Even without the colours of Spring, Summer or Autumn, trees and architecture or nature in urban areas is a very attractive mixture. It was pretty miserable weather when I took these photos but I still found the blend of man-made and natural pleasing to the eye.
The subtle colours of the late afternoon sunset reflected in the water of this urban lake in Middlesbrough accompanied by the slow, calm meanderings of the swan and its reflection belie how cold it was at the time.
Earlier photos from this location showed the apparent confusion of some of the birds walking on water with the ice part melted just below the surface. The sunny day had caused this part thaw, but as the sun dipped below the horizon the low temperatures returned rapidly.
There has been no temperature adjustment or colour cast put on these images. whatever you do the liquid gold stays gold, it’s just the carat that changes!
Obviously I am exaggerating but it is true that I had no desire to make changes. The photos capture something of the beauty and peace that I enjoyed on a late afternoon Winter walk around this Middlesbrough lake. The Coots had found an area without ice and as I walked I was in continual awe at the ever changing light.
These Coots just need some skates on to complete their performance of dancing on ice 🙂 I wonder what music they would dance to?
The context for these images can be seen in the second photo. The surface of the lake was frozen but by the end of the day the ice had melted enough for large areas of it to appear completely liquid. Some of the birds seemed a little confused, which made my late afternoon walk around this urban lake in Middlesbrough all the more entertaining.
I was amazed by the patterns and textures created by the embedded Autumn leaves in the frost and ice formed on the surface of the urban lake I walked around over New Year.
Click the image for a more detailed look.
Without clicking on the landscape version of this image, I find I have a preference for the portrait crop. However, that is partly because it is easy to see the dimples created by the surface tension between the water and the pine needles and in the second image that is the most important aspect of the shot. The first image composition or crop includes more space which changes my perception to one more focused on the reflected depth of the sky.
This is a hefty load of snow for the plant to bear but as the day goes on, that weight will be lifted (or dropped) as the snow begins to melt.
