Things you find washed up on a beach

Anyone missing a bicycle wheel?

Long time followers know I have a thing about people dumping their rubbish in public places. I have photographed everything from supermarket trolleys, to sofas dumped in the woods. Not good people, hire a skip, give to a charity shop, recycle in the community, ebay it whatever, but do not dump it! Lecture over. On the other hand the beach is different, it tends to get washed up there. Really odd stuff too.


I have an entire collection of "washed up from the UK" photos. Not pretty, stunning, drop dead gorgeous sunsets or to die for landscapes. No, natural one shot, images of the rubbish that finds its way from the UK. Today I show you a bicycle wheel. What happened to the rest of bike who knows, washed up in Douglas or Laxey possibly. Anyway, I like to keep it real on this blog, the good, the bad and the ugly. Who knows what else I will find on the beach next, but I'll be sure to show you, like it or not, life isn't all photoshopped sunsets!

Narrow

ABC is bought to you this week by the letter N

Deep in the Nature Reserve, Poyll Dooey, crossing the Sulby River is this cute little bridge. Guess what we call it? Yes The White Bridge. OK, that may not be the most interesting, creative name for it but who cares. It is as narrow as it looks, although I have seen a trail of motorbikes and cycles of all varieties cross over it relatively safely, thankfully it is free of all other traffic. Mainly pedestrians only, oh and the odd meandering duck waddling from one side to the other. Dog walkers frequent here too, though I'm not sure what the dogs think about the waddling ducks using it as a walkway. As for the escaped wallabies from the wildlife park, to my knowledge I don't believe they have yet to find use for this particular area and are still hiding out somewhere slightly less open. I did say wallabies and don't even get me started on the Manx Fairies. They should not be using this bridge..... they have their own named after them South of the island!


For less florid and saner posts for the letter N see here. Mrs N. see you next year.

In honour of Eric Tenin -The Godfather of City Daily Photo

Praise be to Eric Tenin

5th Year celebration of Paris Daily Photo

Many of us over the years have probably had what we thought was a unique brainwave, a daily photo of the place we live. Sorry folks, myself included, and I am a brainwave kind of a lass, Eric had the conception, is the Godfather of the original Daily Photo. What better city too in my absolute favourite country in the whole wide world but a Daily Photo of Paris, France.

Today we in the City Daily Photo community are honouring the founder in his trademark style " from the ground up" genre of image with one taken from where we reside. From the rank amateur to the more accomplished professional all are welcome in the community, from one horse town to the biggest cities in the world and it is Eric we have to thank for bringing us all together under the umbrella of a website community to show our place to the world.

Congratulations Eric, and long may you reign so long as you understand I am still Queen B of my island.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Solitary Man - Monochrome Weekly

Man in Black

The photographers best friend is not Photoshop. It is serendipity. It is that single solitary moment when the photography gods conspire to deliver into your hands the image naturally that looks awkward when staged. All you have to do is notice it. You can't learn that from a book or be taught it, it's instinct. As you can see I am still making the most of the one and only day of snow we had and again another gift.The man so helpfully dressed from head to toe in black against such a pure white solid blanket of snow. The one raised foot to indicate movement within a frozen frame. Always capture with one foot slightly raised to show the sole. Again it just looks better, right, good and I am not going to bore with any jargon, it's obvious why. Could only be monochrome. Not an image where you stumble around for your setting, or you will loose the composition of the lone figure which is the key element of the image. Just take it or lose it.

Now that was far too sensible. I should really tell you that the mound of land is Sky Hill where there was this huge Lord of The Rings Style Battle (no hobbits, dwarfs or elves) between the locals and invading Viking, but I have done that soooooooooooooooooooo many times before now that I'm sure the link will pop up again or a picture and you can check it out. No today was simply see point and shoot.


For more Monochrome weekly images click here

Icing Sugar - Monochrome Weekly

Just a light dusting

I know I said I was back into this blogging lark, but the real world just keeps dragging me back kicking and screaming from the virtual one. Well a promise is a promise and I have been nagged so much by some nameless individuals out there in virtual world and some real life flesh and blood ones here and away to get snapping with the camera again, advice about photography and carry on ranting and raving about my love hate relationship with Dear Old Ramsey Town.

