Sleeping tufted ducks
May 2026 - Spring flowers
Well, Easter Day at the start of April gave us the proverbial ‘four seasons in one day’ as it delivered rain, hail, snow and sun all within a twelve hour period. We were out on a walk when the hail hammered down and had to both reassure and shelter our puppy from it as he had never encountered such weather before. Fast forward to the end of the month and we were treated to some wonderful sunshine - even if there was still a nip in the breeze.
The late splash of warmth brought out many of the spring flowers which I have enjoyed photographing. Bluebells and wood anemones were my first photographic targets which I found in a local wood; primroses, pink purslane and celandine followed. I then found a lovely spread of anemones at a new location beside a river. I’ve visited it once with my camera and the results were satisfactory but the sun still hadn’t broken through the woodland canopy sufficiently to encourage the flower-heads to open up. Subsequent visits beckon.
A still, chilly morning produced mist on the surface of Dundas Loch. I hadn’t seen such conditions before so immediately grabbed the camera. A coot swam across the frame as I sized up several pictures giving a tranquil, calm feel to the scene. Later on I caught a pair of tufted ducks sleeping in the reflection on the water's surface which gave a feeling of silent calmness.
A walk down the Water of Leith with the dog revealed a dipper’s nest behind a waterfall. I returned the next morning having replaced the dog with my camera bag and enjoyed watching the birds coming and going with beaks of food. An hour was sufficient to obtain the image I was after, so bid a slow and measured retreat.
I was made to feel very welcome by Edinburgh Photographic Society when I visited them to offer my thoughts after having judged their internal An Iolaire Photographic competition. Members submitted three photos which were designed to work together in a triptych. The standard was very high and the winning entry consisted of three black and white images of a cheetah - two action shots and a portrait. They worked very well together and I imagined them to tell a story of a failed stalk.
April also saw the astronauts circumnavigate the moon. Although one or two photos have been shared with the media, I was hoping to see considerably more. Maybe they will follow in time once the scientists have poured over them. Meantime we’re left guessing what the dark side of the moon looks like!
May 2026 - Spring flowers
Well, Easter Day at the start of April gave us the proverbial ‘four seasons in one day’ as it delivered rain, hail, snow and sun all within a twelve hour period. We were out on a walk when the hail hammered down and had to both reassure and shelter our puppy from it as he had never encountered such weather before. Fast forward to the end of the month and we were treated to some wonderful sunshine - even if there was still a nip in the breeze.
The late splash of warmth brought out many of the spring flowers which I have enjoyed photographing. Bluebells and wood anemones were my first photographic targets which I found in a local wood; primroses, pink purslane and celandine followed. I then found a lovely spread of anemones at a new location beside a river. I’ve visited it once with my camera and the results were satisfactory but the sun still hadn’t broken through the woodland canopy sufficiently to encourage the flower-heads to open up. Subsequent visits beckon.
A still, chilly morning produced mist on the surface of Dundas Loch. I hadn’t seen such conditions before so immediately grabbed the camera. A coot swam across the frame as I sized up several pictures giving a tranquil, calm feel to the scene. Later on I caught a pair of tufted ducks sleeping in the reflection on the water's surface which gave a feeling of silent calmness.
A walk down the Water of Leith with the dog revealed a dipper’s nest behind a waterfall. I returned the next morning having replaced the dog with my camera bag and enjoyed watching the birds coming and going with beaks of food. An hour was sufficient to obtain the image I was after, so bid a slow and measured retreat.
I was made to feel very welcome by Edinburgh Photographic Society when I visited them to offer my thoughts after having judged their internal An Iolaire Photographic competition. Members submitted three photos which were designed to work together in a triptych. The standard was very high and the winning entry consisted of three black and white images of a cheetah - two action shots and a portrait. They worked very well together and I imagined them to tell a story of a failed stalk.
April also saw the astronauts circumnavigate the moon. Although one or two photos have been shared with the media, I was hoping to see considerably more. Maybe they will follow in time once the scientists have poured over them. Meantime we’re left guessing what the dark side of the moon looks like!
