Photography 101: Colo(u)r
Posted on November 17, 2014
This photograph was taken earlier this summer at an exhibition of old agricultural equipment in the nearby village of Lesterps. It shows the engine casing of a very well cared-for old tractor.
I haven’t post-processed the image in any way, apart from a crop for reasons of aesthetic balance. It really is this colo(u)r.
Photography 101: Mystery
Posted on November 14, 2014
Q: What lies in the blackness to which the eye is irresistibly drawn?
A: The basement. This was taken (with a Blackberry) leaning over the emergency stairwell on the 23rd floor of my old office building in Abu Dhabi.
The idea of depth – and therefore mystery – depends crucially on the sunlight shining in through the glass exterior from the right, producing the shadows on the stairs on that side and the highlights on the metalwork on the left.
Photography 101: Warmth
Posted on November 13, 2014
Although I’m as secular as they come, I do appreciate the architecture of churches and cathedrals.
Typically, though, the interiors of these buildings are largely of grey stone and emanate anything but warmth. However, this church, in the medieval town of Chauvigny, is an exception, especially when, as in this image, natural sunlight streams through the high windows above the altar.
Photography 101: Nature
Posted on November 12, 2014
This certainly comes under the category of nature. Despite appearances, it’s not a cartoon octopus but actually a chrysanthemum bud, which I took in early September this year in our garden.
Thinking about looking at common things from a different perspective, I rotated the image 90 degrees clockwise, which I think makes it a bit more interesting.
Photography 101: Landmark
Posted on November 11, 2014
Another image from Petra. This time, the famous Nabataean Treasury but from a more unusual perspective (as per the suggestions in the assignment).
I also like the juxtaposition of the carved monument and the rough stone on the right: like a particularly spectacular ‘before and after’.
I’ve posted some more abstract images from Petra here.
Photography 101: Connect
Posted on November 10, 2014
This bridge connects two parts of the site at Petra and is the only feasible way of reaching some of the largest rock carvings.
Madame, who has a fear of heights, was not happy having to cross over this rather ramshackle affair, especially with the shadow pointing to the bottom of the fifty-foot deep ravine that it spans.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Minimalist
Posted on November 8, 2014
This is a picture I took a few years ago as part of my ‘homework’ assignment for a weekend photography course I was taking in Abu Dhabi.
The course leader didn’t particularly care for it, but I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for it and it seems to fit this week’s brief.
It’s a candle (well, duh) with a convex reflector behind it, which produced the – I think – interesting curlicue of light.
Photography 101: Solitude
Posted on November 7, 2014
Photography 101: Bliss
Posted on November 6, 2014
‘When we bought Brokedown Palace almost ten years ago, we were also fortunate enough to acquire a few acres of attached agricultural land. This picture is of the field directly behind the house.
Just to be able to look out on a sunny day at this tranquil, unspoiled scene, with no sound but the birds, certainly counts as `bliss’ as far as I’m concerned.
Photography 101: Water
Posted on November 5, 2014
Where there’s water, there’s a good chance of a reflection – nature’s buy-one-get-one-free.
Today, an image from my visit earlier this year to Monet’s Garden.














