Leaf Skeleton

The delicate skeletal structure of a leaf and its shadow

London - Rooftop views of Old and New

Photos taken from a London rooftop in August 2014.  Mixtures of old and new in the skyline.

 

St Paul's Cathedral, London Eye, Westminster Hall, St Stephen's Tower (now renamed as Queen Elizabeth Tower?), The Shard and Westminster Cathedral....

 

...The London Eye, Shell Building and new construction...

 

...St Paul's Dome...

 

.....and Nelson's Column

London - Green Park Puddles

Weather forecast said sunny skies this morning, so I picked up my camera and walked from Green Park tube across Green Park. The wet weather on Sunday had formed a large puddle at the entrance to the park which had some interesting reflections.

 

Buckingham Palace...

...Gates to Green Park



 

A quick walk over the Canadian War memorial where the autumn plane tree leaves made a contract to the ceramic green maple leaves.

 

Back to the puddle, more reflections of a figure and the avenue of trees...

 

...finishing with monochrome reflections.

London - St James Park Pelicans

The sun behind the St James Park Pelicans showing the colours of their pouches

A study in black and white



Steps Hill and Incombe Hole - A dull day

Tidying up my photos I came across these photos taken on a dull day after rain in July 2012.

 

Water drops on a blade of grass and bramble in the scrub at the top of Steps Hill, on the Chilterns ridge.  The depth of field is not great because of the dull conditions and a relatively fast shutter speed as hand held.

A white moth resting.



 

A brown Belted Galloway allowed to graze on the slopes of Incombe Hole to keep the scrub back and encourage the wild flowers.

London - Indian Summer in St James Park

The warm weather earlier in the week brought the office workers and visitors out in St James Park...

 

.....as well as the incredibly friendly squirrels with the autumn colours in the trees.

 

This young squirrel posed beautifully for me on a branch with lovers carvings.

 

Walking past the lake, Gulls were performing, trying to be the first to catch the visitors crusts.

London - Film Crew on Location in Green Park

Walking through Green Park in the early morning film crew vans were arriving and setting up.

 

In the late afternoon the crew were still there and between shots.

Taking up another angle, I got one shot, this photo of a young girl, an actress I presume, yawning after a long day's work. 

I had obviously attracted their attention, as after taking this photo, their security came up to me asking what I was doing?  Explaining that photography was my interest, I decided, having got my shot, I would make my way home rather than get into an argument.  But it make wonder if they could have stopped me taking photos?  It was in a public place after all.

Dog Discovers Beached Sperm Whale

I took this photo of my dog during my walk on Happisburgh Beach Norfolk in September this year

 

The dog examines the baby whale!

A more scenic view of the sea carved timber groyne.  With a little imagination...



Kent - Henry VIII's Helmet at Leeds Castle

This horned helmet on display at Leeds Castle was was commissioned by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I for Henry shortly after he came to the throne in 1509

 

 

Love the glasses - Most bizarre!

Norfolk - Happisburg Sea Defences

A trip to Norfolk this September.

 

Sea defences

Pebbles caught in a groyne



 

The colours of sea worn timber of a groyne,  rusted metal and greens of algae on the post (not sure if the dog pawprints adds to the ripples in the sand?)

London - Greenwich Foot Tunnel Entrance

An afternoon's visit to Greenwich this September.

 

The domed entrance to the foot tunnel above the shaft, with Canary Wharf and the Cutty Sark.

Shadows on the cobbles.



The late afternoon sun illuminating the glass dome.



Bored in London

One tourist is not interested in the guide's so informative talk in a London Park!

 

London - August Birds St James Park

Walking through St James Park to and from work, plenty of birds on the lake

 

Grey Heron hiding on a coot's nest

Coot delicately feeding its young.  Who would have thought that the coot has a dark side when bringing up their young, only feeding the stronger of its brood?



Three photos of a Black Headed Gull in non-breeding plumage (winter) taken from the bridge





 

The yellow of a Cormorant's throat

London - Shoreditch Graffiti

I had a walk around Shoreditch one lunchtime earlier in the year and was amazed by the graffiti.  Not to everybody's taste, but it kept me interested.

 

Simplicity of design.

A modern twist to Rene Magritte?



"Art is a lie that makes realise the truth" Picasso

Detail of stickers on a door



I missed plenty as can be seen if you google "Shoreditch Graffiti".  Another walk when I am in the area.

Grey Heron in Flight and Fishing

Photos of Grey Herons this summer.

 

One June morning this adult flew over me as I walked the canal bank.

Normally they change direction if they are flying towards you, but this waited until the last moment.



 

A juvenile with a small fish.  I claim no fieldcraft skills as this bird was skulking in the shadows by the bank right next to the footbridge in St James Park in central London as tourists passed close by on a sunny day this month.

London - Ammonite in lift floor

Travelling in a lift in a London City office block, I noticed that there appeared to be a fossil in the stone tiles of the floor.  On closer inspection, to my layman's eyes it was an Ammonite.  A quick google search showed that the rock was not marble as I had originally thought. This is because the original limestone that is metamorphosed under high pressure has been altered too much for fossils to be preserved in a recognisable form. Fossils do occur but this is extremely rare and tend to be small.  More likely to be polished limestone which retains its fossils

 

This Ammonite fossil was about 10cms across.

 

The strange mauve blue was cast by the lighting in the lift.  Where my shadow fell at the bottom was more like the natural colour of the stone.  It is a bit clearer when I converted the snap to monochrome.

 

Who would have thought that when this ammonite died and fell to the bottom of the sea millions of years ago (amonites were around 400 to 65 million years ago), it would be travelling up and down in London City lift.



Ivinghoe Beacon - June Insects and Weather

A few photographs from a walk on Ivinghoe Beacon a couple of years ago

 

The caterpillar of a Burnet Moth (probably the 6 Spot as I have not seen others varieties here) with a Scabious coming into flower.

 

A moody sky with shafts of sunlight breaking through the clouds

 

Ox-eye Daisy with a Gall Fly