Tag Archives: macro

Edinburgh, a love letter, Photography

Recent Photos

In case you’re wondering, dear reader, Edinburgh continues to be lovely. It isn’t always sunny, or warm, but it is still magical to me.

Leaves, a pattern shot
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Taken 10 July 2006

Tree bark in the botanics
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Taken 18 July 2006

Rose in Gorgie Farm
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Taken 14 August 2006

Monocot lying in the arms of a dicot
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Taken 22 August 2006

Scarlet poppies, glowing in the rain
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Taken 23 August 2006

Poppy seed head. (This photo has been cropped)
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Taken 23 August 2006

Thistle buds, insanely purple. (This photo has been cropped)
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Taken 23 August 2006

These photos, like all of mine these days, are hosted on Flickr, and can be viewed in different sizes by clicking on them.

Edinburgh, a love letter, Photography

Recent Edinburgh Shots

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In between trips to London, I’ve been so busy studying that I’ve taken very few shots around Edinburgh. Of those, only a few are really worth your consideration, gentle reader.

The roses are past their best in George V Park, but I still love them.

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Taken 15 June 2006

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Taken 15 June 2006

Splendidly bizzare monkey puzzle in the Botanics.

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Taken 1 June 2006

Tender shoots of holly, Arboretum Avenue

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Taken 1 June 2006

Flirting with London, Photography

Photos from London

I’ve been down in London a good deal over the last few weeks, studying for an exam. I brought my phone, of course, which means I brought my camera.

I rarely find the classic London landmarks inspirational for photography. They’re too…well…big.

But the pavement by Tower Bridge really got my interest.

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Taken 17 May 2006

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Taken 17 May 2006

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Taken 17 May 2006

The leaves of an ornamental plant near the Tower also caught my eye.

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Taken 13 June 2006

On one of my visits, I walked by the crew setting up for a concert on the Tower grounds. The ironmongery was interesting.

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Taken 23 May 2006

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Taken 23 May 2006

I was also fascinated by the bright yellow locks on the gates to Trinity Square, a tiny park dedicated to naval war dead near the course hotel.

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Taken 24 May 2006

Rainbow over the Thames

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Taken 23 May 2006

Overall, though, London does not appeal to me photographically. I guess my heart is in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh, a love letter, Photography

Biking on the Beach

Friday, though cold, was a bright and sunny day – perfect for a family expedition. We took Alex’s bike to the John Muir pathway along the Firth of Forth, just outside of Musselburgh. It’s time for Alex to get more confidence in his bike and himself on it. He needs to ride faster if we’re going to take his stabilisers off.

It was a good ride – he started slow and hesitant, but I started challenging him to races. As the trip went on, I found myself striding less and running more to keep up with him. He was thrilled to be pushing me, but insisted after a time that we were “a team” and should cross every minor finishing line at the same time.

At the midpoint of the ride, we all stopped on the beach. The kids threw rocks into the water. I found a couple of old bikes on the stony shore, slowly rusting in the salt and being buried by the tides.

The first bike, frame and cables

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Taken 14 April 2006

Cables round the stem of the bike

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Taken 14 April 2006

Pedal mount on the second bike

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Taken 14 April 2006

Rust replaces chrome on the second bike

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Taken 14 April 2006

Handlebar mount on the second bike

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Taken 14 April 2006

Sprockets in stone, bike 1

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Taken 14 April 2006

Stone in sprockets, bike 2

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Taken 14 April 2006

Wheel mount, bike 2

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Taken 14 April 2006

Not just a bike, but the headphones for a walkman too!

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Taken 14 April 2006

Handrail hardware by the firth

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Taken 14 April 2006

Bookbinding, Photography

A Trip to the Tannery

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Every time I go to J Hewit & Sons, my favourite bookbinding supplier, I feel the overwhelming desire to bring a camera, tripod, and a day’s free time. I don’t think I will ever tire of taking pictures there.

