2020 Review - April

 2020 Review - April

Lockdown

I should have started this much earlier - here we are at New Year's Eve and I'v only reached April!

Click on an image to see a larger version.  All images copyright Leslie Ashe.

Restricted to home or where I could walk for exercise.  Fortunately we were blessed with good weather.  From a photography angle I was frustrated at not being able to make the most of the good weather, but it was little sacrifice compared to what others had to give up.  Eventually I resurrected my elderly Fuji X20 to accompany me on my walks.

Empty roads as people mainly respected the rules and guidance about avoiding unnecessary travel.  The lack of traffic noise made roadside walks much more pleasurable.

The prolonged good weather gave rise to some great sunsets but without travelling I had to be content with shooting from my back garden.

And a full moon

Images from my walks

Checking the lobster pots

And to round off April,  recognition of the sterling work being done in the National Health Service and by other key workers.

2020 Review - March

 2020 Review - March

Click on an image to see a larger version.  All images copyright Leslie Ashe.

I was the recipient of a birthday gift of a flying lesson from Ards airfield.  I had let it sit for a while but in March Decided it was time to use it.  Apart from the take-off and landing I was in control of a Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP.  What an experience. I can understand how flying could become addictive.  I had a camera with me and I had hoped to take some pictures of Strangford Lough but I was too busy flying the plane.  I took a couple at the end of the takeoff and after I handed back control to the instructor for the landing.

My view of the instruments.

Scrabo Tower just after take-off.

Landing approach

Mid March we decided to take a walk in Tollymore Forest Park specifically to see if we could figure out the reason for a dog-leg in the boundary wall at The Drinns.  We had noticed it on a previous walk on a very wet and windy day when Tollymore was a more pleasant alternative to going high in the Mountains.  Apart from a couple of tree stumps inside the dog-leg we could see no reason for it.  A subsequent investigation involving old 6 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey maps revealed that the 1832 - 1846 edition shows a small circle inside the dog-leg suggesting there was a structure there.  Perhaps a shelter for someone looking after livestock on the open ground outside the boundary wall.  Whatever it was there is no trace of it today.

Tollymore wall dog-leg

Third week of March it was back to the Mourne Mountains.  Little did we know that we wouldn't be back until the end of May when Covid-19 restrictions were eased.  Fortunately we had a day of unbroken sunshine.

Then came the Covid-19 lockdown and imaging opportunities become limited.

This image of a new moon partially obscured by thin cloud was taken from my garden.

2020 Review - February

 February 2020 

Not a very productive month.  A morning on Strangford Lough, a short break in Fermanagh and a couple of visits to the Mourne Mountains in the snow.

Click on an image to see a larger version.  All images copyright Leslie Ashe.

A very windy morning at Horse Island, Strangford Lough

 Trees covered in old man's beard lichen in Lough Navar Forest, Co. Fermanagh.

Early February saw a snowfall in the Mourne Mountains.

The low winter light accentuated the texture in the snow (view large).  We had to cross over the wall and it was a shame to disturb the snow on the stile.  A Swiss cheese wall!

Wind sculpted snow with Cove Mountain in the distance.

Blowhole.  This was one end of a small culvert under the track.  The wind had kept the culvert clear of snow and the low light again accentuated the texture.

Three trees on the Trassey Road

A drive up past Fofanny and Ott showed this Toyota Yaris perched somewhat precariously off the road.  This was a straight stretch of road and it was hard to figure out how it all went so wrong.

However, look at the front tyres - they are worn down to the trade wear indicators - they might just, or might not, be legal but they are completely unsuitable for these conditions.

We were blessed with another fall of snow in the mountains in late February.  

The Trassey Track with the early light on the crags of Spellack.

The descent from Slieve Commedagh looking towards Slieve Donard. 

 

Brian and Paul descending Commedagh.  The ground was frozen hard so it was safer to come down the snow at the side of the wall where your boots could get some grip.

2020 Review - January

 January 2020

A selection of images taken during January 2020.  I was fortunate to be able take part in a workshop led by David Ward in the Inverpolly area of N/W Scotland which provided me with a number of pleasing images.  But firstly from a couple of trips to the Mourne Mountains in early January - unfortunately free of snow.

Click on any image for a larger version.

All images copyright Leslie Ashe

Inverpolly

Suilven in a hailshower at sunrise

Quinag - Sail Gharbh 

Inverpolly panorama

Heavy sea at Reiff

Loch Lurgainn

Birches in mist

Polbain rust

Achnahaird 

Polbain abstract

On the way home I called at Glen Nevis and Glen Etive

Morning walk 27/12/20

 For a change I carried a camera with me this morning - Fuji XT20 with the 18-55 f2.8-4 lens

Nothing jumped at me so what follows are just some random shots along the way.  Click on any image for a larger version - all images are copyright.

Firstly, the new wastewater pumping station at Brompton.  I should have been photographing this from the beginning especially as the large concrete tank is being slowly lowered so that it will eventually be flush with the surrounding ground.  Already it must have dropped by about 3 meters with a bit over a metre to go.  Amazing engineering.  Picture taken with the lens poking through the gate - hence the restricted view.

The entrance to Belfast Lough from below Carnalea Golf Club with the container ship JSP Mistral at anchor awaiting clearance to enter Belfast Port.

Last week I photographed a small waterfall from the road in Crawfordsburn Country Park with my phone which was unable to cope with the dynamic range of the image with the result that the white water contained no detail.  This week I took it again (from a slightly different viewpoint) and the Fuji was able to capture the full range of tones from the deepest shadows to the brightest whites.  And it gave me control over the shutter speed and aperture!

Finally two images of Crawfordsburn Village and with the Crawfordburn Inn closed due to the lockdown it was unusual to see the Main Street almost completely free of parked cars.

Must carry the Fuji more often.