Jolly Jack Tar

A close-up photograph of some tar or similar crud on a telephone pole near my house. Hurrah for that!

Filaments and Fronds

I believe this is a picture of some Old Man's Beard a.k.a.clematis vitalba although I'm not actually sure. But the delicate little fronds and filaments make an interesting picture when they shine in the light of a setting sun.

Little Bit of Lichen

A photograph of a rather lichen-covered bit of wood (in fact, it's the top of the same wooden post in the same stile as a previous photograph). I like the texture and the colours - really I have to admit I'm all about colours when it comes to photography. Some monochrome photography does appeal, but on the whole I'm definitely drawn to pictures where the colours are particularly intense, or unusual, or contrasting.

Dew on the Grass

A photograph of dew droplets on grass stalks underfoot. I almost trod on this particular one before noticing that it was unusually dewy and deciding to take a picture. This is the reason I'm always late everywhere.

The colours of the grass in the photograph are so lush and vibrant, and I like the contrast of the greens and browns. Even in winter, good sunlight can really bring out the colours of nature.

And on the subject of dew-based photography, much though it pains me to link to a Daily Mail article, I just had to post a link to these incredible pictures of insects covered in dew droplets that look like diamonds.

I really wanted to post this link as well, to a photographyblogger article called "20 Spectacular Dew On Grass Pictures". Obviously, if you look at the link you will be struck by the hideous contrast between these amazing photos of dew and my poor offering, but I liked some of the pictures so much that I just can't force myself not to post it. I love this photo by Tico, in which all the dewdrops reflect the greenery around them, and this photo by ecstaticist - the huge glimmering globules of dew remind me of a pair of frog's eyes.

Sunlit Holly

I like this picture because of the way the edges of the holly leaf seem to glow in the sunlight. Also, it reminds me of Christmas. Ah, if only I had two weeks off work to sit around eating delicious starchy foods more often. Once a year just isn't enough.

Natural Decor

Out for a wander one day, I came across this plant, which had twined itself around a rather hideous chain link fence and then sprouted some nice red berries, greatly improving the look of the thing. It was rather as though nature had decided to put up its own Christmas decorations, albeit rather late.

Tree Trunk

Oh, how I wish this was in better focus! It was just a bit too dark for the camera to cope well with it, but the colour of the wood was what I wanted to capture and using the flash just deadened it completely. So it remains, a teeny bit too blurry to be good, but still alright, I guess. This was a particularly cool piece of fallen wood, anyhow, and the red ferns and blue-green lichen are an interesting contrast. I guess I shall just have to return to the tree trunk on a sunnier day.

Winter Berries

Lovely red winter berries on a sunny (yet extremely cold) day. It's enough to make you want to cook some kind of delicious red berry strudel.

Except I didn't know whether or not they were poisonous.

Wood Grain

I like the texture of old, weathered wood; it's always interesting. This is a shot of a wooden stile post on the way to a nearby pub.

The Moon in the Afternoon

A picture of the moon in the afternoon: does what it says on the tin. I was actually impressed that my camera was good enough to take more than a blurry picture of the moon really - you can see the seas and everything. If only it had been a full moon, my day would have been made!

Metal Implant

I have no idea what this random yet very specifically shaped piece of metal was doing on the top of a wooden post near my house, but I rather liked the colours it's made as it gently rusts away. It's hard to find nice flowers to photograph in the winter, but I guess that doesn't mean there's nothing at all of interest around and about.

White Bobble

Some kind of cool white berry type thing that I discovered on a recent walk in the wintertime. The wind was blowing like the blazes while I was trying to take this damn picture, but I got there in the end. If only I knew what kind of plant it was, I would share said information!

Incidentally, this is my one hundredth post on this blog! That is quite a few. How exciting :D

The World In A Drop of Water

This is a teeny version of the whole picture, alas. It's a shame the whole thing is so blurry but I was rather proud of managing to get the focus on the reflection of the plants in the droplet of dew, even if I couldn't actually keep my hands still while doing so.

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Another angel! This time, the silhouette of one of the angels on a cute little candle decoration we have; my mother bought it in Germany. You light the candle and the heat rising from it sends several little angels spinning around above it. No doubt further pictures will follow because it cries out for photography (at the same time as it sets something of a challenge....)

P.S. Happy New Year! Hurrah for my first post of 2012. I think this is a suitably chirpy start to the year.