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2013-01-09 21:33:54 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

St Annes Pier, Lancashire

Another shot from my new X100. Loving this little camera and the way you can take it anywhere. Was only in St Annes to get my hair cut, but there was a lovely quality to the light and some colour on the horizon, so decided to take a walk out onto the beach.

The tyre tracks were a bit of a bonus find, and proved useful for the composition.

Thanks for looking,
Andrew
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#landscapephotography  +UK Photography Community  #ukphotographycommunity  

2013-01-08 19:57:31 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 10 +1s)

Beacon Fell in the Mist, Lancashire

Has been an age since I've been on Google+, a lull in the creative juices I think. Have recently treated myself to a Fuji x100 though, and am having great fun with it though!  As a lightweight backup to my SLR it's working great, and am enjoying the fixed 35mm lens.

This was taken at Beacon Fell in Lancashire, shooting into the light and mist. Handheld at ISO200 and 1/40s I'm more than pleased with the result. Great little camera that produces great images!

Thanks for looking,
Andrew
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#landscapephotography   #treetuesday  +UK Photography Community  #ukphotographycommunity  

2012-11-19 19:55:46 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Crinkle Crags and Bowfell, The Lake District

Had a quick jaunt up the Lake District this weekend. Weather wasn't great and got progressively cloudy through the day, but got this image that I like of Crinkle Crags and Bowfell from the top of Pike o' Blisco.

Biggest challenge was finding somewhere slightly out of the wind for the tripod. Had a to wait a while to get a bit of sunlight into the scene, but was reasonably pleased with the result.

Thanks for looking,
Andrew
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#landscapephotography   #mountainmonday   #britishphotographers  +British Photographers 

2012-11-04 19:01:42 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 7 +1s)

Lytham Boardwalk, Lancashire

Fair to say that my time for photography recently has been distinctly limited, but finally managed to get out of the house today. Have been meaning to get a photo of this board-walk for a long time, and have now got a shot that I really like.

A 0.9 Grad was combined with the Lee Big Stopper for an overall exposure time of around 7 minutes (sorry to those people waiting patiently behind me!). Lovely colours in the sky combined to give a nice atmospheric feeling.

Thanks for looking,
Andrew
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#landscapephotography   #seascapephotography   #britishphotographers   #seascapesunday   #howtophotograph  

2012-10-23 18:26:26 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Moorhen at Martin Mere

I'm not normally one for wildlife photogrpahy, but when we visit Martin Mere I tend to make exception. This was shot lying on my stomach across a path - a nice autumn feel to the image with the brown needles in the water and the rustic colours on the Moorhen's back.

Thanks for looking,
Andrew
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#britishphotographers   #birdphotography  

#birdpoker   curated by +Phil Armishaw 
#birdloversworldwide    curated by +Walter Soestbergen  +Robert SKREINER  #wildlifephotography      #birdsinfocus   curated by +Risto Talman

2012-10-23 17:02:11 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Autumn Colours

One for #treetuesday   - run by +Christina Lawrie and +Shannon S. Myers.

There seem to be some great autumn colours around this year - this was taken at the WWT nature reserve at Martin Mere in Lancashire in the UK. This branch stuck out nicely against the rest, giving the opportunity for a nice blurry background.

Thanks for looking,
Andrew
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#landscapephotography   #britishphotographers  

2012-10-16 20:36:35 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Focus on the red dot. The blue circle will disappear.

2012-10-16 18:26:51 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Thornton Force, Yorkshire

This delightful waterfall is the highlight of the Ingleton Waterfall's trail - a beautiful walk that takes you up and down two valleys full of some fantastic falls.

With a bit of bravery you can actually get up and directly behind the falling water - a bit nerve racking with an expensive camera, but good fun nonetheless!

Well worth a trip if you've never been, and an enjoyable day out.

Andrew
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#landscapephotography   #britishphotographers  

2012-10-11 18:43:31 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

New blog post on my website, following an afternoon spent at Martin Mere WWT Centre in Lancashire...

2012-10-09 18:55:24 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Leap Motion 

In just a couple of months, Leap Motion is due to ship their pre-orders. 
https://leapmotion.com/

I can't wait to get my hands on this thing. 

2012-10-09 18:17:36 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Views from a Toilet Window

So I guess setting up your tripod in your toilet at 7am isn't quite the normal thing to do, and probably has the neighbours wondering what's going on, but when the early dawn light is playing across the sky and the misty fields then what choice do you have!

