Tag: nature photography

The Cosmic Photo Challenge: Birds and bees and bugs and fleas.

On By dalecooper57In nature photography, photography14 Comments

Whew, that was a hot weekend and it’s due to get hotter, so I hope you’re staying safe and keeping hydrated.

What’s hot right now is The Cosmic Photo Challenge, which this week is concentrating its collective global lens on; Birds and bees and bugs and fleas.

Or, to put it another way, anything with more than four legs, and/or wings.

Even the bees seemed too tired to fly, although we did experience the joy of “flying-ant day” on Saturday, when hundreds of the little pests sprout wings and vacate the nest in search of more desirable accommodation.

At work, we’ve had the daily entertainment of watching herring gull chicks fledging from their nests on the roof; here’s one of the first to make the perilous drop, who has been named “Steve”…

…and here’s one of his parents, being unusually reticent at taking food from strangers, namely some of my coffee break muffin.

I should add that, five minutes after he’d graciously accepted my home cooked muffin, I turned my back for literally ten seconds and the little bastard stole my bagel.

Hence this photo of him and a friend, noisily registering their displeasure as I refused to part with any the following day.

They’re becoming so used to having us around, there was even one waiting at the door when I got to work the other day.

Yesterday I took a walk along the Tarka Trail at Wrafton to the wildfowl reserve, where there were 8 fluffy grey cygnets lazily paddling about in the stifling heat, along with some equally lacklustre ducks.

Now it’s time to see the fruits of your photographic labours of love, show us whatcha got…

*****

To get involved with the challenge; check out the Cosmic Photo Prompt each Friday, then post a photo (or photos) on your blog the following Monday, with a pingback link to my Monday post.

Tag your posts with  #CosPhoChal.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages, animation, gifs, or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

The Cosmic Photo Challenge: A summer walk in the sunshine.

On By dalecooper57In nature photography, photography14 Comments

Well, it’s Monday again, but at least here on The Cosmic Photo Challenge we have a weekend of sunny pictures to look back on, as the prompt was to take; A summer walk in the sunshine.

I chose to take my stroll in the woods at Venn Quarries, as it was really hot on Saturday and the dappled shade cast by the trees was a welcome relief from the early afternoon glare.

Here’s a small selection from all the photos I took, you can see the rest HERE

I like the fact I could only work out what was going on here, from the stone at the bottom of the picture.

How was your balmy weekend walk? Do share your pictures with us, it’s so easy to do…

*****

To get involved with the challenge; check out the Cosmic Photo Prompt each Friday, then post a photo (or photos) on your blog the following Monday, with a pingback link to my Monday post.

Tag your posts with  #CosPhoChal.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages, animation, gifs, or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

The Cosmic Photo Challenge: Nature in black and white.

On By dalecooper57In photography11 Comments

On Friday I set you the task of finding images for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge which would satisfy the prompt; Nature in black and white.

I chose half a dozen shots from the ones I took on an early Saturday morning drive, in the countryside just outside Barnstaple.

Now it’s time to reveal your monochromatic masterpieces to the world, come on, don’t be shy…

*****

To get involved with the challenge; check out the Cosmic Photo Prompt each Friday, then post a photo (or photos) on your blog the following Monday, with a pingback link to my Monday post.

Tag your posts with  #CosPhoChal.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages, animation, gifs, or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

The Cosmic Photo Challenge: Close up on nature.

On By dalecooper57In nature photography, photography17 Comments

This week on The Cosmic Photo Challenge, we’re getting up close and personal with the natural world, following Friday’s prompt; Close up on nature.

I chose to capture some of the more flamboyant examples of local horticulture, along with a busy bumble bee and an impressively antlered but badly coordinated flying beetle which lumbered into the fennel in our garden.

How did your nature trail develop? Share the results with us and join in the fun…

*****

To get involved with the challenge; check out the Cosmic Photo Prompt each Friday, then post a photo (or photos) on your blog the following Monday, with a pingback link to my Monday post.

Tag your posts with  #CosPhoChal.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages, animation, gifs, or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

The Cosmic Photo Challenge: Country landscapes.

On By dalecooper57In nature photography, photography15 Comments

Hello wherever you are and welcome to another Monday edition of The Cosmic Photo Challenge, which is brought to you this week by the prompt; Country landscapes.

As I was rudely awakened at 6am on Saturday, by our antisocial upstairs neighbours having one of their early morning screaming matches, I thought I may as well make the most of it. So I drove up onto Exmoor and captured the start of another glorious day in the Devon countryside.

How did your rural idyll develop? Show us what wonders you discovered and let us all enjoy them…

*****

To get involved with the challenge; check out the Cosmic Photo Prompt each Friday, then post a photo (or photos) on your blog the following Monday, with a pingback link to my Monday post.

Tag your posts with  #CosPhoChal.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages, animation, gifs, or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

The Cosmic Photo Challenge: In the trees.

