After the snowmen have all melted there’s still a few pockets of ice hidden away. I came across a patch of ice running alongside a fence in part of a field system, it seemed unremarkable at first but upon closer inspection it was possible to see all the reeds and grasses trapped beneath its quite un-smooth surface, the texture of which I rather like.
Aided by it’s remoteness Ardnamurchan remains relatively unspoiled, a haven for wildlife and relatively unspoiled woodlands that line the road as it winds along Loch Sunart. Delving into the woods gives a glimpse of what life was possibly like before any people ever came by, old twisting oaks overgrown with lichen and moss shadowed over dense bushes of heather and bracken. A strong wind and occasional rain caused the trees and heather to sway as I ventured along the paths. Peering down soft green slopes the light barely touched the ground, just an eery green glow all round. Trying to find a composition that summed up the age and wild nature of this part of the world required a little careful ‘off-roading’ to achieve a satisfying result.
Last weekend I was invited to attend the wedding of Viktoria and Joel at the River Cottage, of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall organic/green/sustainable cookery fame. It wasn’t my ‘gig so to speak but I took the camera along and took the odd shot during my socializing. The hosts at the River Cottage were absolutely brilliant and allowed us to wander quite freely around the vegetable gardens. I didn’t want too miss out on the opportunity and was amazed by the array of wonderful sounding plants I found growing in the quite orderly beds, from herbs through to fruit it was all there, even some pears and raspberries… (more…)
Although this summer has failed to brighten up on many levels I was still surprised by what I found in the woods today. The persistent rain over the past few weeks has, it’s true dampened my spirits slightly. So I resolved to face it head-on and went for a walk during a monumental downpour to some local woods. This served two purposes; firstly get the hell out of the house and secondly to satisfy my curiosity to really see what changes come when it’s absolutely chucking it down. I’m not talking about ‘lots of water from the sky’ type changes, nor the resulting puddles of it collecting on the ground as I walk. No, I’m talking about the change in atmosphere around me and how could I possibly capture that on camera?! (more…)
Actually they seem to be coming out a bit late this year compared to the last couple of years, maybe that’s to do with being in a different location? Either way here’s a small selection, there will no doubt be more to come soon as they really take off, these are only partially flowered crops…