I would normally just take the image a little farther over to the right to concentrate on those mirror image reflections but as we had our one and only day of snow, (yes the island does actually get a light, blink and you miss it usually dusting of the pretty white fluffy stuff) I shot a little more centrally to include the footpath. Look closely and you will even see those elusive things that don't make much of an appearance on the blog.... people or maybe they are the even more elusive mythical folk that share the island with us. Don't even ask about the vampires. Who knows. Seems every photographer (human) and his dog was out and that day!



I'm just starting over again blog wise and this is my first Monochrome weekly too for a while. Sure next week I will have hit my stride and be bursting a blood vessel again. Word of warning to spammers though. Don't even think about clogging up my comments. You will just out cut off in your prime and deleted straight into the virtual litter bin.

Just when you thought it was safe!

So where was I?

Sorry I left you all with a group of drunks, I mean dedicated rugby players celebrating with yards of ale at the end of yet another rough game, but well I'm back now so perleaaaaasssse no more poking me on Facebook. For a start that really hurts a girl and it's sooooooooooooo rude ya know. If you have stumbled across this blog looking for a sensible travel guide, a little Manx history and ooh how wonderful it is living on Whicker Man, sorry the Isle of Man.....think again! You will get that from time to time, but most definitely my way. What ya see is what ya get, and how I get up in the morning is how this blog works. So, Shoprite our local supermarket (nothing super about it at all, oxymoron) if you sell chickens that go off before their sell by date and ruin Christmas..... I will be be annoyed and name and shame. One thing only I guarantee you, a photo. If you're lucky the odd photography tip. If you are even luckier I may throw in some Manx culture or a Manx swear word, I mean Manx word for seagull or some some nonsense. Well I will until they catch me and have to go back to hiding in the woods for a while.



Oh the photo. Nothing special to kick us off. A walk along the river, low tide down on one knee doing the old artsy fartsy bit with (cliche alert) setting the composition and of course this just had to be in monochrome dahlink to allow the hollow of light through the whatever that stone thing is sticking up out of the water. Look I told you, I do the photography but if you want I could pretend it's an ancient Manx obelisk that the Pagans used to worship and sacrifice virgins at on May Day to ward off maurauding Vikings. Think I may have to go into hiding.

It's good to be back.

Black crow is not hard to handle - critters

What is it with me and birds?

Critters

Jealous again are you about the strange image. No you are not seeing things. That is a crow eating a tissue. Not sure that is the best remedy. No, not one iota of manipulation apart from the desaturation to monochrome in Raw. No photoshopped tissues into the already taken image. That's just how it is with me and the birds. Sister luck when it comes to critters and how cooperative they can be. They sit on my hand, they behave oddly around me. Seem to even dare I say it pose for me.Maybe it's Manx magic, little bit of Ginnie Witchcraft. I dunno, but whatever it is but I never find black crows hard to handle. Or should that be Black Crowes?


Yes, yes I'm sort of back. Well posting, rather than visiting. Not really into shooting around Ramsey at the moment, or blogging in general so an archive for you from a batch I shot of this beautiful bird, a carrion crow to be precise, over the local park. Sure the other images to compare will pop up on the links. For other critters around the globe click here. Honestly I don't make these birds do these things, they just do.

September Theme Day - Big - Queens Pier - My World

Peer at the Pier

September Theme Day Big, My world

Has it been a month already since our last theme day. It appears so. As I reside in a teenie tiny town beside the seaside, which I do like to be by I had little option but to choose, the bridge, the beach or the pier for the image of big. Not my usual lateral thinking involved today for the theme, play it straight down the line with a simple long shot towards the horizon with the illusion of the pier going on forever and cutting through the sky. I have already used the pun from"from pier to eternity before" so I won't say it again. Oops just have. Went for a black and white today too which suits the aging old queen, the pier that is.


You may have noticed I have been awol again from the blog, well net in general. It has rained everyday since my return from hols and no way does my camera go out and play in a down pour. More than two raindrops and the merest hint off a breeze seems to affect the server too. I kid you not it's been hellish here and I will be using archives for a while as I realky have no places of interest to show you inside. Not unless I do a pub tour of course. Well if you really want me too....

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants for the Theme Day. Go on you know you want to.

