Board Among the Rocks

Though I intensely disapprove of littering and irresponsible discarding of rubbish, some objects of waste can be surprsingly captivating -such as this unwanted piece of wooden boarding lodged among rocks on a Greek shore. Perhaps it washed up from the sea, who knows, but there must be a story behind it –the broken board with its flaking paint, at least three colours, gives the effect of a map or a piece of modern art, and somehow blends in with the naturally created patterns and colours of the rocks and the swirling water. It is an example of how the seemingly mundane can appear dramatic; how everyday objects can take on a strange beauty.

Location: Samos, Greece

Cairn and Snow

I know it's summer and our thoughts may well be focused on sunshine and beaches and warm waves. Mine often turn to the mountains though; an unexpected adventure at any time of the year. Here's a cairn somewhere on a trail in the mountain area of my beloved Valdres. The red "T" is not some indiscriminate tag or unfinished line of graffiti but the marker of the Norwegian Tourist Association, to show you're on the right trail –always something of a relief to see when you're out walking. And cairns have always fascinated me. I find myself wondering who on earth placed the first big stones, when, and how. I always add one of my own, but much more modest in size as walking is quite enough exercise thank you without risking getting a hernia from heavy lifting! The snow is an optional feature of any trip to the mountains; a mere sprinkling like this is more quaint than vexing.

Location: Valdres, Norway

Summer

This summer seems to go on and on like those summers of childhood that stretched into infinity. The heat has taken its toll, but as I write there is finally a little rain –which is more than refreshing. In the countryside much of what is usually green at this time of the year is pale and yellow, the vegetation dried out by weeks of sun. However, in the lakes and ponds that are dotted around in the forests surrounding Oslo, there is verdant life. These water plants seem impossibly green, almost as if they have been artificially fabricated. Against the dark blue of the water they form an attractive pattern and may be welcome rafts for insects in need of a rest. The water is probably delightful to bathe in, though on this occasion I was happy just to photograph.

Location: Oslo, Norway

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

Mountain Water

Norwegian has a word that describes a body of water that can be somewhere between a lake and a pond, but either of these too! Confusingly, the word is the same as the word for water itself: vann. The English equivalent in this mountain setting would probably be a tarn, but I have always found that word rather bland and nondescript, and somehow "water" works for me –probably because I have been in Norway for so long. This particular "water" in the mountainous countryside of mid Norway is apt to grow in size –being at its largest in spring after the winter snows have melted, and –if the summer is a hot and dry one– retreating to a marshy puddle later in the year. But here it sparkles in the afternoon sun of an early July. Calm, tranquil, somehow inviting and yet also perhaps a little mysterious (in a pleasant way). I've rendered the picture in sepia to accentuate this, but also because I find the cloud formations quite agreeable this way. Beyond the "water" and trees can be seen the ridges of three separate ranges of mountains, some still with snow on them. There is no one about, and were the picture to have an accompanying soundtrack, the only sounds that would be heard would be the slight rustling of the wind in the trees and the occasional distant buzz of some insect out on a spree. I find the picture very calming.

Location: Valdres, Norway

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 2

The second in my series of "Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL" -and in this case a particularly fine knitted mitten with a traditional Norwegian design. The mystery remains, how can anyone lose just one of these? And how helpful is it really that people drape them across branches or fences? More to follow.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Bench Talk

Sometimes what is missing from a picture says more than if it is included. Here, on a very hot day, two benches face each other on a vast field of grass. There are no people, but their absence is incidental –we can imagine any number of pairings or conversations that have taken place here earlier. But this is a bit like a bench stand-off –or perhaps it's a nostalgic chat, an interview, a date? The benches certainly have personality –one of them even seems to have a face (or is that just my imagination?) and there is something untypical but refreshing about their location and position. It's an image that opens up to all sorts of interpretations and somehow draws you in. Location: Hovedøya (Oslo), Norway

Which Way?

