Diamonds and setts

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder - and though a humble manhole cover may not be the most obviously photogenic feature on a Saltaire street, nevertheless, nestled among the granite setts I find it has a certain attractiveness.

Picture window

I regularly pass by this house in Saltaire.  It is now an office and they leave the lights on in just one room at night.  The room has a beautiful turquoise wall and the whole window glows a beautiful blue at night.  (The wall used to be an orangey-coral and that gave a lovely warm glow, but I do rather like the blue.)  I've faffed about with this photo a bit in Photoshop, just to make it a bit more arty.  I can't now remember every step I took but it included getting rid of some tree branches that overlapped the window and spoiled the symmetry, tweaking the hue and saturation a bit and adding a soupçon of poster edges.

One thing that T Becque and I seem to have in common is that we're drawn to windows and doors and generally to shapes in buildings.  She makes some wonderful images in her part of the world, Tucson, Arizona, including some great pictures with a Holga camera.  If you don't know her blog Thoughts in Images, go there now!!

Virgin snow

I'm getting bored with 'ordinary' snow pictures.  (Oh dear, that could be difficult if the winter carries on as it has begun.)  For the sake of something a bit different, I started playing with this image - gave it the mono treatment, a minor crop and a bit of experimenting with blending modes.  Can anyone guess where I might have taken it?

Onwards & upwards

For many years, passengers negotiated the complicated triangular layout of Shipley railway station by a series of underpasses - indeed, you still can.  But quite recently, I suspect for health & safety reasons, they have built a new footbridge over one of the lines and installed passenger lifts too.  I'm pleased, because it's quite an isolated place, especially in the evenings when it's dark, and I never really liked the tunnels.

Perhaps I was bored waiting for a train or perhaps something about the lines and shadows here appealed to my subconscious.  At any rate, I took a couple of photos before my train arrived.

(Only THREE days left for voting in the 'Yorkshire Landscapes' Competition.  I've got photos into the last 100 and would love to make the final shortlist.  The competition is strong.  If you haven't already voted, please do! For more details, see my post last Saturday or click here to vote.)

Fun Friday

I've noticed some bloggers have a Fun/Phun Friday spot - thinking outside the box and trying something new.  So... I've been having fun with these railings outside Salts Mill.  I have walked past them, down Victoria Road, a million times and never stopped to notice the strong shadows they cast.  Playing a bit and trying a different 'Blending Mode' (Vivid Light) in Photoshop brought out colours that were not noticeable in the original but must have been lurking there.  Not the type of photo I generally post, but 'fun' for a change.

Shadows

Another Victoria Mills image, one of the original fire escapes on the old building.

The Numbers Game

I've been meaning to do this for ages - and today was the day... I wanted to go out, but I had no clear idea where to go or what to do. So I wandered around Saltaire with my camera and started snapping numbers - mostly house numbers, one on a wheelie bin! One on a road sign. The more I looked, the more I saw. And I think they make an interesting collage. It's only when you start really noticing people's front doors that you realise what an impact a smart, clean, well thought-out entrance does for a house. I came back and looked at mine... I think I have work to do!

Incidentally, when the village was originally built (1854-1868), each house had a black and white number painted by the door on the stonework - like the number 19 above. That original number is still visible on most of the houses, but many now have more modern numbers on the door or on the wall as well.

Rusty..

There is something that fascinates me about locks and lock gates - the old weathered wood and the complex variety of metal plates, cogs and levers. I liked the pattern of the creeping rust on this plate and bolt at Hirst Lock.

(This photo seemed to need 'something' so I have tried a different framing style on it - with thanks to Scott at his brilliant blog for the idea and explanation. I don't think I've done it as well as he does, but it makes a change and is all part of my rapid learning curve. I love it that bloggers are so ready to share their techniques so we can all learn and develop. Thanks Scott! - and all my other lovely blog friends, from whom I learn so much.)