Winter Lights

It has been a long time since I've posted. Sometimes you can spend so long thinking about doing something that you never actually do it. I want to post a lot more regularly so I'm starting with some images I took last year at Westonbirt Arboretum. I'm not usually one for taking Artistic shots, I tend to try and accurately portray what I see but there is something about Winter lights that makes it hard not to be a little creative and, well, blurry.

Try getting someone else to take a picture of you with your SLR. I'm a Blur

Elephant at Large

It's Autumn. There's no escaping it. There will probably be no belated summer sunshine, it's likely to be rain from here on in. In the little free time I have at the moment I will be trying to get in more photography as I miss it.

Elephant Hawk Moth (Deilephila elpenor) Caterpillar

 Here is the Caterpillar of an Elephant Hawk Moth that was found in my neighbour's garden. A stunning, Alien-like creature in a very cunning disguise. Even knowing that the head and the face are the tiny muzzle shape at the front, my gaze is always drawn to those giant faux snake eyes. 

Elephant Hawk Moth (Deilephila elpenor) Caterpillar eating

This beautiful and bizarre creature will hopefully overwinter as a Pupa and be seen again next Summer. I've never seen an Elephant Hawk Moth so the prospect of seeing such giant, vibrant native species is exciting.

These images were taken with on-board flash which I am often apprehensive to use but it really gave depth to the greens here.

Onwards

Where in the World? Northumberland and Scotland

For the second week of Gallivanting we stayed in Northumberland, surprisingly near to a train line. 'Station Cottage" turned out to be right next to a level crossing. Hooray for double glazing.

As it is so very close we did dip in and out of Scotland. I've been to Scotland a few times now and it is beautiful however, like here in England and in Ireland and in Wales, it's no stranger to rain.

Here are some images of what Motorways call THE NORTH:

Bamburgh Castle

Statue of St. Aidan in the shadow of Lindisfarne Priory

St Abb, Scotland

 The Northern half of the trip was less about Manor houses and a lot more focused on Castles, ports and windy hilltops. A nice contrast to the immense lushness of Dartmoor and the sandy Devon Coast. 

I am now back in the West Country and unsure whether to prepare for Winter or hold out for a late Summer. For now I'll be the one wandering around in a coat, sunglasses and espadrilles.

Where in the world? Devon

I have been absent for about a month and in the blogging world that is a lifetime. To make up for it, I have holiday photographs. Nothing far-flung and exotic but a glimpse of the UK.

For the first week we stayed in Devon in a town, across the water from Plymouth, known as Turnchapel. Here are a few photographic highlights:

The Gates at Antony (National Trust Property)

Cheeky Cupcake

Blue Hydrangea (with Bokeh) at Greenway

Deckchairs at Greenway

As a family we have been to a vast amount of National Trust properties across the British Isles but I have found myself more keen on this pursuit as I get older. Antony was interesting because the family still lives there amongst the giant portraits. 

Greenway was Agatha Christie's Summerhouse. I've never read an Agatha Christie before but I love books and I felt it was only polite. I've since read 'Five Little Pigs' which I actually really enjoyed. I deem it a gentle murder mystery.

Stay tuned.

Bees, Bokeh

There has been a brief week long respite from the rain. That may have been the British summertime: blink and you'll miss it. 

Honey Bee Apis Mellifera on Blue Hebe

 I have been darting around a Hebe, challenging auto focus to capture Bees for the nth time. 

Honey Bee in flight

 It's been enjoyable playing around with photography again, I love the difference that a change in aperture can make. In these images there is a very shallow depth of field with, dare I say it, a hint of Bokeh. Hopefully more Bokeh  to come.

Honey Bee feasting on Blue Hebe

Until next time...

The Swarm

It's taken me the best part of a day (thanks to file formatting/compression/my Youtube account using a different email address to my Blogger, etc, etc) but it is finally here. This is my bee movie. I apologise for the quality but it had to be small enough to upload. I have gone for the inevitable 'Flight of the Bumblebee' soundtrack: it's a classic for a reason.

Now for something completely different

It has been some time since my last post and there has been one reason for this: rain. Here in England it has rained almost every single day in June.


I'm trying to get back on top of things by using some of the ideas I had for images I took back when there was still some semblance of Summer. 


This blog has so far, featured insects alone. I'll admit I love photographing insects but they are not the only thing I aim my camera at. Wildlife photography is my favourite kind of photography, I love the thrill of being in the right place at the right second and getting that shot. I do want to branch out and develop my skills in other fields, like architectural photography, Landscapes and maybe even a little abstract. 


For now, Wildlife is my focus (I love puns) but it's not all beetles, bugs and butterflies.


Sometimes I shoot birds*

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

 These are just some off the cuff photos I took when on a walk near the Severn bridge but I really want to add a little variety, otherwise I may have to change the name to 'Frances Photographs Bugs'.

Pied Wagtail (M.alba alba)

I will leave you with this Wagtail stretching its wing and the promise that I will update more regularly, despite rain (maybe a little rain photography?) and the bee video is in the works, I promise.

*With my camera, obviously