drhook

A golden sunrise on the river Charente, in SW France, blossoms behind trees along the bank. The river swirls and coils in the cold dawn air, while the warmer water offers mist to the emerging day. Cows can be seen behind the trees, getting to their knees and flexing their legs for a day of pasture. It'll be hot later....High above a pattern of contrails indicates where passengers on planes are enjoying breakfast at 36,000 feet, oblivious from their vantage point to the glory unfolding below. Lots of orange, yellow, pinks and fading blue colours in this one. Photo taken at Port D'Envaux, close to Saintes.

A GOLDEN DAWN
Autumn weather and changing temperatures lead to some amazing sunrises on the river Charente at this time of year.

My apologies for my absence on here, life has led me elsewhere for a while. All is good, though 😁. More details in ALT text.
#Charentemaritime #sunrise #charente #france

A photograph of a sunset at the end of a very long stretch of road that runs through the Marais de Brouage, a part-tidal marsh that lies between St Jean d'Angle and Saint-Just-Luzac in the Charente Maritime. Poplars lean to windward along the southern side of the road, a testament to the breeze that sweeps in unceasingly from the sea, several kilometers to the north-east. The marsh has been worked since pre-historic times for salt, and then later for aquaculture and agriculture. Romans, Moors, English corsairs and Germans have all ruled here, and the egret, frog, stork and grass snake have looked on with disdain throughout every occupation. It's a long road, and when the traffic is absent, coypu scurry across it and the call of lapwings can be heard faintly in the distance. Halfway across there is a memorial to Resistance fighters, killed in a firefight as they raced to secure supplies dropped by the RAF many years ago. Doubtless under the mud across the marsh lie other stories, where swords and shields lie dormant since they were first laid to rest. There are the bones of boats here too, ribs and keels half exposed on the biggest of tides, decaying relics anxious to tell their story too before time returns it all to some other state which will never talk again.

CHASING THE SUN
The road runs straight as a ruler for nearly six kilometers across the Marais de Brouage between St Jean d'Angle and Saint-Just-Luzac. This snapshot through the windscreen is one of my favourite views. Beware of coypu - this introduced resident runs very slowly across the road!

A close up of a large white butterfly feeding on purple verbena. The background is out of focus, emphasising the single insect on its plant.

GREAT WHITE
Not many brassicae in our garden for this white to feed on, so a quick rest on some verbena obviously fitted the moment more. Just another couple of months and we should be seeing them again...
#charentemaritime #butterfly #nature #garden #macrophotography #largewhite #insects

Yep, I hear you. I have a 45-175 (9o-35omm equivalent) that I often use for that reason. It's funny how some seem so surprised to find so much at their feet. 😄

This is unfair to clowns.

When we are all huddled together amongst the roots of the midnight tree, listening to the four horsemen riding by, the ultimate blame will be with us - for we have good men and women who could govern and lead, and we never put them in that greatest place of power.

Ah, we obviously both like the same thing....now I see

Hah, yes, I do a lot of that with moss, for example. I don't know what you shoot, but on m4/3 a wide-angle lens with an achromat is great for that.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you! I find the tiny details in life can throw the most beautiful of landscapes...

A black and white photograph of a 12th century church and its presbytery, situated behind a long stone wall, probably dating from the same era. This enclave is in the countryside east of Saintes, the ancient provincial capital of the Charente Maritime. It is winter, and the buildings are behind the bare branches of some trees, revealed in their silhouette by the season's changing hours. The doors of this church are often open, and it is a magical space to visit and spend time in reflection.

A FEUDAL AFFAIR
Behind this wall on the right is the church of Saint-Saturnin de Séchaud; on its right is its presbytery. All three buildings date from the 12th century. The church's doors are often open; it's a wonderful calm space to stop and visit.
#charentemaritime #saintsaturnin #churches

A photo of an old multi-coloured fishing hut made of aging corrugated steel, reflected in the still waters of the river Charente. To one side, two walkers stand gazing across the river, as though wondering what is on the other side. They too have colourful reflections in the water.

