Category: Photography

Verity

Posted on Posted in Art and Design, PhotographyTagged , , , , , 24 Comments

When Damien Hirst decided to loan an artwork he created, to his home town of llfracombe in north Devon, he provoked a huge reaction.  Verity, as she is named has been standing on the harbour there for nearly three years, all 66 feet of her. She is made from stainless steel and bronze and the plinth she stands on is a pile of law books. In one hand she holds the scales of justice and the other, raised to the sky, holds a sword. Here she stands facing the sea.

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Her belly swollen with child, she is described by Hirst as ‘an allegory for truth and justice’.
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One side of her body is peeled away revealing not just her unborn baby, as many people focus on, but also the muscle and sinew of her own body
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I was shooting into full sun and as Verity was unable to turn from the light, I couldn’t photograph in all directions. I’ve edited this photo to try to show a little more.
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Her shoulders are those of a powerful woman, a force to be reckoned with.
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Here she holds the scales behind her back.
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I’m rather fond of Verity, I find her thought provoking.
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I’d really know what you think of her?

5 Photos 5 Stories Day# 5

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When I was a little girl the area around Exmouth dock was scruffy, full of fishing boats and a bit smelly. You walked across a bridge that always seemed to wobble, and it led to Shelly beach, at the mouth of the estuary. Shelly had a long row of wooden chalets, some little more than beach huts and some were permanent dwellings. I suppose they were a little worn out and shabby but I would have loved to live there, right beside the beach where I could tumble out and paddle whenever I wanted. Then some years ago progress arrived. The chalets were pulled down and I suppose there were less fishing boats than before.The dock became an expensive marina with posh boats, and the chalets were replaced by expensive apartments, I doubt the chalet owners could afford them. Exmouth dock was gentrified.
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Shelly beach is now called Cockle Sands, there is still sand when the tide is out, but very few buckets and spades. I’m sure you’ve guessed that I preferred it before Progress came.

Jude at Travel Words has nominated me for the ‘Five Photos, Five Stories’ challenge, and I would like to nominate Cheryl Andrews, a writer and poet who reviews books and takes part in Wordless Wednesday, for my day five.

This would be an easy challenge for you  Cheryl, if you feel like taking it up, no worries if you don’t have time.

The challenge is to just  “post a photo each day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or a short paragraph and each day nominate another blogger for the challenge”.

Views from the Bus Turistic

Posted on Posted in Photography, TravelTagged , , , , 21 Comments

Riding around Barcelona with the views from the top of the Bus Turistic , the city is even more beautiful than I expected. The Via’s are wide and tree lined and every where you turn is another striking building, placa or fountain.

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Buildings often have exquisite design features, some by Gaudi himself, others influenced by his work.
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Why have plain when you can have intricate?

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There are streets and streets with apartment blocks like this, with the volume of traffic going past they must be very high maintenance.

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I always wonder about the people living behind the windows, can they ever open them and enjoy their balconies in the continuous city noise?

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Of course if you live in one of the luxury apartments in Casa Terrades, a Gothic, fairytale castle, I’m sure you wouldn’t have to worry about the outside world, can you imagine Rapunzel’s hair flowing down from here?
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One of the places I’d like to see when I return to Barcelona is the modernist Casa Mila, known locally as La Pedrera, it’s a UNESCO world heritage site and Gaudi’s last civic work. It’s given the name Pedrera which means ‘Stone Quarry’because of its rough exterior appearance. I’d like to go up to the roof and get a closer look at the art looking back at you, fascinating stone sculpture that you see from the street.
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This pretty building was one of my favourites, but I don’t remember what it’s called, does anyone know anything about it?
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This fantastical building is Casa Batllo, one of Gaudi’s greatest masterpieces. I really wish I’d had time to see it, if you go to Barcelona allow as much time as you can, there is so, so much to see and you will quite likely feel as frustrated as i did, having to miss things like this out!

