Early lambs

First lambs of the year. They are so cute and they make me smile and think of new life and spring. Oh how I cannot wait for springtime again.

Experimenting

Seeing as i'm not getting out and about much these days due to ill health I thought i'd try a bit of experimenting with still life. Here's me holding some dried rose petals. I've added a vignette, converted it to mono and done some selective colouring in photoshop. What do you think, any comments/advice will be gratefully accepted.

Settings

• Manual Mode
• Lens Aperture - f/14
• Focal Length - 42mm
• Shutter Speed - 1/125 sec
• ISO - 100
• Metering Mode - Pattern

Weardale

Bamburgh Castle

One of my favourite places in Northumberland is Bamburgh.
Bamburgh Castle is one of England's most famous castles. Built on a basalt outcrop above majestic sand dunes, its ramparts tower over the shifting hues of the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with stunning views of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and the Farne Islands in one direction and the Cheviot Hills in another. It is perhaps the most photographed of England's castles and historic houses and is the likely site of Lancelot's Castle, 'The Joyous Gard'. An 11th century Norman fortress, Bamburgh feted royal guests and English kings, one of whom - Edward IV - destroyed it in the Wars of the Roses. Lord Armstrong's Late Victorian restoration saved it from ruin, the castle providing a home to the Armstrong family to this day. Today, the life and works of the 1st Lord Armstrong are brought to life in the unique Armstrong Museum and Aviation Artifacts Museum housed in the old laundry building. The Castle is also licenced for civil ceremonies, making a stunning location for weddings.

Winter Blues

I long for the spring and the greenery and blossoms once more. Winter is bleak, bland and monotone to me. Never mind it's not long to wait now.

Jay

These are my favourite birds at Thornley Woods. Such a pretty bird I think.

Highland Cows

Taken at the Highland Cattle centre near Hexham, Northumberland last year.

The breed was developed in the Scottish Highlands and western coastal regions of Scotland, and breeding stock has been exported to the rest of the world, especially Australia and North America, since the 1900s and is used as grazer in nature reserves in the Netherlands. The breed was developed from two sets of stock, one originally black, and the other reddish. Today, Highland cattle come in a wide variety of colours.

Highlands are known as a hardy breed due to the rugged nature of their native Scottish Highlands, with high rainfall and strong winds. They both graze and browse and eat plants other cattle avoid. The meat tends to be leaner than most beef, as highlands get most of their insulation from their thick shaggy hair rather than subcutaneous fat. The coat also makes them a good breed for cold Northern climates.

Birds

Arctic Tern & Chick

Puffin

Duck

Mono conversion

I thought i'd try doing a mono coversion after my fellow blogger Mike had kindly suggest I try it in mono. I like it hope you all do.

First photo

First photo I ever took with my DSLR camera.

Newcastle upon Tyne

A few photos from last year converted to mono. It wasn't a very nice day that day; the skies were grey and miserable.

Bamburgh Castle

With not being able to get out with my camera due to not being well i've had a lot of time going through old photos. These photos of Bamburgh Castle were taken 2007-2008. Hope you like them.

Capturing it snowing

Tried to catch the movement of the snow. You can just say see the snow near the water at the bottom. It's pretty hard actually trying to capture it snowing.

Castleside

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.....

Black Rock Cottage

Mono conversion of one of my Scotland Images.

More oldies - they keep on coming

Taken at Marsden near South Shields, Tyne & Wear