Thursday 28 April 2011

frosty summer

27th April 11, Embleton Bay, 6pm

A rare opportunity for an evening walk and a chance for different photographs from the different position of the sun.



28th April 11, Christon Bank, 7am

An early walk across frosty(!) fields and past the nosey sheep. Just as everyone's talking about summer we're reminded that it isn't!






28th April 11, Embleton Bay, 8am

And so off training to my 'classroom' on Embleton Bay





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Wednesday 27 April 2011

too fast

26th April 11, Newton Links, 3pm

A few folk on the beach but eventually we found a quiet bit so Daisy could have a run.



27th April 11, Newton Links, 8am

Back to the 'morning on the beach' walk. Very quiet today and Daisy was running so fast I couldn't keep up





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Monday 25 April 2011

Long weekend catch-up

23rd April 11, Newton Links, 7 am

Time to catch up with 3 days worth of photos from the Easter weekend...

Glad to say the fret disappeared to some extent by Saturday morning and it started to feel a bit more spring-like. Daisy had a spring anyway...








24th April 11, Newton Point, 4pm

Su and I turned our backs on the crowds and sat on top of the wee cliff gazing out to sea for a while. Even the sea was busy with private fishing boats. Below us, inaccessible to all, was a fine wee rockpool.



25th April 11, Rothbury, 1pm

We headed inland to Rothbury for the food and craft fair. We parked at Debdon and walked up and over the hill which built up a good appetite for lunch.



En route we saw this amazing rainbow around the sun. No trickery here; this is straight out of camera.




Northumberland Photo Training - Teaching the Art of Natural Photography
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Friday 22 April 2011

The Day We Lost The Sea

22nd April 11, Newton Links, 7 am



A day of mist isn't the best day to try a new path but it was obvious that this way would lead us to find the sea a bit further up than normal.

So we padded along, Daisy enjoying the permission to roam over new ground. I was surprised at how many little valleys and hidden features there were here amongst the dunes just a few hundred yards off the normal path.

We could have been anywhere as there was nothing familiar within sight; the mist robbing us of a view beyond the grassy hummocks in our immediate company. I contemplated how there was no smell in the air and how this alone indicated that we were on home turf. Perhaps I'm immune to the aromas of Northumbrian dunes - I'm sure that had I been in Spain there would be herbs perfuming the air. Would a Spaniard visiting here have noticed the smells of our herbs? Is he indifferent to the fragrances of his home that are so enchanting to us?

When you've relied on your sense of direction over many years of walking, you grow in confidence at your innate ability to navigate by 'feel'. It was perhaps the shattering of this confidence that produced the expletive when we arrived back at our first path having unconsciously described a horseshoe shape through the misty dunes. A sweat grew across my back as I realised that I wasn't as in control as I'd thought. Here, close to paths we've walked so many times, but today enveloped in a wee sea fret, we had become lost without even realising the error. There was no sound from the waves to guide our journey, there were no landmarks to see, there was no wind to feel the direction...We had lost the sea.




A happy ending as we find the sea by simple paths so that Daisy can wash her paws...


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

Thursday 21 April 2011

Bad Dog, No Kisses

21st April 11, Howick Coast, 8 am

A very misty morning on the coast while the sun shines further west. Much talk of 27C and we have 5C here. Brrr...



Cullernose Point fades off into the mist...


The heavy dew sits on thrift in amongst the rocks.




Daisy was eating unspeakable objects from the beach this morning. Yuk. She looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth but it wasn't butter that was the issue...




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

Wednesday 20 April 2011

foregrounds

20th April 11, Embleton Bay, 8 am

The first "taster course' of the year (set up for last minute bookings) and we had a fine morning to wander Embleton Bay.

Spring has brought this ladybird out of its winter hibernation and it must feel nice and warm on the rock in the sun. Such fine weather is surely appreciated by all.



Two similar views with different foregrounds





A simple composition with the Northumbrian coble back in his summer fishing spot.



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

Tuesday 19 April 2011

misty

19th April 11, Low Newton, 8 am

Lovely and sunny at home but 1 mile to the coast and there's a fret on the beach.

Daisy met various dogs as they loomed out of the mist.






The sun valiantly tried to break through; it'll win the day soon enough.





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

Monday 18 April 2011

The sky's the thing

18th April 11, Newton Links, 8 am

A quite extraordinary sky this morning. Beautiful patterns.



My gaze is normally drawn to the sea and beyond but here's a rare view back inland.






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

Sunday 17 April 2011

chase not chess

17th April 11, Embleton Bay, 6 am

The morning, when viewed from the bedroom window, was simply gorgeous and I couldn't go back to bed. Daisy was unimpressed but eventually joined me when the back door opened.

I don't need words, I have a photograph....



Calm, beautiful mornings mean nothing when your an 11.5 month old puppy looking for adventure.



I used to take pictures like this and my footprints and Trooper's pawprints walked peacefully and harmoniously together. Daisy doesn't do calm walking; note how her pawprints jump around all over the place.



It takes much more than one boisterous puppy to disturb the peace on a morning like this though...





The after-effects of a game of chase (similar to chess but less strategic). Daisy proudly surveys the mess she's made of the pristine sand.





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

Saturday 16 April 2011

all quiet

16th April 11, Newton Point, 7:30 am

I Can't remember the sea so quiet. It was low tide and there was no wind. The sea was like a lake.

It was also quiet out and about (I know it was early) for a holiday weekend. No complaints there though.







The wall seems to grow out of the natural boulders.



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

Friday 15 April 2011

blossom

15th April 11, Fallodon, 3pm

1 mile up the road with no traffic at all. Odd. Like the day of the triffids.

Without the triffids



Lovely spring blossom in the woods


...and some sort of flowering nettle I think. The book failed me on this one. There used to be a greenhouse here so this may be an escapee.




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

Wednesday 13 April 2011

The World of Rock

13th April 11, Rock village, 3pm

It's ages since I walked around Rock. 'Famous' for its nice church, posh school, excellent textile artist Jane Jackson (who's work adorns our dining room wall), cricket pitch and the Rock Farm Trail. It's a lovely village but the farm trail wasn't Trooper's favourite walk for reasons best known to himself so we tended to give it a miss latterly.



Off through the woods...





...where primrose are in full bloom...


...past fields of oil seed rape...


...to the old bench near the limekiln pond...


...up past the still wintry looking trees...


...before returning down the beech avenue (over 150 years old apparently)




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