Wednesday, 29 June 2011

Fun in the Sun

29th June 11, Newton Links, 3pm

As clouds threaten, we headed off to the beach for some fun in the sun before the rain...








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blue all over

29th June 11, Embleton Bay, 8am

A very enjoyable course with Chris this morning. As a painter, Chris was able to feedback some very interesting observations from that perspective.

There's something Lowry about this dog-walker's gait.



First thing this morning there were no clouds, no vapour trails, just a beautiful empty sky with every shade of blue represented in a natural gradient across the sky



An abstract view of the sand.



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Tuesday, 28 June 2011

shapes and stories

28th June 11, Embleton Bay, 8am

A bit fresher this morning but a beautiful day. Daisy had a good run around with New Friend 'Boots' and was very warm. She waded deeper in the waves than normal and the sea cooled her tummy down nicely.

Another pair of contrasting images today form the same spot. The 2nd image is 4:3 ratio - straight out the camera, the first is two images joined into a panorama. The panorama allows us to drink in the view and gives a feeling of wide space while the other image is all about the sky. Same place, two stories...






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Monday, 27 June 2011

Game On

27th June 11, Newton Links, 8am

Daisy didn't get to the beach yesterday and she was ready for a bit of fun this morning...







It was so warm I had only a shirt n shorts on for the first time this year. (19 degC - warm for us)




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Friday, 24 June 2011

Surf's Up

24th June 11, Newton Links, 8am

No rain likely this morning but a chilly North wind kept the fleece jacket in place.







As ever, yesterday's storms had kicked up a swell which was crashing into the bays. Daisy dug a series of holes while I sat and watched the waves








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Thursday, 23 June 2011

Misplaced Pessimism

23rd June 11, Embleton Bay, 8am

This morning's rain radar didn't look good and I was coming up with Plan B's for Andy's PhotoTrail at 8am. In the end the clouds parted as they came closer and the main storm headed south and west while other clouds headed east of us.

Looking South across Embleton bay. We're bathed in sun while the weather rages on someone else somewhere south.



To the East a thin line of clouds drifted down the horizon



Dunstanburgh castle was caught between the two arms of the storm clouds.



A rare shot westward and inland over the Skaith towards Embleton and the rain that never was...



Finally a random shot of some ferns.



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A year on...

Daisy came to us on 23rd June 2010 (aged 7 weeks).

Hasn't she grown?!



Wednesday, 22 June 2011

Ways of seeing

22nd June 11, Newton Links, 8am

A fine morning on an empty beach with beautiful clouds around.

This yacht's crew must have been up early. Not much wind on the beach but obviously enough to fill the sails out there.



Big clouds like these sometimes make me see a scene in black and white - for b/w to work there has to be big variations in tone, not colour. It's all about shades of grey. Ansel Adams wrote extensively about visualising the tonal range of a finished print while viewing the landscape. Of course he didn't have a 2.5" LCD screen to preview his images so what he achieved was all the more impressive.

First here's a colour shot as there's plenty of blue, golden sand and green grass to give a nice colourful landscape...



...no less impressive in black and white though.




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Monday, 20 June 2011

Late start

20th June 11, Craster shore, 11am

Today was a 3 hour PhotoTrail with Terry. We started late as we had swapped the course forward a day due to tomorrow's poor weather forecast.

We spent some time around the harbour, wandered up the shore to Dunstanburgh Castle and back via the heughs where there's a lovely little sheltered valley full of butterflies, insects and wildflowers.

Lots of different textures encountered en route.













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A sense of scale

20th June 11, Howick Coast, 8am

We humans have a very narrow field of view when it comes to scale. I remember at university going from a lecture on the geology of the solar system straight into a lecture on the chemistry of sub-atomic particles - Fair blew a fuse that did!

Some things are too old for us to fully comprehend like this sandstone that someone has crafted a beautiful pillar out of. 350 million years old - visualise that if you can...



Some things are just too small to see. This wild thyme is so beautiful up close but how many clumpy feet walk by it every day without seeing?



The bees happily buzz from poppy to poppy beating their wings so fast that we can't even see them. Living a life on a microscopic scale; ignoring us and the bizarre things we think are important.



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Use your eyes to see
the world we normally don't.
Appreciate life

Sunday, 19 June 2011

A rare treat

19th June 11, Christon Bank, 7:30pm

Our friend the red squirrel pops over from Fallodon woods every so often. This morning he lifted the nut feeder of it's hook and dropped it to the ground. This knocks the lid off so he can get some peanuts. This evening he's back but he's taking wee bits of nut through the mesh while hanging upside down. Maybe I should invest in a longer zoom lens as my 300mm doesn't do Mr Squirrel justice.

We should never forget just how rare it is to have these guys visit your garden - not rare round Christon Bank but rare just about everywhere else




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Friday, 17 June 2011

wall elves

16th June 11, Newton Point, 3pm

This wall is being slowly restored and the bit that's finished is really nicely done. I think it's National Trust volunteers on work parties which is why it's built a few feet at a time but I've never seen anyone work on it. Maybe it's Wall Elves?


17th June 11, Newton Point, 8am

The wild flowers on the meadows are beautiful just now. During the winter I have a moan about the sheep and cows that stop me letting daisy off the lead but it's their grazing that allows the wild flowers to grow through so I should remember this scene next winter...


Daisy suddenly camera shy amongst the buttercups...


We had Football Hole beach to ourselves this morning so we each wandered around doing our own thing. Very relaxing.




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one-eyed-hound.com - Dog Photography ...it's a dog's life

Wednesday, 15 June 2011

Old friends...

14th June 11, Craster, 8am

It was really nice to meet Gareth and John both, coincidentally, back for another course after they had attended, coincidentally, the same course together last year. As we went to Dunstanburgh last year, we headed towards the castle from Craster harbour this time.

It was a pleasantly warm day and for me the clouds were the thing today.



14th June 11, Beadnell bay, 3pm

Back to just Daisy for company. Although there were a few cars in the car park there weren't many people on the beach.





As usual daisy chose to ignore her tennis ball in favour of a old bit of seaweed.



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Monday, 13 June 2011

plodging dog

13th June 11, Newton Point, 3pm

After a rainy weekend it was nice to be back to warm and sunny for today.


Football Hole was picture perfect



Warm enough for Daisy to have a plodge in the sea.


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, 9 June 2011

Two names

6th June 11, Newton Point, 3pm

Thrift (or sea pink) & Bird's Foot Trefoil (or eggs and bacon). It's a great year for wild flowers.


9th June 11, Low Newton, 8am

Training course with Chris this morning and a fine day it was too...



Occasionally visitors will leave something worthwhile on the beach. Simple but effective.



Three leaves but only 2 shadows - why?



A thin slice of Embleton Bay looking Northish from atop the dunes.





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