The wind has been whipping around our back garden for the last two days and I was worried what shape I would find the allium in as we hadn’t attached them to stakes. Well, I needn’t have worried, they’ve used each other as supports and have wrapped their stems together. I popped out to get …
Last week I posted the first set of photos of the Allium growing in my garden. I’ve been monitoring them daily and went out again today with my camera and macro lens to capture how they’re developing. To be honest, though, it wasn’t until I sat down and viewed these images on the large computer …
Who doesn’t love an allium? Those impossibly large stems and bold ball-like seedheads are gorgeous. We planted a few bulbs two or three years ago and I am delighted they’ve multiplied in number this year. They’re about to pop open. I’ll have to take some more photos once they are in their full splendor.
Castles punctuate the coastline of Northumberland. The ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle kept catching my eye as we walked the beaches during our recent getaway. Here it is from the north at Newton-by-the-Sea and from the south at Craster.
No holiday to our beautiful British coastline is complete without a boat trip, and no boat trip is complete without some wildlife spotting. Today we went on a Serenity Boat Trip from Seahouses out to the Farne Islands. During the summer months many species of birds come to breed on the Farne Islands. However, by …
I was very fortunate to be invited to participate in a series of transport workshops in Nairobi, Kenya. What a fantastic opportunity! This was my first visit to Kenya and I certainly enjoyed my time in this bustling, energetic and welcoming city. The hotel gardens were my first introduction to local fauna and flora. I was very …
A new vista waiting to be photographed around every corner. On Mull we were certainly spoiled for choice for a good landscape; from Calgary in the north, to Tobermory in the east, and Iona in the south west.
After enjoying our trip to the Outer Hebrides last year, we decided to select another Scottish Island to visit this summer. After investigating our options, we chose the Isle of Mull for a four night trip. Getting some fresh air and taking a batch of good photographs were my two top priorities; the trip did …
With Newhaven Harbour being a short walk up the road, I’ve taken quite a few photos there. Yesterday I tried to look out for the more unusual details in and around the harbour. This metal ramp and chain caught my eye. I’m pleased with the effectiveness of the photos after a little editing.
Spotted these cleaners at the Bullring – what a job!
My camera has been lacking outings recently. However, this weekend we took my parents out to Gullane and North Berwick so I was hopeful to get some good photographs. This huge log caught my eye straight away when we reached the rocky area at the easterly end of Gullane beach. It looks like it may …
Edinburgh is full of architectural detail – most prominently, the well recognised sights of the Castle and the Scott Monument. Yesterday I went out to explore some of Edinburgh’s less well-known sights. – down Calton Street and Market Street. However, it was only as I reviewed my shots that I suddenly realised how prominent arches are around the City. …
Last weekend my dad attended the Tern Vintage Machinery Show at the Chetwynd Deer Park with his 1958 MGA. The rest of us popped along for a couple of hours to see the array of vintage vehicles on show. There was everything from steam engines and tractors to motorbikes and military vehicles. Here are a few …
I couldn’t resist one last post drawing from my set of photos from last weekend’s Royal Highland Show. I’ve already shared some photos of the cows, but here were some of my other favourite animals.
My last blog post focused purely on the animals at the Royal Highland Show. However, it wasn’t all about the animals. I loved how much was going on at the Show – from sheep shearing, to men racing up 80ft poles, stunt riding and terrier racing… This blog post aims to capture some of the men and women, …
We had a fantastic day yesterday at the Royal Highland Show. I had hoped to get some good photography opportunities and I was not disappointed! It was great to get so close to the animals and to watch events such as sheep shearing and show jumping. Here are some of my favourite cattle – just don’t …
A slight road diversion had happy unintended consequences last week when I spotted this row of garages hidden away out of sight. I headed back with my camera today to capture my find. I think the sun was probably too bright to get the best photos so I might need to head back when the lighting …
Whilst in the centre of Edinburgh yesterday evening, we made a quick detour to St Andrews Square to see Bruce Munro’s art installation – the Field of Light. It is a great spectacle. I’d love to view it from up high. I only had my Lumix camera and no tripod so I wasn’t expecting to …
Yesterday, Edinburgh hosted the ‘Red Bull Hill Chasers‘ event. I’d never heard of the Hill Chasers competition previously. It’s basically a short uphill bike race where any competitors can come and race on any type of bike. What’s more, the race was being held up the Mound. I wasn’t too sure what to expect but …
I couldn’t resist popping these on the blog! How cute!
Well here is more little set of photos from my trip last month to the US. Firstly a few from The Town of Little Wolf in Manawa where we rented a cottage for the weekend. We went off on a walk into town which was only small but had a lot of (almost hidden) character. …
I’m convinced that this year has seen a growth in the number of fishermen (and fisherwomen) hoping to catch their tea off Granton Harbour. Its lovely to take a stroll and see the mix of people – kids, families and groups of friends – gathered along the pier.
It is summer in Edinburgh and that means just one thing – it is festival time! Today Princes Street and Princes Street Gardens hosted hundreds of performers as part of the Carnival to mark the start of the festival season. Here are a few sights from the afternoon.
I’ve recently seen some fantastic photos of wildflower meadows, which has really inspired me to want to get out and explore the countryside that borders Edinburgh. I was visiting my parents in Shropshire this weekend when I got a glimpse of the sort of photos that I’m after.
We had a lovely day out at Cotswold Wildlife Park earlier this week. It’s a great wildlife park where you can get very close to many of the animals. Here are some of my favourites!
