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

Newly appearing water plants

One of the houses we lived in had a pond with water lilies. I very much enjoyed photographing the lilies as they appeard in spring. But, more than that, I particularly enjoyed photographing them as they changed colour and faded away in autumn. I was reminded of that pond when we passed the weir on the Mill Avon at Tewkesbury. Water lily leaves were appearing. So too was another plant that produces, if my memory serves me well, broad spear-shaped leaves. They weren't yet filling this part of the river as they eventually will, so I took a photograph of the contrasting plants and their reflections.

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

Flooded trees

A walk through the edge of the Forest of Dean near Cinderford took us through an area adjoining a "quag" i.e. quagmire. This particular area is looked after with a view to preserving the wetland characteristics that were once more common than they are now. It was a bright day with a quite strong wind and the ripples combined with the "real" trees and the reflected trees made for an interesting photograph.

 photos © T. Boughen     Camera: iPhone

Orange bricks, blue sky

The colours in the title of this post are seen reflected in the ice that is the subject of this photograph. I've always been fascinated by the formations that can arise when water freezes. Someone, somewhere, will be able to describe how these formations can range from soft curves to sharp spikes. But that person isn't me: I simply enjoy them.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Ross on Wye floodwater

click photo to enlarge
The first week of January saw widespread flooding across western, central and southern Britain. In Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, the River Wye left its channel and spread its waters across the surrounding farmland. Near the town a few low-lying properties were affected, but most of the flood water covered areas that have been deliberately left without buildings. After a walk around the town we descended the cliff and took a few photographs of the inundated benches, road and trees. I was quite pleased by the black and white version of one of my shots.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: iPhone

Return to Speech House Lake

Three years ago I took a photograph from approximately this point on the edge of Speech House Lake in the Forest of Dean. On a recent walk that went by the lake I took another photograph in the same area. The reflections of the small islands of pines were better this time and the presence of clouds improved the shot considerably, as did the seasonally yellow tinge of the light. I had hoped to make more of the flock of mandarin ducks on the water but they quickly fled and were soon barely visible  (centre right).

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Marina reflections, Worcester

A relatively calm and sunny day found us walking through the cathedral city of Worcester near the Diglis Marina and the canal. I've photographed there before, trying to make something of the narrow boats, refurbished warehouses and the new flats that are meant to echo and complement the old buildings.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Reflections on the River Avon

The meaning of the word "reflections" includes "thinking about" and "mirroring". I employed both those meanings when I sat down to process this photograph of the reflections in the River Avon of the Borough Flour Mill, Tewkesbury. I reflected that the name "Avon" is one of the most common river names in the British Isles, is an ancient word meaning "river", and hence the River Avon is "River River". I also noted that the surface of the water reflecting the windows and brickwork had been beautifully disturbed by passing mallards making it worthy of a semi-abstract photograph.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

A man-made lake

When I posted my first photograph of Speech House Lake in the Forest of Dean I speculated that, like other stretches of water in the Forest, this small lake was probably man-made and associated with either mine workings or the provision of water power. Some recent reading shows I was partly wrong. Apparently it was created at some point after 1974 because it does not appear on the Ordnance Suvey map of that time. Moreover, it was constructed, by damming a small stream, for the purposes of fishing. It continues to be used by fishermen today as well as offering a destination for walkers in the woodland.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Shadows and reflections

November is the first of the months in which I relish the low sun and longer shadows. All through that month, December, January and February these two factors go some way to mitigating the darkness of the winter period. Recently, walking past a small industrial estate in Abergavenny, I noticed a car standing in a large puddle, the result of recent heavy rain. The deep morning shadows from nearby buildings accentuated the sunlit side of the car and the puddle doubled the effect. This combined with the sheen of the metal and the red of the light made a semi-abstract composition that immediately appealed to me.

