Single frame… Autumn colour

Autumn ColourAutumn Colour
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 18mm, 1/60s, f8, ISO 400

It’s easy to forget about places right on the doorstep, small spaces, places without a big name to draw people in… This tiny patch of woodland is one such place, trapped between two main roads, sandwiched by a MacDonald’s and a care home. Thanks to the roads it’s never quiet but it is somehow peaceful and a very pleasant spot for a gentle wander with a camera.

A friend has been well and truly bitten by the photography bug and we explored the woodland together this morning to get a bit of practise with her new camera. I managed a few frames too, this is my favourite…

Single frame… Poppies

Weeping Window, Derby Silk MillWeeping Window, Derby Silk Mill
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 14mm f2.8 R, 2.1s, f11, ISO 200

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

“In Flanders Fields” – Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD – November 30, 1872 – January 28, 1918.

Single frame… Wakehurst Place

Woodland, Wakehurst Place, West SussexWoodland, Wakehurst Place, West Sussex
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 49mm, 1/220s, f5.6, ISO 400

Wakehurst Place in West Sussex is effectively part of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and consists of the mansion itself, walled and water gardens, woodland and wetland conservation areas and Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank.

The gardens were originally created by Gerald Loder (later Lord Wakehurst) who purchased the estate in 1903. Wakehurst Place was left to the nation in 1963 and the Royal Botanic Gardens took up a lease from the National Trust in 1965.

A gentle amble around the gardens in the autumn sunshine yesterday was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I’m planning on making a return visit in the spring.

Single frame… The Cathedral of St Andrew

The Cathedral of St Andrew, Fife, ScotlandThe Cathedral of St Andrew, Fife, Scotland
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 20mm, 1/350s, f11, ISO 400

The Cathedral of St Andrew in Fife, Scotland, dates from 1158 and became the centre of the Medieval Catholic Church in Scotland as the seat of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and the Bishops and Archbishops of St Andrews.

Robbed of its prized possessions in 1559 the cathedral had been abandoned and left to ruin by 1561. The ruins are now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland

On the left are the ruins of the nave, on the right is the east tower and in the centre is the 108 feet (33 metres) high St Rule’s tower.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that St Andrews isn’t just about golf (although much of the town is dedicated to the sport) and I’m definitely planning a return visit.

Single frame… St Monans

St Monans Pier, October 2017St Monans Pier, October 2017
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 22mm – 3 minutes, f/11 ISO 400

I got to see another sunrise today while out photographing St Monans Pier. I know that this scene must be one of the most photographed in Scotland but I just couldn’t resist shooting it for myself…

A Formatt-Hitech Firecrest 10-stop neutral density (ND) filter was used to give the three minute exposure time and a 2-stop hard edge ND graduated filter was also used to reduce the brightness of the sky.

St Monans is a beautiful village, well worth more than just a fleeting visit, sadly though the only pub in the village, The Mayview Hotel, has recently closed due to an increase in business rates… The Mayview wasn’t just a pub, it was a real hub of the local community and its closure is a real blow to the area.

Single frame… Grain hopper wagon

20t Grain Hopper, October 201720t Grain Hopper, October 2017
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 31mm – 1/125s, f8, ISO 500

Loved the textures on this railway wagon at the Fife Heritage Railway in Leven today.

No.48 was built by Hurst, Nelson and Company Ltd in Motherwell in 1937 to a London Midland & Scottish Railway design and is one of two ex. Scottish Grain Distillers hopper wagons preserved by the Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society.