On By dalecooper57In photography15 Comments

What a beautiful weekend it was, the perfect weather to be out taking pictures for The Cosmic Photo Challenge, which is brought to you this week by the prompt; In the trees.

I love this time of year, when the leafy canopies are opening and whole areas of open ground, previously covered in bare sticks once again become green cathedrals of dappled shade and birdsong. And the good part is, I only have to walk two minutes down the road and I’m in this small slice of arboreal paradise.

Where did your weekend wanderings take you..?

*****

To get involved with the challenge; check out the Cosmic Photo Prompt each Friday, then post a photo (or photos) on your blog the following Monday, with a pingback link to my Monday post.

Tag your posts with  #CosPhoChal.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages, animation, gifs, or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

The Cosmic Photo Challenge: On the shore.

On By dalecooper57In nature photography, photography17 Comments

On The Cosmic Photo Challenge this week, I asked you to capture your images; On the shore.

After over 20 years living in North Devon, I finally made my first trip to a hidden Victorian gem, Tunnel Beaches in Ilfracombe.

Accessed by an unassuming white tunnel entrance just a few minutes walk from the high street, these beaches were opened in the early 1800s with the two naturally separated coves enabling ladies and gentlemen to bathe with their modesty intact. The gentlemen’s beach was in use for a wedding yesterday, so I took a stroll around the rugged landscape of the ladies beach and made a video tour, accompanied by an extract from a recently composed piece of appropriately watery ambient electronica*.

Where did your search for the water’s edge take you at the weekend? Let’s have a look at your pictures…

*****

*{Should you wish to experience the full version of this new track, along with it’s own, strangely mesmerizing video, you can do so HERE}

*****

To get involved with the challenge; check out the Cosmic Photo Prompt each Friday, then post a photo (or photos) on your blog the following Monday, with a pingback link to my Monday post.

Tag your posts with  #CosPhoChal.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages, animation, gifs, or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

The Cosmic Photo Challenge: In bloom.

On By dalecooper57In nature photography, photography23 Comments

This week’s prompt for The Cosmic Photo Challenge was an optimistic one for some of you, I know, due to all that pesky geography and those inconsiderate local seasons, for which I can only apologise. ;~}

But for those of us fortunate enough to be entering the beginning of the end of the beginning of Spring, a lot of the world is at last; In bloom.

I returned once more to Marwood Hill Gardens just outside Barnstaple (and you can see my full collection of photos HERE); where their internationally renowned camellia collection was still in spectacular flower, along with magnolias and rhododendrons, under-planted with swathes of daffodils, anemones and hellebores.

So, what’s bursting forth in your part of the world at the moment? Time to let the rest of us see what you have for show and tell…

*****

To get involved with the challenge; check out the Cosmic Photo Prompt each Friday, then post a photo (or photos) on your blog the following Monday, with a pingback link to my Monday post.

Tag your posts with  #CosPhoChal.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages, animation, gifs, or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

The Cosmic Photo Challenge: As the world warms up.

On By dalecooper57In photography10 Comments

Good morning, on this Monday’s edition of The Cosmic Photo Challenge, we’re having a photographic roundup of how it looks; As the world warms up.

I wasn’t (necessarily) looking for photos of impending climate catastrophe with this week’s theme, although you can, as always, spin the prompt however you like.

I was inspired simply by the weather brightening up over the weekend and, for a couple of hours each day at least, you could actually imagine you felt the promise of summer warmth on your face.

I took a drive up into the hills between Barnstaple and Bideford, the land of the wind turbines and solar farms, where I discovered what happens to that blades in a panoramic shot if it’s taken while the turbine is revolving…

Where did the sunshine take you over the last few days?

Come and join in, it’s so easy to do…

*****

To get involved with the challenge; check out the Cosmic Photo Prompt each Friday, then post a photo (or photos) on your blog the following Monday, with a pingback link to my Monday post.

Tag your posts with  #CosPhoChal.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages, animation, gifs, or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

The Cosmic Photo Challenge: Art from nature.

On By dalecooper57In editing and effects, photography16 Comments

Yes, I’m afraid it’s Monday again, but don’t let the start of the week get you down, The Cosmic Photo Challenge is here to brighten your day.

This week the prompt gives free reign for your creative imagination to take flight, as we consider the possibilities of; Art from nature.

I chose the literal path and made three artistic images from recent photos, since the weather refused to cooperate with outdoor photographic pursuits over the weekend.

The first of two reimaginings of the Devon countryside is especially effective if you are viewing it on a phone or tablet, as it comprises multiple landscapes from different angles…

…and the second is a kind of photographic trompe l’oeil, combining elements of four different locations to create the illusion of a fifth.

Now let’s see your artistic contributions for the week, it’s easy, come and join in…

To get involved with the challenge; check out the Cosmic Photo Prompt each Friday, then post a photo (or photos) on your blog the following Monday, with a pingback link to my Monday post.

Tag your posts with  #CosPhoChal.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages, animation, gifs, or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.