Hi all.
I thought I'd put another post of my photographs, to try and cheer people up. I took most of these images in my village of Stainland, or at Ogden, which is about 10 miles (16 km) away from me. We are very lucky in having wonderful scenery in our area. There are a lot of nature reserves, woodlands and rugged moorlands in this part of Yorkshire.
I shall group the images into two main groups; Stainland shots, then the Ogden photos. At the end will be one or two images of places which are a short distance from our village, as well.
On this blog in the past, I talked about the way a border can either enhance, or detract from images. Since then, I've been experimenting more with borders. I decided that I would add a 300 pixel border to certain images, then add a digital frame. My idea is to give a feeling that you are looking at images in an art gallery. Most photographs seem to look right treated in this way. With digital artworks, many look good displayed this way as well. However, a border on certain images can detract from them. You may see examples of this in my next blog post, which will show some of my recent artwork.
Right, the Stainland photos first. As usual, I will not add any comments, or titles unless I feel something needs one.
The snail shell below was found in our garden by my wife Anne. It was a perfect subject for a "mini still life".
I can't imagine what the small piece of wood in the picture below was, or how big it was. It's must have been hanging there for a very long time, to rot down to what it is now. Many people will have walked passed it over the years, without seeing it. I love this photo.
Now for the Ogden photos. This moor is actually called Ovenden Moor. Certainly, you can walk to the Ovenden area on it, you can walk across to other places too, it stretches a long way. I've no idea how it got it's name, but it's my favourite place around here, as I must have said many times. I love to pack some dinner, a camera and binoculars and spend the day there, on my own. I never feel as free as when I'm on a large area of wild, rugged moorland. When I'm up there, I am feel at home, part of the open space and barren rocks. I'm at peace there, often, I feel I could fly. Being high up on a breezy moor, is like having a taste of heaven. The songs of curlews, meadow pipets, buzzards, skylarks and the occasional cuckoo in Spring, are all the company I need on the moors.
Now for the photos. I've posted several photos of this moor here before, these are all new ones. Like every place where Mother Nature hold sway, it changes with the seasons. I find new things to photograph each time I go.
Back Lane, is one of the two paths on to the moor from Ogden. You would not chose to call it a lane. It's an old walled greenway, and a constant uphill walk. When there is a lot of rain, it can have a small, fast flowing stream running down it. The path is incredibly rugged, it can be almost as high as your shoulder in some parts and only about 10-12 inches wide, (about 25 to 30 cm) and too uneven to walk on at the bottom. Or, it can be reasonably flat on the bottom and about 2 feet, (60 cm) wide. It's a tricky place to walk. You could easily twist, or break your ankle, if you don't pay attantion to where you put your feet. Mountain bikers come down it, (a scary thought to me). I've seen horses foot prints in the mud. I can't imagine meeting a horse coming down it. In some places, there's not much room to get out of the way
I was walking up Back Lane one morning when a lamb jumped up on the stones and stared at me. It was not timid, which was to me, unusual. I spoke quietly to it, it turned it's head on one side, listening. I spent several minutes talking to it. When it was time for me to move on, I told the lamb to find it's mother. It made one, "Baaa" turned and trotted off. It seemed to have enjoyed my company, It was a humbling experience. I took 5 photos of it, this was the best.
This bit of bent iron was jammed in the wall for no obvious reason, other than for me to take it's photo. I obliged.
Below; an interesting rock formation in Rock Hollow Park, Ogden.
Giant's Tooth Monolith,
Finally, three photos of areas near me.
I hope you feel uplifted after seeing these images. Getting out for a walk, and communing with nature, is one of the very best cures for depression. Especially in these difficult times. Get you boots on and have a go yourself.
Take care
