Favourite things (Days 274 - 284)

Day 274 - Scowling cow

Most young animals are quite cute and fall into the category of my favourite things. This little calf has lost one of its ear tags - I bet that must have stung a bit.  Maybe that's why it's scowling.

Day 275 - Stunning sunset

 A calm evening with a stunning sunset that lasted over an hour as the sky turned through pinks to yellows - neither of which can be shown in monochrome.  But it was a pleasant way to spend and hour or two - sat on the beach having a natter and taking the odd snap.

Day 276 - Evening clouds

I am strangely fascinated by clouds and the wonderful shapes they make, especially when several different types have formed in the sky.  Dusk provides lovely light to photograph them, catching the detail without worrying too much about exposures.

Day 277 - Evening outside the Glenisle

Monday evening and it's the evening class group.  The nights are now dark enough to practice their night time photography skills. This evenings challenge was to block items, such as people or cars from the picture on long exposures. A useful trick as it's frustrating to have to start again if the bus goes passed.

Day 278 - Not a favourite

Today picture does not fall into favourites, in fact it's an irritation.  Dumping.  I'm sure someone will have salvaged it by now as it only needed a bit of TLC.

Day 279 - Sheep

A circle of sheep.  Why is this a favourite thing?  Because they looked up instead of turning away.

Day 280 - Ailsa though the drum

This old oil drum provided a challenge for today's workshop students as I asked them to photo Ailsa Craig through it.  The easy way is to bend over and shoot backwards between your legs!

Day 281 - Dull dyemill

Today I got totally carried away with the autumn colours and forgot to select an image that was more suited for black and white. But I just love this time of year.

Day 282 - Leaf

Again I'm swept away with the colours of autumn but I did manage to remember (just) to take a leaf that stood out and this yellow sycamore leaf was clinging on to the dark branch.  I don't thing it will still be there after the wind of the last couple of days.

Day 283 - Bramble leaves

Why do leaves of different trees go different colours in autumn?  Beach trees go yellow and brambles go red. Some trees seem to go straight to brown.  I'm sure someone knows the answer.

Day 284 - Guilty pleasure

Oh dear, clearing out the cupboard and I came across a stash of 'Gu' pots. I use these for loads of things but it was embarrassing the amount that had collected in the back of the cupboard.So if anyone wants one I took them all to ARCAS in the hope that someone will be able to use them.  I now I have an excuse to go and buy my favourite pud.

Run, run, run. (Days 263 - 273)

Day 263 - Autumn Seaweed

Monday dawns, my diary if full to busting and my brain if fixed firmly on the weekend ahead an my first Cani-cross event, so I will be running in more ways than one this week.  The evening brought my usual evening class students and we went to one of my favourite local spots - the Lamlash boatyard and photographed as the dusk turned the sky pink.  The seaweed, exposed by the tide shimmered in autumn colours which are not apparent in monochrome.

Day 264 - In the spotlight

This 'bug' appeared on Tuesday evening, late, but with perfect timing as I realised I hadn't done the requisite photo of the day.  It seem unperturbed by my spotlight, however this proved tricky as I tried to manage the camera and light whilst focusing.

Day 265 - Catching the light

 Another frantic day as I run from meeting to meeting with various clients and fit the dog walks into the schedule.  I felt frustrated as the afternoon sun glinted off the trees and I wanted to spend ages taking pictures - but it is not to be this week!

Day 266 - Surfing the breeze

It was very gusty today and the sea crested and seagulls appeared to surf the wind for pure pleasure. Again time was tight just as the light was perfect - and I have yet to pack all the stuff for the weekend.

Day 267 - Mainland bales

I was mainland bound today and unsurprising the weather is turning with a wet forecast for the next 2 days.  But I am on the mainland so different opportunities arise and I get to shop, not that I like shopping but the chance to visit several outdoor shops in Perth was not to be missed.

Day 268 - Cani-cross on a scooter

Race day!  The race times really mean that I won't have much chance to take photo's but that was not what I was here for.  The weather was tipping down, making the course very slippy and muddy.  The 'wheeled' classed raced first, with bikes and scooters, single and two dog teams.  And OMG the speed the set off.  The dogs were so excited.  My nerves grew.  But before long my turn came for the novice race and Watson seemed to take it in his stride.

