Dandelion – David M's photoblog

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Delicate.

21/05/2019 David M16 Comments

My contribution to the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge Delicate.

I had a few ideas for the challenge before deciding to go with a variety of images that I would describe as delicate in some way. Two of the shots are from the 52 week photo project that I did last year while another dates back to 1987.

A young Ruby-throated Hummingbird in flight.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird juvenile.

The ghost of a Maple leaf on snow.

ghost Maple leaf.

An adult Eurasian Blue Tit feeding recently hatched young.

Feeding the young.

Detail of some Foxtail Barley seed heads.

Foxtail Barley seed heads.

Dandelion seed head.

Remains of a seed head in winter.

Simply a seed head.

Wildlife Garden.

13/05/2019 David M2 Comments

The new Cosmic Photo Challenge is How Does Your Garden Grow.

When I was living in a rural part of Cheshire, England I turned a corner of the garden into a wildlife garden. It became a wildflower meadow and somewhere to photograph plants, insects and birds. I didn’t have to drive anywhere and could set up a hide anywhere for as long as I wanted.

A Dandelion seed head (clock) growing in the meadow.

Dandelion seed head.

This male Common Pheasant in hoarfrost one winter morning was a fairly regular visitor at certain times of the year.

Frosted Pheasant

This pair of Soldier Beetles are mating on Ragwort flowers.

Soldier Beetles mating on Ragwort flowers.

This male Eurasian Bullfinch liked the fresh grass seed heads.

Male Eurasian Bullfinch.

One of the plant species growing in the meadow.

Hardheads.

There was Teasels growing along the edge of the meadow to attract European Goldfinches.

Goldfinch feeding on Teasel.

I picked up the windfall apples from under the trees in the vegetable garden and put them in the grass on the meadow for birds such as this Common Starling.

European Starling in winter.

A dream of time.

16/07/2018 David M5 Comments

This week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge is ‘Pieces of a dream…in black and white’

Having been shooting in fog this weekend when most of the shots were monochromatic I was considering a dreamy fog or mist shot. Then I spotted a partially wind blown Dandelion clock and was struck by the symbolism of it.

So a monochrome conversion to which I added some radial blur and a vignette to focus attention on the center of the clock. This isn’t the Dandelion clock that inspired me, that was all clumped together by the rain and fog. This started out as a film shot from Cheshire in the 1980s.