Beardies and Dobbins

Harriet and I have recently returned from our summer holiday in Cornwall, both of us determined to maintain that chilled and relaxed holiday feeling.


I managed to make several sunrise trips with Canon and tripod, and also as many sunset outings as weather allowed. As always these times are unsociable, but as mentioned before on a previous post, it's when the light is at its best. Various locations were used including Lands End, St Michael's Mount near Penzance, Coverack and Porth Nanven to name just a few.


When I returned after each shoot, Harriet would ask me if I met other Beardies!?! She seems to think that all keen landscape photographers have neatly trimmed beards, wear sandles, eat Bran Flakes with dried prunes and have a compass dangling around their neck on a piece of red string. How rude.


But yes, I did meet other Beardies, lurking behind their tripods tinkering with their cameras and filters. And yes, some of them did in fact proudly sport beards.

Harriet was able to launch into her favourite hobby (behind sking of course), horse riding. We were able to find different stables dotted around Cornwall offering hacks. Harriet rode on two hacks that were both close to St.Ives. But they didn't offer exactly what Harriet was after, riding on a beach.


Finally on the last day of the holiday, we found a stables close to a beach on the Lizard Peninsular. This enabled her to fulfill a dream she had had since childhood: cantering on a beach - she described it as horse riding's equivalent to powder skiing in deep fresh light powder on a sunny day. Wow, that's quite a statement to make.


So, have Harriet and I been able to hold onto that relaxed holiday feeling after being back at work for a week?


Hanging by a thread.

Martin

P.S. Is it me or are the evenings drawing in earlier by the day? Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Thought so, in that case here's a photo (slightly out of focus, thanks Beardie) of me from last winter to help you along the way.


I'll post more unpublished photos from last winter in a couple of weeks' time.

Summer holidays, past and present.

A few weeks ago I received an email that put a spring in my step, no bad thing when working hard in the driving school car. A cycle clothing company called Polaris asked if it was possible to use one of my mountain bike photos that they had come across. I was, of course, delighted and flattered that they wanted to use it as part of a poster campaign over the summer. The above shot is the one that they used. It is of a friend of mine, Pete, taken when we were cycling back from Courchevel over the Col de la Loze.


Because of this request I decided to delve deeper into my hard drive and recall some epic cycling trips in Méribel. Instantly it made me miss the mighty Alps, because sadly I haven't had the chance to visit during the summer for the last two years. However, on a positive note, it has made me realise how far my photography has developed since these shots were taken.



Harriet and I are off on our summer holiday this weekend to Cornwall, can't wait. Just the two of us, oh and Canon with tripod of course. Fingers crossed they haven't run out of Cornish Pasties and Fish and Chips down there since the school holidays finished.



Hopefully these extra calories will vaporise due to my heavy training schedule at the moment. I'm aiming for another half marathon at the end of this month. I hope you have all had a brilliant summer and enjoyed your well-deserved holidays.


Martin