Sunshine on a rainy day

                                      Sunrise


Image part of Skywatch and other around the world can be seen here

Don't be fooled by the vivid orange sunrise. Wait a minute on the Isle of Man and the rain will shortly follow. Nice while it lasts though.

Good Morning Sunshine

               Sunrise. It rained two hrs later


My office view this morning. You have to feel sorry for me don't you. I wasn't the only early bird, a few dog walkers, photographers and someone out with a metal detector. I hope they were lucky. I was content with the morning shoot.


Jane Hards Photography 


Image part of Skywatch for more of other skies around the world.

Multi coloured sunrise

                    The sun isn't even awake yet


I refer to this spot jokingly as my office. It's Queens Promenade, Ramsey, Isle of Man where I do most of my beach photography.My most licensed sunrise photos have been across this beach, hence my office." No two days are the same and the strangest colours are often before the sun rises. Throw a stick any morning and you're bound to hit a local photographer capturing this scene. And why not. My nest step will be to paint it. I used to be an artist, and got sidetracked by photography, but scenes like this, call for a paintbrush. Mother nature's natural paint palette, knows best

Jane Hards Photography, find me on facebook for more colourful landscapes

Image taken with my trusty Nikon, no filters or alterations, and part of skywatch

Manx Magic

                           and fairy dust skies


With mornings like this on the Isle of Man to wake up to, I don't wish to be anywhere else. Well except the South of France on colder days here maybe.  The mythical Manx fairies, Mother Nature or Pollution. Who knows, but it's a nice view to capture and start the day. My office is the beach. Lucky, yes. Sunrises, not just for tourists, all year round.


Jane Hards Photography


Image part of Skywatch

Just another sunset

                                   Dusk


Keeping it simple tonight, a summer sunset

Jane Hards Photography, more on facebook

Ramsey, Isle of Man

Skywatch, for other bloggers around the world showing their skies from star gazing to storm clouds, sunrise to sunset

Manx Sunrise on the horizon

                           A good morning


Small town, big views

Sywatch

 Jane Hards Photography

Queens Pier

Ramsey

Isle of Man

Some views are worth insomnia.

Suntrap

                        Good morning sunshine


Insomnia has benefits. Looks like I wasn't the only one up so early, one of the local fisherman setting sail.

Image part of Skywatch, click to view others around the world


Queens Pier, Ramsey, Isle of Man. 



For Simonetta

Skywatch, golden sunrise

                               Good Morning
 

Sunrise over the beach, is never the same two days running. Image part of Skywatch, a group of people all over the world showing their skies. Click here to join or view. 

You can view more of my photography on facebook here 

Queens Promenade, Sunrise

     People ask why move to the Isle of Man......


Sunrises and sunsets like this to name two. The island may me small in size (33 miles, length by 13 miles, width) but we make up for up for the smallness of land, with gorgeous panoramic vistas and seascapes. Image part of Skywatch, a group around the world showing their patch of sky, here

Sunrise and Silhouettes

                              Good morning

After leaving the beach, to catch the sunrise, I came across the rising sun peeking through the foliage of a neighbouring garden. To pretty not to photograph. Intense oranges and silhouette foliage, makes it look more of a tropical sun baked island view, than the windy rain soaked island in the middle of the Irish Sea. 


Image part of Skywatch, and other images around the  world can be see here

Daybreak, Ballure Road

                Before even the sun rises, I'm up

Not often you can stand in the middle of the road to take a photo, but before sunrise you can. Absolutely no traffic. Ballure Road is the road leads out of Ramsey, towards, Maughold, and eventually onto the Isle of Man Capital, Douglas. You can see by the chimney pots, this is a residential area. Behind those chimney pots lies, the beach. That's where I was heading to capture the sunrise. On the left hand side you can see silhouetted scaffolding where locals flats/apartments are having a spot of renovation and building work. From those flats you get a fantastic coastal view straight onto both  beaches. Yes we have two, as the harbour inlet separates them, unless the tide is out far enough to have one continuous walk round beach. The view before sunrise is often more intense than sunrise itself.

