Happy New Year

Closing the old year with this weather-related doodle.

For I am the Ghost of Christmas yet to come.

My festive theme for this year. Many happy returns to my followers in here.

'Tis the . . .

. . . weekend before Christmas.

Festive Sunset

A surprise last minute burst of brightness which gave me this bright sunset as viewed from my famed west-facing hobby room window, a welcome sight during a long spell of wet and cloudy weather.

Blue Hour

At the Old High Street here at Folkestone on a damp November evening.

Wet November Continues

A Super Wee

Ever wonder where heavy rain come from?

Wetter Than An Otter's Pocket

As we experience a wetter than average November here at Kent, and it's only the second week of this month.

Rainbow.

Not seen one of these in a while, a complete 'bow as viewed from my not quite so famed east-facing mother's bedroom window today as the wet changeable theme continue.

Halloween

The obligatory Halloween doodle.

Rough Ol' Day

Summing up this time of the year.

Big Bird

Did this for a friend who is an impressionist, but do you recognise the bird?

Not The News

As the various local newspaper media faces another hard working week.

Scottish Life.

Did this doodle for a couple who are living in the far reaches of the Scottish Highlands.

My Doodle Blog.

 This is my doodle blog . . .

https://thegreatdoodle.blogspot.com/

 . . . if you are interested in looking at all my past doodles.

However, I have decided to stop putting new doodle materials into that blog and instead will appear in this very blog right here amongst my photography. It's where I have decided to consolidate everything into as one ongoing blog.

Macro Rainbow

If you look really closely at a fur on a black cat under sunlight, you could see that it isn't entirely black but made up of millions of tiny iridescent-like colour. Much like how snow isn't entirely white but millions of colour all scattered about.

Yes, the telly is rubbish today.

Taking Shelter

Some random guy made a dash for shelter during heavy rain at the harbour area this morning while I was under the arches waiting for someone.
I only had my £99 Sony mobile camera to hand, but I like the way this photo came out.

"I would have got away with it if it weren't for them pesky kids".

Have finally spotted a Scooby Doo "Mystery Machine" van here at Folkestone on a gloomy damp Wednesday morning, so that's another thing ticked off in my "photo spotters book, even if I only had the mobile phone camera to hand.

Breakfast At Tiffiny's

Not quite, it's just mother and the cat in the morning.

"Dad, it's treat time".

A peckish Jet this afternoon.

Summing Up Our Weather

Finally we have been getting some proper soaking rain much to the relief of my parched lawn. Trouble is, the changeable weather is making it difficult knowing what to wear when going out.

Evening At Harbour

Folkestone inner harbour on a calm May's evening.

Actually, I hurried down there after seeing reports on Facebook of bioluminsence (tiny light emitting sea algae) being spotted in that area, but I didn't see anything of the sort and I didn't want to go home empty handed with my camera.

Stanier Black 5

Finally ticked something off in my "bucket list", seeing an actual Stanier Black 5 (my favourite type of steam locomotive) in the flesh for the first time as she raced through Shakespeare Cliff at a fair ol' lick.
It was a challenge with my camera as light levels suddenly changed from brilliant sunshine to dark clouds in seconds.

Lighting Test.

Had a play about with a "left over" photo from that recent late night colourful photo session. Jet then sat on the stool wondering what I was doing and he just happened to be in the right "zone", I fiddled about with the photo and greyscaled it to see how the lighting looked like and thought it was rather cool.

Regeneration

 

 

Been a while since I had a late night photography brain fart. This photo was done in one take using my trusty Nikon D7000 and three off-flash guns with gel strips taped to them (green, blue and red). This is a single exposure shot done in darkness with just the flash guns around me and no additional photoshopping were carried out apart from a touch of polishing up in Lightroom.

PS: The second photo was Jet wondering what I was doing and stayed still for long enough to take the shot.

Monorail Puss

Jet in the living room soaking up the afternoon sunshine.

Busy Harbour Arm

Had a go at capturing a packed out Folkestone Harbour Arm on what was a fine Saturday afternoon. However, while it was very warm inland, the sea chill was quite noticeable while on the harbour.
For those who know me all too well, having done this is a big deal considering I do have agoraphobic tendencies, but I had my hearing aids turned off so I was in my own bubble for that half an hour . . . and thus another photography itch has been scratched.

Laurel & Hardy Immortalised

While I've always known about these ornamental Laurel & Hardy figurines on a house window here at Folkestone, Kent, for years, it's only just today that I've got around to taking a proper photo of them for my own archives.
  The backstory behind this: When the boys visited this location during one of their UK tours in the '50's, they popped into a pub here at the harbour area and the owner was so spellbound by their presence that the pub was renamed The Oddfellows in honour of them. The place then got filled with all sorts of L & H memorabilia which lasted into the '70's, it effectively became a shrine to them.
  But sadly, a few years ago the pub changed hands and was remained as The Ship Inn complete with a makeover which resulted in the removal of all L & H items - and these figures are what's left of it all.
  Today, the Ship Inn has been turned into yet another eatery type place, joining the millions of other such places per square foot.

Low Spring Tide

While popping out to get the Sunday papers at 7.30 am, I went on a slight detour armed with my camera to the East Cliff Sandy beach where an ultra low tide was still in progress. It meant I was able to explore parts of the beach that is normally inaccessible for 95% of the time.

Making A call

Got mother a replica vintage phone (that can be connected to a modern wall socket). She seems to be getting on better with it than today's modern phones with their many buttons and functions.

Folkestone Harbour Branch Line . . .

. . . has officially been laid to rest today as I spotted a rail cutting crew hard at work at dismantling the line on a blustery March's day. It will be replaced by a leisure walkway and eventually perhaps a Park 'n' Ride route later on down the line (as so to speak).
I took this from the second floor of Boulogne Court, I could say that this will be the very last time the line technically has seen a train. Also note the steep 1:33 incline in relation to the buildings behind.

Happy World Book Day . . .

. . . from me in my famed west-facing hobby room.

Fine February's Day

And while I was putting together these photos taken earlier on today, a part of the UK has just broken the record for the warmest February's day with 20.3 C.