Weekly Photo Challenge: Cherry On Top
Posted on July 23, 2016
Having a sometimes overly literal frame of mind, finding an image to fit this week’s topic of ‘cherry on top’ presented some intial difficulties: i.e nothing in my collection with cherries on.
However, there is this photograph (which I admit to posting before, as part of Cee’s Compose Yourself Photo Challenge) of a performing seal at Taronga Zoo in Sydney that comes reasonably close to the mark.
Macro Moments: Week 5
Posted on July 22, 2016
Flowers are one of my favourite subjects for macro photography, so I’ve decided to participate in the ‘Macro Moments’ challenge hosted by Susan Gutterman at Musin’ with Susan, as flowers are the topic for this week.
This is a close-up image of a chrysanthemum bloom taken at Monet’s Garden in Giverny, in Normandy. Apart from the spectacular colours, what I particularly like is the way that the individual petals can be seen to be folding back on themselves in a symmetrical pattern.
Nikon D800 with Nikon f2.8 24-70mm lens at 56mm. 1/180 at f8.0, ISO400. Cropped and edited in Lightroom.
Antique
Posted on July 22, 2016
Finding something over 50 years old for this week’s edition of Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge isn’t the hard part. Just looking in the mirror solves that problem.
However, to spare all of us the ordeal of a self-portrait, here are three photographs taken in a chateau in Sarlat, which is set up as it might have looked in the sevententh century (way more than fifty years ago).
This old book (Proceedings of the Committee on French Africa – riveting stuff) is artfully placed on a desk, but I liked the cropped version showing the book itself and the (also artfully placed) reading glasses:
Sepia seemed the most appropriate colour cast for this formal dining-room:
But my favourite image is this one. A quasi-impressionist view through some very old window-panes, the antiquity of which is attested by the fact that they’re full of bubbles, showing that they were made in the days before glaziers had mastered the techniques of producing absolutely clear glass in mass-market quantities:
Thursday Doors: Montrol-Senard (encore)
Posted on July 21, 2016
My previous post of a door in Montrol-Sénard was a bit- well, edgy. However, here are some more comfortingly conventional offerings from this ‘living museum’ village a few miles from here:
although his one is on the upper story, which could make cleaning the step a little problematic:
Thursday Doors 21 July 2016
Monochrome: Texture & Contrast
Posted on July 18, 2016
Cee’s Compose Yourself Photo Challenge has now reached Black & White and as a first stage is focussing on texture and contrast. Here are some images that incorporate both these key elements of monochrome images.
This camellia flower was actually a gorgeous shade of purple, but the monochrome brings out the texture of the leaves very well, while the greater contrast enhances the perception of detail at the heart of the flower :
This little imp sits on an electricity pylon, contrasting well with the texture of the concrete post, in the small hamlet of Bonnefont, quite close to here:
Monochrome also brings out the texture in these carvings from Chartres Cathedral….
…and the contrast in this dramatic skyscape
Weekly Photo Challenge: Details
Posted on July 16, 2016
This photograph was taken when I first got my Nikon 105mm Macro lens to play with. It’s the centre of a lily flower and you can see the pollen that you can never get rid off if it gets on your clothes…
…as you can see from the original
Locked
Posted on July 15, 2016
This modern lock secures the carved wooden door of an old building in the al-Bastakiya heritage area of old Dubai.
Thursday Doors: Le Mans
Posted on July 14, 2016
Spotted on the way to dinner in the centre of Le Mans earlier this week:
I was struck by the symmetry of the ornate decoration and the (very) purple colour of this door on an old office building.
Thursday Doors 14 July 2016
Weekly Photo Challenge: Look Up
Posted on July 12, 2016
The Ostensions is a religious festival that takes place every seven years, over the spring and summer. 2016 is one of those years.
During this period, relics of the saints are paraded through the main towns in the region.
For the period of the Ostensions, the cathedral at Limoges and its surroundings are bedecked by colourful bunting.
Thursday Doors: Abu Dhabi (last time)
Posted on July 7, 2016
This week’s door may be unspectacular, but holds a special significance. It’s the entrance to the apartment in Abu Dhabi where we lived for ten years (2002-2012). Good memories and no regrets.
And, to be fair, the view from inside looking out on the other side wasn’t too bad:
Thursday Doors 7 July 2016
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