Cormorant

This is a cormorant I spotted on the riverside. He was drying out his wings after a mornings fishing for eels and fish in the weir.

Autumn

Another dull gloomy day but still had to take this before the leaves have all be blown off the trees (it's been very windy up to 90MPH winds here in some places).

Durham Riverside

It was a beautiful day today so I decided to take a walk along Durham riveside. The view is of the Cathedral. The river was running pretty fast because of all the rain we've had just lately.

Black Swan

Taken at a farm near where I live. I was talking to David the farmer tonight and he said he doesn't advertise the fact he has swans on his farm, he's afraid the teenagers will find out and kill or hurt the swans. It's sad the world we live in now, it's full of anger, hatred and killing. The teenagers nowadays are angry, rebellious and hurtful. How someone can hurt such a beautiful creature it is hard to comprehend. But we hear of it day after day some youth has hurt/killed an animal or set upon an old lady. On the news the other day some kids had held down a pony and kicked and burned it with cigarettes. Something sick in their heads I think. I blame the fact there is no discipline in the homes or schools now. Parents are told they cannot lay a hand on their children if they are naughty, the cane and such like at school is banned and teachers are not allowed to hit back if they are attacked in the school room. What is the world coming to.
Last night when I was out with my camera club friends we were set upon by youths calling us perverts and kiddie fiddlers for photographing. We were photographing steel statues for goodenss sake what could be the harm in that. One cannot go along a street with a camera now and take candid photos of people, or children at play without permission. If they do get caught photographing without permission they are breaking the law and are called perverts or such like & arrested.
I'm sorry to go on tonight about this, it's just I was so angry last night when we were called those names and then to hear a farmer feared for the safety of his swans from the kids, it just made me so angry I had to get it off my chest.

Settings

• Lens Aperture - F/3.5
• Focal Length - 137mm
• Exposure time - 1/200 sec
• ISO 200
• Aperture Priority

Black & White

I haven't been able to get out this week so i'm going through all the photos i took last weekend. I thought this would be a good shot for black & white. The sky was very cloudy and dark giving it a dark moody atmosphere. I like it anyway.

Settings

• Focal length - 11mm
• Aperture - F/16
• Exposure time 1 sec
• ISO 400

Tynemouth again

A couple more images taken at Tynemouth. Must get out tonight to take an image for tomorrow.

Newcastle & Gateshead Quayside

"The Sage in Gateshead provides world-class facilities for acoustic music on a prime riverside location overlooking the famous Tyne Bridge. It is seven buildings in one, designed from the inside out and then clothed by a spectacular curved glass roof."



"The Millenium Bridge was designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects / Gifford & Partners and built by Gateshead-based construction company - Harbour & General, the bridge was opened on Monday 20th November 2000. It is still the world's first and only tilting bridge!"




"The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is the major centre for international contemporary art. Formerly the Baltic Flour Mills, a disused 1950's grain warehouse, has now been transformed into one of the biggest and best contemporary art spaces in Europe. It has a premier site on the south bank of the River Tyne and lies at the heart of Gateshead Quays"



I've been going through some old photos I took earlier this year of The Quayside and decided to re-work them as HDR images. I quite like the results. It's very windy and raining today, not good weather for outdoor shots, hence my looking through some old shots to play with for today. Hope you like them.

I'd like to thank Anna, my friend at Washington Camera Club, for giving me the drive and inspiration to re-work these shots. I was totally inspired after seeing her wonderful shots on her blog. Thank you Anna!