Ways of Old (View Large)

The weather forcast was "light mist" for this part of North Wales so I

thought I'd take a look, within 5 minutes of arriving the mist got so

thick that there was very little left to see, so I took a shot of the stye

which was still visible. Your thoughts and comments are always

appreciated. Thank You.

I thought this IS light mist for you guys ;-).  Moody, timeless, with this old fence crossing just begging to tell many old stories of the farmers who work this land.  I love the clarity of the foreground and the fence leading us to the lonely tree beyond.  Good stuff...  Mike

The disappearing fence and path way gives this image a mysterious melancholy feeling. Great shot. Regards, Bob.

For some reason you get more than your share of these timeless, magical moments. I'm pretty sure it's not just serendipity but more a case of getting up at an ungodly hour and trading sleep time for those fleeting moments of morning serenity when day first opens its eyes. Anyway, another splendid piece of photography, Alf.

A very nicely composed result with beautiful lighting, Alf!

 

The dream-like atmosphere is palpable. Can almost see the tall grasses moving gently.  Another very pleasing shot, Alf.  ~~~~~L

Another excellent job of capturing the mood for us viewers!

Alf, great shot.  I love the muted colors and the way the fenceline and the background drift off to infinity.  Nice colors and textures in the foreground. 

Hi Alf,

  Breathtaking scene with beautiful colors, details & magical mood.  Take care, Patsy

Hi Alf,

My only improvement here would to have your use your camera/lens hand held my friend !!!!!! For a better challenge, try ISO 100 at 1/30 second with the 24 mm.....still trivial for me !!!

Great presentation.

Best Regards, Mike

Another piece of dreamy work.  The mist is perfect for this scene, really great stuff in the image, mentioned by many others.  Little more that I can add. Thank you for sharing.  Best regards...

 

-Dave

Fantastic transitions in the photograph. Fantastic work, Alf!

I won't comment on that little Uruguayan...but I hope Wenger puts a muzzle on him if he shows up at the Emirates. Boy, I bet Moyes thinks he died and went to heaven, now he wants Cesc! Dream on Moyesy. 

Hi Alf,

Another lovely capture in a different way and I really like your title for it! This could be the same scene from 100 years ago. Great atmosphere and the mist is so well captured. Best wishes. Sarah.

I could just say, "Ditto all of the previous comments."  But that would be to do a serious injustice to this gorgeous image.

There are descriptions that clearly fit this photograph - delicate, peaceful, moody, melancholy, etc.  I would add . . . thought-provoking and inspirational.  The obvious advantage of a gray day is the muting of colors, and you certainly have made this one of the key elements here. 

The mist (whether light or otherwise) appears to have a life of its own.  It shrouds  the landscape in mystery.  Aside from softening the environment as a whole, it has the effect of softening the hardships that human life entails.

Maybe a wealthy patron might be willing to foot the bill for me to travel to your part of the world to try my hand at shooting in such magnificent locales.  In the meantime, I am more than content to keep viewing your work.  You are my travel agent.

My best always,

michael

Well it really did get worse!  I had walked about 20 yards and coudn't see back to where I started from. What really puzzled me was that the wind was blowing, yet the mist didn't budge and amongst it all I was still being eaten by midges.....Wales can be a strange place.....beautiful...but strange : - )

I'm glad you picked up on the timeless kind of look, it struck me as being the land that time forgot.

Cheers Mike! I appreciate your thoughtful imput.

 

Alf

 

BOB

 

Many Thanks

It wasn't long before everything started dissapearing! In the mist that is.

But along came a fly fisherman and started fishing in the mist........He kindly gave me permission and I took a few shots of him fishing, which are now dislpayed on his fishing clubs web site. I must try and remember to post one on here for all those fishing enthusiasts!

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

JACK

 

I must admit I am most fortunate, but it is my least favourite time of year right now and misty foggy conditions are now very rare. Instead we seem to be having cursed perpetual sunlight, and of course everyone looks at me in a very odd way when I wish for autumn and winter.

"Trading sleep time".......yeah, good trade though....I mean who really wants to sleep when theres "magical moments" to witness, and sometimes I get to photograph them too!

But I'll come clean about this one...........it was evening and  I had seen the weather forecast predicting "light mist" so after dinner I drove for two hours and arrived in time to watch the mist descend from the mountains ....sheer bliss.........apart from the blood sucking insects which apart from eating me alive, threatened to invade the inside of my camera every time I changed lenses.

Sincere Thanks for your thoughts and kind words Jack.

 

Alf

 

RUUD

 

Many Thanks for your interest and feedback!

 

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

LINDA

 

Many thanks for your thoughtful feedback.

These places fascinate me,  they always look like they haven't changed in a thousand years.

 

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

DOUG

Sincere Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback.

Its fair to say that the mood and atmosphere is always intensified with the presence of mist.

Best Regards

Alf

 

CHARLES

It took me a while to position myself for this shot as I was perched on the edge of a steep slope..........but it was the only way I could get the tree in the background lined up with the fence.  I find that something in the distance that allows a measure of the intensity of the fog, kind of enhances an image.

Sincere Thanks

 

Alf

 

PATSY

 

Many Thanks for your thoughts and kind words.

It was kind of magical!

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

MIKE P

Its all those years I spent on a chain gang using pneumatic tools, my hands never stopped shaking : - )

For that kind of shutter speed I'd need the camera glued to a rock!

Many thanks my friend!

