Babraham Bonfire

Although the night was cold, at least it was dry. Although I had my camera with me, I had not got my tripod, so I took very few shots, and they were silhouettes, one of a mother and child and several of a couple conveniently placed between the dying bonfire and myself.

I visualised them as potential covers to a Mills & Boon romance! I thought they were fun.

Babraham Bonfire

Although the night was cold, at least it was dry. Although I had my camera with me, I had not got my tripod, so I took very few shots, and they were silhouettes, one of a mother and child and several of a couple conveniently placed between the dying bonfire and myself.

I visualised them as potential covers to a Mills & Boon romance! I thought they were fun.

Autumn and a Milton Keynes Car Park

Colour and beauty are not normally associated with Milton Keynes, but if that is your perception, you would be wrong. The car parks are bordered and divided by trees and shrubs, and have been well-chosen for their colour in autumn, as I found when I visited recently. Americans refer to our season rather too literally as fall, as this describes only how the trees and bushes shed their leaves. Autumn says so much more, as was demonstrated to me, and how I hope I have portrayed in this selection of images from the trip.

It was windy, and not always blessed with sunshine, so in some of the shots I endeavoured to capture the variations and feel for what was happening. When inside the Shopping Centre, I also tried to show how light played its part in highlighting architectural detail and how it gave long shadows when the sun was out.

None of these images have been into Photoshop; these colours are real, their intensity except in isolated cases, was as I saw them, the contrasts were provided by those who planted them, and I compliment those who made the choices, and those who have tended them. I hope I have proved that a car park can contain and display beauty for those who care to look.

2CV Lomax Kit Car & Autumn Colours

My nephew Alex and I planned to meet up so he could take me for a ride in his latest acquisition – a Lomax kit car based upon a Citroen Deux Chevaux chassis and engine.

I pulled up at the house and there it was before me. There was nothing I recognised as a 2CV! To all intents here was a Morgan sportscar lookalike! I started taking shots of it before I met up with Alex, and the dogs soon attracted his attention and I was hailed from an upstairs window.

We then walked the dogs, chatted and I took pictures of leaves that took my fancy before climbing (literally) into the car for a trip to the Royal Standard of England pub; one of probably several laying claim to be the oldest in Britain!

When we pulled up in the car park, off came the bonnet cover to check that all was well in the engine compartment and that no leaks had appeared since Alex's recent overhaul.

There I got into conversation with two American photographers from New Hampshire, who later came outside to take shots using a wooden Pinhole camera, and we had quite an interesting chat before they left.

We both had a Ploughman's and Alex decided to check out their Spotted Dick; interestingly the waitress brought an extra spoon in case I wanted to share the sweet, but I declined, I was full enough.

We set off back to the house and then I was allowed the honour of taking the controls – the first and maybe the only person to be allowed the privilege, and for the first time Alex was able to see and hear his vehicle from the outside, and was massively impressed with what he saw and heard.

There was rarely bright sunshine, but for a late October day, the weather was exceptionally fine, and I was thrilled to capture some of the essence in the gallery of images that accompany this entry.

Sunny October in Essex

Friday finds me travelling around the M25 to Essex to help Pedro Silmon with optimising his images for storage and sorting within Lightroom.

During the course of the day which was exceptionally fine weatherwise, and with large catalogues to rearrange in Lightroom, I was afforded a few free minutes! This allowed me to grab some shots within his excellently tended garden. And what a garden! (Sad to report that overnight the rains did their best to consign the subjects of my photos to History.)

Not only did I get some great light on the autumn colours of the leaves and flowers, but I was spoilt by being able to capture a few more cloudscapes for my collection.

Pedro, until recently a creative director in magazines, is now a full-time,
professional garden and plant photographer. Unlike me can give a name in Latin and English for every plant I photographed, and his website goes live in mid-November. http://www.pedrosilmon.com

Stockwood – More to Discover

The Forecasters got it wrong. Well, either that or the sun was very shy this Saturday morning.

I also got it wrong – somehow I thought there was a wildlife photographer just giving a talk; I had no idea that it was a day's course for a group of a dozen photographers who had all booked for the session with Derek Henderson. So having stumbled in late, I stumbled back out again, giving him my sincere apologies, since I had only allocated a couple of hours at the Stockwood Discovery Centre before moving on to Luton Hoo's Pumpkin and Apple Gala.

Sadly due to my back giving out that was a trip I never made; I had great difficulty and a lot of pain when I tried to get low down and then get back up again. But I soldiered on to get as many shots in and around the centre. I was amazed to see so many flowers still in bloom and even raspberries were still to be found on the bushes.

I also learned just how small Venus Flytraps are, they are tiny! I managed to spot a squirrel actually in the act of burying a chestnut, and was pleasantly surprised that he did not mind my recording the event.

Even though milky sunshine was the best that was on offer, the range of colours was a joy to behold. Before leaving I visited the Couture restaurant and had a very reasonably priced cup of tea and a biscuit, and was heartened that it was well attended. This centre is somewhere for which Luton should be justly proud.

Luton's Stockwood Discovery Centre

It is amazing that Luton should be holding two prestigious photographic exhibitions in the one place, yet without two of its citizens with strong photographic connections knowing that both were being held. I knew of one, Shoe Fleur, because I had learnt from a friend of mine Colin Bowles that he knew of the artist from his wife Jennie, and when I saw it mentioned in 'Living Locally', I phoned Colin Bowles.

Colin did know of that one, so we arranged to visit it together; ironically when we came upon the greenhouse which housed Michel Tcherevkoff's photographic creations, it was locked! It turned out to be an oversight and was speedily rectified, and our entrance prompted others to enter and view.

We took a leisurely stroll through, admiring the vision that Michel had in the prints' concept and execution, and agreed it was an excellent idea to present them in the natural environment – my only concern was for the prints' longevity under all that bright sunlight.

We also took a walk through some beautifully tended ornamental gardens, and both of us broke off for lunch and returned in the afternoon, to continue to look at the displays, of ancient farming implements, archaeological finds, and vehicles (naturally, many Vauxhalls) of bygone eras but, I simply stumbled upon the Wildlife Photography Exhibition!

What a coup for the Discovery Centre! Yet we had no indication it was there. It was very well displayed and was quite fascinating, and was definitely the highlight of our visit. I cannot recommend highly enough that this place just has to be visited.

It is well-laid out, exquisitely tended with exciting areas for young children to both play and learn. The displays are copiously informative with interactive consoles and looping slideshows with a mine of information as well as sound effects to provide a background to static displays.

Luton should be justly proud of this centre which is open to the Public, and entrance is free.