Michael Hilton

Sometimes the landscape takes on an almost abstract quality, helped by the early-morning mists.  I guess this is an example of ‘less is more’?  The 200mm lens helped to find and isolate uncluttered parts of the scene.

A recent post was the bridge at Queensferry.  I’m pleased that this picture has now been accepted for the 156th Edinburgh International Exhibition of Photography.  A very difficult photographic exhibition to be accepted for (I should know – I’ve only had one picture accepted previously).

I stuck with the title ‘The Bridge’ for the competition; calling it the Queensferry Bridge might have confused Edinburgh folks as they have their own Queensferry Bridge, which looks a little like an enlarged version of the new Queensferry Bridge, aka the Flintshire Bridge, over the Dee.

And now at the opposite end of the day, i.e. before sunrise, some more interesting light.

Sometimes it’s even better after sunset.  As long as there’s a bit of light in the skies.  And water helps to reflect the dying light.

The orange sun just managed to shine through below the clouds before sunset to light up the blue tones of the bridge over the River Dee at Queensferry.

Most of the pictures I made here involved standing in the centre road but this viewpoint is from the side, so there was more time to compose it carefully.

The interesting curves of the bridge are I hope enhanced by the camera movement during the exposure. This is the 120 year old Jubilee Bridge, not the more recent Flintshire Bridge.

It was very snowy last week; there was a cloudy (& still snowing) day followed by a sunny day.  The cloudy day suited the landscape better than the sunny day I think.  The sheep here have organised themselves into photogenic groups and lines, and the two at the end looking back at the others could not have been placed better if they’s been Photoshopped in (they weren’t).

In this small version you can’t see the snow falling; in a large size print it is clearer and adds to the atmosphere.  The print version is also darker but I have brightened this on-screen version as it’s otherwise look too dull against a bright white computer/tablet screen.

This morning might have been a great sunrise, at a civilised time, but was rather grey instead.  But is suited this picture of a flooded field perfectly.

You can’t beat a good waterfall as the subject for a beautiful landscape.  And the autumn leaves cover up a lot of the usually-distracting riverbank, rather like snow might to in mid-winter.  This is Plas Power near Wrexham, an easy-to-reach destination.

Autumn’s a great time to make colourful and beautiful images, but here are three more impressionistic pictures; all were created simply by waving the camera about during the exposure.

If your picture is only going to be viewed for a fraction of a second you need “impact” – and this picture certainly has it.