Day 269 - Second race day

Today I get to do it all again but further this time and I'm not quite so nervous.  A bonus was the rain abated somewhat today, but the course was still muddy.  We completed the course in a good time (for us) very slow compared to everyone else.  But I was really pleased with how it went and how Watson took to it.  I did carry a compact camera around but found it impossible to take a clear image during the race and gave up after a couple of tries and concentrated on keeping upright.

Day 269 - From my compact

Today is a rest day, if I ignore all the wet muddy kit that needs sorting out.  Decided to bundle it into a bin bag and put it in the car till we get home.  A quiet day with a gentle stroll along a lovely woodland path somewhere near Caputh.  Watson still has lots of energy and wanted to play with his ball.

Day 270 - Ugly concrete bridge on what was a beautiful woodland path.

As much as I like going away for a few day, there is something special about coming home.  And the sunlight broke through the clouds as we neared Brodick.  Worth the blast of chilly wind to get the shot.

Day 271 - Sunburst through the clouds

Back to routine and playing catch up for taking a few days off.  But today on our regular Dyemill dog walk we found a nest, likely to be from a Coal tit, on the forest floor that had fallen from the trees. An egg, well past its hatch by date, sat inside and the moss and feathers remained intact.

Day 272 - Abandoned nest

Rain was forecast all afternoon and yet it turned into one of those beautiful chilly sunny autumn days. The photo workshop today concentrated on autumn colours which are vibrant yellows and rich oranges, it will be another couple of weeks before we see the deep reds. No one was rushing so we took advantage of the fabulous conditions as stayed out an extra hour or so.

Day 273 - Little spider clings to the underside of a yellow leaf.

This is my favourite time of year for colour and light and I really hope to make the most of it over the next couple of weeks.

A hard week (Days 253 - 262)

Day 253 - Fungi gills

I'm actually surprised at the images I'm putting up for this 10 day section as I have felt really rushed and a bit 'snappy' (in a photographic way).  It's the first time I have felt like giving up the challenge. But then it is coming into Autumn, my favorite time of year for images - and when all else fails there are plenty of mushrooms around.

Day 254 - Holy webs

I couldn't resist this cobweb that was dusted with willow herb seeds and had a hole punched through the middle.  The spider had long gone! The seeds from the willow herb were so plentiful it looked like it had been snowing.

Day 255 - Splash down

 I had forgotten how messy water splash photography can be.  Thankfully the weather was nice this evening so the students were able to carry out this exercise outside.  Waterproof electrics and splash guards on lights are essential.

Day 256 - Wreck at Lochranza

I  have no idea what the story is behind this wreck at Lochranza but I would guess a storm blew it up the shore and the resulting damage made it unworthy of repair (or removal).  It's a shame as it looked like it was a grand boat in its time.

Day 257 - Laid back blonde.

People often holiday with their dogs and I always try to accommodate students who want to bring along their four legged pal.  This lovely lady proved to be very calm and pottered around our tripods and slept at our feet while we did our stuff.

Day 258 - Misty morn

Not quite light, very grey, and the cloud hung about 50 feet off the floor when I took this shot.  But it proved to be the only one of the day that I did for myself and hence it became the days subject.  Not overly inspiring but as I would say to my regular course students - it's straight!

Day 259 - Food shoot

Today I did a food shoot.  These are always a challenge, lighting, table settings and a multitude of other things that have to be considered to get the shot right.  But today's bonus was a  dessert based on icecream - it just had to be eaten as I went through the photographic process.

Day 260 - The jug

Two mushrooms in one blog - not ideal but I imagined this could be an inspiration for a jug design. The mushroom had 'bowled' and created a pouring lip.  The gills added pattern and the dark line around the edge definition.  I should also say this was about 8 inches across, so a pint sized jug.

Day 261 - Laptop

Time to have a clear out and the old laptops need to go.  So the Arran Weebay site is being tested again.  I'd sold the first one within the hour.

Day 262 - Waston before he got too wet

An hour off and time to take the dogs out for a really good play.  One tennis ball, one large pool of water and a ball thrower = hours of fun and 2 wet exhausted dogs.  It will be peaceful this evening.

Finding the money tree (Days 241 - 252)

Day 241 - Forest track above Lamlash

The cani-cross training continues and Watson is getting really good a tripping me up - I can't believe its only a couple of weeks before our first event!  Good job it's just for fun.  But I have to say that he ran really well on the way home after running along the forest trails above Lamlash.

