Category: Photography

Sometimes I Like Things I’m Not Supposed To Like

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Power lines with tree branches silhouetted against the sky

When my sweetheart saw this, he tried to explain how I could remove the power lines with an app. Remove the lines? I like the lines. I like the way the vegetation moves with so much verve around them.

Indulge me. Anthropomorphise the seed heads for a moment and see how they seem to be lifting thin arms in mockery or emulation. Watch the boundaries between natural and man-made fade.

I didn’t get any pleasure from the power lines for a long time. We don’t dangle our lines in the sky for all to see where I’m from, we secretively stash them away. I’d venture to think we don’t need as many lines where I’m from, but then what do I know?  Continue reading →

Tuesday Ragtag Prompt: Energy

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Margaret has set an interesting RagTag challenge, asking us to convey energy through a still picture. Here are my offerings:

Elvis, dancing alone, with one hand held high

Elvis, faded into a wall in Clarksdale, MS, in a pose that delights in the energy he had in his prime: energy the established order saw as a threat. Layers of lines and textures interested me almost as much as the subject.

Female hood ornament with graceful posture

Curves rule in this hood ornament that has the energy of a skater, seemingly in motion, even when fixed to a parked car. Flowing lines and an energetic posture reflect the smooth power of the machine, although on a yazoo clay road in Jackson, MS, perhaps not!  Continue reading →

Beach Huts for Birds

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Rows of colourful bird houses

These colourful birdhouses from the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show made me think of beach huts, each painted slightly differently to their neighbours, but all in keeping with the spirit of the place. I need to rein in my imagination at this point before I start twittering about birds emerging from their huts in swimming costumes, clutching beach towels, ready for a few hours in the sun… followed by a refreshing sand bath… see what I mean?  Continue reading →

Sunlight Attack

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Mossy bank with wild geranium leaf backlit by sun

Usually there are plenty of opportunities to pick an overcast day if we’re planning to visit a garden or, if not, at least chances to wait for a cloud. But this year is different. Unrelenting sunshine is not usually a big issue in northern England but Texan-style blue skies (with not a cloud in sight all day long) are all the rage.   Continue reading →

Bye, Weekly Photo Challenge!

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The last ever weekly photo challenge is titled ‘All Time Favourites’ – give or take ‘u’. It’s hard to mark the passing of this much loved event appropriately.  I’m starting off by sharing a few  favourite shots I’ve been saving until the right prompt came around. I’m pretty sure these would never have seen the light of day now the challenge is ending so, while there’s still time, here goes!

Utility box with painting of tree and street scene

Jane Brewster’s street art shows part of the New Orleans street it is on, if my memory is correct. I like the way life plays with art and the dark shadows echo the dark trunk of the painted tree in this image. It provokes lots of ideas, for example, my eye plays with the angles of the shadows and the perspective in the painting. It’s funny how life seems to be framing the painting and how life seems more abstract than art. In retrospect I could have used it for ‘Reflections’, although it would have been a fairly subtle connection.  Continue reading →

Regular Random: Double Hellebore

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Close up of a flower, held up to look inside

When you photograph a hellebore, you’re faced with some stark choices. Show the plant as it is and capture the natural essence of the bloom, or lift the flower to show the inside. It’s tempting to go for a macro shot like this one to reveal the beautiful pattern of veining but it gives me a weird feeling of misrepresentation; invasion, almost. It feels uncomfortably like peeking at a Victorian lady to get a glimpse of voluminous, lacy underwear.

A cluster of double hellebore flowers on sturdy stems

I would have said that this shot gives a better impression of the true character of the plant if the one in the back didn’t seem to be wearing a superman cape and keeping a watchful eye on a couple of conspirators in the foreground.  Continue reading →