Mist across the fields is of course actually fairly common for this time of the year, but it's not often that Darwen Tower on the West Pennine moors is also visible (right-hand side of the horizon if you view the big image), so an opportunity not to be missed.

No time to attach a graduated filter in my haste, so a slight lift of the foreground was needed in post production.

Thanks for looking,
Andrew
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#landscapephotography  +British Photographers  #britishphotographers  

2012-10-02 18:43:58 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

2012-09-26 20:23:02 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Rain Showers over the Fylde

Up on the Bowland Fells you get a great view out over the Fylde peninsula. This was taken one evening around sunset as a series of showers swept through the area. The low sun creating dramatic contrast in the scene.

Love being out in conditions like these - no guarantee that you'll stay dry, but much better chance of some good light.

Thanks for looking, Andrew
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+British Photographers +The Awesome Photography Page 
#landscapephotography   #wetwednesday  

2012-09-24 18:41:39 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 7 +1s)

Last Light on Bowfell, The Lake District

If you've never tried it before, then get yourself out and about walking up in the fells in Winter - it's such a beautiful experience and the light is great all day long.

This was taken at the end of a long day, about 5 minutes before the sunset for good - the final rays of the sun just catching the top of Bowfell. Soon after this it was head-torches on as we made our way back to the car.

Andrew.
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#landscapephotography   #mountainmonday   #tapp  +The Awesome Photography Page 

2012-09-22 19:23:00 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Porlock Weir and Bossington Beach, Exmoor

If you're ever in Exmoor in South West England then make sure you visit Porlock. The bay is great location for late evening photography in summer, with some lovely gnarly groynes and a beautiful shingle beach.

This photo was taken at 16mm, with a 3-stop graduated filter to bring back some detail in the sky. A great evening for photography.

Thanks for looking,
Andrew
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#TAPP  +The Awesome Photography Page  
#landscapephotography   #seacapephotography   #seasaturday  

2012-09-22 16:08:03 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Hello everybody we are "The Awesome Photography Page"

It is the place to share your awesome photography simply plus mention us and use the hash tag #TAPP

We'll also be doing a circle share with that contains our first 100 contributors  so what are you waiting for? Get involved share this post and start sharing amazing work!

2012-09-22 16:00:13 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Wildflowers / Fleurs sauvages

2012-09-21 18:26:23 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 0 +1s)

The community on Google+, the Commoogle would have made him less lonely!
Just jumping on the bandwagon with this iPhone one, whilst Commoogling
with +George Sepich +Linda Dee and +takashi hasegawa
#iphone5   #apple   #applemaps  
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews34/cast_away_blu-ray.htm

2012-09-10 20:07:42 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Just made my new blog live on my website. Have spent the past couple of weeks integrating a WordPress blog into my main website code, and it's finally now up and running.

Check it out if you have time, subscribe to the RSS feed if you wish. Comments gratefully received, expect it will very much be something that evolves over time.

Thanks,
Andrew
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2012-09-09 16:51:04 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Honister Pass from Ullscarf, The Lake District

Quite like this telephoto shot of the Honister Pass. The light on the day was generally quite flat, but here and there beams of sunlight were finding a spot on the ground to illuminate.

Patience was needs as I watched this area of light trace its way along the fells to the slate mine at Honister Pass. No problems with dynamic range, and in fact the contrast had to be increased in Lightroom from the Raw.

Andrew
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#landscapephotography  
#

2012-09-09 16:46:02 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Denali National Park

2012-09-06 18:17:36 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 6 +1s)

Thirlmere, The Lake District

Managed to steal a day up in the Lake District yesterday, walking from the Western side of Thirlmere. The light was flatter than I would have hoped, but still came away with a few shots I was happy with.

This was taken along side the shores of Thirlmere - lots of recent rain means the water level is a lot higher than normal, which made for some interesting foreground with the semi-submerged trees.

A tricky tripod setup was need in the end to keep the branches of the foreground trees below the horizon line formed by the lake. 3-stop graduated filter was used together with a 10-stop filter to give an exposure of around 1mi. Some Lightroom work to then bring back some life to the image.

Thanks for looking,
Andrew
_________________________________
#landscapephotography  
#howtophotograph  

2012-09-03 18:39:00 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Just taken delivery of a shiny new Manfrotto 410 Geared Head for my tripod. 

Only had a quick chance to play with it, but first impressions are that it is absolutely fantastic. Heavier than a ball-head with no doubt, but sooooo much better when it comes to precisely framing your view.

