Flooded Severn Ham, Tewkesbury

The Severn Ham is a piece of pasture in a loop of the River Severn at Tewkesbury. During the dry months sheep are kept on the Ham. However, when the rivers Severn and Avon that flow through Tewkesbury burst their banks it becomes a shallow lake with none of the pasture visible. Today it is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) with protection afforded to the flora and fauna that thrive on this interesting piece of land. On  a recent visit to the town we found the Ham under water. This photograph was taken from a slightly higher area of the pasture, looking back at the town and its abbey.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Yachts on Weymouth Bay

The shot above was taken with the camera's lens at its maximum magnification. I took it because I spotted the solitary yacht with the pink/purple sails among two classes of smaller yachts that seemed to be sailing in groups or engaged in some kind of competition. The dash of colour was essential for what would otherwise have been a quite boring composition. Shooting into the sun gave the sea a very monochrome look which accentuated the overall lack of colour and made the coloured sails more prominent.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Contre jour

When it comes to driving the low sun of the winter months makes for distinct difficulties. Glare obscures vision and the detail of the deep shadows is hard to identify, making caution necessary. But as far as photography goes the low sun opens up opportunities for contre jour shots that make a virtues of the vices that confront the driver. It was an optimistic kitchen staff at Berrington Hall, Herefordshire, that left the cafe furniture in the courtyard on a bitterly cold, crisp and clear day. But the tables and chairs served my photographic purposes quite well.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

Pavement fountains

It has been interesting to see the spread of "pavement fountains" in recent years. I've come across several in Britain and I've seen them in other countries too. They are a magnet for young children and dogs in hot weather, and have their attractions for older folk who are young at heart. What draws children, and what leads to them getting wetter than they perhaps intended, is the apparent randomness of the way in which they turn off and on, catching out the over-confident. The fountains in the photograph are near King's Cross in London, a particularly large example that was offering welcome relief on a hot July day.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

A view from Tower Bridge

I've taken a few photographs from Tower Bridge, the iconic structure that crosses the River Thames in London near the Tower of London. None of them have been anything special. Today's isn't either though it does have two qualities that I like. Firstly, it's one of those contre jour shots that features very little in the way of colour. In fact, it is almost monochrome.That is only partly due to the materials that feature in the Shard, the London Assembly building and the ridiculously named "More London" office blocks. Secondly it wouldn't be much of a composition without that handily placed large, dark cloud filling the empty sky to the left of the Shard.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

Morning market place, Boston

The market place at Boston in Lincolnshire was refurbished a couple of years ago.The outcome was a mixture of the good (the much better surface across the square, the new street lights), the bad (the continuing conflict between motor vehicles and pedestrians) and the missed opportunity (to include some trees to soften the space). This shot shows it early one January morning as a mist was lifting, early shoppers silhouetted against the harsh light of the low sun.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100