Thematic Photography - On the street

Towards the end of the season some holiday streets empty a little just like this in Cornwall.

Uphill in St Mawgan

The entrance to where we are staying is just beyond that red car.

Bollards outside the church ready for wedding cars

The building with the blue sign is the Falcon Inn, the Post Office and village shop is down the street to the left.

Turn round and then right over a small bridge, a narrow street leads out of the village.

There is barely enough room for vehicles to pass each other. The street steepens round the corner where on the left there is a public footpath to Mawgan Porth. And then -

Up the street to Treance

However an interesting test is on the pitch and putt course on the right of yet another hill.

For photos on other streets walk over to Thematic-photographic-423

Cornish Fences

I don't often photograph a fence just because it's there but on a trip to Cornwall last month there were some I could not resist and others just happened to be there.

Headland fence

The building on the horizon to the right of the fence is the Headland Hotel at Newquay just up from the famous Fistral surfing beach. The fence is there to stop people falling over the cliffs into the sea (Atlantic).

There is more where the Headland ends.

Atlantic from the Headland

We went for Sunday lunch at a hotel further up the north coast of Cornwall.

Crantock beach

The rope fence to the car park was all there was to prevent a fall down onto the beach.

On a walk between St Mawgan and Mawgan Porth the shots I took had fences in then too, but these weren't really meant to all that important as - 

The white horse

and 

The turkey wanting to be fed

This is a post for Good Fences of course.

From a great height - Thematic Photography.

This is a bit late for last week's theme but all the photos were taken then, during our holiday in Cornwall.

St Mawgan - from a third floor window

Mawgan Porth from a cliff walk

Beach with no access from the cliffs along the coastal path

Same beach - no way up if you get caught by the sea

Still looks inviting

From a great height the holiday ends looking down at the clouds.

Homeward bound

There's still time to look down from a great height elsewhere by following the links at Carmi's Thematic-Photographic-351.

Cornish Fences - Good Fences 44

My elder son lives in Fowey on the south coast of Cornwall in the south-west of England and I've shown fences from there before.

Mawgan Porth Beach (from a hotel window)

Much older is the view through the window of St Catherine's Castle at Fowey.

The Fowey Estuary 

The author Daphne du Maurier had a long association with the area and in 1929 wrote her first novel, 'The Loving Spirit,' in the house behind the blue fence.

Ferryside

At the right end of the house is the figurehead from the schooner Jane Slade. 

Daphne was inspired to write the book after discovering the wreck of the schooner in Pont Creek. The figurehead was added to the house at a later date.

The Slade family were shipbuilders in the nearby village of Polruan. Their life and history were used by Daphne to create the saga, in The Loving Spirit, of four generations of shipbuilders and mariners in the fictional Cornish village of Plyn.

Daphne du Maurier’s son and his wife live at Ferryside today.

For more fences call in at Good-fences-44.

Weathered and Worn - Thematic Photography

Two of these 'weathered and worn shots' are fairly recent, but one was taken some (unknown) years ago.

Overgrown lawn - 2011

This shot was taken to show the height of the grass after a holiday away. With the camera almost at ground level it accentuated the worn appearance of the patio slabs which are 18 inches long - and there is no step in them.

It was the wind and waves that have given this cliff a weathered look at Mawgan Porth in Cornwall.

Mawgan Porth - 2011

In Gloucestershire I came across this old farm shed along the side of the road between Gatcombe and Awre.

Farm shed - 2008

The roof has gone from one side and ivy is beginning to take over, increasing the worn look. You could not see through the window to find out whether the other half is in use.

I'm not sure who took my last picture which is definitely the oldest and possibly the most interesting.

Empty stables - North Yorkshire

The stables have been 'mucked' out; bags have been filled with what looks like horse manure; the back wall is shored up with timber. The place has seen better days.

Today the buildings have gone to be replaced by a modern monstrosity of a housing estate.

A battle is currently in progress to prevent the building of a further 500-700 houses on the adjacent green belt and school playing fields along Green Lane, Kirklevington on the outskirts of Yarm.

