Hello again! The months of March and April are traditionally Spring months, although the end of March signals the official beginning of BST - British Summer Time.
Todays blog entry combines the two seasons, so my latest photo offerings reflect those typical Spring/Summer sights that are fairly commonplace during this time of year. Flowers, such as daffodils, typify everything that Spring is synonomous with, so I was keen to capture one or two scenes containing daffs at the height of the season. My first shot shows blooming daffs at a local English Heritage site - Finchale Abbey, County Durham. I made a previous visit to the ancient site a few weeks ago but the daffodils had just sprouted so I was way too early for the shots I was after. A calculated revisit brought me better luck though. I knew I had to be there early to catch the sun hitting the abbey from it's 'best side', and in turn bringing the best colour out of the flowers. As I walked through Cocken Wood towards the abbey I could tell instantly that my preparations had paid off - the sun was shining brightly and a burst of yellow could be easily seen between the trees as I walked the approach path. I was now in the abbey grounds and determining what settings to run with when a massive cloud slowly passed over, taking the sun out of the equation - great (not)! After 15 minutes or so it had passed over and I was off and running again. Bright sunlight and no breeze - perfect conditions. Wide angle was the way to go, guaranteeing full coverage of the abbey facade and flower bed in the foreground. Infact, I was practically in amongst the daffs to begin with, shooting low angle up a slight incline. Handheld, with a small aperture, the camera delivered a pin sharp image from my first effort, which was the whole objective, and a quick review on the histogram and monitor and gave me the thumbs up. I took full advantage of the conditions and pulled in at least 20 good shots from different angles, in both portrait and landscape format. These daffs don't last too long so better to strike while the iron is hot. Don't think I'll be back here this year so it was a simple case of making the most of my opportunity. I submitted this Finchale Abbey image to Tyne-Tees Television and it was shown on their weather bulletin a few hours later. The footage can be seen
here, by activating the video clip on the control panel. My second Spring shot,
which also features daffodils, was taken at Staithes, an olde worlde fishing village on the North-Yorkshire coast. A viewpoint near Cowbar Nab, the highest point at Staithes, offers an excellent view over the rooftops and harbour, including the river that runs through the village. As far as photogenic fishing villages are, Staithes is as good as it gets in this part of the world. Exploring the tight streets throws up many photo opportunities too and the character of the place has been retained after all these years - it often feels like you're in a different age as you walk the cobbles. There's a nice watering hole in Staithes too - The Cod And Lobster, so a pint of Yorkshire Ale is a canny little option before walking back up the very steep hill to the car park. I'd recommend Staithes if you're in the area - it's well worth visiting. My next shot (three) was captured by simply being in the right place at the right time. I was in Northumberland, travelling back from my visit to Warkworth Castle during the lambing season. Another possibility for a typical Spring type shot. Parking off road was very limited as I drove through the country lanes, until I reached a junction in the middle of nowhere.
I noticed a few lambs jumping around in the corner of a nearby field so I grabbed my 300mm telephoto, fitted it, then got out the car and headed across the road. At the edge of the field was a sheep, sitting minding its own business when Mr 'CameraGluedToHis Face' showed up! One of the lambs was sitting on it's mothers back, which is something I've never seen before. Now this would be a shot and a half! Just as I raised the camera to my eye the sheep stood up and I feared the shot would be missed, but it stood there for a few seconds with the lamb still sitting, so I took full advantage by firing off a few shots in quick burst mode. The sheep then walked away and the lamb slid from its back and onto its feet. This shots epitomises the phrase 'capturing the moment'. Finally, shot 4, taken in Mowbray Gardens, Sunderland town centre.
