50/50 Project: #1/50 (by Cheshire photographer Jane Burkinshaw)

Day 1. Seedheads

50 days with a 50mm lens
Technical data: Canon 350D, 1/500, f/1.8, ISO 200 and manual exposure.

I really enjoyed taking the 350D out today - it felt like a little compact compared to the 5D mk II that I've been lugging around lately. And of course the 50mm f/1.8 mk II lens is very light too.

This was taken whilst we were out walking the dog at an area known locally as the Flashes and we chose a route along the river Weaver. I was spoilt for choice really but settled on this image because it was "cleaner" than some of the others - less clutter from stray grasses and leaves in the background and a nice contrast between the lighter seed heads and the darker background of ferns.

F/1.8 is a very shallow depth of field (most of the image is soft focus apart from the small focal area) but it does allow a faster shutter speed. I had to be really careful about picking the point of focus out and also waiting for the plant to stop swaying in the breeze.

I did a little processing afterwards to slightly emphasise the contrast between the foreground subject and the darker background.

By Jane Burkinshaw. Share this post by clicking on one of the Share buttons on the right hand side. I'd love to hear your comments too!

In the bleak mid winter

Click to enlarge

Well, not really but the black and white images kind of suited the title! In the last few days I've been walking Ferb at the "Flashes" as they're known locally. This is shortened from the Ashton's and Neumann's Flashes, an area of reclaimed land that was heavily mined in the 18th and 19th centuries leading to serious subsidence, forming craters and the creation of lakes where the River Weaver flowed into them. Today it's a rather unique site where some seaside plants thrive due to the high salt levels and it's rich with birdlife, butterflies and dragonflies. There are several circular walks that link to the wider Northwich Woodlands and it's easy to walk to Marbury Park and the Anderton Boat Lift. From most points you are reminded of the industrial heritage of Northwich by the dramatic factories on the horizon with  pipes and chimneys pumping out steam.

As you can imagine it's a great place to walk, with a multitude of circular routes to choose from and real variety of scenery - woodland, canals, lakes, meadows and rivers. And of course it presents tons of lovely photographic opportunities. During today's walk we met many other dog walkers but also lots of people out and about with their cameras attracted by fresh snowfall, clear blue skies and the threat of a thaw within 24 hours.

I didn't end up taking many photos, as I was simply enjoying the walk, watching Ferb's highly comical run - his back legs seem so much longer than the front ones and he lollops clumsily along but somehow at high speed. When I got back and looked at my shots I decided to have a go at thinking square again - admittedly I didn't shoot them with this intention but I'll allow it as another useful exercise. (If you don't know what on earth I'm talking about you need to look back at my last two posts).

I thought the images looked a bit flat and monotone so I experimented with some black and white conversion as well as the square cropping. I like the results but am not blown away. Looking forward to more walks over the coming weeks and more photo opportunities.

I've written about the Northwich Flashes before - I was shocked to see it was 4 years ago almost to the day. Click here to read what I thought back then - apologies that the pictures aren't there - I think Blogger ate them as I couldn't have deleted them as I wouldn't even know where they go I've posted them! I'm going to root out some photos I've taken in the last 4 years and post them.

By Jane Burkinshaw. Share this post by clicking on one of the Share buttons on the right hand side. I'd love to hear your comments too!

Northwich Woodlands

This is definitely becoming my favourite place to walk the dog. I know I've gone on about it before but it really does offer such variety of scenery & wildlife & it's so accessible - free parking unless you start out at Marbury Park or the Anderton Boat Lift. I usually set off from Witton car park behind the tip - sounds lovely I know - or at the layby with the bacon van. The advantage of the latter is having a hot bacon & egg butty at either end of the walk (but not both!). Daisy is well known there now & has her usual order of crispy bacon fat. I've been to the Woodlands 3 or 4 times in the last week & can really see signs that Spring is just around the corner. Even today with an arctic wind blasting us, the sun was warm on our faces & many of the trees are sprouting fat buds. The water in the Flashes was a milky turquoise colour today, caused probably by the lime beds, but it's quite rare to see it such a vivid shade.

Another favourite section of the Woodland for me is the Anderton Nature Park. I usually approach it from Witton Mill, along the river Weaver. The sandy (slightly muddy at the moment) path snakes through the woodland & then alongside the river. The kids love this path with its steps down to landing stages for the anglers & the little bridges, which are fun on foot & hilarious on bikes. I can't wait to go again on a warm Summer's day when there'll be butterflies & dragonflies darting around. This last week I've made do with the occasional glimpse of a heron & the clarity of view that crisp, clear blue skies, low light and cold air combine to make. The Anderton Boat Lift and the Northwich Saltmine industrial buildings stand out in stark but beautiful contrast in this landscape. I don't think my photos do it full justice - they are quick snaps with dog in tow, but I have resolved to use the area as a location for some photo shoots as it is so rich in interesting backdrops & there's plenty to keep the kids interested.

By Jane Burkinshaw. Share this post by clicking on one of the Share buttons on the right hand side. I'd love to hear your comments too!