A still autumn morning in Snowdonia, North Wales, with just a hint of the morning mist remaining. This is from the first proper workshop I attended, run by Doug Chinnery, in the mountains and lakes of Snowdonia. Now I need to persuade myself to get up early to grab more opportunities like this. Maybe not in summer with the sunrise at 5am though.
I have previously posted a very dark black and white image from the same location, which is Wyming Brook just outside Sheffield. This one was a bit of an experiment. I took a long exposure with smoothed out water and also one with a faster shutter speed which had a lot of texture in it. Although I don’t personally like waterfall images with a lot of texture, sometimes going too far the other way can border on the surreal. So here I have blended some texture into the long exposure to add a little interest. Hopefully you think it works? Click to see it bigger.
It is April (just) and the bluebells are out. Much as I hate to be a follower of fashion or convention, there has to be at least one. Well there will be just one photo of the seasonal blue.
I hope people are taking the time to look at the galleries now I have spent all that time putting them together? There are images that have not beein in the blog, and hopefully the gallery makes it easier to see them. Don’t forget to click on an image to see it full sized.
Another year has almost passed where I have not taken advantage of the shorter day to get out early for some sunrise shots. So, as we hopefully draw to the end of winter, this one is a reminder that I am actually capapble of getting up early.
Flowers are something I find difficult to photograph. Luckily this display was so big I was able to treat it as a landscape… For those that are in the UK these are a very small part of the snowdrop trail at Hopton Hall near Matlock. There is a 1.5 mile snowdrop trail winding through the grounds, and it really is the best display I have seen. Open every day in February, if you are interested.
Possibly the last.
Focusing on the image –
The haiku “whenever”.
Let’s be honest, who comes here for the haiku? At the end of the day it is a photo blog, so I will continue to share my images, many of which may be “marmite” images. Some may hate them, some may love them, but if you like the majority then hopefully you will stay. I am not ruling out the odd poetic expression, but it will not be a focus from now on.
This image is quite possibly a marmite one….
Hardly a blanket.
Just a light dusting of snow
On a woodland walk.
Happy 2026, assuming you use the same calendar as I do. Yesterday I made an error of judgement. Normally, when we get a touch of snow in Nottingham, it is the Peak District to the west that gets it heavier. So We drove out to Upper Moor, hoping for a nice snowy shot, suitable for next year’s Christmas card. Virtually nothing. Not enough of nothing that it was a wasted trip, and the walk followed by a pub lunch made for a really good day, but not what I was expecting.
Then when I watched the news in the evening, it was the East that got all the snow, and I had gone in precisely the wrong direction. Still managed a couple of images, and hopefully more snow on the way.
Sometimes I listen
To what others have to say.
And sometimes I change.
Notice anything different? The haiku and the image are not related at all? I have been doing this all wrong, starting with the image and making a string of syllables fit. It means that although the images are ok, the haiku are often engineered to fit, and not really all that good. So I am going to try and change. I am going to try and put more into the haiku, and if there is not a fitting image then the image will have to stand alone. A bit of eye candy if you like. Let’s see how it goes. Wish me luck.
Catch a falling leaf,
Luck will follow you all year.
You might have missed some?
Getting out in nature is good for you. Especially if you are able to catch a falling leaf before it hits the ground. It is supposed to be lucky, but on this occasion my wife was waiting a loooong time for nothing. Then as soon as she gave up, one solitary leaf drifted down exactly where she had been standing. I swear the trees were laughing.
A single deer stands
Posing, alone in the woods.
Who needs company?
Morning walks in Wollaton Park often bring atmospheric results, and deer in unexpected places. I have yet to see deer in the lake, which they take to quite frequently, but it is always a delight to tuen corner to find a solitary stag hiding in plain sight.