Autumn reflections

Reflections in water offer the opportunity of doubling the impact of a shot. This example shows, mainly, the deep colour of autumn beech and oak trees next to Hartleton Lakes, near Ross on Wye. I took a couple of photographs from this point. The other example didn't include the near vegetation or the fishing platform. When I asked a few people which of the two shots they preferred only one, my eight year old grand-daughter, liked the wider view with the platform, the view that I also prefer.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P950

Coracles in Hereford

Quite by chance, as we wandered around Hereford, we came upon a pair of coracles. They were on what remains of the moat of Hereford Castle. Coracles are small boats, rounded in shape and paddled with a single oar by the occupant. They were noted by Julius Caesar when he first arrived in Britain, probably pre-dated him here, and remained in use for fishing until the middle of the twentieth century.

Today they are sometimes used, in small numbers, recreationally, on the River Wye in England and Wales, and elsewhere. One of their virtues is that they can easily be carried by one person, as shown in this C19 photograph taken in Ross on Wye.

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

Beach at Beer, Devon

The oddly named coastal village of beer in Devon gets its name from the Old English bearu meaning a woodland grove. The present village is wooded and has a stream flowing through it down to the sea. Today the beach reflects the settlement's two main sources of income - fishing and tourism. In the past Beer was associated with smuggling that made use of the cove and the caves in the cliffs.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Snowstar, Ramsgate harbour

Most of the boats in the harbour at Ramsgate, Kent are white. On the day of our visit there were several grey, Royal Navy  boats, a bright orange pilot boat, and few others sporting bright colours. But, the predominant colour was white indicating to me that they were mainly private yachts and launches. The Snowstar stood out with its blue, yellow and orange and it suggested to me that it would make a good foreground subject against the boring white boats. I looked at the boat to see if I could deduce its purpose but nothing told of what it did when it set sail. However, a quick trawl of the internet indicates that it has been, and may still be, a boat that takes anglers out into the English Channel for a day's fishing.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Steam Mills Lake, Forest of Dean

The 5 acre (2 ha.) Steam Mills Lake is in the village of Steam Mills that adjoins the town of Cinderford in the Forest of Dean. Both village and lake get their names from a steam mill that was established there in the nineteenth century. The lake is man-made, the result of clay extraction for brick making (which continues today on a site among trees next to the lake.) The water now serves as a fishing lake containing brown trout, barbel, bleak, bream, carp (common & mirror), chub, gudgeon, perch, roach, rudd & golden rudd and tench. Fishing is managed by the Royal Forest of Dean Angling Club. On our recent walk in the area we saw only tufted duck, mallard, coot, moorhen and gulls on the lake but there were siskins in the surrounding woods. My wife posed as the focus of interest in this shot.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Headless grey heron

I don't keep count of such things but it seems to me that the bird I have photographed successfully more than any other is the grey heron. That's probably because it is a big bird, reasonably common, sometimes tolerant of a close approach, and one that I can fill fill the frame with even using my non-specialist lenses. Today's photograph was taken with the "super-zoom" lens of a bridge camera but the bird was close enough to have been snapped with a more modest lens on my everyday camera. For those who are wondering, this strike was successful and the heron quickly swallowed the fish it caught. The small photograph shows the heron's neck distorted by its passage.


photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900