Just along from our flat, there is an old disused gasholder. The Granton History website tells the story of this site. Most of the site was demolished in the early 2000s, but one of the gasholders was kept alongside the old railway station. It is actually now a listed building. I’m sure many would say …
A recent work trip took me back to Canada for just over a week. I landed into Toronto and had a few days there before moving on to Ottawa. I was lucky enough to get a free weekend to explore Ottawa. In May they have a tulip festival in the City. The history of the …
I realised a few weeks ago that it was the right time of year to see some snowdrops in all their glory. However, it was only today that we found time to take a trip to Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens and thankfully we hadn’t missed them. These clusters were in a fairly covered woodland area in the gardens, so …
Okay I promise that this is my last blog post with photos from Vancouver, but I was really keen to share this one. This photo shows the steam clock in the Gastown area of Downtown Vancouver. Apparently it is the most photographed view in Vancouver so here’s my addition to the collection! The odd thing …
I spotted these birds crowding on this otherwise bare tree whilst walking around part of the seawall in Vancouver. I liked the silhouette effect although I have tweaked the image a little to maximise the contrast.
Today brought us a crisp, bright start to January. We went out for a walk around Oxford – starting at the University Gardens and on to the overflowing river before heading into the city centre. We all had our cameras at the ready, desperate to make the most of the long-awaited sunshine. There’s so much to …
Couldn’t resist getting a few snapshots of Ellie – Mom and Dad’s Parson Jack Russell – when I was at home last weekend. She’s getting pretty old these days and loves a nap on the sofa. She’ll wait until someone gets up from the sofa and promptly jump into their place while its still warm. …
What a beautiful Sunday morning it is – made even better by the fact that I can view it from inside my warm, cozy flat! I hadn’t realised how low the temperature must have dropped last night until I looked out of my kitchen window and saw all of the frosted roof tops. Its making …
Today, we headed west to meet friends of ours, Catherine and (Dr) John, at Blair Drummond Safari Park. I’ve been to a few zoos in my time but I can only remember going to one other safari park whilst on a Girl Guiding week-long camp. We had a great day out – the meerkats, sea …
Every time I visit mom and dad’s new place I get to see the countryside’s changing seasons. I’ve already photographed autumn and winter down there, but last weekend gave me the chance to take some early springtime shots. The ploughed fields down the lane immediately caught my eye. Donned with mom’s camera and the dog …
This weekend I went to the Egyptian Mummy Exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland. Well worth a visit – especially if you get the 2 for 1 entry tickets which are currently on the back of Lothian bus tickets! Unfortunately photos were not allowed inside the exhibition so you’ll have to go and visit …
Ever wondered what happened to your recycling once it leaves your house? Well today I got to find out – thanks to a Uni site visit. I tried to get a few shots but only had my iPhone with me so the quality isn’t up to its usual standards. This recycling centre was in Grangemouth. …
I took these photos at the weekend, but I’ve only just got round to putting them into a quick blog post. Sunshine momentarily brightened up our Study and lit up just a few of the leaves belonging to one of James’s plants that lives in there. The illuminated leaves really highlighted their details. I grabbed …
There is so much to photograph in and around mom and dad’s house. These seed heads were collected whilst out on a very muddy walk with the dog a couple of days ago. I’m pretty happy with the range of images I was able to capture with such a simple subject.
My parents’ house suddenly started to feel very Christmassy this afternoon, when the living room received a good covering of decorations. I couldn’t resist taking a few snaps of them all.
Well it has been a little while since my last blog post – uni work took over my weekends for about a month. Semester is now over and all of my assignments have been handed in, and so the camera has been allowed to re-emerge. I’ve headed back to my parents’ house for Christmas. Its …
This week a close friend’s wedding gave me the opportunity to visit my mom & dad’s new place in Staffordshire’s countryside. Photos of the wedding will follow in a future blog post, but for now I’d like to share some from the lovely autumnal walks we’ve been able to take over the last few days. …
It wouldn’t have taken much to interrupt my studying this morning, so when I saw how low the tide was in the harbour in addition to the sea haar, it took me all of three minutes to grab my camera and tripod and head outside. I was hoping to capture some of the mystery created by the …
There’s an old disused building on Leith Walk which looks like it has been ready for demolition for some time now. I used to pass it a couple of times a week. From the top deck of the bus you can see into the building and across waste ground clearly. I wasn’t sure that i’d …
With not much to do with my Saturday afternoon (until 7:10 when the new series of Dr Who started) and the Festival Fringe almost drawing to a close, I decided to take my camera up to the Royal Mile and see what sights I could spot. I went up to the Royal Mile last year, …
Just recovering from a busy but fantastic weekend, the highlight of which was a trip to the British Grand Prix. I’ve never been before, but we’re big fans and watch most of the races on TV. My dad and brother went last year and enjoyed it so much that we all decided to get tickets …
I will often try to get out of the office for a little wander each lunchtime, simply to get away from my computer screen for half an hour. Today was a perfect day for a lunchtime stroll. I wandered to Princes Street Gardens where I ate my Boots Meal Deal before having a little walk …
Today was a lovely warm Easter Sunday, and what a better way to spend it than on the beach. Until now we have never really taken the opportunity to explore much of the coastline to the south of Edinburgh. We packed our picnic, kept our fingers crossed that the weather would stay nice, and headed …
I have my boss to thank for this blog post. He was kind enough to host us at his fantastic apartment for an evening of entertainment and Chinese food. I couldn’t resist taking my camera along. Thankful the weather was on my side especially as we neared sunset. I also managed a couple of more …
Ajman, like much of the UAE, is growing rapidly and the traditional arabic architectural styles are quickly being lost or hidden behind big, tall new buildings. A lot of the presentations at the conference I was attending in Ajman tried to highlight the importance of preserving some of the architecture and cultural image. Here are …
I wouldn’t usually decide to drive all of the way from Edinburgh to Applecross (North West Scotland) just for a weekend’s trip, but James had a meeting up there so we thought we would make the most of an opportunity to escape for a few days. Considering it is only February, we were very lucky …