Wind blown trees, Dundas
December 2025 - Winter comes
Last month saw the end of the autumn colours and the first snows of winter. I managed some shots of the final remaining golden leaves on the Water of Leith and at Dundas before they fell away. The Water of Leith images featured amazing colours reflected in the river on a cold, bright autumnal afternoon to give a creative, abstract feel to the scene. Meanwhile, I used a slow shutter speed to photograph birch trees on Dundas swaying in the breeze to give a ‘swooshy’ impression of branches blowing in the wind.
Another visit to the Water of Leith allowed me to spend time with a dipper that took a rest from feeding and stood fairly motionless on a stone in the river. I managed to capture an image using a slow shutter speed which smoothed out the water to make the bird stand out nicely.
As part of a larger group, I also made my annual visit to an island in the Firth of Forth to assist with the counting of grey seal pups. The cows come ashore during the late autumn in order to give birth and to mate again with the bulls. This year’s numbers seem to be comparable to previous years and the seals appear to be doing well. There is always a bit of time left at the end of the count for a bit of photography and it was fun bagging a few close-up images of the pups using the 500mm lens alongside a converter (which increased the magnification to 700mm).
I must give a quick thank you to Queens Park Camera Club who made me feel most welcome last month when I gave them a presentation about my journey exploring abstract photography. A full house of interested members made for a very enjoyable evening and it was great to see the club thriving.
With frost and snow having arrived, thoughts turn towards the festive season. The big, rotating wheel is up in Edinburgh, the Christmas market is open and the tourists are beginning to gather. It is always such a wonderful and colourful time of year which brings the best out of people. So all that remains for me now is to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
December 2025 - Winter comes
Last month saw the end of the autumn colours and the first snows of winter. I managed some shots of the final remaining golden leaves on the Water of Leith and at Dundas before they fell away. The Water of Leith images featured amazing colours reflected in the river on a cold, bright autumnal afternoon to give a creative, abstract feel to the scene. Meanwhile, I used a slow shutter speed to photograph birch trees on Dundas swaying in the breeze to give a ‘swooshy’ impression of branches blowing in the wind.
Another visit to the Water of Leith allowed me to spend time with a dipper that took a rest from feeding and stood fairly motionless on a stone in the river. I managed to capture an image using a slow shutter speed which smoothed out the water to make the bird stand out nicely.
As part of a larger group, I also made my annual visit to an island in the Firth of Forth to assist with the counting of grey seal pups. The cows come ashore during the late autumn in order to give birth and to mate again with the bulls. This year’s numbers seem to be comparable to previous years and the seals appear to be doing well. There is always a bit of time left at the end of the count for a bit of photography and it was fun bagging a few close-up images of the pups using the 500mm lens alongside a converter (which increased the magnification to 700mm).
I must give a quick thank you to Queens Park Camera Club who made me feel most welcome last month when I gave them a presentation about my journey exploring abstract photography. A full house of interested members made for a very enjoyable evening and it was great to see the club thriving.
With frost and snow having arrived, thoughts turn towards the festive season. The big, rotating wheel is up in Edinburgh, the Christmas market is open and the tourists are beginning to gather. It is always such a wonderful and colourful time of year which brings the best out of people. So all that remains for me now is to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
