Lens-Artists Challenge: Last Chance 2024
Posted on December 27, 2024
As I recall it, there was nothing that particularly stood out about this shot when I took it, about a week ago, but a closer look on the big screen rather than the smartphone made me think it’s actually a half decent composition.
It was taken down by the river in the old part – the quattiers pittoresques – of Bellac, our nearest town, when I was standing in the middle of a (very) old stone bridge.Apart from the tranquiity (it’s an area that isn’t that easy to access by car, so is usually quite quiet except in the tourist season), what stood out for me was the multitude of leading lines that draw the viewer in.
There’s the river itself, disappearing into the downstream distance, as well as the ripples in the bottom right, caused by the water flowing through the arches of the bridge. Additionally, there’s that low wall on the left. Mainly, however, it’s those trees and especially their reflections.
Well, I like it anyway…
Lens-Artists Challenge: Winter
Posted on December 10, 2024
Against a blameless blue morning sky, a very cold, clear night has put a spectacular bloom of heavy fros on the bare branches of these trees in one of our fields.
Last Photo November 2024
Posted on December 3, 2024
The last photo I took in November was this defiant geranium, gamely hanging on in one of our raised beds.
The blooms are low-hanging, but these creaking bones couldn’t face the prospect of having to kneel on the path to get the shot – I might not be able to get up again – so I used the front camera on my iPhone. I think it turned out okay.
(No editing of course, because them’s the rules.)
Lens-Artists Challenge: Five Elements
Posted on December 1, 2024
This week’s Lens-Artists Challenge, set by Sophia at Photographias, asks us to feature the four classical elements: air, earth, fire and water, but with metal as an addition.
Ideally, a single image would include all five (and so probably qualify for a notional bonus point. Unfortunately, I could find nothing in my library that would achieve that quintuple whammy, but I managed to include the full set in just two images.
Air and fire are accounted for by this shot taken at a firework display celebrating the United Arab Enirates’ National Day (which, coincidentally, comes round again this week).
As for the rest, here’s some dew (water) on a spider’s web woven on the back of a metal (sic) chair in our back garden (earth).
Cellpic Sunday: Early Sunset
Posted on December 1, 2024
Lens-Artists Challenge – This Made Me Smile
Posted on November 29, 2024
Lens-Artists Challenge: Gratitude
Posted on November 19, 2024
This week’s challenge is a bit of a toughie – as are most that whose title consists of an abstract noun.
Of course there is plenty for me to be grateful for – and I hope I am – but I was looking for a slightly different angle that doesn’t parade too much of my personal life.
Back in August, while on holiday in the UK, we went to a village cricket match in Yorkshire. There was nothing at stake apart from local pride, but I’m sure that the captain of the winning side expressed his gratitude to the person who handed him the trophy..
Monochrome madness: Leading lines
Posted on November 17, 2024
Leading lines – one of the most fundamental elements of photographic composition.
Rather than a conventional road disappearing into the distance or a wall ditto, I decided to approach this latest theme a little differently. This is an arrow slit that can be found in the fortified chateau of Guédelon, in central France;
Lens-Artists Challenge: In the details
Posted on November 11, 2024
This week’s Lens-Artists Challenge is a slightly unusual but very interesting one. We are asked to provide three images of a subject, showing progressively more detail.
To begin with, here is a conventional shot of the huge neo-gothic cathedral of Albi. It is massive: the walls are about twenty feet thick at the base. Begun in the 15th century, is is still the largest brick-built edifice in the world.
The main door is on the left, through the portico which is just visible in the bottom corner of the above image. Closer to, it looks like this:
That’s impressive enough in itself, with the human figures conveying an idea of the scale, but when you get to the actual doorway itself, you find it surmounted by this amazingly complex stonework.
(It occurs to me that it would be perfectly possible to continue the process of increasing detail by zooming in to some of that elaborate carving, like an almost endless set of Russian dolls.)
Cellpic Sunday: On a country walk
Posted on November 10, 2024
A walk along a country lane yesterday yielded this spectacular cloudscape.
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