Lens-Artists Challenge: Cinematic
Posted on April 28, 2025
This week we’re looking for cinematic images.
I took this photo in the desert outside the city of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. For me, the main attractions were the strong leading line and the combination of sand, scrub and stone. Oh, and the symmetry of the two slopes.
It’s not too much of a stretch to see this as an establishing shot in a Western, with the added mystery of what could be lying in wait on the other side of that crest……
Lens-Artists Challenge: Go-To Places
Posted on April 22, 2025
This week, John has set us the interesting challenge of showing our ‘go-to’ places. To be honest, I’m pretty happy to be here at home most of the time (not least because it doesn’t involve the hassle of actually getting to anywhere).
We have been very lucky to have traveled to some wonderful places, so I thought I’s just post images from three of my favourite destinations. I don’t think the first two need any further introduction…
This third one may not be quite so familiar. It’s the Corniche in Abu Dhabi as our evening cruise passed the headquarters of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, where I worked for the last ten years of my career. We have many happy memories of our time in the UAE.
Monochrome Madness: Everything Spring
Posted on April 18, 2025
This week the theme is the timely one of ‘Everything Spring’. Up here in the northern hemisphere it’s the time for planting and growing.
This little fella, just planted out in of our raised beds, will – if al goes according to plan – eventually provide us with some Brussels sprouts: chou de Bruxelles.
Lens-Artists Challenge: Abandoned
Posted on April 13, 2025
Here in rural France, there’s certainly no shortage of potential subjects for this week’s theme of ‘Abandoned’, whether it be old farm buildings or, as here, houses. This particular – and very small – example can be found next to the church in the nearby village of Rancon.
Lens-Artists Challenge – My Last Outing
Posted on April 7, 2025
It’s a particularly timely challenge for this week’s Lens-Artists, because as it happens my last outing was only yesterday (Sunday).
The first ‘big’ local event of the year round these parts is traditionally the annual ‘Fête des Fleurs‘ in the village of Magnac-Laval, about a half hour’s drive from here. It is held in the grounds of the local agricultural college, which is based in this rather grand-looking chateau. I’m always amused by the jaunty tilt of that windvane.
As you can see from the blameless blue sky, the weather was very kind, which is certainly not a given for this time of year.
Monochrome Madness: Night-time
Posted on April 5, 2025
I took this photograph of a boat that was sailing along the Corniche in Abu Dhabi at night. The original image was pretty much monochrome itself, with just a few flashes of colour from the lights on board.
Last Photo March 2025
Posted on April 1, 2025
These white pansies have just returned for another season in one of our flowerbeds (yes it does need weeding).
Lens-Artists Challenge: Wild
Posted on March 31, 2025
Two Arabian oryx bask in the afternoon sunlight on the Sir Bani Yas Island nature reserve in Abu Dhabi.
This species of oryx was getting uncomfortably close to extinction and the establishment of the Sir Bani Yas reserve played a significant rôle in protecting them and allowing their numbers to increase. Here, they are still ‘in the wild’, as it were (there’s plenty of room), but are safe from the predations of man.
Cellpic Sunday: Play Misty For Me
Posted on March 30, 2025
On a misty day with not a breath of wind, the reflections on the surface of the pond here in what I call Tranquility Base, are almost perfect. And you’ve got to love those leading lines…
Lens-Artists Challenge – Personal Favourites
Posted on March 25, 2025
This week’s Lens-Artists Challenge is a bit of a tricky one – not that we’re being asked to find an unusual subject, or one which we tend not to photograph very often (e.g. last week’s ‘Portraits’).
No, rather we’re invited by Tina at Travels And Trifles to post five of our personal favourite images. I mean, where do you even begin? I -and I’m certainly not the only one – have literally thousands of photographs in my library from which to try and make a choice. It’s almost invidious.
So, in order to make the process of choice more manageable, I hit on the idea of confining my selection to a particular type of image. I’m quite fond of photographing things from a low viewpoint, as a different perspective can prove to be more interesting.
This flower was growing in one of our raised beds and, backlit by the sun, it looked quite striking.
This chandelier hangs in the reception area of the hotel on Sir Baniyas Island in Abu Dhabi.
By happy chance, this helicopter was about to touch down on the helipad at the top of the Burj al-Arab hotel in Dubai.
This is the mightily impressive vaulted ceiling of Beverley Minster.
No, it’s not something from a Transformers movie: it’s an electricity pylon at a shopping centre on the outskirts of Limoges.
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