Eyes Wide Open

Malinka, at home.

Happy New Year dear readers! Let us nourish within us, the curiosity and enthusiasm of a child :)

Castle Chojnik

Zamek Chojnik, Karkonosze

It's the little "bump" on the middle ridge. Seen from the viewing platform on top of Sokolik Wielki.

Mount Ślęża

The workers of the LG factory in Biskupice Podgórne get such views every day (weather dependent, of course). There's a long alley lined with trees, a long forgotten road running parallel to the factory front, and that alley was where I and my son chose to walk. It's the one you can see here. So we walked the whole length of this old road and stood there and gazed and then walked back to the car. A very nice evening indeed.

Jaworzyna Śląska

Przełęcz Jugowska - panorama

Przełęcz Jugowska, Góry Sowie, Polska

4 vertical frames stitched into a panorama, shot with a 50mm lens. 9,5k. Click for larger version

Morning mist

Morning mist above Łężyce, Góry Stołowe, Polska

Reflection in the garden pond, Monk's House, Sussex

L

Lesiu, Wrocław

New Water-Colour image

Reflection Abstract, Ruda Sułowska, Polska

Autumn colours

Szczeliniec, Góry Stołowe, Polska

Church tower, Długopole Górne, Polska

Devil's Kitchen

Devil's Kitchen, Szczeliniec Wielki, Góry Stołowe, Polska

Rabbit Tree

The Rabbit Tree, Cuckmere, East Sussex, UK

Seven Sisters, East Sussex

Seven Sisters, South Downs, East Sussex

The Arts Tower, Sheffield

The Arts Tower and Western Bank Library, Sheffield University

The Arts Tower in Sheffield, designed by Gollins, Melvin, Ward & Partners, is the tallest educational building in the UK. Opened in 1966, together with the adjoining Western Bank Library is now Grade II listed building. It features a Paternoster lift, largest surviving in the country.

Path to Malham Cove

Path and Barn, Malhamdale, Yorkshire Dales National Park

Behind the Curtain

Members of the St Marie's Primary school's Theatre Club wait in excitement 
for the curtain to rise during club's performance of 'Robin and the 
Sherwood Hoodies' in the Montgomery Theatre in Sheffield.

Lights in the Sky

Reflection. Castleton, Derbyshire, UK

Sculpture Gallery, Chatsworth

Sunset

I had a lovely evening walk with my son to Carhead Rocks below Stanage Edge. It's been a while since we last watched a sunset together, and, oh, all kids need that one-to-one time.

Orbiting

Girl eating

M, Tatton Park, UK

Sheffield Botanical Garden #3

Sheffield Botanical Gardens - Flowerscape #2

Sheffield Botanical Gardens - Flowerscape #1

Framed

Mx2, York, Yorkshire, UK

Lincoln Castle

Malina

1/200 s at F/3.5, ISO 100, focal length: 50mm, Camera set to manual, external speedlight controlled with built-in transmitter. Speedlight diffuser made from a white plastic carrier bag :)

I have no idea how they do it (by they I mean professional photographers who do portrait passport photographs) but we almost ended up in tears, both. Currently required biometric photograph is an almost impossible task, when your client is six and cannot sit still for more than 2 seconds. Trying to focus, while manually straightening her head, while keeping the hair from the face, while begging to change that silly smile to something more conventional...
Frankly, every other picture from this shoot would make an excellent poster for an anti-child-abuse campaign.

Owl, Chestnut Centre

Castleton

Peakshole Water, Castleton, Deryshire

This is by far my favourite bit of Castleton. Peakshole Water flows out of the Peak Cavern, 100 meters upstream, where rope makers used the enormous cave entrance as a natural factory building.

Walls. Sheep. Barn

Walls. Sheep. Barn. Castleton, Derbyshire

Oh deer

Fallow deer, Chestnut Centre, Chapel en le Frith, Derbyshire

Below Stairs

Kitchen door, Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, UK

Back to the World

Coffee Culture, York, UK

Walsingham

Easter Vigil procession in Walsingham, Norfolk, UK

Glass Pavilion, Sheffield Botanical Gardens

Glass Pavilion, Sheffield Botanical Gardens

Waterfall Swallet

Waterfall Swallet, Peak District, Derbyshire

Eyam

The purpose of this trip was to visit Waterfall Swallet near Eyam, but this was more of a reccy this time. The weather was fantastic, as far as strolling was concerned, blue skies, crisp air, more of a October sunny day. Anyway, such light with stark shadows does not lend itself to photographing deep holes in the ground, and that is basically what Waterfall Swallet is. I'm sure it will make its way here. As for now some dark shadows creeping over Eyam stone houses.

Immersed

L reading, Sheffield

Little Moreton Hall

Little Moreton Hall, Congleton, Cheshire, UK

Courtyard window detail, Little Moreton Hall

Ox Stones at Sunrise

Ox Stones, Burbage Moor, Peak District

It has been quite a while since I last managed to go out and watch the sunrise. And I have almost forgotten how positive an experience it is! Of course, it is so much easier to see the sunrise in winter than in the summer.
There was a bit of frost overnight and it made the short trek from the lay-by fairly easy. I have arrived c. 40 minutes before the actual sunrise, and before the actual sunrise is when the most interesting things happen, photographically speaking. The image above was taken at 6:58, roughly 20 minutes before sunrise. The following was taken 10 minutes after the sunrise. The difference in the colour of the ambient light is dramatic.

First light on Ox Stones, Burbage Moor, Peak District

For all images that morning I have used a fish-eye lens (Samyang 8mm, effective focal length 13mm) and cropped later as composition dictated. This lens produces a very natural looking image, and as long as you keep the camera level (to keep the horizon straight), and there are no linear elements, the distortions associated with fish-eye lenses are barely visible.