For others skywatch post around the world see here

Queen's Pier, sunrise seascape

                               Good morning

Reasons to live on The Isle of Man are many and one of those are the benefits of hardly any urban light pollution, or in some of the coastal or rural areas, none at all. You may have to get up early and get your feet a little wet but the sunrises are really worth the wait, North of the island, East coast. The pier maybe closed to the public now, but it's still one of Ramsey's icons. 


This post is part of skywatch and others around the world can be found here

Ramsey, Isle of Man, sunrise

                          Spot the cleaner


You have to get up early to catch a sunrise. You have to get up even earlier to watch the beach getting a morning clean. I could think of worse ways to start the day.


Other skies around the world as part of Skywatch can be found here

Queen's Pier

                         What lies beneath

Queen's Pier, Ramsey, Isle of Man, sadly closed to he public now to walk along and in need of repair, but still one of the most iconic sites of the town. Dating back to 1886 and originally costing £45, 000 to build and once one of the main communication points between the island and Scotland. Now it's a become a boon subject for photographers, especially at daybreak as the sun rises. Today's theme at City Daily Photo is "triangles" and more around he world can be seen here. To view the larger high res image of this photo click here

Welcome to my office

                      Life's a pebble beach


It's just a test shot, but I liked the morning sunlight reflection giving warmth and colour to the pebble beach.  Just waiting for the sunrise to photograph is always a gamble, but I never leave without photographing something.


“I do not know how I may seem to others, but to myself I am only a small child wandering upon the vast shores of knowledge, every now and then finding a small bright pebble to be contented with.” Plato

MONOCHROME ODDSHOTS - RAMSEY HARBOUR, THE JANE

Ramsey Harbour Silver Shimmer

Well the monochrome bit is obvious but what of the odd? How often do you see sunrises or sunsets without colour? Think of all those skywatch shots we all see every Friday, mainly sunsets. Isn't it the colours mostly that prompt us to leave complimentary comments? Does sunset or sunrise look odd to you without layers and ribbons of colours? In fact without colour in an image can you still relate to the image, in this case being a sunrise? Back to the harbour.


Whilst undertaking further research about Ramsey Harbour and it's past I happened upon many a quirky tale. One, I am really hoping to post sometime, but I want to separate the myth, legend and fact. History remember isn't always what actually happened but who committed it to paper.


Ramsey Harbour still is a working harbour, though not the grand shipbuilding harbour of yesteryear. I've mentioned previously of The Star Of India known as the Euterpe as the most famous ship built here but not of The Jane.


Mid 19th century Ramsey it seems led the way in shipbuilding. The first ship designed to carry bulk oil, commonly known as an oil tanker was built at this very harbour and name "The Jane." Apparently The Jane transported oil around various places of which the only one I have found named is Philadelphia in 1853. Again I find out a cute little story and find the trail ends abruptly.


I've asked about The Jane before. No further news on it . Any ideas anyone?

Want to join the weird world of Odd Shots Monday? Then see KATNEY

Want to join the beautiful and creative world of Mononchorome Monday? Then see Aileni at LOOSE ENDS

RAMSEY SWING BRIDGE, RED DAWN

Early morning photo, but a late post. That's what happens when you live on an island, when something goes wrong it's the whole island that suffers, like inernet severs. The Ramsey Swing Bridge, although small is great for photographers as it filters sunlight, casting long shadows,sun flares and is a great silhouette, especially against the red tinged sun today.

Ramsey is the third largest town on the Isle of Man and the largest in the North. It's Manx name is Rhumsaa, an old Norse word Meaning" garlic river." English is the main language spoken by the residents of the island, but the Manx written and spoken word is making a comeback. Adrian Cain is the Manx Language Development Officer responsible for promoting the language from a dying one to one that is very much alive, so much so that you can even take a qualification in it.Very useful for visitors reading those road signs!

RAMSEY HARBOUR,BY DAWN' S EARLY LIGHT

Out and about again early. Not a soul around to photograph so one of Ramsey Harbour and quay looking out to sea. Ramsey,the East side of the island is the place for sunrises over the sea, and Peel on the west is best for sunsets over the sea. We have very mediterranean sunset in the Summer, that's when it's not raining.

Yesterday was the lsle Of Man's first smoke free in public/work places day. A year later than the UK, but the ban is now in place. No verdict on how the islands smokers will take this, but the cafes seemed just as busy at lunchtimes, minus the ashtrays of course.