Wordless Wednesday: Sunset Silhouettes
trees
Wordless Wednesday: Dusk Light
Every Wednesday, all across the internet, people post a photograph with no words to explain it. Here is mine.
CB&W: Sunlit Leaves
They hide amongst the sunlit leaves, with only hints of movement to betray their presence. If you watch carefully you might see a darting shape, there and gone in the blink of an eye. But listen. You can hear them: the swish of fluttering wings; the pattering of tiny footsteps on branches. And there – the tinkling of laughter as they peek down at you in curious amusement.
This post is for Cee’s Black and White Challenge. The theme is still trees.
CB&W: The Lovers
she leans
into his strength
knowing he’ll support her
knowing the roots of their love are
secure
This post is for Cee’s Black and White Challenge. The theme is still trees as Cee is currently taking a well-deserved blogging break.
The pictures are of a pair of trees that have grown together beside the stream, leaning out over the water. It’s these that the little ladder leans against. I love how the larger tree seems to support the smaller one as it leans at an insecure angle, its branches wrapped like arms around it. I named them ‘The Lovers’ as soon as I spotted them and their embrace.
I hope you like them.
Changing Seasons 2016: August
During August I’ve again been photographing the wildflower meadow, wooded area and stream for Cardinal Guzman’s Changing Seasons Challenge. As usual I have far more pictures in my galleries than we’re asked to share, but I couldn’t bear to cut anything else out!
With many of the flowers having withered away over the summer, leaving a sea of golden grass, during August the main focal points of the meadow became the little trees scattered throughout the area. There are over thirty of these, but until recently they’ve been too small to show up in pictures, having only been planted when the field was bought a few years ago by a lovely couple who live in the village. It is this couple who have turned the space into the beautiful area it is now, and have made it accessible for everyone – for which I am incredibly grateful! Here are a few pictures of some of the little trees:
Whilst most of the flowers in the meadow have faded, there are a few that still remain.
But even with the fading of the flowers, there is still beauty to be found amongst the long grass. I’ve always found seedpods and dried flowers to be as attractive in their own way as flowers at the peak of their bloom…
One of the things I always love to do when I’m visiting the meadow, wooded area and stream is to look for any wildlife that I can photograph. I always see far more things than I actually manage to capture, though during August I was particularly fortunate with many of my shots. Having said that, a few pictures (the moorhen and the sparrowhawk) were taken right at the limit of my 70-300mm lens and still had to be cropped to show the creatures properly. They were also taken handheld, meaning that they’re not quite as clear as I would have liked, but I they were shots I was so pleased to have captured that I couldn’t leave them out.
Pheasant on Path
Dragonfly
Common-Blue Butterfly
Shield Bug
Brown Argus Butterfly
Ladybird with Larvae
Moorhen
Sparrowhawk
Cat
One of my favourite features in the meadow are the cluster of tree stumps, and the items that sit on top of them. And yes… many of them were placed there by me. 🙂
With Autumn drawing nearer, the wooded area has become increasingly interesting to photograph. The acorns and sycamore helicopters have grown larger, whilst spiderwebs wreathe many trees.
To finish off I’ll leave you with a few pictures of my favourite things to hunt for at this time of year – the toadstools that hide among the grass and leaf-litter.
I hope you all enjoyed August’s collection of images. I had hoped to share them before the end of the month, but unfortunately my internet connection died. Luckily it didn’t stay off for too long this time.
If you’d like to see how the area has changed over the course of the year, you can find the previous months’ galleries by following the links below:
Changing Season 2016: June
It’s time for June’s Changing Seasons post, a challenge that asks you to photograph the same place over the course of a year and to share a monthly gallery of pictures. Yet again I’m afraid I have a few more photos than the Cardinal asks us to share. Oops! You probably wouldn’t believe just how long it took to reduce it down to only this many!
This year I’m photographing the wildflower meadow, wooded area and stream – my favourite place to visit in the village. I can spend hours happily sitting with a notepad, writing my little stories and poems.