Will keep my ball-head for when I want to travel lighter, but can see this being attached to my tripod an awful lot.

Anyone else using one of these? What sort of head do you like to use?


Andrew.

2012-08-27 12:30:12 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

Okay so soon I'll be doing a shared circle of British Photographers called British Photographers Circle to be included please read the following rules.

I want this circle to be of high quality posts from British photographers I can't wait to see the response. I'm trying to keep this short so here goes...

1)  You have to be British

2) You must +1 and Re-Share this post publicly  and add this page to your circles

3) Your feed must be mainly your photography and have few re-shares I want  this to be a high quality circle, no cat pictures and so called funny videos etc etc I don't want this circle to be filled with rubbish

4) Comment and ask for inclusion state what photography you do and that you have completed all the steps.

FYI I will also manually check each persons request and +1 ifyo... more »

2012-08-27 12:24:17 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Snowdonia Sunset From Lytham St Annes, Lancashire

On clear days the view across the Ribble Estuary provides a great view of Snowdonia in North Wales, with the high mountains silhouetted against the sky. This is perhaps the clearest I have seen this view and it was combined with a lovely golden post-sunset glow.

Interested to hear peoples thoughts on the cropping here - part of me was tempted to crop to a panoramic format, but at the same time I just loved the gentle transition of colours in the sky. What do you think?

Thanks for looking,
Andrew
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#landscapephotography  
#sunsetsunday  

2012-08-26 20:50:02 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

The Hazy Fells, The Lake District

Taken from a vantage point high up on the fells and above the cloud line, the low lying hills in the distance were still enveloped in a shroud of haze that was filling the valleys. This gave a beautiful layering effect to the scene that made for an interesting image.

Andrew
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#landscapephotography

2012-08-21 19:24:58 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Big Sky over Upper Eskdale, The Lake District

This photo always brings back strong memories of the day it was taken - a long walk over rugged fell, passing the summit of Scafellm and then descending into Upper Eskdale with tired legs as the sun began to set.

Warm evening light gushed through the valley floor and lit up the gently scudding clouds above - a tonic for tired feet we paused for a rest before continuing on our path back to the car.

Andrew
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#landscapephotography  

2012-08-18 18:47:17 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Out with the family today at the Lytham 1940's weekend in Lancashire. Only had an old point and shoot with me, so decided to have a bit of fun and give the resultant images the retro look using pixlr. 

Was a great day out anyway, and well recommended.

Anyone else played around with pixlr.com? Nice to find a Hipstamatic style program that we can play around with on our PCs!

2012-08-14 18:27:49 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 0 +1s)

Attention all Photographers - Download of Albums

There's a new feature in "Albums" that allows user to download the complete album in a zip-file. It is automatically activated if you allow downloads of photos. 

Unfortunately you can either generally allow or deny it.

Interesting observation I made: while I turned "download" on in order to make a screenshot, I turned it off immediately afterwards. Or so I thought, because now it still is on and one can download my albums completely.

Please share.

#photography   #album  

2012-08-11 19:35:30 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Paddy's Pole, Forest of Bowland

Another image from one of my favourite areas - The Forest of Bowland. Well worth a visit if you're passing through Lancashire and don't fancy the crowds of the Lake District. Most times I go out in this area I hardly see anyone - just the sights and sounds of nature to accompany my thoughts.

This landmark is known locally as Paddy's Pole, and each year there is a fell race from the valley floor to the pole and back again. Perhaps one year I'll take part, but for the moment I think I'll stick to photographing it instead :)

Enjoy,
Andrew
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#landscapephotography
#ukphotographycommunity  

2012-08-08 20:11:32 (5 comments, 4 reshares, 13 +1s)

Fell Runner, Forest of Bowland

The Bowland Fells in Lancashire are a favourite haunt for fell runners - come rain or shine they are always out and about on these lonsome fells.

This image was something of a grab shot, as I noticed this runner making his way along the horizon line, but with dramatic clouds and the sunset it was an opportunity not to be missed. 

No time to setup a filter or take multiple exposures, so exposure was all about preserving the highlights on the horizon. I knew I'd want to go for a moody image, so having the rest of the image dark was no problem. Some post-process work in Lightroom followed to render the image as you see here.

I've tried fell running a bit myself - it's mad sport, but as you skirt the fine line between nature and civilisation it brings a certain exhilaration and freedom of thought that is hard tobe... more »

2012-08-04 14:43:46 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

The Langdale Pikes, Lake District, UK

A classic view of the Langdale Pikes from the shores of Windermere in the Lake District. These rugged fells have a place close to my heart, having first made my way to the summit at the tender age of 4.