 

Alf

 

DAVE

 

Always good to hear from you!  I was very grateful for the mist on this ocassion simply because the wind did not drop as predicted. I was aiming to do get some reflections but it was not to be. The mist gave me a chance to try and convey the atmophere of the location.

Sincere Thanks

 

Alf

 

DROR

Thank you so much!  You know how much I value your judgement.

A muzzle .......if he isn't biting someone he's just as dangerous talking so I think nothing short of having his jaw wired up would suffice!

Cesc is going no where......still not sure about Rooney though ......he ain't a happy bunny playing second fiddle to RVP!

Cheers Mate!

 

Alf

 

SARAH

 

You are so right, and thats exactly what I was thinking.......a hundred years ago....maybe even a thousand..........the terrain does appear to be timeless.

Sincere Thanks

 

Alf

 

MICHAEL

"Ditto" would also be a serious injustice to your thoughtful study and evaluation.

I am so glad you see the up side of the gray atmosphere and consequential muted colours. 

I have not ventured out with my camera now for three consecutive weeks (I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms) mostly because of the seemingly perpetual bright sunlight that has descended over the UK. And so I pray for autumn and winter and the short days where I can find longer hours of "good light"

I truly hope that one day you will make it to this little island, but don't come in the middle of summer, not only is the light too bright, but in locations such as this, you get eaten by tiny things called "Midges" . Not content with sucking your blood, they make you itchy for days after.  Sometimes its worth it though : - )

Sincere Thanks Michael your imput is invaluable!

 

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Midges', never heard of them!! ( I just read about them online-I thought Mosquitoes were bad enough!!! We also must be very careful of Ticks if you go into very long grasses. I just talked to my cousin the other day and a few of her children and friends have had trouble with ticks and Lyme Disease). BUT your bravery paid off again Alf! I find the fence so interesting, especially with that bit of a step-ladder on the left. I like how the fence line goes right into the water. I think you captured this one at an opportune time. The countryside is so Pastoral looking. Is that a dog on the rock to the left??? So serene and calming.

thank you for another lovely view of North Wales Alf. Warmest regards, Gail

You must think me 'daft'!!!! I just looked at your next image, and have now figured out what a STYE is, (also researched it!!). So that cute little Step Ladder is really a STYE..... ;-) I have never heard of them before.

Your timing was perfect. I can almost smell the mist. Very pleasing composition and perfectly executed exposure.

It is me who is  "Daft"  I either had a temporary mental blockage or my fingers had a mind of their own when I was typing.  The "Stye" that I referred to is in fact a "Stile" Yes the ladder like contraption for crossing walls and fences is a Stile. My humble apologies!

There is a nursery rhyme that dates back to the 1840's that mentions a Stile

"There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile.

 

He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile.

 

He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse.

 

And they all lived together in a little crooked house."

 

But I digress........as usual : - )

 

The dog looking animal on the rock to the left is in fact a sheep surveying its territory, either that or it was lost in the fog like me : - )

And as for the midges........arghhh the scourge of the landscape photographer and camper in the summer. They don't actually bite the skin, they have a tiny pair of shear like cutters that they use to snip the skin and then they drink from the tiny pool of blood that emerges. Nasty little blighters!

Thank you so much for your interest and sharing your thoughts Gail.

You managed to raise a big smile from a grumpy old man: - )

 

Warmest Regards

 

Alf

 

MICHAEL R

 

Thank you so much! 

The fog was so thick at times I couldn't even see the path!  I took the opportunity to take this shot as the fog shifted.

 

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

 

 

 

Great mood shot, Alf.  I keep looking for "Nessie"  (or one of her kin) to appear in the fog.

You won't find "Nessie" in North Wales, but I can why you would mistake this scene for the Scottish Highlands, it has the very typical "Scotch Mist"  look.

There was a few trout about though! : - )

Many Thanks for your interest and kind words Jerry!

 

Alf

Alf, because of the mist, the ladder feels prominent, and I think of Jacob's ladder connecting heaven and Earth.  It also brings to mind a lot of folklore and tales of schlemiels.  The light and mist is delicate and pretty, such a lovely foil.  A lovely scene

I really like the analogy of "Jacobs Ladder" connecting heaven and earth, people from Wales will often refer to their homeland as "Gods Country" and I have to admit it is heavenly in most parts.

I didn't really understand your reference to "schlemiels" I tried to look it up, but there seemed to be a variety of explanations from "God well being"  to "bungling fool"

I love the softness and muted colours that the mist brings to a scene too.

Sincere Thanks for your thoughtful review and kind words.

 

Alf

 

A beautiful photo, Alf - so tranquil and perfectly (naturally) composed.

I very much like the way the soft muted colors of the grass work against the bluish grey of the BG beyond.

The little ladder - a touch of human element - provides an interesting focal point, as well as a pleasing triangular shape, which seems to be repeated by the water flow in your composition.

Hope you're enjoying your summer so far, Alf.   best to you, M

Good to hear from you! I hope you are enjoying your summer also.

Its a hot one over here in the UK, too hot for me, but it has rained today and hopefully the humidity will subside.

For the landscape photographer the summer means too bright days and stinging insects, and the quiet places that are usully devoid of humans being overun by them........oh please hurry up autumn!  : - )

 

This one was taken on a summers evening and despite the fog, the midges were still biting!

The little ladder you refer to is known as a "Stile" they are quite common over here, but vary in shape from a singe step arrangement to this type of ladder.

Sincere Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback Marjolein.

 

Warm Regards

 

Alf