The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

A Few Autumn Photos

When I got up this morning I couldn't help but notice it was damp, cold and foggy outside.

The damp and cold bit is very unappealing, but fog… well, fog is a different matter when you’re a photographer – it does strange things to the light, and photography is all about light.

After breakfast, the fog was still there, so I stepped out of the house and looked down the street and what grabbed me the most was the chimney pots and rooftops disappearing into the gloom.



But then I started thinking about the combination of fog and water – something I’ve played about with before (see A Foggy January Afternoon). And as I wasn’t photographing any faces today, I thought I’d wander down to Carlingwark Loch at the bottom of the town.

I took a few shots of ducks and a swan on the loch disappearing into the fog,




but wildlife photography is not my strong point. I only ever seem to catch the animals as they are moving away from me, so I decided to look for interesting shapes instead.

Reeds coming out the water are an old favourite, as on a misty day it’s never always that obvious where the water begins – you have to study the reflections to work it out.



Then I noticed some of the long grasses had water droplets hanging like tiny jewels, while delicate threads of web caught the light at certain angles.

I opened the aperture as wide as I could (f/2.8 for those who wonder about these things), which has the effect of making the background far more blurred, and thus makes the main subject leap out.





Heading back along the path I became aware of droplets hanging off twigs and rosehips too





In the afternoon the fog cleared and the sun came out. I took the camera out into the garden and took some photos of the autumn leaves in the sunlight against the bright blue sky, just because the colour combination is really quite wonderful.



As portraits are my thing I sometimes forget there are plenty of things other than faces to photograph. And while my passion is still very much photographing people, there are times when it's quite fun to just go out and look for lines, shapes and colours.

As always, feel free to click on any of the images for slightly larger versions.


12 comments

Unknown said...

You truly have an eye for making the ordinary, extraordinary. For leaving the beholder with a sense of having been right there is the center of all the beauty.

hope said...

I love "water drops and webs"!

You have such a good eye..thanks for sharing with us!

savannah said...

i love seeing things through your eyes, sugar! as carole just said, i felt as if i were right there. xoxoxox

mapstew said...

Nice. I really like the reflections,must give it a shot. (Ha! See what I did......,I'll get me coat.) :¬)

debra said...

I generally read posts through my reader, and as I was scrolling and skimming, I came across these photos.
I knew they were yours, quiet, sensitive shots, capturing the moments where shadow meets light. Thank you for these, Kim.

Anonymous said...

These are beautiful.

Scotsman said...

Fog. I miss the fog, don't get much of it in Utah. Pollution yes, lots of that in Salt Lake Valley, but that doesn't quite have the same effect. Strange thing, I even miss the dampness never thought I'd say that when I was getting so thoroughly fed up working in Scottish rain. The cold though you can keep.

Pat said...

The reeds are beautiful.
Are you too young to remember the killer smog?

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Such beautiful details. I love stopping to examine details, I think if more people stopped to look at the details around them, they'd be happier. I think.

I've never experienced autumn, but it sounds romantic to me.

Killer smog? :-O

Kim Ayres said...

Carole - thank you - mostly it's just about isolating small bits that you wouldn't normally look at without all the other bits being there - like a single twig, or rosehip, or strand of web. Photography is not just about what is there - so much is about what you leave out :)

Hope - thank you :)

Savannah - if you ever get to Scotland you will be :)

Mapstew - :)

Debra - thank you for your kind words :)

Allen - thanks :)

Scotsman - People who live in semi-desert environments often seem to like the idea of the dampness of Scotland. But I think if you came back here you'd enjoy it for a day and then start yearning for the sun again :)

Pat - I know of the smog, but it was before my time - also I never lived in London.

GG - The best palce to go for autumn is Canada where half the country turns red with the changing leaves.

As for Killer Smog - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Smog

Anonymous said...

Holy smokes, these are beyond AWESOME!!!!!!! You never cease to impress me!!!!!! :)

Kim Ayres said...

You are always so good for my ego, Conny :)

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