Saturday, December 29, 2007

Lake District


Lake District
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
We stayed in the town of Keswick, which is right on Derwent Water. With trees changing color, layered hills in the distance, and the expanse of the lake itself, it was a very pretty place to be. I could see why it attracts English tourists.

Thicket


Thicket
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Even though the overcast day took away from the potential of crystal blue lake photos, the red berries of this bush add some nice color.

Derwent Water


Derwent Water
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Every once in a while, an image calls out to be displayed in black and white. While the lake scene is quite beautiful, the day was overcast and muted all the colors. But mostly, the shapes and tones are what made this photo for me, not the color.

At Rest


At Rest
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Walking around the lake, I saw a seagull perched on a branch in the middle of an otherwise empty patch of water. I composed a photo like this in my head and then found the way to frame it.

Running Water


Running Water
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
I've like the misty effect of time-lapse waterfall photos I've seen, so I was excited to have a chance to shoot my own. This small falls is around the far end of Derwent Water, part of a stream that feeds the lake.

Standing Guard


Standing Guard
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
For all the world, Caerphilly Castle reminds me of a batleship floating in a lake. This one's got a drawbridge and ducks in the water, though.

Ruin


Ruin
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
One tower at Caerphilly Castle cracked completely at some point in its history and now leans precipitously towards the moat. We pushed, but couldn't knock it down.

The lighting threw off my camera's meter so badly that I almost couldn't execute this shot. What you see is digitally enhanced (mostly for contrast and brightness).

Arches in Conwy


Arches in Conwy
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Conwy Castle is a ruin, and a lovely one at that. Combined with the remains of an ancient stone wall that circled the city (and now cuts through it at a few interesting places) and some of the best Indian food I've eaten since...well since Delhi, it made for a really nice overnight stay.

The walls, towers, and arches were mostly intact even though the roof was completely gone.

Nice View for Sheep


Nice View for Sheep
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Driving through Snowdonia, we came across this pastoral landscape, complete with a rock wall and flock of sheep in the background.

Along the river


Along the river
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Snowdonia is a beautiful area. Unfortunately, we saw most of it in the dark. But we returned to this river and lush green area near Betws-y-coed.

Amber Fields


Amber Fields
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
On the way out of Wales and into the Lake District of England.


Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
From Bath, we rented a car and drove through Wales (and survived the drive, too!). Beautiful country with forests, rivers, castles, and more unpronouncable words than you can shake a stick at.

This scene was in a public park in Cardiff.

King of the Hill


King of the Hill
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Cardiff Castle is a varied collection of styles and buildings reflecting its varied history. This keep is from the original Norman castle.

Looking Out


Looking Out
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
The view out of that castle keep. Modern Cardiff framed by ancient Cardiff.

The Path Stretches On


The Path Stretches On
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Crossing back over the river in the middle of Cardiff city offered this very fine view.

Gathering Place of the Ages


Gathering Place of the Ages
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
The "Bath" in Bath. Used by the Romans as a temple to Minerva and gathering place for soldiers and citizens on the Northwestern frontier. Used later by the British as a cure for all sorts of things (including a baron Queen). Now used by globetrotting tourists like myself investigating the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Through the Oaks


Through the Oaks
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
It was a pretty day and I really liked those oaks.

Facade


Facade
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
A beautiful Georgian (read: neoclassical) building that is part of the Royal Circus in Bath. Next time you're there, stray a bit from the Roman Baths and find out the similarities between the Royal Circus and Stonehenge.

The vignetting effect was added digitally. I think it highlights the slightly bowed effect from the wide-angle lens.


Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
The rain was off and on in Bath. There was enough of a pause at the Royal Crescent to capture this pink rose with a little rainwater on its leaves and petals.

Draw Your Eyes to Heaven


Draw Your Eyes to Heaven
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
We departed London for a bus tour through the Southern-Central part of England. The first stop was Winchester and its noteworthy Cathedral. Not only is Jane Austin buried here, but it has a magnificent gothic arched ceiling.

Stained


Stained
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
The morning light through the stained glass windows of the Cathedral caught my eye.

The Henge


The Henge
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
There really is something mysterious and awe-inspiring about Stonehenge. Listening to the history and thinking about the ancient civilizations that flourished right at this spot made me feel like I was a part of that story.

The Stones


The Stones
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
For preservation purposes, you can only get so close to the monument. I was glad I had the 55-200 zoom lens.