For more weathered and worn contributions please visit Carmi who sets the theme each week at Thematic-photographic-211

Cloudy - Thematic Photographic

Except for late evening skies I don't think I've ever set out to photograph clouds and the effects they create. However I find I have lots of photos where the clouds have made a contribution to the success of the resulting shot.

Clouds over Mawgan Porth Beach, Cornwall 2011

Mawgan Porth

Closer to home this shot of Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge was taken from the RSPB's Saltholme nature reserve.

Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge 2009

While on the subject of birds here's one I caught on the wing.

Turkey Buzzard - Michigan 2009

The clouds also make an effective background in the shot of a UK fire brigade practising with an extending ladder.

Fire practice - Simon Snorkel ladder

To see other cloudy shots please drop in at Carmi's thematic-photographic-206

Edited Mawgan Porth

Following Paul's comment I have 'converted' one of the beach shot's to B&W

 

Strong Lines - Thematic Photography

One of the things I like about thematic photography is the different ways in which you can interpret a photo - after you have taken it. Most of Carmi's themes have forced me to do this and this week is no exception; strong lines couldn't have been in my mind at all when I took these.

All I wanted here was to capture the flower.

Clematis

But is it the strong lines or the obelisk that is the star? And what about those between the boards of the fence.

You may have to work a bit harder to see the lines on the next shot of follow my leader.

Geese on the River Tees at Yarm

The original idea on the next shot was to photograph the gull.

Bedruthan Steps Hotel, Cornwall

Window frame, railings and line of surf on Mawgan Porth beach all make different types of line.

In Mallorca it was the jacuzzi I meant to snap.

Jacuzzi room - Mallorca hotel

But if you strain your eyes you can see a line of yachts on the horizon.

Back in Cornwall the lines make up a geometric shape.

Eden Project

The only shot where I can say that it was the upright columns were the intended lines is this from Fountains Abbey.

'Temple' in grounds of Fountain's Abbey

For the life of me I cannot remember the correct name for this.

If my lines are not strong enough for you and even if they are you should make a beeline for more at Carmi's thematic photographic 194

White - Thematic Photography

My first thought on seeing Carmi's theme of 'white' was to put up  a photo of the White House. However I decided to show some holiday snaps instead.

Mawgan Porth, Cornwall

A white house, white water but what is that beast with its face resting on the cliff?

There's lots of white in the next photo, but some must have been a trick of the light,

Padstow Harbour

Also in Padstow I came across this bird obeying the white line at the harbour side.

Padstow Gull

Staying with wildlife, a butterfly caught my eye.

White Butterfly

The butterfly was photographed in the garden of this half-white house in St Mawgan where we stayed.

Bro Tref, St Mawgan

For my last picture this week I'm moving back the the North East coast of England for one of my favourite dog photos.

Whitby Dog

Hope you liked my white selection, for more white entries follow this link to Thematic Photographic 161

Rough Water - Thematic Photography

Any expanse of water that is not as flat as a mill pond is rough to me. So for this week's 'rough' theme I will take you on a tour starting in the South West of England.

Mawgan Porth

A little further along the coast is another beach where people walk their dogs.

Crantock Beach

When conditions are right this area is used for surfing.

My grandson surfing at Crantock (May 2011)

Changing countries and changing scenery takes us to Norway and a postcard from my collection.

Geirangerfjord - Seven Sisters waterfall

Still in Norway there is plenty of white water to be found.

Stream in mountains east of Stavanger

Water flows downhill often in a hurry as it does over in Canada.

Niagara Falls

On the Rhine in Switzerland the falls may not be as high; they are impressive nevertheless.

The Rhine Falls at Neuhausen am Rheinfall

Moving closer to home on the River Tees in Teesdale, County Durham you will find this waterfall.

High Force Waterfall (by StoatBringer)

The Tees Barrage is located a few mile from my home and the final rough picture for today shows how it deals with flood water some of which will fallen over High Force miles inland.

Tees Barrage flood water flowing over weir

I hope my water torture hasn't made you seasick because you must check out other 'rough' posts at Carmi's thematic photographic 157,