For more My World see here


Is it me or has this been the most dreadful UK Summer?

Name the alien finger plant. Monochrome. My world

Pizza!

Monochrome

My World

Most of you know as this post is published I am on my way to Merry Old England overnight, then onto wonderful, wonderful France for a week. Hallelujah. Can't wait. In the meantime just leave you with a few simple images. Today I am killing two nemes with one stone, Monochrome Weekly,
My World. I'll obviously not be around to catch up with you, but I may just take a break from the French sunshine and find an internet cafe.


Following on from yesterday, another question for you. Can you name this plant. I know it's in black and white, which it not the best for identity purposes, but do your best. It was a creamy yellowish colour with sage greenish colours stems. It was also covered in a very peculiar red insect, which I will show you another time. It could of course just be an alien outstretched finger. Phone home anyone.

For more Monochromes see here
For more My World see here

Church, pub or both?

Wish you were here or having a beer

Monochrome

It's Sunday. My Sunday has consisted of nothing much this week. I wonder how many people in Ramsey went here, above though this Sunday for morning worship? Not going into details about this image(it's Sunday remember a quiet day), other than to say it's one of the many churches we have in town. Only recently has it occurred to me we have quite a few dotted around town. From what I can recall I have only shown you one image of a church before as far back as the dawning of the blog. We also have several pubs of course. Strangely( not really I hear you cry) I have shown you more pubs though. Perhaps I need to redress the balance a little. It seems the spiritual needs of the townsfolk are well catered for one way or another. Something for a another theme sometime to delve into. Of course there are many churches now that have long since lost their flock and have been sold to breweries and turned into pub or wine bars. Not a fate that has happened to any religious buildings so far here, but I have noticed at least one church closed for business and under new management so to speak.



Here's a question for you though. What denomination do you think this is? Does the religion dictate the architecture? Just curious. Another is why do all churches, without exception, look creepy and Gothic in black and white. For other black and whites to delight all week click here.

Collins Lane, curiously- abc

What Old Curiosity Shop?

Today the letter is a mainly a C

Curiosity led me to this little back passage. We do like crawling around a back passage here in these parts you know. Wherever you find a seaport you find the narrow little pathways like these. Who said smuggler's. I floated that idea before and was told that there is a story or two to be told. Today we just have Collins Lane though. It is another of those wee, single file only alleyways that connect Parliament Street(where I took the image from) to the quayside harbour, that being the far side white light calling you. In keeping with the other alleyways I have shown you we have one whitewash wall and one local stone wall. As a bonus with this one you get a timber roof joists. If I knew more I would tell you. I'll just have to find out then.


The sign on the wall? Well do as it says follow the arrow. On the left hand side of the passage way you will find Isabel's Curiosity Shop. Exactly as it says on the wall sign an eclectic mix of bric a brac and antiques. The sort of place you could drop your mother in and collect five hours later having purchased every trinket in sight and then realizing she can't actually board the plane with it all.Put it this way if you like to mooch for antiques and rummage around for a bargain bit of furniture then you'd love it here. Suppose I will have to photograph the actual shop for you now won't I. Undercover of course. Until then just use your curious imagination won't you.



If you are still curious you can check out more C words here

On the road again

Last one gets the drinks in

Monochrome

Very late posting tonight. As it's Sunday I have decided not to do any internet or camera work all day. Finally picked up the laptop and went straight for a file of images that I am working on tonight. Well that is if I can be bothered of course or don't get distracted by other sites. Back to the image.Pulled one at random that shows you a familiar place on the blog, but from a very different angle. This is Parliament Square. This is the opposite way round to my usual photography spot for a scene like this. Also a far wider angle than you are used to seeing, those very tight close ups of the motorbikes. As you can see from where I was shooting I had the advantage capturing them leaving towards the Mountain road, or capturing them approaching me. A tip for you here is the leaving is better than the approach due to the shadow of the tree at this time of day obscuring much of the detail on those close ups. Some of you may find that useful for next year, but I can't give all my secrets aways now can I. It is a useful tip though, better for evening than lunchtime photography here.



Want to know what this event was and why I was photographing it click here, or here or even here though I know many of you have already guessed anyway. Looks a lot safer from this view doesn't it than the others. You can also see it really is just ordinary roads that are used and not a race track.