The Famous (fictional) Platform

We returned to London from our Cambridge daytrip via King's Cross Station. Didn't see Ron or Hermione, though.

Surrealism on the Thames


Surrealism on the Thames
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
There's a Dali museum across the river from Parliament. I'll let you fill in the implication there.

The Eye


The Eye
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
We weren't going to ride the Eye; thought it was too touristy. And it was (it was also the longest wait we had the whole trip). But it was also a great view and a thoroughly different experience. You really get a sense for the urban-ness and layout of London.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Hieroglyphs


Hieroglyphs
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
The British Museum was a treasure trove of art and historical artifacts. I guess having a global empire does help in the collecting business.

King's College, Cambridge


King's College, Cambridge
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
The courtyard area; chapel to the right, classrooms ahead, and to the right (out of the photo) are offices, dorms, and pub. Only tenured faculty are allowed to walk on the grass.

King's Chapel


King's Chapel
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
The majestic, colorful, and high gothic interior of the King's College Chapel. The story of the War of the Roses (paint them red!) is evident in the relief sculpture on these walls.

Lane


Lane
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Picturesque tree lined lane in a college town. Very civilized indeed.

Bridges Over the River Cam


Bridges Over the River Cam
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
The river is crossed a number of times in Cambridge, but there is an even greater number of amateur boaters out pushing themselves in circles. We didn't see a capsizing, but a few came close.

Don't Let Your Participles Dangle

He looks like he's studying, but with so much history and beauty all around, he's not convincing anyone.

18:30 GMT


18:30 GMT
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
The plane touched down at Heathrow, a train sent us to Victoria Station, and the Tube brought us to this icon of London as the sun was setting.

Abbey


Abbey
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
The impressive facade of Westminster Abbey. Gothic and wonderful. The overcast sky adds a touch of authenticity.

High Gothic


High Gothic
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Another photo from Westminster Abbey. This time through the window bars of the inner courtyard.

Raven in the Tower


Raven in the Tower
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
There have been ravens at the Tower of London, so the story goes, since it's initial use as a strategic fort.

Rococo Lives Here


Rococo Lives Here
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Taken from the top of a double-decker bus tour. Just a building.

All Things for All People, Everywhere

The weather was surprisingly mild (though cold) for us in London, allowing this long-exposure of Harrod's department store against the blue of twilight.

I Just Don't Get European Fashion Sometimes

Part of the window display for a famous London department store, each mannequin has an outfit made of a different type of food. This dessert dress was obviously the best (can you say 'tartlet high heels')

Lanterns


Lanterns
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
We headed into London's Chinatown (in Soho, I think) for dinner and wound up eating at a very nice Italian restaurant. The lanterns in the restaurant weren't as much fun as these.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Out of a Cold Northern Dream


Out of a Cold Northern Dream
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Hard to believe that's the end of the trip, but we covered a lot of ground in two weeks!

This shot used a long exposure (and my fingers got very cold taking it) and a little photoshop fun after-the-fact. We spent almost all our time in Edinburgh on the Royal Mile - including a bunch of it after dark, so this is oddly representative.

Edinburgh Steeple


Edinburgh Steeple
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
I liked the architecture in the old city of Edinburgh. I manipulated the contrast of this shot in post-production to get an HDR-like effect.

Flourish


Flourish
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Just a highly decorated doorframe on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.

Nationalism


Nationalism
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
They feel it strongly.

Loch Tummel


Loch Tummel
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
It was too bad we only had time for a bus tour around some of the Lochs. The highlands really are beautiful country.

Falls of Braan


Falls of Braan
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
The falls and fall color were especially dramatic here in the Hermitage Forrest in Scotland.

Stretching into the Woods


Stretching into the Woods
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
This unlikely park setting lies along the banks of a river in Dunkeld, Scotland, just down from the cathedral. On a warm day. the benches would provide a great spot to watch the river go by. Unfortunately for me, it was overcast and cold the day I was there.

Overgrown


Overgrown
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Across the North of England stretch the ruins of Hadrian's Wall, a Roman military defense against the Ancient Scots.

The Wall


The Wall
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Hadrian's wall as it takes advantage of one of natural raised cliffs in the region.

Splash of Orange


Splash of Orange
Originally uploaded by 24thcentury.
Caught sight of this little guy in a tree. I really like the shallow depth of field that the D40 can capture.