Lens-Artists Challenge: Autumn Colours

Well, it’s definitely that time of year again, and apart from the chillier mornings perhaps the most immediately noticeable sign that autumn is upon us is nature’s changing colour palette as the predominant greens steadily turn to reds and browns.

Lens-Artists Challenge: Autumn Colours

Monochrome Madness: Ruins

As the topic for Monochrome Madness this time out is ‘Ruins’, eschewing the easy option of just posting an early morning selfie, I decided to stay with the subject of my Lens-Artists contribution earlier this week: the fabled ruins of the city of Petra.

For an idea of scale in this vast edifice, just take note of the human figures at bottom left.

Monochrome Madness: Ruins

Last On the card: Maybe…

Spotted in Lidl during their Foire Aux Vins: ‘tomorrow I’ll stop…perhaps’.

(The label also states: ‘wine naturally low in alcohol’. Obviously, I didn’t buy it.)

Last On The Card September 2025

Lens-Artists Challenge: Everyone should see…Petra

For many years, the ‘rose-red city’ of Petra, in Jordan, was right at the top of my bucket list. I finally made it for my 60th birthday.

The main approach to the city is through a narrow path called the ‘Siq’, which runs for about three-quarters of a mile (1.2 kilometres in the new money) between two high and rocky outcrops which, for most of the way, is all you can see. But then you round a slight curve in the path and there is your first glimpse of the Nabatean Treasury. Not something easily forgotten…

Lens-Artists Challenge: Everyone Should See This

Monochrome Madness: Symmetry

The theme for the latest iteration of Monochrome Madness is ‘symmetry’ – which is always something that most photographers are on the lookout for.

Architecture – especially classical architecture – is usually a good place to look for symmetry in an image, and I think it certainly works here, in a view of the imposing nave of the Collegiale in Le Dorat.

Monochrome Madness: Symmetry

Cellpic Sunday: A Mackerel Sky

A dramatic cloud formation from one morning earlier this week.

Cellpic Sunday 14 September 2025

Lens-Artists Challenge: Quiet Moment

I took this photo in Dubai, many years ago now. An immigrant worker seizes a – no doubt rare – opportunity to rest and relax, sitting on a bench and removing his sandals, enjoying a quiet moment.

Lens-Artists Challenge: Quiet Moment

Cellpic Sunday: Looking Astern

Earlier this summer, we took the ferry from Caen to Portsmouth (and very good it was too). Looking back at the boat’s wash as the French coast was about to disappear over the horizon, it struck me that it made an excellent leading line.

Cellpic Sunday 7 September 2025

Lens-Artists Challenge: Scavenger Hunt

For this week’s challenge Anne has given us what’s almost carte blanche effectively, with her theme of ‘scavenger hunt’, for which we’re invited to scour our archives (or take a new photo) for something that illustrates any of a long list of potential topics.

As it happens, I only needed to go back to last month for my contribution. This is a close-up of a pile of battered old wooden pallets – which I guess is where the ‘scavenger’ element comes in – that I spotted on the quayside at Scarborough, in Yorkshire.

There’s ‘rectangular’ and ‘bumpy texture’ from her list for starters, although at the time what really attracted me was the pleasing contrast between blue and orange (I haven’t tweaked the colour palette in any way at all).

Lens-Artists Challenge: Scavenger Hunt

Last On The Card: The Fallen Leaf

After a period of strong wind and heavy rain, this oak leaf ended up on top of the wall of one of our raised beds.

Last On The Card August 2025