I have photographed this tree at the Giant’s Ring Belfast a number of times, of course at different times of year and in differing lights, however, I have always turned it into varying B&W effects. Perhaps my first attempt was “the original and best” but I am posting a selection of them as it seems to me that this tree naturally tells me that it needs to be in B&W to do it justice and create the atmosphere. For that reason it seems to me to be the obvious choice for Cee’s B&W Challenge Open Topic this week.
needless to say the little boy and his pup make the photo for mesame tree, different angledon’t know just decided to take this with the tree and the stones as background rather – was enjoying the meadow that they have allowed to grow up in recent yearsthe originala different day, different light, like the sky
So, this is my first adventure into Lori’s weekly letter challenge and I see that I am joining rather late – perhaps I can fill in the letter ‘a’ to ‘g’ in due course, although with the letter ‘d for dog’ I just might get stuck in there for a while 😉 Nevertheless here I am. As usual I have difficulty focusing on and staying completely on one track on my blog and I, therefore, tend to diversify but I do offer variety I HOPE some decent photos for everyone to enjoy. I am consistent, however, in that I usually include something of my home land, Northern Ireland, trying to show it off in it’s better light, and also my love of animals, in particular dogs. I’m a keen photographer with a huge archive of photos and I admit to enjoying having the opportunity to share a few of them in these challenges.
OK so, the letter H… I came across a photo that inspired me to choose a few others on the same theme – Hanging!
Yes, it’s a Hangman’s noose! Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast. The Crumlin Road Gaol dates back to 1845 and closed it’s doors as a working prison in 1996. It is now a very popular tourist attraction and believe it or not well worth a visit. The Gaol played a significant part in the recent history of Northern Ireland. The last Hanging at the Gaol took place on 20th December 1961.
Having at last found a use for this photo I then found a few others along the same theme albeit much more fun than this kind of Hanging 😉
The first was taken through the railings of a skate park in New York, this little lad pictured Hanging from the the edge of the bowl, maybe 5 or 6 years old was there with his dad. Clearly neither of them had any sense of fear. The second is one of my boys at this point Hanging during pull ups whilst training at the gym.
Below, just some scarfs and safety gear hanging…
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And back to promoting ‘our wee country’… the beautiful Headlands on the North Antrim Coast – photographed from the west and then the east
Headland from the west looking over Benbane Head, Dunluce Castle, Runkerry Point and Giant’s Causeway Headland beyond.View from the east of Whitepark Bay, Portbradden and the reverse side of the Giant’s Causeway Headland beyond
So now some animate ‘H’s from home and beyond…
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Some of the connections to ‘H’ are obvious but for the sake of indulging my fastidious nature let me say in the above collection I have a pet Hamster I photographed many moons ago, a rider on Horseback, Banff Canada, a Hare, Calgary Alberta, swans in Hillsborough Lake Co. Down NI, Heron Strangford Lough Co Down NI, a Hairy chimp, a very Happy wren on my Hedge at my House, a Hawaiian Goose a lady Hunting in a bin for food Calgary Alberta and two beautiful Horses San Roque, Spain. Fairly random selection.
So now a few inanimate ‘H’s…
The cranes you could not miss if you ever visited Belfast. They are Harland and Wolf gantry cranes, previously used in shipbuilding, now more for heavy lifting during the building of of wind turbines and refurbishment of oil rigs. Then there is a very sad Headstone for a baby, St Andrew’s Scotland, a collection of cowboy Hats on sale Downtown Calgary a Hand-knitted Hat on a Head in St George’s market, Belfast – (another place worth visiting) and finally Stormont Building known colloquially as “The House on the Hill” (where all our politicians work). I have blogged previously about Stormont if you would like to read more. Again, worth visiting.
And finally for my indulgence, no selection of ‘H’ photos would be complete without a of one of my boys playing Hockey, in this case for a team called Harlequins!
I hope you have enjoyed my first entry into Lori’s Letter Challenge. I would love to receive feedback,
The juxtaposition in this photo for me was the fact that this immaculate looking white bicycle has been left unvandalised in situ with every appearance of being a piece of art in a rather ‘every day’ setting. It is simply chained to the railings of a bridge in a busy junction on one of the main arterial routes into Belfast city centre. Curiosity got the better of me one day and I parked the car to check it out. It is in fact a memorial to a cyclist who was killed at this place.
A fitting tribute indeed.
My first ever blog – what to write about??
I’m a photographer, hobby, plenty of gear, don’t know how to use it all but “have a good eye”! My life has changed so much over the last 10 years since my diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis and I am doing things now that I could never have imagined myself doing. These are the things in my head I would like to blog about. Will anyone be interested in reading? I guess that’s what we all ask when we write our first blog. Who knows, who cares? I’m going to do it anyway.
Actually, I think I actually do care because the my strap line on the blog is “be the change you want to see”. Why I chose that strap line is too long a story for today and I hope I will ease myself into that one and perhaps encourage one or two others to be the change they want to be as well. In the meantime I sought inspiration for my first blog and came across the weekly photo challenge.
Appropriately this week’s theme is Window. Whilst I am very well at the minute, since my diagnosis I have spent quite a remarkable amount of time lying on my sofa, resting, looking out the window – it is a huge window, 8 feet high, right to the floor and runs the length and width of the room – its a ‘garden room’. Being “a photographer” I never like to miss an opportunity, so, through that huge window I have photographed birds feeding, pigeons mating (!), squirrels climbing the trees and munching apples, flowers and my two dogs.
Today that window afforded me the inspiration to write my first blog as part of this challenge as the people in the house behind are having their windows replaced. My challenge – to observe the men and avoid them seeing me pointing my rather large 500mm lens in their direction. As they stood on the scaffolding they could see me as clearly as I could see them – perhaps more so! However, this is what I got…
I selected both because I liked the image of the two guys one on either side of the open window, you can see the reflection of the lights on my own window from the kitchen behind me. The other, thankfully no “builders’ bum” but the boxer shorts waste band showing nicely!
When I’m ill this can be as exciting as a day gets for me, however, each day that I am well, I am grateful for it and I realise that this change in my health over the last 9/10 years has given me opportunities which I could either ignore, resent or embrace. I have chosen to embrace them, photography is just one of them. These things are what I would like to write about in my future blogs. I hope some of you will join me. Jennifer
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