Summer Idyll

Summer time in the countryside; is there anything nicer? the bees are buzzing, flowers are blooming, the sky is blue and the cows are ...mooing? Well, maybe not the latter; they seem to be doing what they do best –chewing and staring. They're up here for the summer to graze so for them too it's a kind of holiday, even though they are milked daily. Here I was eager to "frame" the cows between the gate posts and capture a little bit of everything that makes me love the Norwegian countryside in summer –the colours, the trees, the clouds. I wish I could have captured the sound too (almost, but not quite, silence) and the many smells, but these you will have to imagine. Perhaps the picture at least helps evoke a feeling –of peace, summer and idyllic days in the country.

Location: Valdres, Norway

Samosian Sunrise

Everyone loves a good sunset and there are thousands or probably millions of photographs that have captured them in some way –I've taken a few hundred myself. But sunrises are a little different, a little rarer. This is because whilst everyone is up and around to enjoy the sight of the sun going down, relatively few are up early enough to see it rise –except at certain times of year up here in the north when it doesn't seem to rise until the afternoon, if at all. But sunrises have a double beauty to them. There is the uplifting sight of unfolding light illuminating and warming the shadows of the night, and then there is the tranquility of the atmosphere –the lack of people, noise, activity. Somehow this makes it easier to really appreciate a good sunrise than a good sunset; and its glory is a sort of special prize give to you for getting up so early. I can no longer remember why I was up so early in this particular instance, but there may have been no reason at all –other than just being out and about before the world has woken up. The picture is from the Greek island of Samos and the sun has just risen above the hills behind the trees. The trees block off much of the light but the sun, even at this early hour, is too strong and pushes its golden rays through the branches and onto the clean cobblestones by the harbour, creating a yellow-brick road that has a magical quality to it. Ten minutes later, five minutes, the scene had changed, so I was happy to have captured this moment of gleaming splendour before the hot Greek sun washed everything into harsh whiteness.

Location: Pythagoreio -Samos, Greece

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 10

Though few, if any, people continue to use gloves or mitten now that summer has taken hold that does not mean these intrepid items of hand-wear have disappeared entirely from view. They continue to pop up in the oddest places. Here no less a figure than Minnie Mouse decorates a mitten that has found a new home in the sun, with a colourful display of flowers behind. Once again, I am intrigued how such a distinctive mitten could have gone missing.

Location: Oslo, Norway