Category: England

Image of the week – Curvy Tree in Charlecote Park

By cpadmin

Image of the week – Curvy Tree in Charlecote Park.


Image of the week – Curvy Tree in Charlecote Park. Charlecote Park is grand 16th-century country house, surrounded by its own deer park, on the banks of the River Avon near Wellesbourne, about 4 miles east of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. It has been administered by the National Trust since 1946 and is open to the public.

  • curvy tree Charlecote park
    Curvy tree at Charlecote park

To the left hand side of the main house is the stable block. The path leads down to a bridge and onwards to the deer park. On the first weekend of the year, this pine tree caught my interest for the curvy way its trunk had grown upwards.

Perhaps the tree had been bent into a stake in earlier years. However, now the trunk turns right then it comes back to vertical at it progresses upwards. This is nature’s way of autocorrecting the mistakes that we humans make!

The house was not open to look round when we were there, Charlecote Park would make a lovely place to go again in the summer

Equipment: Sony SLT A65V, Tamron 16:300mm lens. F4 1/500, ISO 100.

Photographic Angle 1st Prize in competition

By cpadmin
Photographic Angle 1st Prize in competition
Photographic Angle 1st Prize in competition
Cutting the tape. Barbara and Judith open the Schoolroom

Photographic Angle 1st Prize in competition. Mike entered this international competition run by Photographic Angle and won first prize! The email arrived this morning and he is still picking himself up off the floor. “Community Spirit” was the title of the competition. The opening of Schoolroom at the Chapel in Woodham Ferrers was Mike’s choice of image. Barbara and Judith cut the tape to formally open the building. These are the judges comments:


“A photograph that perfectly captures a moment, one which exudes community spirit. It’s hard not to smile along with everyone involved. The photographer has involved us closely with the two ladies involved in cutting the tape, while also allowing us to share the involvement of the bystanders, every facial expression adding a little something to the feeling of shared experience.”

This is a link to the Photographic Angle website

Barbara and Judith open the Schoolroom
Certificate

On the right lines!

By cpadmin

Waiting for Passengers

On the right lines! This image was captured at Crich Tramway Village, Derbyshire, in October 2018.

On the right lines!
Glasgow tram ready to depart

The venue ran trams on into the evening during half term week in October. Here the tram prepares to depart, watched over by an old police car and a “Dr Who” police box.

There is a warming feel to this image, emanating from the light sources. Light from the tram’s spotlight turns the rails golden. The light also highlights the trams path, which is to slew right at the points on to the outward track.

A queue of people (off camera) is waiting to board the two trams, which are empty at the moment. It was a real joy to play with the camera at this venue in the night time setting. Well worth the journey!

Number 22 originates from Glasgow, the tram behind this one is from London.

Equipment: Sony SLT-A65V, Tamron 16-300mm

Settings: F5 1.3 ISO 200

Bridge over gentle waters

By cpadmin

Bridge over gentle waters

Bridge over gentle waters shows a bucolic scene on a summer morning at Papermill Lock. Its always worth a trip to Little Baddow.

Bridge over gentle waters
Bridge over gentle waters

Here Shru was treated to bright sunshine.  The sun was already rather warm at ten in the morning and the water had a slight ripple from a gentle breeze.  Shru’s shot captures the reflections of the side of the bridge and the surrounding greenery. There are different shades of greenery from the bright green of the bank to the dark green on show of the more mature bushes.

This lock is one of several on the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, connecting Chelmsford with the sea via the Blackwater Estuary. The navigation therefore became a fundamental freight artery freight in the 19th century . Today there are riverboat cruises and a family run tea rooms for lazy summer days. Therefore today Papermill Lock is a great place to go and enjoy the outdoors.

Settings

Canon EOS 7D Mark II EF-S 18-135mm IS STM

F11   1/60 ISO 100

Lest we forget

By cpadmin

Lest we forget!

Lest we forget, Woodham Ferrers in Essex has, like many towns and villages, installed silhouettes of First World War soldiers. This one is positioned in Ormonds Cresent at the top of the hill and is one of several within the village.

Lest we forget!
Soldier silhouette in Woodham Ferrers

The silhouette is attached to the village sign and reminds us that the village is in the Doomsday Book. It also reminds us that the soldiers went from a rural Essex background with its village church to defend our land. The silhouette is visible to everyone travelling along the main road in the village.