The most noticeable feature of the meadow this month has been the daisies. The whole field has been filled with them in a gorgeous a sea of white.
There were other flowers blooming, as well – many hidden amongst the daisies: cornflowers and corncockles, birdsfoot trefoil, poppies and clover, plus many others that I didn’t manage to identify.
Selfheal
Tufted Vetch
Kidney Vetch
Corncockle bud
Often overlooked are the grasses that fill the meadow, the drab cousins of the elegant flowers, but beautiful in their own right.
During June the meadow has been filled with insects, bees and butterflies, flitting from plant to plant. I’ve already shared some of the insect pictures that I’ve taken this month but I did save some for today’s post.
As well as the meadow there’s also the little wooded area and the stream.
I thought I’d leave you with a final two shots of a couple of friends I’ve made at the meadow this month.
I hope you liked these pictures. If you did, feel free to check out the previous months’ posts:
Changing Seasons 2016: March
This post is for Cardinal Guzman’s monthly Changing Seasons photography challenge. This year I’m photographing my favourite place in the village – the little wooded path alongside the wildflower meadow that runs down to the stream.
The main feature during March has been the daffodils, which were much later to bloom beneath the shelter of the trees than in the gardens. They’re like little bursts of sunshine in flower form, brightening the area and cheering the spirit as you walk among them. Daffodils always make me smile.
As well as the daffodils there has also been the sight of the fresh spring greenery to enjoy. Many of the smaller trees and shrubs are opening their leaves, enjoying the light before the taller trees come into leaf and cast them into shade.
The evergreens also enjoy the spring warmth, stretching out new growth.
During March the wildlife has also become increasingly active. Birdsong is a constant soundtrack as you walk through the trees. Occasionally you’ll catch a flash of wings as a brave bird settles onto a branch nearby. Insects are also beginning to buzz and scurry.
I thought I’d finish off with a final gallery that offers a glimpse of what’s to come in next month’s post. Over the last week or so the first of the bluebells have started to flower. I’m now looking forward to the carpet of blue we’re certain to see during April.
I hope you enjoyed the little tour through my own little wonderland. I’d love to know what you think.
Changing Seasons 2016: February
This post is for Cardinal Guzman’s monthly Changing Seasons photography challenge.
Entrance
Snowdrops
Swelling Buds
Strange Mossy Log
A Carpet of Snowdrops
Campfire
Sunbeams
Reflection
View Over Stream
Tree Lined Bank
I joined in with this challenge for the first half of last year, taking photographs along all the lanes around the village that I live in. Unfortunately I was taking so many pictures that it reached the point where I couldn’t find time to sort through them all to create a gallery! This year I’m limiting the area I’ll be photographing to a single place – the little wooded path alongside the wildflower meadow and down to the stream. This is my favourite place in the village.
At the moment the meadow is bare so all of this month’s pictures are either from the wooded path or the stream. Whilst daffodils are in bloom everywhere else, beneath the shelter of the trees they have yet to flower. Snowdrops have been February’s main feature.
I hope you all like them.
If you’re interested in joining in with the challenge, here are the rules. This year there are two different versions of it that you could choose from. I chose version 1, though I’m tempted to try out version 2 with some artwork…
Version 1
- Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons
- Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery.
- Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
Version 2
- Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons
- Each month, post one photo (recipe, painting, drawing, whatever) that represents your interpretation of the month.
- Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
Wordless Wednesday: Sunlit Stream
Every Wednesday, all across the internet, bloggers post a photograph with no words to explain it. Here is mine.
Photography 101 – Mystery
Mysterious Path
Where do you
lead me,
wandering path?
Over a
stile,
through a gate.
down a dapple lit track.
What do you hide
with your
twists and turns?
How might you
hinder my
journey?
It’s a journey of a
minute,
or an hour,
or a day.
It’s a journey of a
lifetime…
and the destination:
always
a mystery.
