and waterfall running down the bottom, with empty, abandoned, farmhouses left from the highland clearances looking out to the sea at the end. Such a secluded valley, I felt like I had discovered a lost world.
This old house down at the bottom by the river was too good not to miss. The land is still in use for farming and we were the only people in the valley.
Tomorrows daily photo (which may turn into a whole post rather than a just one photo) will be focused on Lorgill.

Old Farmhouse. Lorgill, Isle Of Skye, Scotland.
Another view of the daily photo from Mon 12 March 2012.

Old Netting. Waterstein, Isle Of Skye.