Sunrise at Research Park Lake

These photographs were taken on the same walk that I had done seven weeks earlier and which turned out to be Leo's (our other dog's) last walk.   It is a very convenient short walk when time is pressing and is centred on the lake rather than the fields adjacent to the Research Park.

Research Park - At Dawn

There won't be that many more days before mornings will start to get lighter!   I don't think I'd been at the Research Park with so little natural light before.   It was attractive.   This was one of those mornings where the sunrise wasn't embracing strong colour but had interesting cloud patterns.   The setting Moon on the drive to the Park was holding my attention but wasn't to be seen on arrival!  The last image in monochrome has been introduced to Nik Silver Effects.

Another Sunrise and some Mute Swans

The colours and the tones of the Sunrise at the Research Park on Monday were different from those at Bottisham Lock the morning earlier - no strong reds and oranges.   I don't know why there was the difference, other than I might have been later dog-walking on Monday morning.

This morning, which was overcast and dull, was never going to produce a lovely sunset so I got down low to the water level to photograph some Mute Swans.   They were a bit suspicious of someone grovelling around at their level, so moved away!

Sunrise at Bottisham Lock

It was calm, peaceful and unhurried at Bottisham Lock this morning, and left me with no regrets at having climbed out of bed before dawn on a Sunday morning.   Those images taken after the appearance of the sun had more birds in them, but not any more.   With the editing software available these days, it would be easy enough to balance the black and white spots too, but that is not how I remember the morning so have deliberately left in the 'blocked' blacks as silhouettes.  

Sunrises and sunsets may be considered 'naff' to some but I can recall the thought of being so insignificant in the scheme of things when watching a vast expanse of Fenland sky having intense colour and always changing.

More panned images

I'm not sure that I like the previous posting that much, so rather than deleting it altogether I'm posting a couple more photographs that I like more!

Panning alongside The Cam II

More of a mix of subjects, colour range and approaches to panning.   The first two images are of a lifebuoy which was resting on a bench, the middle one of weeds at the water's edge, and the last two are of a male Mallard duck and our remaining dog, Boo.

Panning alongside The Cam

The early morning weather hasn't lent itself to atmospheric pictures recently so this morning I had a go at panning again.   I do enjoying trying out different panning approaches and subjects.   The first posting is of a technique I've used in the past and like.  Very minimalist!

Different colour tone - also at The Lazy Otter

Facing the other direction from the previous posting gave everything more of a blue tone and better reflected how really cold it felt!   I don't remember the Great Ouse freezing over as it had this morning.   The low temperature overnight on the boats must have been notable, if indeed anyone was on a boat.

Winter morning light at the Lazy Otter

The light was very special this morning, enhanced by the frost all around and some mist.   Again there hasn't been any additional 'vibrance' to the photographs in this posting;  I think it's just that the camera sensor picks up more colour than the human eye.   There was a lot of clearing up work being done on the derelict farm building, even early in the morning.   I think I'm more attracted to the portrait format for the scene.   The trees at a distance had an extra layer of mist hanging only just above the ground.

Cold, misty mornings

Although there haven't been any postings since the start of the month, there have been a few mornings when a similar theme has emerged because of the cold, frosty starts to the day, with sun and/or mist.   The first one is of mist near Bottisham Lock last Thursday and the lower three from the Beechwoods on Saturday.   It was still pretty dark when I got to the Beechwoods and the red lights on the top of cranes on the Addenbrooke's ever expanding campus looked quite festive.

The bright green lichen at the bottom of the beech trees were unexpectedly colourful and have not been given any extra 'vibrance'.