I could take the “industrial site” type pictures of all of the machinery they use to dye leathers, or the “variety of stuff” pictures of the rolls and rolls of finished hides, or the “run down melancholy” shots of the light from the dusty windows falling on the worn boards of the upper floor. I’d photograph the staff, who always treat me so well, if it wouldn’t embarrass them.

But I don’t, because I am there to buy. I did take a few shots of the pale leathers they had piled on the Low Value Shelf upstairs.

Edges of a stack of pale goatskin

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Taken 7 April 2006

The same grained goatskin, with the marks of the stretching clips still visible.

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Taken 7 April 2006

Pale calfskin, un-grained.

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Taken 7 April 2006

Maybe I can find a market for a feature article on the company – its history, its processes, its business. I’d love to do it. I’d love to have the excuse!

Edinburgh, a love letter, Photography

The Camera is Back

My phonecam developed a spot about a week ago. Ugly, in the way, and depressing. It ruined a number of photos that I really wanted to take.

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Taken 1 April 2006

Occasionally, I could get a shot in that it didn’t ruin, but that was rare.

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Taken 29 March 2006

Fortunately, my phone insurance covers the functionality of the whole instrument, including the camera. I called Vodafone, and they sent a new phone to replace the old one. So now I have my camera back!

I tried it out on Fiona this morning.

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Taken 4 April 2006

Then I was back to taking the pictures I’ve been missing.

Leaf growing through a fence, Newington

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Taken 4 April 2006

Shadow of a doorknob, looking like a warmer day

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Taken 4 April 2006

Cut-off fence post.

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Taken 4 April 2006

Framing the world, one tree at a time (this photo has been cropped)

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Taken 4 April 2006

Yay new phone!

Edinburgh, a love letter, Photography

I Love My Coffee

…and it loves me back.

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Taken 6 March 2006

I love this city, too, though it doesn’t show its affection in the same way.

I love the Botanics, and they show me the delicate drops of rain on a branch.

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Taken 7 March 2006

The first yellow flowers come out for me, even on a cold day.

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Taken 9 March 2006

The side doors of St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile stand solemn and graceful.

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Taken 9 March 2006

And the door handles from the back of the cathedral have their own rhythm. (Yes, this has been cropped.)

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Taken 9 March 2006

Photography

Snow Shots

While I was playing with the kids in the snow, I saw a few things worth photographing. Usually, I can’t do macro photography with other people around – I get too distracted by the company to really see things. But sometimes, with the right people, I can still make it work.

The snow fell thick onto the rosemary.

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Taken 3 March 2006

On this one, you can see the individual snowflakes (cropped).

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Taken 3 March 2006

The holly, too, cupped the snow.

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Taken 3 March 2006

My favourite of the day, probably, is this shot. The hole in the top of the fence post and the angle of the sun left a spiral of fallen snow.

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Taken 3 March 2006

(Miraculously, none of these photos show my usual tendency to want to abandon all colour photography in the snow!)

And, from a previous dramatic weather day, hail in a hedge top.

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Taken 1 March 2006

Edinburgh, a love letter, Photography

Hail, Hail!

Yesterday, while I was walking in the Botanics, I came under a sudden assault of hail. I had to shelter under an umbrella under a tree – one layer of protection was not enough.

After the white stuff stopped falling, it seemed to vanish. Only a few balls were left to convince me that it wasn’t a dream.

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Taken 21 February 2006

The hailstones didn’t last, but the raindrops were beautiful as well.

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Taken 21 February 2006

This shot reminds me of one of my favourite poems, No Road by Philip Larkin

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Taken 21 February 2006

I’ve had a few other photos building up that didn’t really deserve their own entries. Of possible interest:

The sacred cow is coming home to roost.

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Taken 20 February 2006

Plant in the car park at the Cuddy Brae. Very red!

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Taken 19 February 2006

Bus stop hardware…one of those tiny details of life that looks so good up close.

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Taken 19 February 2006