End Of An Era

When I first started blogging “The Weekly Photo Challenge” motivated me to write at least one post each week. Sadly it has been announced that after this weeks challenge, that’s it, for some weird reason, there will be no more.

So as a final flourish I’m going to finish with some of my most popular photographs on Flickr, not that stats really mean much, as I only use Flickr to host my blog photographs.

I thought I should also point out that I’m not ceasing to blog. I’ll still be here writing posts, and I’ve got a lot to write about after my trip to Japan. But bear with me for a while. I got back and “her indoors” presented me with a list of tasks, including cleaning and refurbishing the deck, shifting two tonnes of gravel, just delivered, from the front to the back of the house (about a ton and a half done already). It’s for a project we’re working on to make the garden so much more maintenance free. Oh! and I must not forget to order the new summer-house and of course build it.

Gardening can bring out the inner child, and sometimes, especially after all that time out in the hot sun, it can bring out the inner surrealist. When the urge comes over you to construct a zucchini zeppelin or a tomato truck, give in to your muse and then document [photograph] your masterpiece, preferably against an uncluttered background. – Bart Barlow

Anyway, enough of that, let’s get on with the photographs.

Sometimes you just get lucky when you’re out and about. More often than not I have seen this lake with white caps on the water. It’s very rare to see it flat calm like this. But just look at it and with a magnificent view of the Snowdon Horseshoe. I have honestly never seen it so clear.

And here’s another lake that is normally not flat calm like this. I’m just so lucky……

Talacre Lighthouse is my go to place when I want to practice new techniques with my camera or try out new equipment. I have a 1 metre canvas print of this exact photograph hanging in our lounge. Yes it breaks the “Rool of Thurds” but hey Rools are there to be broken and I like this one.

A secret place that I once visited. It’s so secret that I can’t even remember where it is.

Just along the coast from where I live is Rhyl. The bridge is blue…they’d just finished painting it and the sun is a golden orange. Not much more I can say about this one.

Not far from Llangollen and the Horse Shoe Pass lies the ruins of the Abbey of Valle Crucis. surrounded by hills on all sides the grounds of the abbey are a quite haven. Best time to visit is Autumn when the leaves are just starting to turn orange. best of all, at that time of the year, you have less chance of someone wandering into your photograph.

The Ogwen Falls cascade over rocks that are so jagged you can hear the water roar from some distance away. This is only a part of the falls I’ve shown here

One to cross of my must captures. For years I tried unsuccessfully to capture a Kingfisher, with little success. Then it happened. Just sitting by a lake and this lovely little bird perched on a branch within good range of my 300mm lens. I shot so many photographs to make sure that I got at least one good keeper. What a beautiful little bird.

At the start of the path up to Llyn Idwal, there is a waterfall that flows under a wooden bridge before tumbling over rocks to join up with the Afon Conway. The water is ice-cold, it’s coming off the mountains and Llyn Idwal, and it’s probably the most photographed waterfall in all of Snowdonia. I’ve seen tourist coaches pull up, loads of people get out and all rush up to the bridge to get that photograph. But if you are a little bit more adventurous, you can cross the river a little further up from the bridge and then walk back down to get this photograph.

When the snow falls on the mountains, the wild ponies come lower in search of food. They’re reasonably friendly, although with all wild animals you should exercise discretion, so you can usually get quite close to get a photograph.

Well this brings me to my final photograph. Taken in Glasgow, on a cold winters evening, the bridge crosses the River Clyde, near the city centre. At that time of night you need a long exposure, but if anyone walks across the bridge whilst you are taking a photograph you might as well forget it and start over. I’ve never know a bridge bounce so much when someone is walking on it.

So that’s it. The end of an era. The Weekly Photo Challenge is no more but Say It With A Camera is still going strong. Until my next post.

Over the years, whilst taking part in the weekly challenge, I have been able to read some amazing blogs and see some great photographs, whom I’ve highlighted here. This is my final ten, all of whom I’ve visited this week and liked what I’ve read or seen.

http://40again.com/2018/05/31/all-time-favourites-the-final-weekly-photo-challenge/
https://mirthandmotivation.com/2018/05/30/photo-challenge-a-few-farewell-favorites/
http://thenarrowbamboogate.com/2018/05/30/all-time-favorite-japan/
https://thereluctantphotographer2014.wordpress.com/2018/05/30/i-couldnt-decide/
http://lifeisgreat0.blog/2018/05/30/some-pictures-to-say-good-bye/
http://outofmywritemind.com/2018/05/31/its-a-wrap/
http://adogslife.blog/2018/05/24/working-from-home/
https://spiritinpolitics.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/keep-on-your-own-track-thoreau/
http://theartofdisorder.net/2018/05/31/favorite-photos-friends-forever/
http://angelafurtadophotography.com/2018/05/30/wpc-all-time-favorites/