The image also shows that the silhouette is positioned amongst the very ordinary ongoing aspects of aspects of village life. It is near a bus stop from which people come and go, the bus stop has a litter bin.  The autumnal foliage clearly shows us that this is the time of year that the First World War ended. Life does go on, seasons turn and now there are very few people alive who remember the First World War. At least we can demonstrate that we don’t forget the men who fought for us in such terrible conditions

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex.

By cpadmin

A boat trip up the creek at Mersea Island in Essex

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex. Yesterday Shru organised a boat trip for five photographers from the crabbing pier at Mersea in Essex. Five image from the boat trip are shown below.

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex
Calm waters and reflections as we leave the jetty

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex
Marker poles along the creek

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex
We have lift off

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex
Its so calm that the clouds clearly reflect in the water

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex
The moon shines over the creek

The water in the creek was classically calm as a millpond allowing astounding reflections as we passed the other boats. The trip was scheduled for sunset, however as you will see from the images the sunset exceeded our expectations. This was an open boat so the weather was also kind to us at the end of a warm October day. As we journeyed along the creek in the setting sun we passed a range of wildlife he sun set showing such glorious skies. It truly was a “Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex”.The images include:

°                     Reflections of the boats as we passed them

°                     A sunset featuring one of the marker poles

°                     A bird taking off in the golden waters

°                     A sunset with the waters so calm that the clouds are reflected in it

°                     The moon out as we journeyed back to the pier

Can certainly recommend Lady Grace Boat Trips 

Equipment: Sony SLT-A65V, Tamron 16-300mm

Settings varying with the shots

 

 

Autumn Colours at Danbury Lakes

By cpadmin

Autumn Colours at Danbury Lakes

autumn colours at Danbury Lakes
Glorious colours

Five images of the autumn colours at Danbury Lakes are shown with this post. Three are from this year and two from earlier years. Information about the images is at the bottom of the post.

autumn colours at Danbury Lakes
Squirrel Nutkin?

autumn colours at Danbury Lakes
Leafy woods

autumn colours at Danbury Lakes
Dry stream bed in leafy woods

autumn colours at Danbury Lakes
Zigzag reflections in the lake

About the images

I was lucky with the squirrel, who posed nicely for a second on the end of a piece of stone. His tail curves round nicely and you can even see his whiskers! This year the lake has not yet reached the colours of the attached image. When I was at Danbury last week the waterfowl were also cutting up the surface so the reflections were not as nice either.

Along one of the banks there is a fascinating tree where it appears that the trunk has turned back into the water. The reflections of the tree and the banking are clear, however the movement in the water makes them a zigzag.

Two images from inside the woods follow, where the green canopy is still there, with a carpet of fallen leaves. One image has the dry stream bed running across it.

Equipment: Sony SLT-A65V, Tamron 16-300mm

Settings vary with the image

 

Flamingo reflections

By cpadmin

Flamingo reflections

Flamingo reflections
Two flamingos

Flamingo reflections is a peaceful scene captured in the shade of the trees in the central pond of Colchester Zoo. Standing on one leg makes the reflection in the green water even better. One of the birds has breached the surface of the water with its beak causing a ripple effect. The ripple effect partially spoils the reflection, however it creates its own point of interest as it cascades outwards.

Dead branches in the dull green water create leading lines for the eye to follow . The green water contrasts with the pale pink flamingos. The water also reflects the foliage above it.

The zoo lies on sixty acres and is a firm favourite with families in Essex. Click here to see more of Colchester Zoo.

Canon EOS 7D Mark II EF-S 18-135mm IS STM

F5.6   1/30 ISO 100

Misty autumn morning at Hyde Hall

By cpadmin

Misty autumn morning at Hyde Hall

It was a misty autumn morning at Hyde Hall last week. Many of the images have a white background created by the mist. The white mist really brings out the colour contrast of the plants in the images. The yellows reds and purples contrast better with the mist than they would with a blue sky. The close up of the purple berries of “Callicarpa bodinieri Profusion – Beauty Berry” are really striking. The depth of field technique highlights the red hot poker (Kniphofia). This is striking in close up, particularly with the red Sedum behind it as a carpet.

Misty autumn morning at Hyde Hall
Colour profusion in the mist

Misty autumn morning at Hyde Hall
Callicarpa bodinieri Profusion – Beauty Berry

Misty autumn morning at Hyde Hall
Yellows, greens and purples

Misty autumn morning at Hyde Hall
Kniphofia, with a carpet of Sedum behind

Misty autumn morning at Hyde Hall
Misty distance shot

Its amazing to reflect how there is so much different colour at Hyde Hall as the seasons roll by.