Post processing used with this image was to bring back some contrast into the scene and to add a bit of drama to the clouds. Not long after this shot the sun disappeared for good and didn't re-appear until the next day.

Thanks for looking,
Andrew
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#landscapephotography  
#lakedistrict  

2012-07-27 13:15:54 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Forest of Bowland Monochrome

This is another image taken from one my favourite unknown areas of the UK - The Forest of Bowland. Expansive moorland and gritstone outcrops characterise the landscape of this area.

The photo was taken on a fairly dull day, so I made the decision to opt for a monochrome conversion of the raw file. A graduated filter was used to hold back the sky when the image was taken and in post-processing I concentrated bringing out the textures and shades of this landscape.

Always an area I love to photograph in, and one that I shall return to time and time again.

Enjoy,
Andrew
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#landscapephotography  
#howtophotograph  

2012-07-25 13:01:45 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Not many posts from me in the last few months, so apologies to those who have added me to their stream. Below is the reason why though - a new addition to the family in Rowan Emily Stannard.

Hopefully as things settle down in the next few weeks I'll get back to some more regular postings of landscape images!

2012-07-01 18:49:58 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Hi,

For anyone interested I've just made a few updates to my website. Has been a while since the last update, hopefully won't be so long until the next one! (although I probably always say that :)

2012-04-14 14:03:02 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 7 +1s)

Had a great day during the week at Martin Wildlife and Wetland Trust in Lancashire. What was forecast to be a wet day turned out sunny, and had some great shooting opportunities. Well worth a visit if you've never been before.

This shot was taken lying down on one of the paths. Waited for the duckling to swim into an area of reflected green foliage before firing off a few frames.

Enjoy,
Andrew.
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2012-04-06 08:44:51 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 9 +1s)

Pleased to say that this photo has been selected as the regional winner for 'People and Wildlife' in the winter heat of the Wildlife & Wetland Trust photo competition! A nice surprise for me, and a free photography workshop next week.

Not sure how I get my daughter to sign the model release form, I think parental consent will take priority :)

Andrew
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2012-03-18 19:41:40 (6 comments, 2 reshares, 11 +1s)

Daffodils at Lytham Windmill, Lancashire

#springtime

A classic springtime shot of Lytham Windmill. Have been eyeing up this view for the last few years, but the opportunity has never quite presented itself. This afternoon I finally got my chance.

Used a wide-angle of view to fill the foreground with flowers but then played around a bit with different camera heights - a higher positions emphasises the sweep of the path more, but then the foreground isn't quite so full of the beautiful flowers. Compromises.

Let's hope that the spring weather is here to stay!


Enjoy,
Andrew.

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#landscapephotography

2012-03-18 11:15:36 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Exmoor Cliffs at Sunset, UK

#sunsetsaturday

Life seems to have caught up with me over the last couple of weeks - not much time for photography or Google+. I think we all go through phases like that don't we?

Still, back into the swing of things.... This image was taken one summer evening a few years ago in Exmoor. The light from the setting sun produced a wonderful golden glow that threw the cliff into shadow and left a lovely glint on the sea.

Enjoy,
Andrew
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2012-02-29 21:10:52 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Crashing Waves at Blackpool, UK

For #waterwednesday curated by +Eric Leslie

Heading down to the front at Blackpool in North West England is always guaranteed to be good fun on a stormy day. The often calm sea is transformed into a swirling dervish, lashing into the sea wall with power and rage.

Onlookers often gather to enjoy the prospect of being soaked by the spray, as witnessed in this image. I opted to hang back in the dry can capture the action :) A fast shutter speed was chosen to freeze the wave as it crashed against the wall, with some post-processing being used to bring out the detail.

Enjoy,
Andrew
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#howtophotograph

2012-02-26 20:35:22 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 15 +1s)

Whitby Abbey, England

Sharing this one for #sacredsunday curated by +Bill Wood +Charles Lupica and +Manfred Berndtgen .

Whitby Abbey on the Yorkshire Coast is great place to visit regardless of the weather. This is the classic view from the small pond nearby. On this occasion it was overcast and raining, so I opted for muted tones. For a small fee you wander around the grounds to your hearts content.

