Trees

A nostalgic trip back to the Canadian Rockies here with the beautiful Emerald Lake set in the YoHo National Park. A very popular location for tourist and accommodation with food to hand too, but step away just a few metres and you have this: the smell of pine trees, the plop of a fish in the water and the soft splash of a canoe paddle. pip Enjoy full size as we never know when freedom will be taken away!

One from the achieves. Enjoy

Back in Skipness, Kintyre, we have visited the castle and church and now take the little woodland walk through wild paths, brooks and trees. Here we cross over the little river on this old packhorse style bridge. A marvellous sight but quite difficult to capture in its full splendidness. As we walk we are accompanied by the smell of wild garlic and the sound of the babbling brook. Enjoy full screen.

Well we are now in our second location of this Ireland trip. Our first day takes us just a few short miles inland to this iconic location. I have always been a lover of such trees and had some luck once before with some similar in England but this wonderful avenue had a very special feeling to it. I did expect there to be some tourist but was astounded by the amount that we encountered just minutes after taking this, many coming by bus from as far away as Dublin on Cruise Ship tours. Fortunately an early start made us miss most of the hordes and another trip later in the early evening gave me another view. This beautiful avenue of beech trees was planted by the Stuart family in the eighteenth century. It was intended as a compelling landscape feature to impress visitors as they approached the entrance to their Georgian mansion, Gracehill House. Two centuries later, the trees remain a magnificent sight and have become one of the most photographed natural phenomena in Northern Ireland. In fact, the iconic trees have been used as a filming location in HBO's epic series Game of Thrones, representing the Kingsroad. Featured Scenes: Season 2, Episode 1: The North Remembers - On the King's Road, Arya Stark has escaped from King’s Landing, disguised as a boy. She is with Yoren, Gendry, Hot Pie and others who are to join the Night’s Watch, in a cart, travelling north on the Kingsroad. discovernorthernireland.com Essential full screen. See PiP for another view without people. The second pip shows my 2014 Cathedral of Trees in Devon. Enjoy the weekend.

See next photo for full description.

The scenic Dovestones reservoir near my home has a few small areas where trees are planted in memory of past loved ones. Some of those spots are remarkably quiet and have benches there to rest and think about the lives of those that have departed. This faces a quieter area of the reservoir itself. The Pip shows a 2015 shot towards these tree where I am standing now. Have a great week.

A walk just around the corner from my home brings me to this scene. The late low light brings out the best of these Autumnal golden leaves. Enjoy full screen.

An early autumn walk taken at Hardcastle Craggs always reaps rewards. Experience the soft light through the trees here with me and watch the fallen golden leaves float down the river. In a few more weeks this would be even better with true red and golds from front to back but for now we have what we have so enjoy. Nice full screen

Another capture from my walk a couple of days back in the cold frost. The ‘pulpit’ is in fact an information board displaying pictures and maps of the valley as it was many years back. – I just enjoyed the light here with the frozen trees. Nice full screen, enjoy the day.

As the cold spell continues here, I take another opportunity to capture the winter feeling. Not many people in this local valley but some dog walkers and a lone chap with his camera and small rucksack! Enjoy the light and pleasure of such walks in full screen.

A great memory for me here at a spot I loved to frequent some time back. This bridge led to a small fishing stand but when I was here last, even the bridge had disappeared. However the whole scene demonstrates again the beauty of our Earth and its diverse wildlife which is now in a lot of danger. Let’s hope that the New Year brings new hope against global warming and peace on Earth too. The Pip shows another from the same pond. It just remains for me to say HFF and enjoy the coming New Year

Taken just a few hundred metres from my home after an overnight flurry of snow. I do love to see trees like this. Sadly the snow normally soon melts away. See the adjacent photo (PiP) for a closeup of a berry bush nearby. Nice full screen. Enjoy the day. Herb

A walk to Diglea tales us along a valley with these three trees. They are quite isolated here so whether there were once many more or these trees or had there been a particular reason to be planted like this I don't know. Anyway, I rather liked the way the light lit up their right sides framed by the recent snows. Enjoy full size.

A trip to my local countryside retreat is always exciting and today’s weather is no exception. As the strong contra-jour sun lights up these trees and grasses to exaggerate their natural colours I cannot but help myself to shoot. Enjoy full screen

A look out of our holiday cottage window reveals a very cold hazy morning and so it’s a quick dash down to the nearby River Ribble to capture some of the countryside along its banks. A world of rather nice trees, fences and sheep too. Have a good weekend. ****** SUPPORT UKRAINE *****

Another capture from our show day just 48 hours ago. A different look to this as the snow was still falling and the skies very grey. ~ Today all the snow is almost gone as the temperature rises to a balmy 8c. Enjoy full size.

Another look at the ‘Dark Hedges’ of County Antrim in Northern Ireland. After being reminded of this scene by photos in that esteemed publication ‘Landscape Artist of the Year’ my comparison photos taken last June (22) still seemed to lack something that made it extra special. Of course my limited two visits during specific times and one of those with lots of tourist dictated my output. I guess the thing that was missing in mine was the lack of trees that used to be there but have been blown over by severe storms during the last few years leaving big gaps in places akin to missing teeth. Here is my attempt at showing the density and encapsulating feeing of this lane by using a long lens, and monotones. Ideally I would have liked the road to be more centralised but… we have what we have :) See Pips. Nice full screen Have a great day.

Walking the linear path above Clydach affords us a look at the old railway viaduct. I rather liked this framing of the very old trees with their twisted trunks and subdued hues of green. Essential full screen