Framedlight

The snow looks as if it is on its way out. So here is a shot taken yesterday of the pylons stalking through the snow. This was on a lonely open footpath between Arkesden and Wicken Bonhunt. The Pylons with some 'Colour Effex' added I am off to Iceland for four days tomorrow, so hope to be back with more stuff next week

I have been reading Ansel Adam’s autobiography where he describes how the f64 club was started and how partly it was a reaction to the pictorialist group of photographers, led by William Mortenson.  Mortenson was 5 years older than Ansel and took pictures of people dressed up as historical figures (dreadful in my opinion) nudes (better in my opinion). He ‘messed around’ with the pictures and printed them on soft parchment paper! I thought there was a similarity with this one of a tree and some snapseed photography. Ansel thought that photography should be literal, but obviously he was taking decisions like framing the shot and printing his photographs and also thought that there should be an emotional investment in the picture. He was affronted by the overt sentimentality of Mortenson’s work. These arguments still continue today! There is more on Mortenson in an article in this online magazine  - http://www.thescreamonline.com/

Last week the temperatures fell low enough for some hoar frost, so I took myself to Anglesey Abbey. I had intended to go into the parkland and photograph the stands of trees but they had stopped access to all the grass areas, so I had to be content with the areas round the parks and a bit of minimal trespassing. Contra jour over lake to grove of trees beyond Similar looking in to cedar Lode Mill Poplars by Lode Mill White Himalayan Birches

On Sunday we had a walk through Grantchester meadows - always worthwhile as you can get a cup of tea and a scone from the Orchard Tearooms on the way back to the car. There was only a scattering of snow in Cambridge, but we got a good few inches in Arkesden that afternoon  All of the pictures except for the deckchairs at the Orchard have been converted to black and white and toned blue

  Over the last few days we have had frost and snow - just a scattering at first and then yesterday a few inches. Here are a few pictures from Arkesden   These have been converted to monochrome in Silver Effex2 and given a blue tone to match the colour palette at the time they were taken and conserve the feel of the place.

Just spent 5 days in Northumberland just south of Alnwick, where we spent some time on the coast and one day in the Cheviots looking at the course of the River Coquet which flows out to the sea at Amble. We also visited Lindisfarne - one of Alan's favourite places. There was nobody on the long beach at the north side of the island and we spent some time there. The tide was right out and the sea seemed miles away. The sand is an extraordinary reddish colour and is banded. The wet sand reflected the sky which was very dramatic. North Beach at Lindisfarne Reflections on Beach Coquet Island at Sunrise from Amble Following the course of the Coquet River

I have been trying to effect a few black and white 'urban' pictures to offset the landscape stuff. I have just posted 6 of these on to my website. I do really enjoy making these pictures as they can pack in so much emotion. Even more than the more gentle landscapes. Perhaps it is because of the heritage we now associate with street photography.

After an Aperture meeting (part of the Cambridge camera Club) I decided to do a 'Snapseed' on some of the Peak District Photos. It is fun but unfortunately will end up with a lot of pictures looking very similar. Not to say that pictures taken at 14mm with a rock in the front aren't all very similar anyway. Maybe I'll try to do a similar thing in photoshop using my own textures as a background to compare. I haven't tried this yet, and although an old technique  it may be better than sticking to a formula.

Fabulous frosty weekend although we could not leave until Saturday morning and did not get to Millstone Edge till 2.00pm.  The sunset was not marvellous as no cloud cover, but dawn the next day was beautiful seen from Higgar Tor. All these pictures are with the D700. I could really tell the difference in performance between the 12-24mm Nikkor lens and the old Tamron 17-35 I have. The Tamron is easier to carry round and takes normal filters but the 12-24 is pin sharp, although a beast. I really enjoyed working with the D700 again Near sunset Millstone Edge Sunset Millstone Edge Sunset Millstone Edge Copse by Surprise View car park The next morning: although it's December it was still too early! Dawn Higgar Tor Dawn Higgar Tor Dawn Higgar Tor Dawn Higgar Tott - graced by the moon Dawn Higgar Tot Dawn Higgar Torr Frosty path Higgar Tor Midday Stanage Edge

Here is the picture of the escalators in Westminster tube station which won the monochrome section of the Cambridge Camera Club annual competition I was really pleased as I had not expected to win at all. I took the picture on an excursion with Mairi to see Westminster Abbey in August.