Crocosmia

This is the time when the crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ brings vibrant colour to our summer border.

En masse the impact is quite stunning.

Abstract 127

Breaking Wave

The title is self-explanatory.

More Dunes

My fascination with the dunes caused me to return on numerous occasions.  I became absorbed with the character of the landscape and decided to be a little more adventurous in my interpretations of the scene.

I also created a black and white image from the third of the group above.

Drip, drip ……

There is something quite hypnotic about water dripping down a rock face

especially when it splashes into a small pool below.

Pebble patterns and textures

This is the final selection of pebble images  –  at least, for the time being!

‘There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow’

This picture is of the sheep field next to my garden.  Yes, it is a meadow and yes, there is a haze  –  partly golden but also with a pronounced pink tinge.  The haze is created by the tiny seed heads being wafted by the breeze.  At a distance the camera is unable to focus on the smallness of the moving seeds – hence the haze.  I very much like the mystery of the resulting impressionistic image.

Click to enlarge

Romney Marsh Wind Farm

To the east and north of Camber stretches Romney Marsh, a flat and low lying area covering approximately 100 square miles.  For two centuries or more it has been noted for its special breed of sheep  –  a breed that has adapted well to the wetland conditions.  Dotted through this sparsely populated region are a number of villages and small towns.

But in recent years this quiet, rural landscape has been transformed  –  some would say disfigured, others ravaged  –  by the construction of 26 wind turbines, each 115 metres (377 feet) high.  They occupy an area of, roughly, 4 square miles at Little Cheyne Court.  In such a flat landscape the turbines are visible for several miles.  There has been, and continues to be, a good deal of local opposition to the wind farm.

Click to enlarge.

Sunshine and showers ….. showers ……

The sun shone at times yesterday.  We could see the rain more clearly!!

Camber Dunes

The long sandy beach of Camber Sands is bordered on the landward side by picturesque sand dunes.  The dunes are covered with marram grass that has a deep root system to hold the grass in place.  Traditional chestnut fences help sand build up and check coastal erosion.

More pebble patterns and textures

This is the second group of three:

Camber Sands

Camber Sands are a stretch of coastline in East Sussex between Rye and the Dungeness headland.  The Sands comprise a flat, golden beach about 5 miles long and provide a favourite venue for kite surfers.  They have been, and are, used frequently for film and TV scenes requiring a desert location.

Although in peak holiday season the beach becomes extremely popular, much of the year, because of its vast expanse, there is ample space to be ‘alone’.  The beach shelves very gently and at low tide it can require a long walk to reach a swimmable depth of sea.

The western end of Camber Sands

Click to enlarge

The tranquility of the location evoked a natural, tender response from these two young lovers.

British summertime!

Still the British summer continues in the manner to which we have become accustomed.  Last month was officially the wettest June ever and now, almost half way through July, there is little change and the weather forecasts do not sound encouraging.

Pebble patterns and textures

Over the next week or so I intend to post probably three collections of pebble patterns.  All of the images were taken as I walked along a beach in East Sussex.  When I spotted a pebble that interested me I simply stood over it, pointed my camera down and clicked.  The pictures were obviously cropped later.  Nothing has been added or removed from the actual image.  I am constantly amazed by the beauty of the abstract patterns in natural objects that can so easily pass unnoticed.

Sea mist

At 11am it was a bright sunny morning on Camber Sands.  Parents and children were at play  –  balls were being hit, frisbees tossed, sand castles were being built.  Then, very suddenly, the scene was lost as a blanket of dense sea mist blew in, quite rapidly.  All sound seemed stifled.  Visibility was reduced to 40 or 50 metres.

After 15 or so minutes the mist lifted, almost as quickly as it had arrived.  As it dispersed silhouettes of figures emerged, at first as vague shapes and then in clearer form.

The face in the pond

I had taken a few photos of water lily pads after a shower and was playing with them, as one does, when I became aware of company.  There, in the top right corner, was a face  –  a somewhat impish face watching my every move.  I decided to add two red dots to the eyes, perhaps emphasizing his mischievous character.  The dots are the only addtions to the original picture.

Just a little devilish fun!

June Grasses (3)

The final selection!

Summer holiday

Even in Spain the sun doesn’t always shine!

Memories are made of this.

Memories of a place visited are often stirred by the recollection of some significant incident or happening.  For me, Barcelona will be forever associated with the nature and quality of the street music in the Old Town, the Ciutat Vella, and especially in the Gothic quarter around the cathedral.

As we left the hushed atmosphere of the cathedral, we heard the gentle plucking and strumming of a guitar.  There, just 30 yards or so from the cathedral door, sat the diminutive and retiring guitarist pictured below.  Her meditative playing enhanced further the mood of the occasion.

Just a short distance away, maybe 400 yards, we encountered the scene below  It needs no words of explanation or elaboration.  Just from the photograph the ambience is almost tangible.  It was an unexpected experience of sheer bliss.

These two images are my Barcelona.

June Grasses (2)

A second selection: