by Usky
18 May, 2012 in Art, Landscape, Places
Over the years I have dabbled with many photographic genres, but invariably I return to this…
Landscape
There is something about our British landscape that draws me like a moth to a flame. Even on a dull and cloudy day the variation in colouration is nothing short of stunning. Be sure to click the image… the landscape deserves to be seen much larger than it is here.
by Usky
21 March, 2012 in Places
Geological upheaval in times past meant the ancient sea beds were raised in many areas… one such place is the island of Boa Vista, though I believe the upheaval there happened relatively recently. As I’ve mentioned here previously Boa Vista is on the same latitude as the Sahara and has its own desert landscape, which at first glance appears to be run of the mill sand and rock.
Desert Landscape
Take a closer look at the ground you’re walking on though and you’ll spot all kinds of indicators that things aren’t quite what they seem.
 Life Signs |
 Worm Tube |
One of the many markers that interested me was the number of worm tubes, some of which are in a remarkable state of preservation: it was easy to envisage the feeding tentacles protruding from these tubes. Remember to click the images for a closer look.
Some of the micro-structures are quite incredible and sadly my photographs don’t do them justice. This next image reminded in no small way of the fabulous Petra in miniture:
Petra-fied
None of the standing tubes in my Petra-fied image are above 3cm in height and some are less than a couple of millimetres in diameter, yet they have survived the ravages of wind and time. Equally remarkable and staying in the world of the miniature, was this petrified forest of small marine plants that have been frozen in time.
Petrified Forest
It would be true to say that anyone charging about over this landscape on a quad-bike, as tourists tend to do, is missing a real treat. Sometimes taking the time to explore on foot is a far better option since it encourages a closer inspection of your surroundings.
by Usky
6 September, 2011 in Places
Tuesday morning, 08:45 and once more I’m sitting here with a cup of coffee having already been to the gym, put a load of washing in the machine, vacuum-cleaned the lounge carpet and generally stooged the net… what else is there to do? Well I suppose I could spring clean the fish tanks, watch some daytime TV, read a book, play guitar… one thing’s for certain, I won’t be going anywhere today with a camera since the rain is lashing down and being driven by strong, gusty winds. 
Actually I still have some images to sort from my few days away, so I might just get on with that…
North Cornish Coast
I took quite a lot of photographs of the Cornish coastline: click the image for a larger view. 
by Usky
3 August, 2011 in Art, People, Places
We all have favourite things in our lives… clothes, cars, places, etc. but the question I’d like an answer to is, what makes something special enough for it to become one of your favourite things?
Henri Cartier-Bresson's Paris
For me favourite things fall into specific categories, especially where images are concerned. A photograph that is sublimely composed for instance, or one that leaps out of the frame thanks to some stunning content… I’m thinking about images by other photographers here, like this one by Henri Cartier-Bresson from his Paris Studies.
Napalm Girl by Huynh Cong ‘Nick’ Ut
Or this one by Huynh Cong ‘Nick’ Ut who in June 1972 took the iconic image of 9 year old Kim Phuc fleeing her village after a napalm attack by American bombers.
Ansel Adams, from Landscapes Of The American West
Or then again any one of perhaps a hundred images by the wonderful Ansel Adams who photographed the raw beauty of America and the American peoples like no-one either before or since.
I wish I had just a little of the talent of photographic artists like these.
When it comes to my own images I tend to be hyper-critical and while I am happy to post various ‘snaps’ here there are very few that I really, really, like.
That said I do have more than a few photographs that are poorly composed, badly framed, ill-lit and generally second rate, that despite their faults I really do like. Some have happened ‘by accident’ so to speak, others have been deliberately taken with knowledge afore-hand that they will not satisfy artistically, but will be pleasing to the eye anyway… one such is this one:
Sunrise at East Looe
It was early morning… well before 6:00am anyway… and I’d left my tripod at the hotel, so used a handy railing to steady the camera as best I could while I shot a series of quite long exposures to capture the sun rising out of the water. It would have been so much easier with the camera securely mounted, but I knew I’d miss the shot if I went back to the hotel to get the tripod so I just crossed my fingers and hoped… this is the best of that series… I love the gentle colours and the rocks in silhouette. The image is far from perfect, but it graces my wall as a 33″ x 24″ mounted print and never fails to illicit a comment from first-time viewers.
I guess it just goes to prove, some things don’t have to be perfect to be a firm favourite. 
by Usky
22 July, 2011 in Places
It’s not often Mother Nature provides us with a way-marked footpath quite like this one:
Walk This Way
The Question is of course, once you’re on the path… where will it take you? It doesn’t matter much really because with a little imagination you could always just play hop-scotch! 
by Usky
19 July, 2011 in Places
…I just got drenched diving outside to get the washing back in off the line; well how was I to know it was going to pi$$ down with rain given the sun was trying its best to crack the flagstones earlier on? I just wish the damn weather would make up its mind… after all this is summertime for goodness sake. 
On the positive side, we did have another lovely sunset last night… 
Sunset Lines
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