Gavin Johnson's photos

HBM - this one seemed appropriate for Easter Monday. In the grounds of the Benedictine Prinknash Abbey there is a small dell with a statue of the VIrgin, tended with fresh flowers and candles sheltered from the wind. A perfect spot for quiet contemplation for the devout and unbelievers alike.

Happy Easter everyone. Our woodland walk took us through the walled monastic garden of the Benedictine Prinknash Abbey (pronounced “Prinnish”, because we Brits can be weird with words sometimes). The pear trees forming the arch are breaking out into blossom, and at their base, the tulips are a rainbow of bright colours.

An old working boat falling into disrepair in Gloucester Docks. This looked better in my mind's eye, but I wanted to contrast the old and the new by desaturating the boat and leaving the vibrancy of the modern surroundings.

Another one from the archives that made me smile when I saw it again. At a spot on the waterfront in South Carolina, we came across this man feeding the local gulls. I loked the contrast between the two birds on the ground waiting patiently and the absolute mayhem above!

Mute swans nesting at the base of a Gloucester apartment block. This pair has been resident for a few years, and used to have a nest site at a secluded spot nearby, on the water's edge, but in recent years they have been flooded out and lost most of the eggs. Hopefully suburban life will suit them better.

HWW! This is a fairly dull wall, on a bland apartment block by the canal in Gloucester. Look at the bottom, though (PiP - click on the seated swan) and there's an unusal sight: a pair of mute swans have decided that the base of the wall, next to a well used path, is a good place to raise their young. This pair has been resident for a few years, and used to have a nest site at a secluded spot nearby, on the water's edge, but in recent years they have been flooded out and lost most of the eggs. Hopefully suburban life will suit them better.

A display of origami suggesting leaves and blossoms cascading down a staricase at the National Trust's Croome Park mansion, looking up from underneath.

HBM! One from my old home town of Dartmouth. A nice spot on historic Bayard's Cove to sit and watch the river flow by for a while... before having an evening drink in the Dartmouth Arms; just behind the photographer!

A snatched shot from last night in Cheltenham, where a temporary 36m observation wheel has been set up in the town's Imperial Gardens. Silhouetted in front of the wheel is a statue of the composer Gustav Holst, who was born in the town in 1874.

An image of a field of rapeseed flowers from a few years ago that I originally took in my "HDR" phase, which now looks a little wrong to my eye. I've reprocessed the middle frame of the the three exposures with modern Lightroom to get a more natural look. Sadly, I can't recreate the hum of the field full of industrious bees! Update: I asked an AI to critique the image, and I'm interested in what people think of its assessment. I've documented it here: www.ipernity.com/blog/gavin.johnson/4746678?t=108320

HFF - An aerial shot of that traditional but highly contraversial pastime of the British gentry, hunting with hounds. No foxes were harmed in this hunt... it's a small scene in the amazingly detailed Bekonscot model village in Buckinghamshire. Very definitely worth a visit if you like model villages and are in the area! (https://www.bekonscot.co.uk)

A solitary tulip I found on the weekend walk. I was able to get directly above it to look down on the beauty of its symmetry.

HBM! More from the archives - a rather tranquil park in the city of Savannah, Georgia in a 2005 road trip. The trees are draped with Spanish Moss, which is actually an epiphytic plant, and is neither Spanish, nor moss!

Spring has definitely arrived here, so we had a morning walk in the woods. I thought I'd create a collage image of the walk, with Bluebells, Celandines, Periwinkles and Primroses all in bloom (the bluebells are only just showing, but will be a riot of colour in a couple of weeks). Lambs are gamboling in the fields, and there is plenty of birdsong in the air. The screen captures are from the Merlin Bird ID phone app - very useful to identify the birdsong in the vicinity, and completely free! (https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org)

After a charity walk in Cheltenham today we were lucky to get a glimpse inside the usually private school chapel at the town's College. The building was designed to celebrate the college's 50th anniversary, and dedicated in 1896. A group of senior pupils were undertaking a masterclass on the chapel organ, which sounds as magnificent as the building looks.

HFF! This started as a fence to prevent people falling into the lake, but the local gulls have repurposed it into a perch and landing strip!

Wild garlic leaves Lightly toasted almonds Parmesan Extra virgin olive oil Squeeze of lemon juice

Spring is definitely here at last, and we've had our first foraging walk of the year. Near us, the woodland floor is carpeted with wild garlic - excellent in salads or chopped into cooked dishes, and it makes a tasty pesto (in a PiP)! In the UK it's illegal to dig up wild plants (without the landowner's permission) but ok to take leaves, flowers and fruit. Taking one leaf from a wild garlic plant is perfectly sustainable as it continues to grow happily.