For other monochromes by black and white maniacs click here. No dash you have all week.

Clause for thought

Beware the Manx cat they punch above their weight

A quick monochrome. As some of you know I've has bigger fish to fry, so to speak and time is needed elsewhere.Here is a cute kitty, a Manx cat I found outside the old swimming pool. Looks so meek and mild doesn't it? Watch out though. This kitty did his duty, purred, preened and nuzzled me.I got several shots before the back arched and he had quite clearly had enough, hissed at me and went on his way before I could get him to sign a disclaimer to use his image today. Hey cat if you're out there I owe you a fee which I'll quite happily pay you if you contact me. Fairs fair. I'm using your image, least I could do is pay you. Which leads me nicely to the next paragraph.


Apologies for the small image. I can no longer show large images due to them being stolen. As you know photography is my living and each time someone uses an image of mine illegally then I lose money. You wouldn't go into a shop and steal the products so you shouldn't do it on the net. That is what copyright is for, to show ownership. No hidden clauses, it's that simple. Basically a multi national company, run by a very famous entrepreneur has used my image without my permission, offer of payment and have even deleted my copyright off the image. I am also not happy with the article the image is associated with and would not have let them use it for the article in question. Can't say anymore here for now, but you can check my Facebook status and scroll down the posts to find out who it is and what I am doing about it and the new group formed. The kitty above represents me the underdog, a Manx lass( by default of living here not born here but representing my island town ) taking on the big guys. The gloves are off the claws are out. The cat fight has begun. It concerns you if blog with images too if you don't want them stolen.


Not a cheery post for me but I hope you understand why. Thanks as always for reading.More monochromes from a bunch of us can be seen here.

Enough people for ya?

I love the smell of people in the evening

So I was surprise, surprise out on Friday night. Nothing earth shattering on the news front there so far. Shocking thing was though so it seems was most of the town turned up too. Now I'd like to tell you they all came out in force just for me to take this group image but that would be a downright manipulation of the truth. No,they were here for just a little festival we have here for Ramsey National Week, called Ramsey Rocks. Yeah honest, it's official our town rocks it's little socks off once a year( shame it's not once a week as far as I'm concerned) and the residents come out to play. What though happens here, and what where this (not so select) group of humans (I use the term loosely, I know some of them, hello Jan) observing. Well that would be telling and giving the game away in one fell swoop, so no you'll just have to come back for more to find out. Let's just say there was quite a lot, more than we have in a whole year. Here's a question for the locals though. Where did I take this image from?


Now this is the naughty bit. I confess to having the mad idea after spotting an open window of going into a certain building and taking images looking onto the the harbour and this terrific view of the people below. Talk about a perfect vantage point! So, I climbed the stairs of (?) and found the room of the open window and in full view of a few shocked girlies proceeded to rattle off 3 shots. More may have got me thrown out. While they were still in shock I hightailed it back downstairs to my drink as if the whole event they had witnessed hadn't happened. The room with a view? The ladies toilets of a certain drinking hole.What can I say. I am a photographer, I came, I saw, I conquered the best location point after a little dutch courage. I do these things so you don't have to remember. You asked for people on the blog, I got you them.


Make the most of the people. They have all gone home now. Shame.

Monochrome shadows

Light and Shade

A black and white study of Gladstone Park. For those who were here for this week(click here) it is the same tree and twisting shadows, same time of evening but captured from further back along the road, minus the bend and obviously in black and white.


As I pointed out the other day, how the camera can deceive. This is such a clean looking, serene lonesome road isn't it. Only at this time of night.


.

Bank holiday laptop blues -

Grey Day

Monochrome Weekly

My World

I know I skipped a few days again. Friday night. So why the delay in posting? My psycho laptop( yes the relatively new laptop) has suddenly lost/mislaid/dumped wireless broadband connection. Very annoying. Means choices are sitting in the hall plugged into the the laptop( the Internet plugged in not me obviously) or borrow G's when he is not on it. So a long wait then. Like er two whole days. So today you have the first image I came across in black and white because I really don't won't to spend Bank Holiday Weekend wading through images. guess


Did you say the beach? Well it is an island I live on and we do sort of have er a lot of them. This would be the Mooragh beach. Remember the week on the beach we had. Remember how it pis... er persisted down with precipitation. Well here is one of those rainy grainy images, taken with the tiny point and shoot and not the big all singing dancing Nikon. Nikon is far too sensitive and isn't allowed out in the rain, little point and shoot is. Looks like I wasn't the only one out and about at least one man and his dog braving the elements. For the colour, sunny, stages of the beach clickety click the colours below.


