Beauty of Birmingham

Even though Birmingham is known as being at the heart of the Industrial Revolution and the City of 1000 Trades, many people who have never visited there are surprised at how green the city is, even close to the City Centre.

The city has more miles of canal than Venice, more trees than Paris and more parkland than any other European City. All of the images below were taken within a couple of miles of the City Centre.

Bluebells at Winterboune Botanical Garden

Winterbourne is one of the best surviving examples of an Edwardian Arts and Crafts suburban villa garden in Birmingham. The garden was lovingly created by the homeowners, Margaret and John Nettlefold, of Guest Keen and Nettlefold, using the books of Gertrude Jekyll as guides and inspiration. It is located in Edgbaston, just about 2 miles from the City Centre

Edgbaston Pool

Edgbaston Pool, located just two miles from Birmingham City Centre, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Edgbaston. Also known as Edgbaston Park, the site is adjacent to Winterbourne Botanic Garden and Edgbaston Golf Course and close to the University of Birmingham. Access is via Winterbourne Botanic Garden.

Not far from Edgbaston Pool, we have Edgbaston Reservoir.

Edgbaston Reservoir

Edgbaston Reservoir, on a crisp January morning. Originally a small pool, it was extensively enlarged by Thomas Telford between 1824-1829 to supply water to the Birmingham and Wolverhampton Levels of the Birmingham Canal Navigations canal system via Icknield Port Loop at the foot of the dam. It was formed by damming a small stream. The dam is a 330 metre long earth embankment with a height of 10 metres near the centre.

Birmingham City Skyline

Birmingham City Centre skyline as seen behind the dam of Edgbaston Reservoir. Showing the Post Office Tower to the left, and the new Birmingham Library in the centre.

City View

The view from the roof of the Birmingham City Library (the orange building in the centre of the photo above) looking towards Edgbaston, demonstrating just how green Birmingham is. The building to the left is the National Sea Life Centre, while on the right is Birmingham's National Indoor Arena (NIA).

You may see more of my images from Birmingham by visiting my Birmingham Gallery.

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As usual, my work is available to purchase as original  Wall Art, in a variety of formats from stretched canvas or framed prints, metal or acrylic prints,or simply as standard prints for you to mount in your favourite picture frame. They are also available as greeting cards or printed onto iPhone or Galaxy phone cases, throw pillows, duvet covers or tote bags. Simply click on the  image and you will be taken to my gallery where you will find full details.

365 PHOTO A DAY CHALLENGE: START THE YEAR RIGHT

Appropriately, I am sharing this at the start of 2022, it is written by Wayne Turner for Picture Correct and starts as follows:-

I like to think of myself as an avid photographer, but there are times when the creativity wanes and the inspiration dries up. The trigger finger stiffens from lack of use and generally, I start to suffer from photographer’s malaise. This is when auto-pilot needs to kick in and get me up and running again. How do I switch on the autopilot? With the 365 Photo Challenge–a photo a day for a whole year.

To read the article in full, follow this link to Picture Correct 365 photo a day challenge

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Whilst I haven't yet started my own challenge, her are three images I uploaded recently!

Abbotsbury Swannery

Abbotsbury Swannery is the only place in the world where you are able to walk through the heart of a colony of nesting Mute Swans. A visit to this beautiful and tranquil place is one of the most popular things to do in Dorset.

Located on the dramatic Dorset Coast, this unique natural wildlife habitat is spread over a site of some 25 acres and is home to the only managed colony of free-flying mute swans in the world.

Heron

A heron at Edgbaston Reservoir in Birmingham.

Mandarin Duck

A Mandarin Duck in a pool in Isabella's Plantation in Richmond Park, London

As usual, my work is available to purchase as original  Wall Art, in a variety of formats from stretched canvas or framed prints, metal or acrylic prints ,or simply as standard prints for you to mount in your favourite picture frame. They are also available as greeting cards or printed onto iPhone or Galaxy phone cases, throw pillows, duvet covers or tote bags. Simply click on the  image and you will be taken to my gallery where you will find full details.

5 Landscape Photography Tips for Photographing Mountains

In our article today, courtesy of our friends at Picture Correct, Travis Silver, gives his tips for photographing mountains. 

"After graduating from photography school, I spent a good deal of my twenties photographing the cityscapes of New York. In my thirties, after I relocated to upstate New York, I discovered a new muse: the landscape. What’s so nouveau about the landscape? You’ll only understand this after living in a cramped, fifth floor walk-up apartment—with views topped only by brick walls—for years.

Anyone who went to photography school is familiar with “the golden hour”—that gorgeous time right before sunset or right after sunrise. It’s by far the best time to shoot landscape photography. Everything—and I mean everything—is gorgeous at this hour.