Summer is upon us, and with it comes the prospect of myriad outdoor activities under (hopefully) blue skies. One of my own favourite things to do at this time is hiking in the forests and hills surrounding the bowl that is the city of Oslo. This beautiful area is only a short distance from the city –there's even a tram that takes you right to the start of one of the many trails– yet you can walk for miles without seeing a single person at this time of the year. Quite different to the winter season when these same forests teem with people skiing, with queues even forming at weekends! However, in the summer most people seem to prefer being at the beach or along the coast, but personally I find the forest far more agreeable: views are frequently stunning; if the temperature is hot you are cooled by the trees, and a dip in any number of lakes will equal the sea for a relaxing swim. You can be out in the wild for days on end, but there are numerous huts and cabins that can be visited, or you can pitch a tent or sleep under the stars. There's nothing like it! Fortunately all the trails are clearly marked and signposted, (red for winter and blue for summer use) and as you can see, the only problem is deciding where to go... Location: Oslo, Norway

Trees in the Park

Trees always inspire me. I love their quiet, silent wisdom and grace, their noble quality of being able to shade us, embrace us, draw us in and somehow comfort us. Some trees are like old friends –always there for you, always reliable and, each year growing a little in your estimation as well as physically. I find this especially true of trees in isolation. But trees in parks, standing in some kind of order, can also be appealing, as much so in the winter when bereft of their foliage as in the height of glorious summer. Here they stand gracefully silhouetted against the sky, with the blazing sun signalling that spring is on its way. Already, there will be buds on these trees and the snow will soon be gone. Location: Oslo, Norway

Through the Clouds

I really don't know how many times I have taken pictures from airplane windows, mesmerised by the magnificent, awe-inspiring view below, uplifted at having captured something stunningly magical, only to discover later that the pictures far from being wondrous are flat, dull and frequently blurred because of focus problems through the double windows of the plane. Yet, even knowing this this, I still can't help myself when confronted with a nice view from the air. And sometimes the result captures something of the magic. What it never captures is the continuously changing vista as the plane moves forward, for that only video or film would work; photographs can only ever capture moments. Here, the moment is the enthralling parting of the clouds to reveal a fairy-tale-like landscape over south-eastern Norway, dusted with light snow, just as the sun is preparing to set. It's above a landscape like this that one can imagine oneself flying Peter Pan-like on some epic fantasy flight. My only regret was that I was not in the cockpit, for surely the pilots must have had an even greater view of this magical vista. Location: Ostfold,Norway

Another Lane with a Twist

This is a recent photograph that I am particularly proud of, for it not only captures exactly the mood and atmosphere of a particular place at a particular moment, but I found all the elements of light, composition and theme came together to create an image that is both pleasing, interesting and a little enigmatic. I took it early on a slightly misty morning in the small Norfolk town where I grew up. As a child, I passed up and down this lane hundreds of times, and always felt at this particular spot that I was in a kind of tunnel due to the overhanging trees. Perhaps there were more trees back then, and the houses in the background were certainly not there. Even earlier, a train line crossed where the metal fence now stands, but this was ripped up long ago. Now, all is quiet. What I really like about the shot is the bend in the path, the little twist. It makes the lane so much more interesting -just as life itself sometimes brings along little twists that need to be negotiated. Our path is seldom straight, but it keeps on going. I also like the textures of the various fences and the general "greenness" of the image. In spring and summer this lane will be lush and verdant, but on this particular (English) winter's day it has a special hue of its own. Location: Dereham, England

Through the Wardrobe

One of my favourite childhood books was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and the whole series of Narnia tales. Being one of the first novels I ever read, it made a huge impression on me, and I still return to it quite regularly and find myself magically enchanted by the same sense of wonder and delight that first got me "hooked". Who of those who have read these books has not on some occasion opened their wardrobe and longed to find a different world behind the coats? And dreamed of being beckoned by a shining lamppost, oddly located in the middle of a wood? The lamppost in the book seemed so ordinary, yet also so bizarre –out of place, yet strangely seductive and comforting. The moment I saw this lamp while out walking in the Malvern Hills recently I cried "Narnia!", and it was only later I learned that it is indeed here C.S. Lewis got the idea for the lamppost in his books. These lampposts were set out decades ago as a source of illumination, to aid people taking their daily constitutional in dim light. They seem somehow out of place –like they should rather belong in a city street– and yet at the same time they seem perfectly in place! Such an anomaly is truly in the spirit of Narnia. Of course, the picture should have been taken in the dark and with snow on the ground, and ideally there should be a Mr. Tumnus lurking about in the trees, or perhaps a witch? Who knows; perhaps they are there in the shadows... Location: Malvern, England

