Three coloured umbrellas - # 71/2011

Saturated colour - # 69/2011

We're back in Richmond.  Who says the UK doesn't "do" colour?

Looking downriver, Richmond - # 88/10

My wife passed away on 23rd October.  Things have been difficult for quite a long time, which accounts, in part for my erratic posting record.  Things have now changed and I will be wondering what to do with all the time that will now be exclusively mine to occupy.

At this point I should thank one or two regular watchers of RuT, who have been aware of the difficulties, for their kindness and concern.

These few recent weeks of Autumn have been outstandingly good.  The colours and the sunlight, excellent.  Shortly before her passing Heather was encouraging me to get out and leave her alone.  She wanted me to take some time for myself.  Actually this was taken 10 days after her departure.  I'll be presenting the other choice views over the coming days.

This is a classic Richmond shot.  I took it because I wanted to capture the attraction of the roofline and of course the effect of the Autumn colours and the sunlight.  It all looks too good to be true, doesn't it.

The Carp - # 33/10

A clear sign of a healthy River Thames at Kingston.  The proud fisherman displays his catch for a photograph before returning it to the river.  The fish fought hard, and an excited crowd gathered to watch the show.

A Congress of Chairs - # 23/10

We seem to be stuck on the theme of places to sit.  Anyway, Freefalling of Australia will probably be pleased to see this. Glorious day, and I managed to stagger about in Richmond for a bit.  This is the terrace outside Tide Tables Cafe (again: and always great for a good photo).

Camera: Olympus C7070 wz

Richmond roofline 17 - # 09/107

Campanile...........no, we are not in Florentine Italy (although right now I could do with some genuine Tuscan weather: or even some genuine English summer weather would be nice. We've got heavy cloud, rain, hot sun, more cloud, wind, more rain, more sun and high "un-English" temperatures - all within a two hour cycle. All very weird and infuriating).

Last night I went for a little walk and caught this at sundown looking towards Richmond from the river bank along Cholmondeley Walk.

Vespa! - # 09/77

Richmond is much favoured as a scene location by the world's film-makers (close proximity of major studios, a very photogenic environment, and all the skills).

The white Grip's van arrived and started to unload the huge tripods for the cameras, and then the "star prop" arrived - a VESPA SCOOTER, looking absolutely stunning: vintage 1965.

I've loaded the snap full size so that you can click to enlarge and see it in all its glory.

Watch the Birdie - # 09/76

Enjoying first sunny week-end of Summer down by the White Cross Inn, Richmond Riverside.

Boats for Hire - # 09/71

This week-end "the Season" begins in earnest. The Cricket, the Flat-Racing, the Tennis, the Open-Air Concerts, the Rowing Regattas, the Sailing, the Strawberries on the Lawn, the Broad-Brimmed Frilly Hats, "Sell in May and Go Away".

Boats ready and waiting down by Richmond Bridge, resting in the sunshine.

6 lines set and two mates to chat - # 09/25

Fishing, one bright day at Kingston riverside.

Camera: Olympus E3. Lens: Olympus 9 - 18mm 1:4.0 - 5.6

One table - # 08/294

....two coffee mugs, three cigarette butts, and four chairs.

Desaturation - Separation - # 08/284

Shining light reflected by water - catching the eye and demanding attention, arresting my thought, uplifting: figures dressed colourfully but separate and alien patrolling dark asphalt: too early to illuminate, too late to expose: only nature is alarmingly bright in leaves that refuse to fall.

I just had to photograph this scene - but I can't work out I why it moved me so much.

Richmond Riverside with airliner overhead (night) - # 08/243

A chilly night beside the river is a good opportunity for photography but be careful that the swiftly rising tide does not catch your feet and dampen your shoes!

Discussion: the "string of pearls" is a fortunate accident as the plane came over set up for landing at Heathrow. I chose not to crop the image, preferring to leave the mass of darkness in the left foreground because it symbolises the dark rushing river and contrasts dramatically with the (false??) security of the lights of the bars and restaurants. I set the aperture at f16 to provoke the attractive little star burst effect in the street lamps. It begins around f8 on this lens.

