I needed to recharge batteries today (the ones in my head I should probably specify, not in any device!) so I took my friend's spaniel up the hill at the back of my town. The track leads up to Mellor which is on the Derbyshire - Cheshire border, overlooking the Cheshire plain. It was a wet, misty day but I love walking in the winter mist, with the bare branches, it is like walking through a pencil sketch that is constantly being rubbed out and redrawn again ahead of you.
We reached a small pond which doesn't usually catch much of my attention but today the mist gave it a greater presence. I am still familiarising myself with a new, compact camera - a Lumix Z70 - so part of my purpose today was having a play with the camera. Some photos through the mist:
Then we dropped down the hill towards the river and went through a farm that has a wonderful, tumbling down out-building, the sort that is being taken back by bramble and lichen and has enticing wooden doors. I got the obligatory lock-shot but the light was fading and it really needed a tripod for longer exposures. I shall return.
Down by the River Goyt now and this is a shot of the filtration reed bed that the water from the old mineworks runs through before entering the river. These reeds make fine wagglers - I have caught lots of carp on floats made from these.
By the river now. This is a spot just downstream from a falling-down weir and it always looks incredibly fishy to me. But I have never caught anything of significance here. Usually I would put that down to my own angling limitations but a few people have said the same, one being my mate John and he is a bit useful. So I am not sure why. That is a fast flow and it is deep up against that far wall. I suspect the decent fish are lying deep and we are not reaching them quickly enough. I don't know. maybe next season, eh?
And I couldn't leave without a gratuitous shot of Flo the Spaniel(ish) in this rather photogenic spot. These last two are hand-held at 1/4 sec by the way, and as there is no way my hand is that steady the image stabiliser must be doing its job. The dog isn't quite sharp but I reckon I could get away with saying 'soft focus'. Well it is a portrait. ;) Clever blighters, these cameras.
And to finish, a gratuitous shot of some crows in a tree. This is from the other day actually, but I like it! I'm pleased with this Lumix camera so far, for a compact it gives you a lot of control to play with.
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