Day 242 - Brodick Castle Gardens

Today I had the pleasure of photographing in the gardens of Brodick Castle which were in full bloom. The formal walled garden is set around a sun dial and further areas include some water pools and the Bavarian summerhouse.

Day 243 - White tailed bee?

A short walk today with the dogs and there were lots of small bees around with noticeably white bottoms. They are probably white tailed bumble bees but I'm no expert on this.

Day 244 - Mushroom season

It's the time of year where mushrooms spring up everywhere, and this was no exception.  Standing about 5 inches high, and lucky for me on a bank so I didn't have to lay on the floor, it caught the sunlight. I don't actually like mushrooms so having to decide if the are safe to eat or not is never an issue.

Day 245 - High on Sannox

A scorching day with clear blue skies and a heat haze that July or August would have been proud of. The dogs forged through the bracken and the brambles snagged at me.  Despite the glorious weather there was no money in this tree.

Day 246 - Flagging Bowser 

Bowser is struggling again with his back and when he has walked far enough he takes himself back to the car and patiently waits for me to arrive.  The only snag is, he waits at the back of the nearest car he finds (or any car if we've walked direct from the house)!  I have to watch out for him disappearing so I can retrace my steps to find him.

Day 247 - Hazy heat at Lamlash

Another hot and hazy day, this time the walk is at Lamlash.  The dogs were in and out of the sea to cool off and the water shimmered. The yachts barely moved in the flat calm waters.

Day 248 - Seals taking a break.

A bit chillier this morning and grey!  What a shock to the system, I thought the sunshine was going to last forever. But all the seals were out taking a break and were in lazy mood, paying little attention to my careful manoeuvres.

Day 249 - Dragon Fire

This is the dragon head on the Viking boat that will be burnt later this year at Corrie and Sannox.  It seems such a shame to destroy such a lovely piece of work.

Day 250 - Low flying aircraft

I felt my hair part when this passed me by.  I was on the beach just north of Dougarie and I think you can tell by the angle of the shot just how low this was flying and so close to the shore.  I think there may be an air show somewhere near?

Day 251 - Roots

I love this tree and how it is clinging to the rock.  The branches look more like roots and it fans out across the cliff face.  But this is not the money tree.

Day 252 - Money Tree

 On one of my frequent walks I have noticed a tree acquiring some money.  Mainly 20 p pieces wedged into the bark, mostly at head height.  I have no idea who or why this is being done, although I have seen it before at some popular mainland sites.  At least if I ever need money for a pint of milk I know where to go!

Shoot and run (Days 232 - 240)

Day 232 - Scaffold around the old Lamlash Church

The last 10 days have been fairly frantic with weddings, workshops and plenty of commercial jobs to complete. Most of the photo's for the project have really be grabbed along the way - some on my pocket compact as flash cards filled up with jobs and batteries were charged.

The conversion of the old church into residential property seems to be taking a while but with the scaffolding up I'm sure it will suddenly be finished.  Looking forward to seeing them.

Day 233 - Brambles

I love this time of year, so much colour in the berries, the mushrooms are starting to appear in great numbers and there is still plenty of wildlife around.

Day 234 - Cooling swim

Still managing to get some cani-cross training in with Watson despite the busy week.  He enjoys a swim when we're near any water and it's good for him to cool off and see the training as fun.

Day 235 - Graveyard shift

 Monday evening class and a trip to a couple of graveyards for tonight's exercises. I like the old graveyards as the stones tell more of a story giving a feel for the people who have gone before.

Day 236 - The happy couple

Today I had the privilege of  photographing Vivienne and Angus's wedding.  The swans floated by when we were on the bridge and stayed in shot for a short while.  It was a beautiful day.

Day 237 - Bambi

Full day workshops and an island tour taking in the deer at Lochranza, including this little 'bambi'. So cute.

Day 238 - In full sail

More workshops and back to Kildonan. The day was hazy and it gave a mystical feel to the sailing ship.  I wish it had been a little closer as I think it would have looked spectacular.

Day 239 - Nuts

Today it's editing day and I try not to be too distracted by the wildlife outside my window.  But it is good to give the eyes a rest and focus on something a little further away every so often (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it).

Day 240 - Lunch grab

Another quick lunch time job but the upside is I get fed at this one. And what a view from the restaurant at Altachorvie.