(On this occasion no police arrived to ask if I was a terrorist because I was using a tripod to support a giant camera. Do terrorists always use tripods and highly conspicuous cameras when they pretend to be doing perfectly legal things?)

Technical (for those who want to know): Camera Olympus E3 set to Manual, ISO125, Aperture f16, Shutter held open for 19 seconds, Plus 1.5 Exposure Values added in post processing to brighten it up a bit.....so, a 30-35 second exposure may have been a better choice first time round. Lens Olympus 14-35mm f1:2.

Capturing September attempt # 32 - # 08/220

This a tricky task. After weeks of solid cloud the sun appeared. The rain has made the bushes and meadows lush and overwhelming. The drainage ditch is attractive; water running fast. The pebbles of the man-made banking make a good foreground. The pink wild flowers at the back are drenched in sunlight and the yellow bush further back is almost washed out even to the human eye because of the brilliant evening sun. The foreground is dark.

It's worth capturing, as you glimpse it from the river bank. The vision sucks you in and you enter the slightly slippery riverside undergrowth to get a good look at the drainage ditch on the far side of the tow path. The pink flowers are beguiling and the ripples on the clear water are delightful.

The human eye can take it all in, and sort it out, but the camera cannot cope with so many contrasts.

The camera is set up on the tripod. I chose a very low ISO, set the aperture at F22.0 to capture the depth of field, and set a shutter speed that gave a "correct" exposure for the brilliant, sun-drenched meadow at the back. I used a flash gun "off camera", holding it by hand on the left to light the tree and the dark shadowy bank of the stream.

The result is not quite as lovely as the one seen by the human eye, but it's as near as I could get to it.

It could be anywhere, couldn't it? - # 08/152

Quiet night - Spain playing Germany - # 08/150

Sunday night, Richmond Riverside.

Enough said! - # 08/114

One of the old ferry points from Twickenham across to Ham. Believe it or not, it's at the bottom of Ferry Rd. At high Spring tides the water rises high up the lamp post and blocks the road.

Traditional fare - # 08/110

Continuing our little walk through the heart of old Twickenham beside the river we pass "the Eel Pie" inn.

I contemplated B&W because of the pleasant tones in this picture, but the colour hues are also very gentle and easy on the eye: so I went for colour, especially in honour of the floral display in the hanging flower baskets that matches the yellowish tones of sign boards so well. A good design consultant seems to have been at work here. The slight dampness of a recent rain shower makes the pavement shine, and has laid a slight misty puff over the trees in the background. B&W would have wiped that out.

Eel Pie also refers to the river island opposite Twickenham - a community of artists, eccentrics, philosophers and inventors that is so discrete and hidden away that it is hard to photograph.

Through the gate, down the alley, through the garden etc...- # 08/109

We're still in Church Lane, Twickenham. This is the alley taking us through the garden of the Fox Inn - known to have been an inn on this site since at least the 1640s.

The Bar Fly told me that this inn sells "Real Ale" from local prize winning brewers.....must check it out.

Church Lane on the afternoon of the F.A. Cup Final - # 08/108

Church Lane, Twickenham, is normally full. But last Saturday no-one was on the street and loud roars came from the pubs. The F.A. Cup Final (Soccer for the Americans among you) was played between Cardiff and Portsmouth.

Church Lane is at the tiny core of 17th - 18th century Twickenham, where houses of "town scape merit" cluster around the Georgian church. Before the coming of the railways Richmond and Twickenham were very tiny riverside communities relying on the trades of barge traffic loading and carrying agricultural products, milling grain, brewing beer, and the employment provided by a number of royal palaces and the houses of the first, second and third rate gentry who wanted to be close to royal influence.

After 1845 (beginning of the railway age) the population of these towns exploded, agricultural land was swallowed up and the scenery became definitely "urban".