A new dawn

Tags

dark woods, dawn, Grovely Woods, misty morning, sun ray, sunrise

So, almost seven months since my last post …. I’d like to think that this was the start of a new era, a new blogging me perhaps?! Not much chance of that – and just as well I didn’t make any New Year resolutions! Truth be told, what with one thing and another, I’ve barely even touched my camera. Finally, with a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel and a morning fog forecast I promised myself a ‘photographic fix’ in the nearby woods.

As usual, I’d readied everything the night before so I could grab my kit and head off before sun up – except that in my rusted state I’d forgotten a torch.  With all senses on full alert I felt my way along the muddy track that wound into the woods; it was a silent world full of the smell of damp earth and rotting leaves, shadowy trunks sliding past and an occasional falling twig crashing through the canopy when suddenly a deer barked …. its eerie cry subsiding way before my heart rate! It was answered by another across the woods and gradually, as darkness faded and birds were roused, the dawn chorus began.

Very little fog but a fabulous start to the day nonetheless!

(All images are copyright to Noeline Smith)

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A new day

Tags

calm, dawn, Parang Mountains, photography, Romania, rural, tranquil

Although I knew in my heart of hearts that the sun would be in the wrong position to improve upon my shot of ‘rural perfection’ of the evening before I couldn’t resist getting up at dawn just to be sure. Being reasonably confident with my thoughts I decided to take the long way round to the farmstead and crossed the road in front of our motel instead. The parched, brittle grass splintered rather than bent out of the way and the erupting dust clouds clung to my trousers. There was not a sound to be heard and the wooded slopes of the Parâng Mountains were still partially clothed in a fine morning mist.  With not a soul in sight I was alone with the calm tranquility of a new day and spent some time simply absorbing the moment and watching the light and landscape slowly change before continuing to my spot of the previous evening. Having tarried a little too long, the soft morning light had disappeared; it was now direct, harsh and unflattering. With a little of the magic gone from the scene I confess to being a tad disappointed at being proven right!

(All images are copyright to Noeline Smith)

Enough!

Tags

B&W, black & white, calm, church, cow, dawn, farm, green, humour, mono, nose, photography, pink, rural

Having got up before the crack of dawn I stood on the side of a windswept hill overlooking Bishops Cannings, waiting for the sun to rise and feeling the cold slowly working its way through to my bones. My camera was ready, tripod mounted and with a two stop ND grad in place. The sun never materialised, preferring to hide behind the clouds,  but my increasingly uncomfortable wait was rewarded with a landscape slowly transformed by soft shades of lush green and pastel pink. Not quite what I was looking for but beautiful all the same. Fifteen minutes later it was transformed again, but this time the scene had turned a cold steel grey. I was about to pack up and call it a day when I noticed a small herd of cattle heading my way. Soon I was surrounded by a gang of bovine teenagers intent on removing the contents of my rucksak and nibbling my jacket. Having once again rescued my coat tails I turned around to see a set of jaws clamped firmly around my tripod leg – enough was enough! It was now definitely time to call it a day and although I hadn’t got the shot I was after it had been a beautiful – and entertaining – morning.

(All images are copyright to Noeline Smith)