View allAll Photos Tagged Isolated
Penultimate image in my theme for this week Isolated Object. Soaring Buzzard high in the sky i Somerset, UK.
I am a big fanboy of sea stacks. These isolated outcrops of vertical rocks speak to my lunacy. I can almost hear them wail a hymn to evade pain as their eroding resilience stands up to the ocean's constant and often violent hammering. Most have no face (some though do), but they all have stories. Some speak of the sunsets they have witnessed, while others narrate attrition imposed by rip tides of time. These sea stack tales float like mist in the salty sea breeze; if you care, you could easily pluck out a few for your soul.
I have photographed many sea stacks, some famous and others beautiful. There are many more sea stacks I would like to visit; some are far, some very far. But closer to home, in Bandon, Oregon, I had the privilege of meeting many sea stacks (above) that stood tall together, without a damn concern for the outcome of time.
A Buddhist monk waits to board his train at Hua Lamphong Railway Station in the Pathum Wan District of Bangkok, Thailand.
Nikon D7500, Sigma 18-300, ISO 280, f/5.6, 31mm, 1/250s
Isolated thunderstorms over the eastern Carpathian mountains continued till after sunset.
I used a sharp 50mm prime lens to capture the lightning strikes. Because of the large distance to the storms I had to use low f-values to capture the lightning with the forthcoming disadvantage of short exposure times because it was still rather light outside.
This image of a Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) feeding from a wire mesh tray was taken in Carrickfergus, UK.
This image of a small group of isolated trees on the top of the hills above Forgandenny sums up how I’m feeling right now. However, you just have to keep on keeping on.
I think I can compose this a little better, but the footing is steep and I didn't want to get this date if I mis-stepped. I don't like the far shoreline cutting into the tree where it does, but I also don't want the shores from the islands to be in-line with the distant shore, and I don't want want to lose the separation (water) between the nearest and more distant islands. One day, if the conditions are right, I'll risk a swim in the lake.
Finally, victory from the jaws of defeat, Owner tracked down a pride of seven lions laying in the grass beneath a copse of trees on a small hill. You can see four of the lions in this shot. Below, an extract from this morning's Journal:
After our break we drove in silence until we came to a small hill beside the road, it was covered in trees, and lions. Owner drove around the hill and told us about the 7 lions in that pride. Owner knew the life history of every animal, it was fascinating to learn about them and their individual histories.
As photo opportunities go, this was not a good find. The lions were concealed in the long grass and they were difficult to see, but Mary was thrilled. This is what she had come to Africa to see, and now Owner was her hero, even if he didn’t speak American. At lunch Mary told anybody who would listen that she had seen at least 20 lions. Joe said nothing.
After lunch I left Kanana along with several other guests. Among them were Bob and Bonkers, who arrived with me. I'd avoided them until now, but as we waited for our transfer to the airstrip Bonkers showed me some of her outstanding photo; she was an accomplished photographer. She declared everybody should come to Africa, because she'd learned so much in just a few days. It's true, she'd really blossomed and I was happy for her. Bob still struck me as a dummy.
Packed into a tiny aircraft, we made two short hops to dusty isolated airstrips where passengers got off or on. At the second stop I transferred to a second plane for a short hop to Okuti, I was their only passenger. I was met at the airstrip and whisked away to a rendezvous with my new guide, Chachos, who was conducting an afternoon game drive in the Moremi Game Reserve.
This was quite a culture shock, first the roads are incredibly rough, and secondly we are sharing with vehicles from different lodges, along with private vehicles.
Chachos had found a leopard in the morning, and was keen to show me the animal. When we arrived at the spot, about a dozen vehicles were gathered around and it was impossible to see the leopard which was in a tree. We waited and eventually Chachos got a spot and I had my photos.
Apart from the truly awful roads with potholes big enough to swallow a small car, this is a very different landscape from Kanana. It's more heavily wooded, there's much less ground water and many dry water courses. There are the same animals and much less sage bush. I found myself missing Owner with his vast knowledge and wonderfully dry sense of humour, but not the mosquitoes; those I can do without.
The accommodation here is even better than at Kanana. The rooms are on stilts and connected to the main building by an elevated walkway. I have a very spacious room built of thatch and brick, the roof is thatched. There is a large balcony with a comfortable seat, a table and chairs, and it all looks out over the Xudum River with papyrus reeds on the far bank. It's all very lovely.
Back in Keeler again. I wish I could have better isolated this old road grader, but the lay of the land swallowing it up convinced me to take the pic.
My earlier upload was from the state of Himachal Pradesh in the north-western corner of India.
This one is from the other corner of India - the beautiful north-east. A house in a very remote corner of the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh,India.It was a cloudy day.I was returning from a tiring trip over terrible roads but when I saw this house I wanted to capture it and share it with my friends here who enjoy my images from rural India.:-)
Might be worth a look in large.
Basaltic pebbles makeup most of the sediment on the beach at Malarrif, which means "pebble reef" in Icelandic. For centuries the farm at Malarrif was one of the most isolated farms in Iceland. It was the westernmost farm on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and the nearest settlement to it was the fishing village at Hellnar. The lighthouse here had an important role for Icelandic fishermen for decades as they fished in the rich fishing grounds by the shore. Icelanders fish these same grounds for centuries. The lighthouse was built in 1917 and rebuilt in 1947. The height of the lighthouse is 20 meters, and the light had a range of eighteen miles. The farm and lighthouse is now an important tourist center in Snæfellsjökull National Park.
A lone tree with bright yellow fall foliage among the weathered boulders of Alabama Hills.
Photo taken near Lone Pine, CA (USA).
This is the road that I live and walk on daily. My house is at the top of that far hill on the left side. This stretch of road is isolated but sometimes I meet up with another neighbour walking or someone from town who might drive out here, park their car and go for a walk or a run. Depending on what time of day it is the walk along here can be quite peaceful, other times the work commuters are in a rush and fly by going about 100km an hour so I know I am taking a risk sharing the road with them. Some drivers slow down and will give you space as they go around you but more and more often drivers are beginning to not care about anyone else on the road but themselves. Regardless, I will take my chances and continue to walk here as I would rather be out here than in town where there is a lot more to see and appreciate. There is a river at the bottom of that hill up ahead and if you are lucky you may catch a sighting of a pair of bald eagles sitting in their nest, a tree or flying overhead with a fish in its talons taking it back to its nest...true story.
Thanks for your visit. I hope your day went well.