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

Reflections, Centenary Square, Birmingham

Plaza water fountains, also called pavement fountains - a grid of individual fountains that rise, fall and stop altogether - have become something of a cliche in cities across the world. There are multiple examples in Britain such as this one in Peterborough and this one near King's Cross, London. We recently came across a further example in Birmingham in Centenary Square. Unlike others, when this one stopped a large area remained covered in a shallow film of water. I don't know whether this was intentional or not but it certainly provided good reflections of passers-by.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Mill Avon reflections

Paddle boarders and canoeists excepted, the smallest boats on the Mill Avon at Tewkesbury tend to be modest launches like the example above. Long "narrow boats" that have difficulty turning in the small waterway prevail, along with larger launches. I was drawn to this boat by its reflection combined with the reflection of the water-side flats and the vegetation.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Unexpected colours

Generally the colour of water relates to what lies beneath or to its surroundings - the colour of the sky or overhanging trees, for example. However, sometimes it is an unexpected tint. In the photograph above the green doesn't seem to correspond to any reflected objects but does sit nicely as a complement to the buff of the reeds and the blue of the cloudless sky. In fact had the green not been there I probably wouldn't have taken the shot.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

Motorcycle reflections

The onset of spring brings with it sounds that are less frequent in winter and that will increase in volume and frequency as the weather gets warmer. I'm not referring to bird song, but rather, to motorcycles. I get the impression that today a majority of motorcyclists choose that form of transport as a hobby or past-time rather than a means of transport. It's my further impression that this is a pursuit mainly of older men who not only love to burnish their steed but also like to increase the volume of sound that it makes. Walking through a carpark recently I passed a large motorcycle with a glossy sheen that proclaimed its owner's passion, and I took this photograph of the gleaming metalwork and my reflection.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Metal paint palettes

When I looked at our shiny, metal paint palettes loaded with watercolour, brushes resting across them, it occurred to me that they would make a good subject for a painting. Or even a semi-abstract photograph. So I took them to various locations in search of good light, reflections and backgrounds. After much trial and error the best location proved to be the interior window sill of the study. Here the blue sky, orange of the curtains and white of the window frame brought them to life.

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

Flats, Franciscans and fish shops

Was it wilfulness or ignorance on the part of the owners or constructors that led to the apartment block built off Greyfriars Avenue, next to Greyfriars Bridge, being called Fryers Gate? Greyfriars refers to the colour of the religious habit worn by members of the medieval Franciscan Order, the former inhabitants of the area. "Fryers" makes it sound like the site's earlier occupant was a fish and chip shop. The apartments are built on legs - pilotis - to prevent flood damage from the adjacent River Wye. In recent years they have proved their worth, the water level having risen to within a couple of feet of their tops. I'm quite pleased by the oddness of my photograph; the way the single image can also be seen as subdivided into two or four sub-images.

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

Speech House Lake, Forest of Dean

The Forest of Dean has a few small areas of open water. Most, if not all, of these are man-made, some connected with the powering of mills, others associated with workings that led to hollows filling with water. The Speech House Lake seems to have been created by the blocking of a stream for landscape or fishing purposes, though I may be wrong about that. What I can say with certainty is that it is one of the most picturesque of these stretches of water and I'm glad our first visit to it coincided with low morning sun and the remains of autumn leaves on the surrounding trees.

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Reflected twigs

One of the themes throughout much of my photography is reflections. I like the way that they play tricks with reality, sometimes in ways that we don't expect. Today's example shows some twigs that have fallen into a shallow pond, with their reflections (and those of some couds), a composition that has a minimalist aesthetic.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Looking down...

The heavy rainfall of the past month or so has left the ground in my part of the world sodden such that pools of water have formed that are reluctant to go. This is especially so in parts of the Forest of dean. Quite a few of our recent walks have involved negotiating sloppy mud and making detours around extensive puddles and pools. We came upon an elongated pool recently that gave a good refection of the trees above while also showing something of the leaf covered ground beneath the water's surface.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

The Wye in flood

The River Wye is prone to flood at several locations on its journey from the Welsh mountains to the Severn Estuary. The other day we went to see the flooding in Ross on Wye. The main town is well above the river so it's possible to stand at a high vantage point and see the extent of flooding as well as venture down to the flooded riverside fields, parks etc. Here the stranded benchs usually give their occupants a view of the river itself.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100