Yesterday evening, the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway ran a special service – a steam-hauled trip from Wirksworth to Duffield and back, with a jazz trio on board, and the newly-restored bar coach fully operational! Here, the Henry Ellison prepares to pull the train back to Wirksworth. I always find there’s something rather charismatic about trains at dusk, especially when there’s a steam loco involved!
And so, to bluebell time; I didn’t have to look very far today, for a sight like this, in a country lane. What I love, though, is the opportunity to appreciate flowers in the wild, all mixed up, so to speak, the apparent randomness giving an extra beauty. That’s not to say that I don’t like formal gardens sometimes, but rather that the contrast is refreshing!
Yes, it’s another tulip picture – even though I posted one only two weeks ago! The main excuse for this is the colour of these ones. Some of you know already how much I love magenta. Green, incidentally, is its complement, in terms of the physics of light and colour, as magenta combines red and blue.
I’m not too sure of the composition, here (I’ve given you the full frame, as shot) but my main intention was to capture the delicate look of the thin petals in the evening sun. In think the shallow depth of field, and hence the blurring of the background and most of the blooms seems to work, though.
I took this shot only today. Out in the nearby countryside, enjoying gorgeous sunshine, it really seemed that less really was more. So I resorted to a technique I’ve discussed before: using the concept of negative space to make a statement. This says SPRING!
I take heart when it’s tulip time again! To me, it somehow makes a bold statement about the time of year – a season of new life, new strength, and vivid colour. I loved finding these red ones just coming into full flower!