When I moved to the Adirondacks, I sought inspiration from the area’s numerous mountains and lakes. Though I’d attended various photography schools, studied with different photographers, and shot a good deal of (non-mountainous) landscape photography in the past, nothing prepared me for photographing mountains."  To read Travis's tips, follow this link..5 Landscape Photography Tips for Photographing Mountains.

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Below are a selection of some of my photographs of mountains, though I am sure a few of them could be improved had I read Travis's tips beforehand!

Mount Kenya

Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro.

St Kitts

View of St Kitts showing the vegetation, blue sea, rolling waves, sandy bays and mountains with a cloud topped Mount Liamuiga, the highest point on the island of Saint Kitts, as well as one of the tallest peaks in the eastern Caribbean archipelago.

Mount Teide

Mount Teide in Tenerife, The Canary Isles, Spain, is the highest mountain of Spain and the third largest volcano in the world.

As usual, my work is available to purchase as original  Wall Art, in a variety of formats from stretched canvas or framed prints, metal or acrylic prints ,or simply as standard prints for you to mount in your favourite picture frame. They are also available as greeting cards or printed onto iPhone or Galaxy phone cases, throw pillows, duvet covers or tote bags. Simply click on the  image and you will be taken to my gallery where you will find full details.

Waterfall Photography Tips and Techniques

In our article today, courtesy of our friends at Picture Correct, Ron Bigelow gives readers valuable tips on photographing waterfalls. Follow these tips and you should be on your way to capturing some great waterfall images.

Waterfalls seem to grab the hearts and minds of people. Go to any location that has one or more waterfalls and it is pretty much a guarantee that they will be a major attraction, if not the main attraction, of the area. However, as beautiful as waterfalls are, it is not so easy to capture that beauty with a camera. It is easy to produce pictures of waterfalls; it is not so easy to produce powerful images.

To read Ron's full article, follow this link...........Waterfall Photography Tips and Techniques

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Here are a selection of my own photos of waterfalls, which I hope you will enjoy. I will start off in the UK before travelling to Mauritius and finally, one of the best, Victoria Falls.

DEVON

East Lyn River at Watersmeet, Lynmouth, Devon, England.  

SCOTLAND

Grey Mare's Tail is a 60-metre (200 ft) hanging valley waterfall near to Moffat in southern Scotland. The fall is produced by the Tail Burn flowing from Loch Skeen cascading into the Moffat Water in the lower valley below.

Big Burn Waterfall at Golspie, Sutherland, Scotland.

MAURITIUS

The Chamarel Waterfalls on the River St. Denis in the Black River Gorges National Park at Chamarel, Mauritius, Africa.

ZIMBABWE

View from the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls looking towards Cataract Island. The spray from the falls can be seen from the town.

A rainbow formed by the spray at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Africa.

Devil's Cataract, on the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls, is the lowest of the five Falls, with a drop of 60m. It is separated from the rest of the Falls by Boaruka Island, also known as Cataract Island. The Devil's Cataract is the weakest point in the geological composition of the falls.

As usual, my work is available to purchase as original  Wall Art, in a variety of formats from stretched canvas or framed prints, metal or acrylic prints ,or simply as standard prints for you to mount in your favourite picture frame. They are also available as greeting cards or printed onto iPhone or Galaxy phone cases, throw pillows, duvet covers or tote bags. Simply click on the  image and you will be taken to my gallery where you will find full details.

Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual Mode

Mastering aperture priority and shutter priority is the starting place for photographers who wish to move on from using the automatic setting on their digital cameras and todays article, by Andrew Goodall, explains in an easy to understand way what these functions are, and how to use them. Andrew writes for Natures Image Photography and is a nature photographer based in Australia. He manages a gallery in Montville full of landscape photography from throughout Australia.

Digital photography has given almost anyone with a camera the potential to become a creative photographer. These days even compact cameras offer features that once were only found on ‘serious’ SLR cameras. The trouble is, most people who have grown up with point-and-shoot cameras have very little idea what these features are all about. After buying a good digital camera with the best intentions, they soon give up and switch to automatic.

Are the settings on your camera really so hard to understand? Of course not, but it can seem that way at the start, especially if they are not explained to you in simple terms you can understand..........to read the full article, follow this link:-  Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual Mode.

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One of my personal favourites, is using Aperture Priority to help blur the background when taking close ups, as may be seen in the following examples.

