Lens-Artists Challenge: Creativity
Posted on June 30, 2025
I’ve never considered myself as particularly creative (except perhaps in the art of avoiding hard work or getting my hands dirty), so for this week’s Lens0Artists Challenge, with the theme of ‘Creativity’, it makes more sense to me to highlight the creativity of others more blessed than myself in that department.
The island of Murano, in the Venetian Lagoon, is world famous for its production of glass, especially ornamental glass items that are designed and made by individual craftsmen. The production process is fascinating, if a little scary – that stuff if hot.
Monochrome Madness: Transport
Posted on June 25, 2025
I have no end of pictures of various forms of transport suitable for this week’s Monochrome Madness theme of ‘Transport’. I think I’m especially well-equipped for tractors – unsurprisingly, given our location in the depths of rural France.
However, I thought I’d go with this. No, it’s not a child’s drawing of a bicycle – this is Leonardo da Vinci’s design for a bicycle, on display in a museum in the city of Venice. Note the characteristic mirror writing.
It looks a bit of a bone-shaker, to be honest, but it can’t be denied that he was well ahead of his time.
Lens-Artists Challenge: Reflections
Posted on June 23, 2025
Ah, reflections. What photographer worth their salt could resist capturing an example of nature’s best BOGOF deal?
This reflection was captured in the charming Belgian city of Bruges, so famous for its canals that it’s often been described as the Venice of the north.
Cellpic Sunday: As seen from above..
Posted on June 22, 2025
This, I am reliably informed, is an Agapanthus – originally from southern Africa but – in this particular instance – now residing in one of our newly-created flowerbeds.
Lens-Artists Challenge: Stormy
Posted on June 17, 2025
The gathering storm: I took this photo in Australia, in the wine-growing area of New South Wales.
What began as a bright and sunny day quickly darkened as a storm front moved in. Shortly after this was taken, the sky was almost black and it rained. A lot…
Cellpic Sunday: Purple Garlic
Posted on June 15, 2025
We use this salt jar to store our fresh garlic, but the bulb of purple garlic was way too big to fit inside in one piece.
Lens-Artists Challenge: Mellow
Posted on June 9, 2025
I think this image fits the bill for the theme of this week’s challenge: another photograph taken last October in La Rochelle, in the ‘golden hour’ just before sunset.
Lens-Artists Challenge: Books
Posted on June 2, 2025
I was a voracious reader from a very young age (although nowadays not so much) and my first post-university job was in the Liverpool City Libraries so yes, I can do books.
A couple of years ago I was ‘commissioned’ to take some photographs of books for a charity shop’s online sale. By far the most impressive set of tomes was this beautifuly bound and presumably encyclopedic 16-volume set of an illustrated history of France between 1843 and 1944.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it didn’t attract any bids. Realistically, who these days would go to the trouble of pulling one of these big beasts off the shelf and settling down in an armchair?
Last on the card May 2025
Posted on June 1, 2025
Cellpic Sunday: Pink Peony
Posted on June 1, 2025
Madame loves peonies – especially pink ones. Over the years we haven’t had consistent success with growing them, but this year there was a bumper crop.
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