Author Archives: athyfoto

Pleased as Punch!

For the last three months I have been hobbling around on walking sticks in pain since my right knee decided to withdraw its support for me 😦 Today my portfolio was being assessed by the Royal Photographic Society at Fenton House in Bristol. I had a place booked to attend but my knee said “NO, we’re staying home”

Well I just received an e-mail to tell me that my panel has been recommended for Licentiateship of The Royal Photographic Society and will now go to Council for ratification!!!

The pain in my knee has suddenly eased off 🙂

I’m pleased as Punch to get the L and already thinking about an A

Meanwhile here is a reworking of a file I made a while ago using PS CC and SEP2. It is a view of some wintery trees on the course at Haigh Hall Golf Club in Wigan, Lancashire.

Wintery trees

Wintery trees

Zoom Burst Larch

This is a shot from earlier this year and I was wandering about among Larches in a forest. I was experimenting with zoom burst shots and this one looking up at the sky was one of my favourites of that day. Looking at it makes me feel like I am falling backwards out of the tree!

Zoom effect picture of a Larch

Zoom bursted Larch

Dark Cistercian Mill

These images are of parts of the mill on the Fountains Abbey Estate near Ripon in North Yorkshire. The mill was built by the Cistercians in the 12th century to grind grain for the Abbey and apparently it was still doing that until 1927! Today the mill houses an exhibition and you can have a go at being a miller yourself.

I made the two different mono conversions using Nik’s SEP2. It’s amazing to think that there were Monks wandering around here nine centuries ago, and it is still standing. The mono treatment is meant to reflect the age and antiquity of the place.

I don’t believe that I will ever tire of this estate no matter how often I visit it.

Fountains Mill

Fountains Mill

mill-3

Fountains Mill

Now and then

Another memory of a warm summer day earlier this year. This is a view of Scarborough harbour wall taken standing in front of a painting of a hundred years or so ago. Everything looks much the same except the people in the painting were earning a living there while the people there now are taking a day off from making a living and enjoying themselves.

Harbour wall, now and then

Harbour wall, now and then

Top Brass

Well, now that we are just starting to see the first signs of Autumn and just feeling a slight drop in temperatures I have been thinking about warmer brighter days we had this summer. One such day in June we were in Harrogate at the Valley Gardens where we found a Brass Band playing in the Bandstand. What could be more Yorkshire than listening to a Brass Band in the park on a sunny summers day? The band were from Reeth in Swaledale and they provided first class entertainment which was very much enjoyed.

The Bandstand

The Bandstand

brass-1

Little . . . .

brass-2

. . . . . and Large

brass-3

Impromptu storage area and wardrobe.

A sneaky look

I was at the “History Live” day in Northants in July and it was absolutely brilliant. The event was organised by English Heritage and it featured armies from the Roman Legions right through to WWII.

We watched as Romans fired off missiles from a huge trebuchet and a huge crossbow that fired spears! Charles II trotted by on horseback and a Spitfire kept diving in and strafing Germans who were busy attacking American and British units while across the other side of the site we had the English Civil war raging!!

I was wandering from one display to another and met Phil Harding, the field archaeologist from Channel 4’s Time Team. It was a real treat of a day and I would recommend this kind of event by English Heritage to anyone.

I managed to fill a couple of CF cards and I will be going over them to see what I can use here. For now I have this picture, these guys were out amongst all the tents rehearsing a few moves and I was amused by the chap in the middle of the front rank. What do you imagine he was thinking? No prizes but let me know what you think he was thinking.

A group of re-enactment soldiers.

Eyes right?

An “Open and Shut” case

This is the village of Buckden in Upper Wharfedale. I arrived here one warm afternoon last week feeling a bit hungry and thirsty. Imagine my delight to see the sign at the side of the road pointing across to the Tea Rooms. I walked over to there to find the sign over the door saying “Tea Rooms at the rear”. So I walked round to the rear to find another sign proclaiming there was an “All Day Menu”. Oh good, I thought, so I went over to the door to find a “CLOSED” sign in the window!! 😦

“Oh well” I thought (or words to that effect) “I’ll carry on a couple of miles into the hamlet of Cray, there’s a nice little pub there”. I arrived in Cray a little hungrier and a little more thirsty only to find another sign . . . . . TO LET!!

Oh flippin’ heck, I thought, 😉 I must remember to pack a picnic basket next time out. Not all bad news though, at least the scenery was as glorious as ever.

Is it open or shut?

Is it open or shut?