Bluebells

Foxglove at Watersmeet, Lynmouth, Devon

European Roller

As usual, my work is available to purchase as original  Wall Art, in a variety of formats from stretched canvas or framed prints, metal or acrylic prints ,or simply as standard prints for you to mount in your favourite picture frame. They are also available as greeting cards or printed onto iPhone or Galaxy phone cases, throw pillows, duvet covers or tote bags. Simply click on the  image and you will be taken to my gallery where you will find full details.

13 Tips to Perfect Your Landscape Photography

“Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer—and often the supreme disappointment.” – Ansel Adams.

In our article today, courtesy of our friends at Picture Correct, Gde Putra gives thirteen tips to help perfect your landscape photography. Gde is a hobby photographer who hopes to grow the love of nature among all people through his images.  

In my opinion, landscape photography is the pursuit of being in the right place at the right time. One of the keys to success for landscape photography is patience. Having said that, there are some small details which are often [.....] Follow this link to read all Gde's tips :........... 13 Tips to Perfect Your Landscape Photography:

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Meanwhile, here are a few of my landscape images which I hope you will enjoy:-

Nevis

The cloud topped island of Nevis, viewed from its sister island of St Kitts in the Leeward Islands chain of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean,

Moorland Heather

Moorland heather in Northumberland, England.

Wildebeest

Wildebeest on Lake Manyara,  Tanzania, Africa.

Balloons over Serengeti

Hot air Balloon flight over the Serengeti, Tanzania, Africa.

As usual, my work is available to purchase as original  Wall Art, in a variety of formats from stretched canvas or framed prints, metal or acrylic prints, or simply as standard prints for you to mount in your favourite picture frame. They are also available as greeting cards or printed onto iPhone or Galaxy phone cases, throw pillows, duvet covers or tote bags. Simply click on the  image and you will be taken to my gallery where you will find full details.

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Preparing for Release from Lockdown!

As covid lockdown slowly eases we can start planning for our summer holidays and days out, whether it be a couple of weeks on the beach, or simple picnics on a weekend afternoon.

Now then is the time to start planning for the accessories we need to help make those trips something special. Stand out from the crowd with our lifestyle and beach accessories which can be supplied in matching or themed designs.

We provide medium, large and even round beach towels, tote bags in 3 sizes and extra large weekender tote bags, to help transport everything to the beach, as well as carry-all pouches, again in three sizes, to help carry your valuables. We can also supply i-phone and Galaxy cases to help protect your phones, as well as portable battery chargers for your phone or tablet, to help you stay in touch on even those longer days out.

Below are samples of our products, all of which are available in over 1,000 different designs for you to chose from.

BEACH TOWELS

Our round beach towels are 60" in diameter and made from ultra-soft plush microfiber with a 100% cotton back.

Our standard beach towels are provided in two sizes, 32" x 64" and 37" x 74".

TOTE BAGS

Our tote bags are made from soft, durable, poly-poplin fabric and include a 1" black strap for easy carrying over your shoulder. All seams are double stitched for added durability. Each tote bag is machine-washable in cold water and is printed with the same image on both sides. They are available in three sizes, 13" x 13", 16" x 16" and 18" x 18".

WEEKENDER TOTE BAGS

Our weekender tote bags are chic and perfect for a day out on the town, a staycation or a weekend get away. The tote is crafted from soft, durable, poly-poplin fabric and all seams are double stitched for added durability. The 1" thick cotton handles are perfect for carrying the bag by hand or over your shoulder. This is a must have for the summer!

CARRY-ALL POUCHES

Dress it up, or dress it down, oruse it to stay organised while you are on the go. Our carry-all puches can do it all. thye are crafted with 100% poly-poplin fabric, double stitchad at the seams for extra durability, and include a durable metal zipper for securing your valuables. They are available in three sizes:- 6" x 4", 9.5" x 6", 12.5" x 8.5" and there are two bottom styles to chose from, regular and t-bottom.

PHONE CASES

Our phone cases are available for the i-phone 5 up to the i-phone X or the Galaxy phone from the S4 to the S8. The image is printed directly onto the impact-resistant, slim-profile, hard-shell case and wrapped around the edges for a beautiful presentation. Simply snap the case onto your phone for instant protection, while maintaining full access to all the phones features. 

PORTABLE BATTERY CHARGER

You'll never run out of power again! If the battery on your smartphone or tablet is running low...no problem. Just plug your deviced into the USB port on the top of this portable battery charger and then continue to use your device while it gets re-charged. With a recharge capacity of 7800 mAh, this charger will give you two full recharges of your smartphone or recharge your tablet to 75% of its capacity. When the charger runs out of power, simply plug it in to the wall using the cable supplied and it will recharge itself for its next use. 

So if you want to stand out from the crowd, get over to our site and start putting together your own collection of lifestyle and beach accessories - PS - we also offer a full range of Wall Art and Home Decor.