Weekly Photo Challenge: Connected

What could be more appropriate for this week’s theme of ‘Connected’ than a wedding?

I’m very happy to say that I took this photograph last Saturday at my son’s wedding. Stealing the show between the bride and groom is their much-loved dog.

Connected

Weekly Photo Challenge: Connected.

Weekly Photo Challenge: From Every Angle

You’d never classify them among nature’s greatest beauties, but snails can be fascinating creatures.

Snail-3

– whichever way you look at them:

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Weekly Photo Challenge: From Every Angle

Weekly Photo Challenge: Creepy

Here is an image you could describe as creepy. Or maybe just plain weird. Taken through a shop doorway in Venice last year.

Creepy

Weekly Photo Challenge: Creepy

Weekly Photo Challenge: Beneath Your Feet

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars”

 – Oscar Wilde

In nearby Le Dorat, some council workmen were marking out parking bays in the main square, using these shiny metal studs. In their pristine state, they provided some lovely reflections.

DSC_0409a

Weekly Photo Challenge: Beneath Your Feet

Weekly Photo Challenge: Inspiration

Having a camera means seeing the world with a photographer’s eye. It can also mean being able to see things that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. That’s inspiring.

This photograph illustrates the point. Last weekend was the annual airshow (‘estevol’) at Blond. It was a cloudy, overcast day which at least meant that the sky provided a good neutral background. It was also very windy.

One of the regular features of the estevol is a very colourful display of kites. The wind was perfect for flying them, but it took a camera – and only 1/8000 of a second – to ‘freeze’ this particular ‘cerf-volant’, which otherwise would have been just a blur.

Inspiration

Weekly Photo Challenge: Inspiration

Weekly Photo Challenge: Close Up

The heart of a poppy in Monet’s Garden at Giverney. I hadn’t spotted the flying creatures until I zoomed in on the image

Close Up

Weekly Photo Challenge: Close Up

Weekly Photo Challenge: Half and Half

Against the background of a clear blue sky, rows of vines run up to the horizon near the village of Äy, in the Champagne region of France.

Half

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Half and Half

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Symbol

Next Tuesday, July 14th, is France’s Fête Nationale – National Day, or Bastille Day – so it seems appropriate for this week’s ‘Symbol’ challenge to show an image that symbolises our adopted country.

Accordingly, here is a detail of the Mairie (town hall) of the commune in which we live. It’s worth pointing out that administrative power in France is heavily devolved down to the local level, and pretty much anything you want to get done  – from getting married to having a new garage built – needs to be approved by, and go through, your local Mairie.

Symbol2

Weekly Photo Challenge: Symbol.

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Muse

This week we’re asked ‘what subject do you turn to frequently, more inspired each time?’

Well, I don’t know about the ‘more inspired’ bit, but I do like a nice reflection: as I’ve described it before, Nature’s best buy-one-get-one-free deal. So, here are three images I’ve captured over the past couple of weeks.

The first was taken from a boat on the Dordogne River:

Dordogne riverbank

Dordogne riverbank

The second is from the same boat trip, but I flipped the image 90 degrees clockwise for a more dramatic efect

A different perspective

A different perspective

And finally, taken at a display by the Cadre Noir elite team at France’s National equestrian School in Saumur, a rider passes in front of a mirror

Cadre Noir

Cadre Noir

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Roy G Biv

All the colours of the rainbow – captured at the Blond Airshow last summer.

Roybiv

Weekly Photo Challenge: Roy G Biv