Category: Travel

Llangollen in HDR

Just last week I made a mad dash from Cambridge to Chester and then on to Llangollen to visit some family. As I wasn’t anticipating a day of photography, I left all my lenses barring the walkabout Tamron 18-250. Llangollen is a pretty little town in North Wales probably best known for the Llangollen steam railway and the Llangollen canal that passes over the River Dee on the Pontcysyllte aqueduct.

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Llangollen on the Dee

A standard 3 shot bracketed HDR image processed in NIK HDR Efex Pro. Photographed on a Nikon D7000.

Dramatic Skies

I recently returned from a visit to Michigan, where one evening the skies put on a dramatic show of the myriad colours contained in natures palette.

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Stormy skies, dramatic colours and a sunset. Click to see a larger picture
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Sunset over Farmington Hills, Michigan

Images taken with a Panasonic TZ30 compact camera and post-processed in Color Efex Pro

Warning: Here be Dragons!

Legoland is a chain of Lego-themed amusement parks at different locations around the world, including the one in Windsor near London. Away from the milling crowds and long queues for parking and rides, this amusement park in London also offers excellent views of Windsor Castle, the residence of Queen Elizabeth 2.

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A Lego dragon at Legoland Windsor

 

Washington DC Diary – Part 2

One thing that immediately strikes me when visiting the USA is the overwhelming presence of national flags everywhere, nowhere more obvious that in the capital. Public building, private houses, buses, metro trains and many flag poles proudly fly the stars-and-stripes. Coming from the United Kingdom, where flying Union Jacks are a relatively rare sight, this display of the national flag is an indicator of the deep thread of national pride that runs through the population.

US Flags at the National Monument, Washington DC
US Flags at the National Monument, Washington DC

Washington DC Diary

I’ve just come back after attending a meeting in Bethesda, MD and took the opportunity of spending a little time in Washington DC. DC has some magnificent public buildings including the Union Station. The following pictures are of the Washington Union Station and the Columbus Circle just outside this magnificent edifice.

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Washington DC Union Station with Columbus Fountain in the foreground.
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Washington DC Union Station with the American Legion Freedom Bell.
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American Legion Freedom Bell (1975) – 2:1 replica of the Liberty Bell
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A memorial to Christopher Columbus (Columbus Circle – the plaza outside the Union station)
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Detail of roof at the Washington Union Station

All photographs from a compact Panasonic TZ-30 camera, processed in NIK Color Efex Pro.

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Cambridge in HDR – Jesus Lock

Another two images of the Jesus lock on the river Cam in Cambridge. Locks are used to raise or lower boats between stretches of water of different levels. The Jesus lock was built in the late 19th century and is now maintained by Conservators of the River Cam, the navigation authority for the River Cam established in 1702.

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Looking down the lock. The water inside the lock is at a higher level

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The lock is on the right of the picture just beyond the island. The broad stretch of river in the centre flows by a mini-waterfall due to differences in level.

HDR generated by bracketing 3 photos in Photomatix Pro.

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Cambridge: Corpus Christi College

Founded in 1352, one of the constituent colleges of Cambridge University with a chequered and colourful history. The alumnus includes the famous playwright Christopher Marlowe.

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Corpus Christi College, Cambridge

 This picture has had to be extensively post-processed due to low-light winter conditions (4:50 according to the college clock). Processed in Adobe LightRoom and NIK Software Dfine and Color Efex Pro.

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Cambridge in HDR – Mathematical Bridge

The mathematical bridge is an 18th century wooden footbridge that connects Queens’ College across the Cam river. Although it seems to be an arch, it is composed entirely of straight timbers built to a sophisticated engineering design, hence the name. Can you see that the arch is made up of only straight timbers?

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The “Mathematical Bridge”, Queens’ College, Cambridge

Local myths talk about how the original bridge had no nuts of bolts, and how no one could put it back together once it was taken apart. However, these stories are almost totally untrue. The beauty of the design of this bridge lies in how the arch has been created to create the effect of a standard bridge.

Cambridge in HDR – The Round Church

The Round Church in Cambridge is probably one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city.

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Cambridge Round Church (12th century AD)

Dating from 1130AD, this is (according to the website) one of only 4 circular churches in England. It is now maintained by Christian Heritage. Not the easiest building to take a picture of, sitting as this is on a busy crossroad in the city. A lovely little church, well worth the visit for sheer character and history. Please click-through on the picture for a larger version.

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