Mountain Lake, Late Autumn

Winter is rapidly approaching and this lake will soon be frozen over and the surrounding shore and trees covered with snow that grows ever deeper as the year draws to a close. But autumn still clings on for a while –a more mysterious autumn now that the golden colours have faded a little and mists creep in over the water for longer and longer. I find it rather beautiful and serene, baleful and quiet. The silence is alluring. The day may be gloomy but it is not without its charm. Location: Valdres, Norway

Autumn in Oslo

Due to some computer and network problems it's been some time since I posted, and in the interim autumn has descended and is creating glorious colours all around. This is from the park behind the royal palace in Oslo. Fortunately the pond has not been drained yet, so I was able to capture the reflection of the golden tree in the water. Some of the trees remain stubbornly "summery" and the grass is still green, but soon all this will change again, and who knows - my next picture from here may be of snow. In the meantime, let's enjoy the mellow beauty of autumn. Location: Oslo, Norway

Mountain Water

I think I’ll let this photograph speak for itself – it’s from the mountain countryside of my favourite part of Norway, and makes me want to head straight up there. I will do soon, but in the meantime I’ll find peace in such a picture. Location: Valdres, Norway

When Mountains Look Unreal

Sometimes landscapes play curious tricks, like these mountains in the middle of Norway. They look decidedly unreal – like half-completed background "flats" in a theatre. Maybe it was the light, or the fact that I took this picture through the window of a bus, or perhaps it's the unusual marked outline of the mountains, giving them the appearance of a crudely drawn picture. If this was the background in a film there would surely be cries of "how fake!", but no, these are real. I thought it made for an interesting picture with the green in the foreground and the uncertain clouds behind. Mountains are curious things though, they seldom look the same twice and change according to mood and light and season. Perhaps here they were just feeling a bit flat! Location: Jotunheimen, Norway

Winter Scene

I promised snow in my last posting, so here is a picture taken on Christmas Eve just outside Oslo. It was a beautiful day –blue sky, crisp air, and snow that has not yet been unsettled or sullied. The river has not yet frozen over, though it will in a few days if the present temperatures prevail. All is peaceful; all is quiet; and all is rather beautiful, I think. Location: Bryn, Norway

Golden Autumn

Amidst days of rain and wind there was one glorious day of sunshine earlier this week; a day which sparkled with autumn beauty and colour. There is always something magical about the contrast of golden leaves against a blue sky (even one with whisper of cloud), and something nobly dramatic. Soon these leaves will all have fallen, but here they reign and gleam, cascading like a waterfall of gold coins. It's my favourite time of the year! Location: Kolsås, Norway

Water Flower

There's a little lake in the forest beyond Oslo that I like to visit when I am out hiking. Few people know about it or visit it, being so out of the way, and it has a magical, timeless quality, especially in deep summer when the buzz of insects fire the atmosphere with gentle chatter and every tree and plant competes to be greenest, biggest, boldest... I am not a botanist, so I can't tell you the name of this particular plant, but it's totally fascinating because each leaf has a stem that descends into the water. It has the best spot in the forest, and the best of two worlds –both the air and the water, and then there are occasional vivid flowers, like this one, peeping up with beautiful curiosity. A splash of yellow amidst the blue and green. A little beacon in the lake... Location: Nordmarka, Oslo, Norway

Peeping Cow

Another summer animal picture. This cow thought she was invisible or at least unobserved, but my trained eye sussed out her undercover disguise! It just made me smile a little while out walking in the country, where there are delights and colour and surprises at every bend of the path! Location: Valdres, Norway