"I THINK IT'S GREENER OVER THERE"
Two walkers wonder whether it's better on the other side at Port d'Envaux. The old fishing hut behind them is a weekend getaway. This was too colourful a grab-shot not to share 😁
#charentemaritime #portdenvaux #rivers #reflections #france #hiking #charente

A vertical portrait of the river Charente in winter, with a diagonal reflection of trees and boats to the left, and a bare landscape to the right.

WINTER GLORY
This is the river Charente at Port d'Envaux in all its spindly finery, a time when boats hang low and trees wait for the warmth of spring.

#rivercharente #charentemaritime #rivers #boats #blackandwhitephotography #photography #noiretblanc #portdenvaux

Ah, it'll get better. Keep the faith! 😁

Thanks, Ed, that's very kind of you!

A magnolia bloom bathes in the last sunshine of the day. This beautiful pink and white variety has a very short shelf life, but looks fabulous in the starkness of our garden when it manages to escape the frost.

SPRING BLOOM
Our magnolia is in flower - for a change. The past few years it has succumbed to frost at inopportune times.

Sorry for the break in photos - been having issues with gear.
#charentemaritime #flowers #magnolia #trees #nature #gardens #blossom #bloom #photography #fotografia

Well, it's only a few people in the US, really. The rest of them are still as friendly as ever...

A wintery sunrise behind some trees - the sky is completely orange, with contrails etched across it. Birds float high, a skein of them riding an early morning thermal. This is a grand landscape, open with an enormous sun rising slowly to the new day.

RIDING THE DAWN
Birds take to the air during a winter sunrise, riding a faint thermal forming over the warmer ground below. Contrails above indicate a busy traffic-zone for those consuming breakfasts at 30,000 feet.
#france #charentemaritime #contrails #aviation #sunrise #orangesky

Love the contrary photos....dunno why. Lol.

It's not, unfortunately, a true macro - just a close-up 🤫. But thank you for the kind comment 😊

I know what you mean. But it always amazes me that the closer to an insect you go, the nearer you come to its character. Just like any animal, they all have different characters. Thank you for commenting, I love feedback and communication 😊

THE SUN FLY
One of the most beautiful of our paleo-arctic hoverflies, this is Helophilus pendulus. Easy to approach and photograph, the Sun Fly is a beautiful ornament on spring and early summer plants.
#frabce #charentemaritime #hoverfly #sunfly #helophiluspendulus #nature #macro #insects

This image needs more love.....

This is different, and I can totally see why you out the car in it. Nice!

Isn't that the truth! The image below was a 'rushed out the car for a couple of snaps' type thing. I'd forgotten I was shooting JPEG, too, so what you see is what you got! One of the very few occasions I wished I had a MF body to hand...

Loving your landscapes...

Musk is systematically purging the US of anything that is in his way. He is a western Pol Pot, in pink-cheeked cherubic disguise, and it's going to be his science or no one's for the next four years. Be very aware.

Always good to see bees at work, especially native ones that are not honey bees.

A red mason bee clings to a blossom at the start of spring

SPRING IN THE AIR
The first bees are out and about, typically when the sun appears. The first species we normally see is the Hairy-footed Flower bee, but the red mason be will not be far behind. We just need some blossom to see a few more!
#france #charentemaritime #redmasonbee #osmiacornutia

A photograph taken at ground level showing some Marans chickens eating out of a long trough. Bright red crests, strong browns and a beautiful golden plumage make for some lovely colours.

WHAT THE CLUCK?
Our flock of Marans and bantams don't lay a lot in winter, but they still love to eat! It's fun to introduce different things for them, and breakfast is always a bun-fight...

A black and white photograph of the surface of a river, just before it goes over the sill of a weir. Taken from above, on the footbridge, the water reflects several different tones of light and shape

BRIDGE OVER SMOOTH WATERS
The moment of utter glass before the water goes over the sill of the weir, the calm before the storm. This is where fresh water of the Seudre meets the saltwater of the Atlantic. Not a good place for minnows!
#france #saujon #blackandwhite #river #water #reflections