Family was the priority this month as we spent 28 days between June and early July visiting close relatives who we hadn’t seen face-to-face since February 2020. Intentional photographic opportunities were therefore few and far between. However, I managed three two-hour sessions when I was able to get out and be creative. Here are the best shots from those outings:
The Bridgwater and Taunton canal opened in 1827 mainly transporting coal, but was never a huge commercial success being part of an aborted scheme to link Taunton and Bristol. These images were taken just south of the Bridgwater basin showing the first bridge “Towards the light”, the high retaining walls through the town “Seductive curve”, and through the tunnel beneath West Street “Perfect reflection”, which also shows the old retaining beams used to shore up the walls after a partial collapse in 1968. I don’t usually like taking pictures in the middle of the day, but these shots demonstrate that, depending on the subject, it’s still possible to take successful pictures that retain some interest and a sense of story.
The Leasowes is a 141 acre English Heritage Grade 1 listed park in Halesowen in the Midlands. I’m fortunate that it’s just a short walk from where we were staying and I was able to get out twice to immerse myself in its rugged beauty. Created from rough ground in the mid-1700s, the second house built on the site was visited by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams on a tour of English gardens in 1786, but the original cultivated park has since been allowed to return to its more natural habitat. Again, these shots were taken during the day and speak for themselves. “Abstract oak” emerged during the processing stage as a result of challenges with differentiating the tree from its background: all greens and yellows were removed to show the interesting branch structure, as if it were winter.
Which is your favourite of all these and why?