Beach 1
Beach 2
Beach3
Beach 4
Rocks

Going to get some soothing ice cream and scream at my laptop until it complies. I may be a while. . Now pass me a very big spoon and a bottomless pit of the cold stuff. My needs are greater I cannot share today.

MONOTONE! - MONOCHROME WEEKLY

Black, White & The Blues

Still wading through the Laxey Blues Festival images the festival. A teasing silhouette of a shadowy singer with all the backdrop of all the musical paraphernalia caught in the lighter side. A simple workaday l image. I wonder if the singer recognises themselves though?


Musicians are going to feature a lot at the moment. Well it makes a nice respite from the Ramsey Swing Bridge, the beach, the park etc. Also a sneaky way to get a few people in. Soon though the sultans of swing and guitar heroes will give way to the other men in black( well a rainbow of colours actually) those that roll into town on two wheels. ITV will be doing the TV coverage this year too. Don't know what I'm on about see back posts to see boys swinging into action. If some of the images look familiar other than my blog, they might just be in that bike magazine you picked up at the airport.

So for my world this week, a pub, the beach, the park, the rugby, the music or the bikes. Tell me.

Always open to suggestions as to what you'd like to see.

SHY SWAN IN SOFT LIGHT - CRITTERS

I can see you!

Critters

A really quick post today. When in doubt get the swan shots out. Not so much in doubt but more pushed for time. So a little monochrome of this sweet coy swan who just wouldn't lift his/her head for me to photograph the beautiful line of the neck in the soft half light. Still those lovely white feathers really jump out against the dark water which was the aim of the image anyway. Gotta love swans to photograph. Elegant, slow, graceful and beautiful. Word of warning though don't make one angry. Not so beautiful, elegant, slow or at all graceful when they are hissing or spitting at you. That scenario doesn't quite fit the delicate, serene image above does it? For more serene swans not having a hissy fit click colours below.


Wing tips!
Romance
Ever decreasing circles

The gymnast

Arty
Comedic
Mythical
Lateral

I hope you like the little joke image one in there too. Gotta run.

HAVE I EVER SHOWN YOU RAMSEY SWING BRIDGE ?

Bird's eye view

19/100

Ramsey Swing Bridge

I'm sure the irony of the title is not lost on my most ardent readers . Yes of course we have had images of the bridge inordinate amount of times(ok a slight exaggeration as it says 19 duh!) but have we ever had one with a bird and people.... at the same time. I know exciting isn't it(we are still doing irony aren't we?) what's more it's a whole new angle. No, really we are now get this... over the bridge. Yes Yes I'm on the other side. I know so exciting. I ventured forth once more unto the bridge, a bridge to far most days broke on through to the other side all to bring you number 19/100. I even shot and stuffed the bird for you. No, No, No, that is a complete lie, a joke. I'm a vegetarian after all. I didn't say that's not how I got the people in position on the bridge now did I. I need to shut up now don't I and explain my 19th nervous bridge breakdown to the uninitiated?

MONOCHROME- A RAY OF LIGHT

What light through yonder window breaks? An archive one.

An enforced absence due to a few minor technicalities. Oops. Should be be back to normal blogging arrangement soon. Well soon if the Manx fairies wave their magic fairy wands or whatever it is Fairies do around here to weave their magic. So a temporary hiatus. Now who thought I'd been arrested for the photo of the policeman?


A little stock image from the archives( otherwise known as my bag of tricks for emergency measures.) I'm not inside the building but outside looking up towards the light of the foghorn. Yes foghorn. I did say foghorn, which is situated further North than Ramsey. One for all you peeling paint and faded beauty lovers. The same image in colour is vastly different. I mean it's got bright yellow walls and lime green metalwork. In fact I'll show you sometime.

For other Monochromes of Maniacs see and Aileni