Dysart is a picturesque village on the Forth coast of Fife, once and important port for the export of salt and coal. Today following the decline of those industries a part of the village including the 16th to 18th Century white painted house on the Pan Ha’ has been preserved for future generations.
Continue reading “Dysart”The Greatest Scot
Robert (Rabbie) Burns a poet and song writer was born in Alloway just south of Ayr in 1759 – to many Scots he is regarded as the greatest of all Scots.
He is perhaps best known for his his poem (and song) Auld Lang Syne which is often sung at Hogmanay.
Continue reading “The Greatest Scot”More Long Exposure
New Brighton offers not only oportunities with the Lighthouse but also a number of groynes that have presumably been built to prevent the areas beaches being washed into the Mersey River.
The groynes make great abstract subjects at half tide.
Continue reading “More Long Exposure”Long Exposure in New Brighton
I finally got around to a little photo expedition that I have been planning for some time. I had seen online some interesting photographs of the lighthouse at New Brighton on the Wirral and thought that I would like to give it a go with my ND filters and resultant long exposures.
Continue reading “Long Exposure in New Brighton”Spring
Maybe somewhere…but not in West Yorkshire.
Dark Satanic Mills
And did those feet in ancient time,
Walk upon Englands mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On Englands pleasant pastures seen!
Light at the End of the Tunnel
Happy New Year – A little light at the end of the tunnel – portents perhaps of a return to some semblance of normality although some way to go and Tier 4 restrictions to endure in the meantime.
The Wreck
The Wreck on the hill – Lajares
Old Dubai
There is more to Dubai than just glass, steel and concrete. Â A glimpse of old Dubai and its people can still be seen along and around the Creek where wooden Dhows still ply their trade around the Gulf and Arabian ports. Â The gritty subjects make ideal candidates for some black & white photography where contrast and texture are key.
The Shard
You know when you have been spending too much on camera gear when a camera retailer invites you to a paid focus group session – and so it was this week that I found myself in London with an hour or so free – just enough time to have a wonder around the London Bridge area a grab a few shots of London’s tallest building The Shard.
Continue reading “The Shard”That Volcano Again
If you approach La Oliva from the north there is a point at which my favourite volcano (Montaña de Frontón) looms above the church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria – the problem is it is difficult to find a good place to stand to capture an image.
King Edward II
The steam locomotives King Edward II (6023) and its twin King Edward I (6024) were the final development of Churchward’s Star class and Collett’s Castles, the Kings were the most powerful locomotives on the Great Western Railway, and for several years the most powerful passenger engines in the UK.
Coffee & Bokeh
So how is the bokeh with the little 12-32 on the GX9 – well its never going to be a bokeh master with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 at 12mm – all the same if you get close enough to your in-focus object you can still throw the background out and actually the highlights don’t look too bad.
More Tavira Mono
This time just in and around the Praça Zacarias Guerreiro and featuring the Igreja de Sà o José do Hospital o do EspÃrito Santo and the Igreja de San Francisco.
The Last Town in Spain
Ayamonte is the last town in Spain – or maybe the first – either way it is the frontier town on the River Guadiana thats forms the Spanish Portugese border.
Tavira in Mono
Tavira, on Portugal’s eastern Algarve coast, was occupied by the Moors between the 8th and 13th centuries, the occupation left its mark on the agriculture, architecture and culture of the area, an influence that can still be seen today in the whitewashed buildings, Moorish style doors and rooftops.
Fishing in Tavira
I recently splashed out on a Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 Fisheye lens, I say splashed out but really compared with a fisheye for a full frame sensor camera it was an absolute bargain. It’s a manual focus lens and you have to set the aperture on the lens rather than with the camera so in addition to the fact that it is a fisheye, which in itself is new territory for me, it is all a bit of a learning curve.
São Brás de Alportel
The Portugese town of São Brás de Alportel was a settlement in Roman times and later inhabited by the Moors.
Betancuria
Fuerteventura’s former capital Betancuria lies in a picturesque valley next to a dried up stream which flowed up until the 16th century.  The village is named after Jean de Béthencourt, who founded the town in 1404 with Gadifer de La Salle. It was the original capital of the Kingdom of the Canary Islands, and later capital of Fuerteventura.
Colour or Black & White
Often times when capturing an image I have it in my mind whether the final image will be presented in colour or black & white. Â Some subjects just lend themselves to one or the other.