autofantasia's photos with the keyword: wooden

For all those of you out there that like your fences on a Friday, those of you that are still here that is ... a big HFF to you all and a happy weekend to everyone for that matter - be they fencers or not! Please view on black for best effect.

Yet another 'nearly ran' for this week's Sunday Challenge , which had the intriguing theme of texture . This is actually a close up shot of the Kiwi sculpture I chose as my 'official' submission for the challenge and it shows in detail the carving that went into replicating the bird's feathers. Also for Sight and Sound: Pictures & Music . Sorry, but I couldn't resist it folks: youtu.be/52iW3lcpK5M

This amazing tree sculpture is located within Harrogate's beautiful Valley Gardens, which begin only yards from the town centre and which have attracted visitors to the area now for decades. After WWII a wide variety of botanical specimens were planted and in 1957 the Christchurch Botanical Gardens in New Zealand generously donated a host of specimens which were planted in the New Zealand Garden, which was specially constructed for the purpose of accommodating them. This area was redesigned in 2010 and now includes several wood carvings, including this one inspired by the Kiwi. For this week's Sunday Challenge , which has the theme of texture . Please take time to view it large for best effect.

For this week's Sunday Challenge with the theme of doors . This is the entrance to St Michael & All Angels, which is located at North Otterington on the outskirts of Northallerton. Quite a pretty church, but spoiled a little by the way large areas of the surrounding cemetery are sectioned off with chicken wire fencing. Not sure if that's because of a fear of gravestones falling over say onto a child, which I know has become a health and safety issue at many old churches, or if there's some other reason. Sadly though, like many rural churches in this country it was closed and so I couldn't get in for a good look around. Follow the link below if you want to read a little bit more about this particular church: www.visitoruk.com/Northallerton/north-otterington-C592-V15639.html

The theme for this week's Sunday Challenge sounded so simple at first: leading lines . Simple, that was until I went out and started looking around for a suitable subject to photograph. Anyway, despite my best efforts this was the best I could come up with. Although perhaps not what you first think of as a "leading line" I felt that the chain, which secures the main gate onto the playing fields at Northallerton Rugby Club, did constitute a line of sorts and to me at least it draws your eye towards the main subject of the shot: the old padlock. There are also some other more traditional lines, albeit perhaps less obvious, that I felt also played their part in making this image a suitable contender for the challenge. There's the gap between the fence post and the frame of the gate that runs behind the padlock. Then there's the rusty spring on the gate itself that comes in form the right hand corner. As for the processing that was done using Photomatix. I only recently purchased this software, but I'm already growing very fond of it.

Taking a little break today from the cars and the bikes to upload some slightly more abstract stuff. Next up another colourful orb - yes these things are addictive! A square crop of the original shot as taken by me can be found in the Notes.

This is one of a series of shots I took for the recent The Sunday Challenge , which had the theme of At The Market . Griffdel Signs regularly attend Northallerton Market to promote their business and take orders for personalised hand carved signs. Not only do they show off some sample signs, but the stall holder also sets up a small display so that people can see him working with wood. A really friendly and cooperative chap, he was happy to let me take some shots: some candid and some posed. I think though that this is my favourite from the series and the only reason I didn't submit it to the main group was that I felt it maybe lacked context.

Well I have to say it's been another of those week's where I've been somewhat intimidated by the challenge theme, but as the week's gone on I've felt I've risen to it somewhat. I really didn't like the idea of taking photos in shops or of people, but I ended up doing both albeit I got asked to leave one shop after I think I'd outstayed my welcome. Anyway, in the end I've opted to submit this shot to The Sunday Challenge as for me it summed up the feeling of a local summer market best. No doubt I'll post a few of the others in the new NOT The Sunday Challenge group as there were quite a few shots I liked.