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The blue Bus Turistic also stops at Sagrada Familia ans we got off long enough to find out that there was absolutely no chance of going inside at that time. The ticket office said go away and book online, no tickets were available that day. We were so glad we hadn’t waited until the last day.
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I’ll be posting again about Gaudi’s greatest and unfinished achievement, meanwhile for now I’m ending with a photo of Barcelona by night, at Placa d’Espanya.
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Enjoy!

5 Photos 5 Stories Day #4

Posted on Posted in Nature, PhotographyTagged , , , , 10 Comments

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I met this little fella at the allotment today, and it’s a Cockchafer beetle, Melolontha melolontha, otherwise known as a May bug. It’s about 3 cms long and this isn’t the best image, because I took it with my phone and cropped it hard.  It was lurking under a new leaf on a pear tree and my friend scooped it onto a shell so we could check it out . Luckily that same phone meant that Mr Google could identify it in seconds.

I’m not keen on bugs and creepy crawlies in factb but Sonel’s blog has converted me into someone that can appreciate their uh . . . beauty? and this one was quite cute, do a google image search if you don’t believe me. Cockchafers spend three to fours years of their lives underground as larvae, and once adult, they only have six weeks left to mate. It turns out that its a bit of a pest, the larvae are voracious feeders on roots, so as we don’t want to share our potatoes, it’s  been dispatched, not killed, that would have been hideous, just taken elsewhere!

Jude at Travel Words has nominated me for the ‘Five Photos, Five Stories’ challenge, and I would like to nominate Margie, a photographer and writer from Michigan who has Zen eyes. This would be an easy challenge for you Margie, if you feel like taking it up, no worries if you don’t have time.

The challenge is to just  “post a photo each day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or a short paragraph and each day nominate another blogger for the challenge”.

 

 

 

A Bench beside the Beach

Posted on Posted in PhotographyTagged , , , 16 Comments

Jude’s fun and addictive challenge features benches at the beach this month. ‘You must be able to do it’ she said, ‘living as close to the coast as you do’! Well the weather is lousy so I’m not likely to go to the beach yet, maybe later in the month. Meanwhile I have found this photo taken at Exmouth – my nearest and dearest beach.

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Share your bench photos, do you have a favourite beach side resting place? Visit Jude to find out more.

The Force of Nature

Posted on Posted in Nature, Photography, Weekly Photo ChallengeTagged , , , , 30 Comments

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For many years now this boat has been abandoned in the river Exe opposite Topsham quay. When the tide is low, you can see how much mud it’s trapped in. I’ve been watching it decay, and I’m sure I’m one of many, many others doing the same. It’s acquired an almost iconic status, the view just wouldn’t be the same without it. One day it will no longer be there, the forces of nature will have totally reclaimed it to the earth.
This post is for the Weekly Photo Challenge, Forces of nature.

5 Photos 5 Stories Day #3

Posted on Posted in PhotographyTagged , , 30 Comments

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I started trying to teach myself to use Photoshop around 2003. I’d just had three years of study and I couldn’t find a class anyway. I vaguely remember coming across a teach yourself type book, but I  can’t follow instructions, my learning style is kinaesthetic.  I didn’t ever get much beyond basic editing, before I got bored with it and decided that I should concentrate on trying to improve my photography instead. All these years later and amateur photo edit has moved on a pace. Now, with a free and simple app for an Android device, anyone can get pleasing results in seconds.

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Love it or hate it, it took me longer to take the photo in the first place than it did to edit, I know it’s not that wonderful but it makes you think doesn’t it?
Jude at Travel Words has nominated me for the ‘Five Photos, Five Stories’ challenge, and I would like to nominate Pauline at Gypsy Life. She’s been posting some fab photos of her cruise recently and I know she has lots of tales to tell.

Pauline, there’s no obligation, have fun if you want to!

The challenge is to just “post a photo each day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or a short paragraph and each day nominate another blogger for the challenge”.