Safe or Sorry?

31st March11, around Christon Bank, 4pm

The old dilemma for a windy day: Do we shelter in the woods where we might get bumped on the head by a falling branch or brave the blast on the open fields?

So we did both. Plenty of broken branches lying around but none hit us!

Two Conifer Bits

Daffodil season in full swing hereabouts

Up across the fields past my favourite tree...

...and Daisy had a bit roll in the grass.

Being a sight hound she loves the opportunity to stand and look around...it would have been a shame to have missed the sunny day by staying in the woods.

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

Hurry Up!

29th March11, Football Hole, 07:30am

Early start for me and Daisy so I could get to my training client for 9am. A lovely morning.

Impatient as ever, Daisy ran down on to the sand and stood there as if to say "Hurry up Dad, I've found a beach!!"

These shots use the HDR function on the iPhone - ideal for conditions with bright and dark in the same scene.

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

Ready?

27th March11, Newton Links, 07:30am BST

The clocks changed last night but dogs don't get it, do they?! Daisy was ready to go with her all-weather paws and fur and she doesn't understand why it takes me so long to get ready for a walk. She's taken to watching impatiently through the cat-flap.

So it was off to the beach early but we were rewarded with a fine morning.

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

Toadless

25th March11, Low Newton, 8am

Vaguely misty with fine clouds - a very atmospheric morning. I hoped to photograph the mating toads which were plentiful on Tuesday but they've all gone. I remember last year that there was a short "toad week", looking back it was around 18th March 2010 that's a fairly consistent mating season...

Daisy wasn't happy about being up on top of the dunes when there was something to see on the beach below...

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

long time no see

23rd March11, Howick shore, 9am

Day 2 of Alex's training and another fine morning, warm and bright.

Lots of noisy kittiwakes back in residence on the cliffs...

The cliffs have had a fairly major collapse with tons of rock and earth dumped on the foreshore. The sandstone thus exposed was unweathered and vividly bright with iron oxide (aka rust). These grains of sand haven't seen the light of day for millions of years. I wonder what they would think of today's world compared to the beaches they knew back then...?

Here's Pablo the Saluki lurcher. Gorgeous 1 year old boy. Salukis are so elegant - perhaps 2nd only to Afghan hounds, and not like our favourite; scruffy wee Daisy...

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

Empty Field

22nd March11, Christon Bank, 8am

A quick run round the field which has no sheep in at the moment...

22nd March11, Embleton Bay, 9am

Then off to Embleton bay with Alex for the morning and what a lovely day! great clouds around today giving lots of interest to the blue sky.

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

cold sea

21st March11, Embleton Bay, 8am

Lovely warm morning. (Readers in Australia may find this bit funny...) It was 12 degC with hardly a breeze and I was stripped down to only a t-shirt, walking shirt and fleece!

Daisy's new ball-on-a-rope toy doesn't float and she left it in (under) the sea twice today. I can vouch that the sea isn't very warm on the feet yet and Daisy waited until I'd dried my feet and put my shoes back on before repeating the game. Always ready for more fun, she then stole one of my socks and took off round the sand. It was such a nice morning I really didn't mind...

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

two textures

20th March11, Newton Links, 7am

I was looking at some 'fine art' photographic prints in an art gallery yesterday - maybe that's why my eye was drawn to the textures and colours in this driftwood as well as the contrast in the two textures.

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

Wow

19th March11, Low newton, 7am

It started quite quiet on the beach and Daisy was able to get up to full speed. It's breathtaking to see her flat out. 45mph they say...

Round the corner there was a surprising number of people up and about for such an early hour.

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

Bark at the Moon

18th March11, The Blink Bonny, 6pm

A nice, nearly full moon on the way to the pub tonight but it's only 0.3% bigger than normal. Not much of a Supermoon really. supermoon link

The dogs in the pub were unaffected by the moon outside and were as mad as ever!

Here's 7 viwed at floor level on the iPhone...

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

no more ice please

18th March11, Christon Bank, 06:30am

An early start and the car was frozen. We've had enough of that winter stuff by now so we went to the woods.

Beautiful sunny morning for a walk through the trees...

18th March11, Low Newton, 4pm

With the wind in her fur, Daisy struck a dramatic pose. She is such a Drama Queen!

We met Lucy last summer when Daisy was tiny. Poor Lucy had 13 teeth removed last week so was too grumpy to speak to Daisy today. Lovely old lurcher though.

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

Digger Dog

17th March11, newton Links, 8am

Reunited with Daisy on the beach today and we had the whole place to ourselves.

Daisy went to the dunes and dug a hole to celebrate!

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

Round The Lake

16th March11, Bamburgh Castle, 9-12

Day 3 of Pete's 3 day training course and another atmospheric day.

We circumnavigated Bamburgh Castle including an interesting visit to the beautiful lake hidden amongst the dunes S of the castle.

On a still, diffuse-lit day like this I'm drawn to macro details and geometric shapes such as reflections...

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

open for business

15th March11, Embleton, 8am

Day 2 of Pete's training course and what a gorgeous atmospheric day.

I was challenged in the village shop this morning that the day was too horrible for photos so I went out to the car park and took a quick snap of misty trees and hedges...

Later, Pete and I had a wander round the misty churchyard in Embleton before the rain came on and we headed indoors...

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

Big Blue Sky

14th March11, Dunstanburgh Castle, 9-12

Day 1 of Pete's 3 day training course and what a gorgeous sunny day.

Lots of lessons in how to cope with bright light...

Have the sun behind you...

Wait for a bit of cloud shadow to avoid throwing our shadows on the subject...

Get up close and use a different angle...

Mess about in PS to make it look miserable...!

Watch this space to see what days 2 and 3 bring us...

Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
andy craig photography - Family Portraits and Wedding Photography
one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life