Needles
A quick sprinkling of rain and this Pine tree’s needles become endowed with shimmering baubles of watered light, awaiting gravity’s pull to shed their weight.
*Shot on an Olympus E-P1 12mp micro 4/3 system digital camera using a Sigma Super Mini ll 28mm f/2.8 lens with camera settings at ISO-200, aperture at f/2.8, centre-weighted meter mode and an exposure time of 1/10 seconds*
Rush hour
The daylight’s dropping away as the street lights start to glow overhead and the drivers on the roads strive to reach home in their cars, sooner rather than later…
*Shot on a Canon Powershot S90 10mp enthusiast compact camera set at ISO-400, lens at f/2, centre-weighted metering mode and an exposure time of 1/15 seconds*
Chilly
This purple and yellow-petalled flower (sorry, haven’t been able to identify this one yet!) has bloomed a little too early, as the surrounding frost-speckled leaves are anything to go by: even the flower’s centre stamen has a frozen droplet attached to its end!
*Shot on a Panasonic Lumix LX3 10mp enthusiast compact camera with settings at ISO-80, aperture at f/3.2, centre-weighted metering mode and an exposure time of 1/20 seconds*
Mirrored Mallard Doppelgängers
An emerald-green headed Mallard drake sticks close to his chosen brown duck as they waddle from the water’s edge (and away from the moron pointing a camera at them) as their Doppelgänger reflections match and mirror every single move they make.
*Shot on a Canon 600d 18mp dSLR using a Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS mkll lens with settings at ISO-100, aperture at f/6.3, spot metering mode and an exposure time of 1/160 seconds*
Also the Angel
A picture of a grave headstone with a lichen-peppered Angel sculpture sitting atop – its eyes closed and hands’ clasped together to symbolise a sleeping soul resting beneath – framed in such a way that only one word of the inscription has been captured in the photo. So ‘Also the Angel, Heavenly Messenger of the Additional’ seems to be a fitting moniker…
*Shot on a Panasonic Lumix LX3 10mp enthusiast compact camera with settings at ISO-80, aperture at f/2.8, spot metering mode and an exposure time of 1/60 seconds*
Sunset rider
A Horse and its rider trot down Thornham Old Rd in Royton and are cast in silhouette against the brilliant Sunset that’s playing out behind them.
*Shot on a Canon 600d 18mp dSLR using a Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS mkll lens with settings at ISO-400, aperture at f/10, spot metering mode and an exposure time of 1/2000 seconds*
Blue within the grey (slight return)
These swollen Cumulus clouds begin to jostle against one another in a friction battle of excited electrons, ready to loosen their watery loads unto the ground beneath and perhaps, if they’re lucky, discharge some charged forks and flashed sheets of lightning as they rumble through…
*Shot on a Canon 30d 8mp dSLR using a Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC lens with settings at ISO-125, aperture at f/7.1, spot metering mode and an exposure time of 1/4000 seconds*
Pegs
A row of multi-coloured plastic pegs dangle from an empty washing line, rotating and swinging at a breeze’s whim as their vicious spring-pinch waits for the next load of sodden clothes to arrive in earnest.
*Shot on a Panasonic Lumix LX3 10mp enthusiast compact camera with settings at ISO-100, aperture at f/3.5, centre weighted metering mode and an exposure time of 1/250 seconds*
… and Mother Mary
Just across from Christ, situated on the other side of the disused Chapel of Rest’s doorway is this carving of The Virgin Mary, although it is obvious to the naked eye that Time’s not been as kind to Her statuette. The Limestone’s begun to flake away in chips and Her facial features are dissipated with each breath of strong wind: within just a couple more generations, all that will remain of this chiselled Matriarchal icon of Christianity will be a smoothed lump of indecipherable stone bulging from the surrounding red bricks…
*Shot on a Panasonic Lumix LX3 10mp enthusiast compact camera with settings at ISO-80, aperture at f/2.5, spot metering mode and an exposure time of 1/250 seconds*
Christ above…
A weather-worn, corner sculpture of Jesus Christ, hewn from limestone and set within the terracotta hues of a disused, red-brick Chapel of Rest situated in Royton cemetery. Age has certainly darkened the finish and the elements have bitten away at the stone over time, but His likeness still remains for anyone who happens to catch a glimpse as they pass this crumbling, forgotten corner of the cemetery…
*Shot on a Panasonic Lumix LX3 10mp enthusiast compact camera with settings at ISO-80, aperture at f/2.5, spot metering mode and an exposure time of 1/320 seconds*
Stretch the Horizon 