A Change of Location

As part of my University course, I am undertaking an industrial placement away from University this year which is sad in a way - I love the photographic opportunities around my campus and its (rather tame) wildlife.  This summer was devoted to enjoying freedom and having a complete recharge of my batteries but it felt like a countdown towards the end of my holidays when I could see the moving date trudging towards me with complete disregard for my free rein.  With it came a whole load of unknowns.  What was the area going to be like?  Will I find places close to home that I can get to quickly and photograph?  What can I say, I fret.

Pretty much all summer I was out enjoying the North Lincolnshire delights of home, volunteering and wandering around the second home that is my local nature reserve.  I wanted to see the nature reserve as many times as possible before I left just to try capture its serenity, the sights, sounds, smells and its atmosphere.  I even have a video of the Estuary flowing by just in case my memory wains!

Peace by the canal

So, I arrived in Cheshire with a few suggestions of where to go but everything looked so far away on the map.  Enter the Canal and its Heron I cycled within a metre of one evening.  Enter the hooting Tawny Owl I was so close to one evening that I thought it was a dog yelping.  Enter the Nuthatch calling from the treetops.  Maybe this place will reveal even more delights over the next year - I hope that wasn't a one off!

Teggs Nose sunset

Whilst I haven't actually taken many wildlife images yet, just scenics, I expected that until I have scouted out some locations.  The other evening, I discovered that Teggs Nose is slightly too far to push myself up whilst carrying my telephoto lens... That was one hot and sweaty evening!  But what a view from the top of the setting sun.  Calmness and the awe of nature just seemed to wash over me up there.  With no one else around, I had the views of Kestrels and Buzzard to myself but that's fine with me. I often find myself walking somewhere then sitting and watching nothing but everything and whilst that sounds boring,
you wouldn't believe how quickly time passes...

Peak District views

The Peak District isn't all that far from here either and some of us have already been to Mamtor for the afternoon.  It was difficult for photography but for me it's all about being out.  Perhaps this is the year to develop my landscape photography skills from the non-existent level they're currently at!  Landscape photography can be so frustrating as I can never get the images to look how I saw them but sometimes one or two get half way there.

Mamtor country

I can't promise that this blog will be updated much over the coming months as it was over summer.  I suspect that once University work starts filtering in, the amount of surplus time I have for photography may suddenly disappear.  Now it's time for me to work out where the local Badgers are...





Thank you to all those who made my summer such a delight and thank you to those for looking at these images and reading my meandering thoughts.

M