Stonehenge

Stonehenge, a small circle of old stones in the middle of a field, must be one of the most photographed places in the world. It does look diminutive from the road but when you finally get up close you can really appreciate the impressive scale and ancient legacy of the site.

This was a family day out first and foremost, but even though every nook and cranny has been explored by far more skilled photographers I hoped to come away with my own take.

There is a common opinion among picture-takers online that the view is ruined by all the tourists and it was indeed busy when we got there. I quickly realised however that the people, admiring the stones and absorbing the atmosphere, are actually an integral part of the experience so this is where I tried to focus my captures.

Some are best viewed on a large screen.

 

Mono-Colour Blends

At the weekend I managed to get out with my camera for the first time this year, even if it was just for a quick walk around a nearby nature reserve. As is typical for a British winter, the weather was grey and drizzly and the land brown and dull, but I still came away with a few snaps to share.

I thought it would be a good chance to experiment with monochrome processing via Silver Efex, but got I some interesting results when blending the mono images with their original colour versions – a cool, contrasty, desaturated vintage look.  Here they are:

Here are the full mono images before blending – which do you prefer?

2016 In Review

It’s been a while since my last post; 7 months in fact. A combination of photographic burnout, life, a failing train company and a big work project meant I have taken some time away from taking pictures. The site is not dead though, I plan to attack 2017 with new energy although there will not be any big challenges like last time. I do hope to find inspiration in a project or two though.

To see in the new year I’ve recently given the whole site an overhaul – please take a look around.

Here’s a selection of my favourite shots from the last year (in no particular order). I hope you enjoy!

Emsworth in May: Dawn on the Beach

My May assignment entry is thanks to my son who graciously woke me up at 5am one Sunday morning, so I decided to go down to Emsworth beach as the sun was rising.

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A Cornish Adventure Part 4: The Lizard

The final day of our Cornwall trip saw us visit the most southerly point of mainland Great Britain; Lizard Point.

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A Cornish Adventure Part 3: Pendennis Castle

On the most easterly tip of Falmouth sits Pendennis Castle, a fort built by King Henry VIII which saw use right up until WWII.

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A Cornish Adventure Part 2: Portreath

Next up in my Cornwall series, the lovely little seaside town we stayed in; Portreath. North of St Ives and near Redruth, Portreath proved to be the perfect spot to stay with most of Cornwall within a 30 minute drive.

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A Cornish Adventure Part 1: St Ives

The blog has been quiet for a little while; a big family holiday to Cornwall followed by a busy work schedule has meant my photography has suffered. April was a month off from my challenges and I’ve decided to make May into a four part series based on the holiday. The first destination on our trip was the idyllic town of St Ives.

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