Life in Black and White

 “When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and White you photograph their souls” Ted Grant

We had a few days away over the Bank Holiday weekend near Stirling.  On Sunday we went to Loch Katrine, it was the most glorious day, definitely showing Scotland at it's best.  We walked out a couple of miles to the Brenachoile view point, where this photograph was taken,  before returning to take a two hour cruise on the Loch.  I'll post more about that as the week progresses.

I didn't like the simple black and white conversion so used the Sumi-e filter in Photoshop to create more definition.  I do love black and white portraits but they seem to work better when taken in black and white rather than converted.

Thanks to Lynne for the Lucky Snapping in 2013 challenge.

How things change - Lucky Snapping

We are on holiday spending most of our time close to home.  Yesterday we decided that, as the weather was dry, we would climb up a local hill to a view point called Joe Graham's Monument.  Joe Graham was a local huntsman and I always thought the monument was constructed because he had been killed during a hunt.  However, on doing a bit of research I discovered that this was far from the truth.  The inscription on the monument reads, "In Memory of Joe Graham for many years huntsman of the Dumfriesshire fox hounds who died in 1893 at the age of 80 and now he has gone far far away we shall never hear his voice in the morning".

Here is the monument as it looked yesterday.

Me at the monument yesterday

And here I am in 1980 which was the last time I made it up to the top!  

And here is Brian yesterday...

and in December 1978, on seeing this he said "how on earth did I get up there?"

And that is why I thought these photographs would be ideal for 'How things change!'

Another look at the view of the valley from the hill.

Here is another thing that has changed, Brian snapped this picture of me sharing the Instagram photo at the beginning of this post, to Facebook and Twitter. I was surprised to get a 3G signal up there! 

Linking up to Fiona's Fab First Fridays

Lucky Snapping prompts - Drink and Book

Drink

Now I could have shown you a cup of tea or coffee, a glass of water or juice.  I nearly took a photo of the pack of water bottles, but somehow I think you have come to expect me to be drinking wine!  This is our wine rack, we tend to buy our wine online and have it delivered which is why there is quite so much!  That's my excuse anyway.

Book

This was well timed!  I have been reviewing this book on a page I have on Facebook to share the books I'm reading.  Here is what the blurb on the back of the book says about THE WITNESS by Nora Roberts: 

"Abigail Lowery has a dark and terrifying secret. Aged just sixteen, she witnessed a shocking mafia murder. Narrowly escaping with her life, she was forced to leave her old identity, even her real name, behind for good.

Fifteen years later Abigail is still hiding from the world, a semi-recluse in the quiet, rural town of Bickford, Arkansas. She has convinced herself that this is all she needs: peace, safety...and her guard dog Bert.

But Brooks Gleason, the local chief of police, has other ideas. Abigail intrigues him, and he'd like nothing better than to break through the walls she has built around herself. His persistence and detrmination to uncover the truth is unsettling, exciting and dnagerous One way or another, it will change both their lives for ever."

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a thriller and a love story, the characters are recognisable if a little 'small town' stereptypical. However, you soon come to really care about what happens to them all. It's cleverly written because the suspense is underplayed, making it even more tense. There are also a number of sub-plots which run through the book giving a little colour and some light relief from the tension of the main story.

The suspense builds right to the end, keeping you guessing the outcome right to the last few pages. I didn't get it finished last night and had to bring it down to breakfast to find out what finally happened!

Green-Time-Stone

I'm cheating slightly, but I thought better to post something than nothing at all!  Lucky Snapping is back with some daily prompts, I posted my VIEW on Monday but haven't managed another post till tonight.  I still haven't got out and taken any daily photos but thought I'd share a few of the pictures from our visit to the 'Potfest in the Park' at Hutton in the Forest, Cumbria last month.

Green

The gardens at Hutton in the Forest are delightful, a lovely walled garden full of borders packed with flowers and laden fruit trees.  This is the greenest of the photos with those amazing architectural alliums.

Time

This is a view of the house, just as the sky started to clear (it had rained hard overnight and first thing in the morning) You can see a bit of the tents where the pottery stalls were housed.  As it is old, I thought that time was quite appropriate.

Stone?  Not quite, Pottery!

More cheating, but I thought you would enjoy seeing this piece of pottery which was entered for the competition that is held alongside the sales tents.  We really love this surfer and her dog!

Lucky Snapping Daily Prompt - Weather!

It's been raining steadily all morning, it eased off a bit and I was outside picking some of the wet and drooping roses so thought I'd take a pic of the Nasturtiums, soaked and dripping.  The forecast last night had us in for much worse with flash floods but that doesn't seem to have happened, fortunately. 

What's the weather like with you?

The View - August 2013

Although I haven't been keeping up with Lucky Snapping in 2013 very well.  I do try not to miss out on 'The View' at the beginning of every month.  After some of the best summer days we have had for the last three years, August has begun with some rather mixed weather. Torrential rain, humid air followed by spells of sunshine with a strong breeze. 

 

My tubs and pots are in full flower now, the pink scabious has been excellent, with a long flowering season. The perlagonium has finally bloomed with two tone flowers and the mixed tubs are overflowing with colour.  My herbs have also flourished.

I am hoping we get a few more weeks of warm weather to warm our bones and top up the vitamin D levels to get us through the winter.  This summer has made me realise just how much I have missed warm summer days and just how good they make me feel.