Herb Riddle's photos

Autumn 2019 and we are walking the old town of Rhodes. Every turning reveals another glimpse of history and interest. Here at the edge of the harbour is a closed small room, built into the wall. Do the step outlines show an old stairway or some kind of geometric pattern? A fence stops us from exploring further but it only raises more questions. HFF, enjoy your weekend

One of my very early attempts at still-life here. This is showing its age a bit now but it still demonstrates that art lives on forever. And yes, this ended up as a great lunch. Enjoy full size. ps this loaf was made at a local Ukrainian bakery, long since gone.

After posting three of my latest still life shots that went into the latest SPC I have decided to reveal some more of my other still-life experiments now. I hope you like seeing them on here as much as I did creating them. This scene reminded me of some table mats that I once used on a sea-side holiday. Hence the raised edges giving the same effect here. Notice the fishing nets! As usual, all these are best viewed full screen. Herb

Another look at our garden house sparrows (Passer domesticus) enjoying themselves sat on the rim of our bird-bath. Filled with water they can bathe or drink as they like. The old fountain is no longer connected up to a water source so I have to manually fill the reservoir every few days. See Pip over left bird for another view. Nice full screen

The third of my recent SPC contributions. This came in 5th place. Another in the tradition of the old masters. Enjoy full screen on black.

My second contribution to this months SPC, coming in fourth place. In the tradition of the Old Masters of Still Life. Enjoy large

Now and again, I do try to take something different to my beloved landscapes. Just recently I had the pleasure to choose the subject of the Ipernity SPC monthly competition to be 'Still Life'. Here is one of my three contributions which came runner-up (2nd) along with Steve Paxtons 'Red Wine' to Mariagrazia Gaggero - 'Facciamo il pesto!' who won first place. A great competition and one that I would heartily recommend all Ipernity members to have a go at. The next comp will be announced on the 12th of the month. Nice full screen on black.

Another look at these falls, this time showing part of the narrow trail that edges the river at so many points. As you can see a fence is sorely needed here. This trail runs up one river valley before returning via another and all along the path meanders, sometimes quite steeply up and down, Best viewed full screen. PiPs HFF, enjoy the weekend.

Enjoy this view of Pen-y-gent from high above the Yorkshire Dales village of Langcliffe. It is the lowest of Yorkshire's Three Peaks at 2,277 feet (694m), the other two peaks being Ingleborough and Whernside. In the foreground we have the familiar lime-stone pavement (flat pieces of lime-stone rock swept clean of surface soil by the weather) that is dotted with trees in some places and somehow manage to grow through the cracks. Just behind the pavement we see the dry-stones walls all too familiar in this part of the world too. Built when woodland around here was scarce to build fences and in any event, built to last, doing the twin jobs of marking out one’s land boundaries and also having the more practical purpose of keeping sheep and cattle from straying. Enjoy full screen

There is something magical about this viaduct.. Even without a spectacular steam train running almost silently atop these arches, this scene just makes you stop and stare. Behind is Whernside and to my left the beginning of Ingleborough mountains. Notice the scale of this from the people at the bottom best seen at full size. PiPs Essential full size.

The classic view of this splendid vision of British Victorian engineering. Best full screen

Another shot in our garden to the bird bath within our dry-fountain. In practice, we have two robins here in the garden and I believe this one has a nest within the ivy, honysuckle and clematis trellis, shared with a blackbirds nest too. Technically this is a 'European Robin' with the scientific name: Erithacus rubecula Nice full screen

Another retro picture here for the lack of brand new exciting photos in this C19 lockdown. Taken whilst on a skiing holiday some forty years ago at the nearby village of Zell-am-Ziller, in the Austrian Tyrol. I took this just a short time before taking the same cable-car to the top ski slopes. The original on Kadachrome 64 35mm slide film Enjoy full screen

Servicing the famous 'Settle-Carlise' railway route here is a distant view of its station (on the left) from the main road just below the Inn. Placed here to accompany my adjacent photo of the 'Station Inn' and my Ribblehead viaduct captures. (PiPs) Nice full size.

Quite a famous view here for many tourist who come from far and wide to visit the Ribblehead Viaduct. Many of those pop into the 'Station Inn' here for a pint or meal, maybe even spending a night or two in its rooms. The lonely station that caters for the 'Settle Carlise' line, that runs over this bridge, is just right of this scene and the viaduct to the left by about 300metres. For those lucky enough here, the sounds of steam can be heard and accompanied by the fabulous sights of some of our most famous steam engines ie 'The Flying Scotsman' , 'Mallard' and 'Black Fives'. The road we can see going uphill carries on to the village of Dent and an unseen road goes from the bottom of the picture, right towards Settle. See PiPs for more from around here. Enjoy large

Ingleton - an old village of true character in the North Yorkshire Dales area. The story of the viaduct: www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/bridges/ingleton.html The last trains went over this in 1963 and the track was lifted in 1967 - now a gas pipe sits there instead. Nice full size.

These residential back-gardens are locked in by fences, a little like our lives by this C19 virus. On a brighter note, we see here a favourite reflection subject along this stretch of the ‘Peak Forest Canal’ in Greater Manchester. HFF, enjoy the weekend.

Another retro look here, in these days of very limited outings and travel that most of us here in Britain are adhering to. This time just outside the seaside-town of Filey, East Yorkshire. Just around the corner from its famous narrow peninsula into the sea named Filey Brig. Taken in April 2012 Enjoy large.