This is the colour of Spring, jumping out at the camera. Beautifully maintained flower beds and lawns, with added features like water fountains, bandstands and statues - more of that to follow in my next blog entry. Here is a quick preview, taken early on an April morning when the place was quiet, give or take the odd person here and there. Gone are the wino's and stray dogs - Mowbray Gardens is on the up, judging by what I saw as I walked through its grounds for the first time in years. The adjoining Museum and Winter Gardens are quite picturesque too and I have some shots of these that I will add to my next blog entry, coming soon. Until then, catch ya later... Ash
Todays blog entry combines the two seasons, so my latest photo offerings reflect those typical Spring/Summer sights that are fairly commonplace during this time of year. Flowers, such as daffodils, typify everything that Spring is synonomous with, so I was keen to capture one or two scenes containing daffs at the height of the season. My first shot shows blooming daffs at a local English Heritage site - Finchale Abbey, County Durham. I made a previous visit to the ancient site a few weeks ago but the daffodils had just sprouted so I was way too early for the shots I was after. A calculated revisit brought me better luck though. I knew I had to be there early to catch the sun hitting the abbey from it's 'best side', and in turn bringing the best colour out of the flowers. As I walked through Cocken Wood towards the abbey I could tell instantly that my preparations had paid off - the sun was shining brightly and a burst of yellow could be easily seen between the trees as I walked the approach path. I was now in the abbey grounds and determining what settings to run with when a massive cloud slowly passed over, taking the sun out of the equation - great (not)! After 15 minutes or so it had passed over and I was off and running again. Bright sunlight and no breeze - perfect conditions. Wide angle was the way to go, guaranteeing full coverage of the abbey facade and flower bed in the foreground. Infact, I was practically in amongst the daffs to begin with, shooting low angle up a slight incline. Handheld, with a small aperture, the camera delivered a pin sharp image from my first effort, which was the whole objective, and a quick review on the histogram and monitor and gave me the thumbs up. I took full advantage of the conditions and pulled in at least 20 good shots from different angles, in both portrait and landscape format. These daffs don't last too long so better to strike while the iron is hot. Don't think I'll be back here this year so it was a simple case of making the most of my opportunity. I submitted this Finchale Abbey image to Tyne-Tees Television and it was shown on their weather bulletin a few hours later. The footage can be seen here, by activating the video clip on the control panel. My second Spring shot,
which also features daffodils, was taken at Staithes, an olde worlde fishing village on the North-Yorkshire coast. A viewpoint near Cowbar Nab, the highest point at Staithes, offers an excellent view over the rooftops and harbour, including the river that runs through the village. As far as photogenic fishing villages are, Staithes is as good as it gets in this part of the world. Exploring the tight streets throws up many photo opportunities too and the character of the place has been retained after all these years - it often feels like you're in a different age as you walk the cobbles. There's a nice watering hole in Staithes too - The Cod And Lobster, so a pint of Yorkshire Ale is a canny little option before walking back up the very steep hill to the car park. I'd recommend Staithes if you're in the area - it's well worth visiting. My next shot (three) was captured by simply being in the right place at the right time. I was in Northumberland, travelling back from my visit to Warkworth Castle during the lambing season. Another possibility for a typical Spring type shot. Parking off road was very limited as I drove through the country lanes, until I reached a junction in the middle of nowhere. 
I noticed a few lambs jumping around in the corner of a nearby field so I grabbed my 300mm telephoto, fitted it, then got out the car and headed across the road. At the edge of the field was a sheep, sitting minding its own business when Mr 'CameraGluedToHis Face' showed up! One of the lambs was sitting on it's mothers back, which is something I've never seen before. Now this would be a shot and a half! Just as I raised the camera to my eye the sheep stood up and I feared the shot would be missed, but it stood there for a few seconds with the lamb still sitting, so I took full advantage by firing off a few shots in quick burst mode. The sheep then walked away and the lamb slid from its back and onto its feet. This shots epitomises the phrase 'capturing the moment'. Finally, shot 4, taken in Mowbray Gardens, Sunderland town centre. 
This is the colour of Spring, jumping out at the camera. Beautifully maintained flower beds and lawns, with added features like water fountains, bandstands and statues - more of that to follow in my next blog entry. Here is a quick preview, taken early on an April morning when the place was quiet, give or take the odd person here and there. Gone are the wino's and stray dogs - Mowbray Gardens is on the up, judging by what I saw as I walked through its grounds for the first time in years. The adjoining Museum and Winter Gardens are quite picturesque too and I have some shots of these that I will add to my next blog entry, coming soon. Until then, catch ya later... Ash