Andrew
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#landscapephotography

2012-02-26 13:56:23 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 4 +1s)

2012-02-24 19:15:16 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Whitby Beach Huts, UK

This was a reasonably considered snapshot taken from a boat trip out from Whitby Harbour. It was the colours of the beach huts that attracted me, the juxtaposition with the houses on top of the cliff and the diagonal lines linking the two.

Such is the price and demand for beach huts in popular spots, that it really wouldn't surprise me if it cost more to buy one of the beach huts than the a flat on the cliff above. Anyone know the answer?

Andrew
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#landscapephotography

2012-02-23 19:48:30 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

A very special Photographers - Circle XO and Newcomers
including +Alan Shapiro - +Colby Brown - +Athena Carey - +Kjetil Greger Pedersen - +dene' miles - +Sumit Sen - +Charles Lupica - +Fabio Bucchieri - +Benjamin Cortis - +Takahiro Yamamoto - +Louisa Catharine Forsyth - +Gemma Costa - +Tamara Pruessner - etc.
and many other TOP - Photographers and faithful Followers of our Page!
If you like this Circle, please share this post and Circle XO!
If you want to be in the next circle, share this circle and post a comment here!

2012-02-23 19:27:47 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Sunset From The Lake District Fells

I seem to have picked up a good number of new followers in the past couple of days, thanks mainly to a great shared circle by +Mike Shaw . So hello to anyone new and thanks for following!

This image was taken taken whilst descending Helvellyn in the UK Lake District, as the setting sun cast its slanting rays through the gathering mist in the valleys below.

It's always a privilege to be up in the mountains as the day is ending, the light is often spectacular and it make you feel great to be alive. Just 15 minutes after this photo was taken it was dark. Our descent was completed via the dim glow of a headtorch with a smile on our faces.

Enjoy,
Andrew
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#landscapephotography

2012-02-21 19:44:51 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Tree and Sky, Lancashire

Shared for #treetuesday

Another shot of my 'local' tree that is just a short walk from my house. Despite the fact that it is half dead, and even shorter after this winter, it still seems to have a certain presence as it stands among the field.

The tree and foreground in this case were deliberately underexposed in order to keep more detail in the sky and help saturate the colours.

Enjoy,
Andrew
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#landscapephotography #howtophotograph

2012-02-20 19:22:09 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Descent from Fairfield, The Lake District

A contribution for #mountainmonday +Michael Russell

This photo was taken as we were descending Fairfield back to the warmth of the cafés and pubs below. What had been a fairly dull day began to improve as the clouds broke a little and shaft of sunlight began to fall from the sky.

A graduated filter was used to hold some detail in the sunlit clouds, although I still need a fair amount of contrast adjustment in post-processing to get the look I wanted. I don't often include figures in my landscapes, but on this occasion I do think they help add some scale to the scene.

Andrew
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#landscapephotography #howtophotograph

2012-02-17 17:56:46 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Lone Birch, Forest of Bowland, Lancashire

This lone birch tree was an unexpected gift as I spent a day wandering around the gentle fells and valleys of the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire.

Growing defiantly out of the surrounding hillside, stark against the heather behind, it would have been amiss not to capture an image.

Next time I am in the same area I'll be sure to visit again and see how it looks as the seasons pass.

Andrew
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#landscapephotography

2012-02-16 20:46:30 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 18 +1s)

Sunset at Lytham Windmill

Another image of my local iconic landmark - the White Windmill at Lytham St Annes. A decent amount of snow here is fairly rare, snow that's still around on the next sunny day is even rarer and the combination of this with a light fog over the green and a beautiful sunset just doesn't happen very often. An opportunity to make the most of!

A graduated filter was used to hold back some colour in the sky and snow acted as a nice natural reflector to open up the shadows on the windmill. Cold hands seemed a reasonable discomfort to suffer in order to get the shot.

Enjoy,
Andrew
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#landscapephotography

2012-02-13 19:20:38 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 13 +1s)

Porlock Vale, Exmoor

"No pain, no gain" is the saying and that was certainly the case here...

I'd decided to try and capture the sunset over Porlock Vale with the foreground awash with heather lit by the evening sun. In theory this all seemed relatively straight forward, but as is often the way with landscape photography things weren't as simple as planned.

Whilst from a distance the moorland looked full of heather, from close-up it was a different story - finding large clumps of colourful heather together was actually tricky, and it was all too easy to end up with blank spots in the foreground.

In the end my only solution was to wade deep into the prickly gorse, filling my legs with sharp thorns and scratches. 3 days later I was still picking them out, but the results were worth it :)

Enjoy,
Andrew... more »