SKYWATCH FRIDAY- THE BRIGHT LIGHTS POYLL DOOEY

Is it Friday already. Well no actually it's still Thursday and this is a timed post. I no longer trust Blogger with the week I've had!

Oh yes, the pic. Do not try this at home, I am serious! This was very naughty of me. Breaking golden rules of photography with the one. I am too rebellious though, and the scene just begged to be taken. Do not point your naked lens at the sun!!!!!!!!

Wandering round Poyll Dooey Nature Reserve I found a nice bench, under this the tree in the pic to sit and change the lens. When I looked up the sun was so bright overhead that I thought I would get a way with one shot. The rest were taken with the sun not as exposed and streaming through the leaves. A very quick manual shot with a wide angled lens, ISO 200 to keep the blue sky blue and capture the white flash. I angled the camera against the leaves to create the sunflares. You will notice looking back over my images I like sunflares and try and catch the light to create them whenever I can. If I had used the auto setting this image would not have been as vibrant, and the sky would have been bleached. Have a go with manual setting when you can. Have confidence, you really do get finer, sharper hues and lines and it will train your eye on focusing, and perspective. Honest!

More bridge shots in the IOO series to come( the same photographed IOO different ways) and more Mutiny on The Bounty Isle of Man connections.

To join skywatch go to SKYWATCH
The concept was Dot's, the next host WIGGERS WORLD the guardians of skywatch now are Tom, Imac and Sandy

SKYWATCH FRIDAY - RAMSEY RIPPLE

As I had so many of those weird sunset images we rarely get here I decided to make the most of them. This one is nothing but the sky, no trees or building for reference or perspective that I would normally shoot.The reason for this is by this time I shot this one the light was fading really fast so I had to find the brightest point of colour to bounce some light around the image.

As some of you know last week I had some very negative comments about my images basically being to good to be true and last weeks skywatch in particular being the one that seemed to warrant the most abuse. You may also have noticed that my partner Gary of, BARKER BITES BACK! actually left his own comment on my skywatch image to confirm he was with me when the image was taken and not enhanced in any way. Normally we don't interfere with each other's blogs, but I really was annoyed last week, and almost stopped the blog. So again I hope you like this natural image we get rarely over the island. Don't get to used to them though it'll be back to my dramatic clouds soon and we get a awful lot of those hanging around.

Gary is taking a break from the BARKER GALLERY BBC while the Politics Show is off air for the summer season, and the British Politicians take a holiday. Just who is running the country when they all swan off for a few months then? This means my house won't be full of Political Cartoons, but well all sorts of other artwork instead. Tour de France for German magazines, Artwork for the Berlin Underground and at the moment he is showing me his Paul Newman (tremendous it is too!) which will go onto his blog tonight, if you want to take a peek at BARKER BITES BACK!

If you want to participate in skywatch see the new blog we have, SKYWATCH
Only genuine skywatchers need apply. None of your advertising for sales sites please. This is for enthusiasts only and hosted by Jane & Tom of the fabulous WIGGERS WORLD

SKYWATCH FRIDAY - RAMSEY HARBOUR SUNSET

I haven't had a sunset or a sunrise for skywatch for a while but wanted to use this image, this week and today seemed most appropriate. It's from my friends flat again Paliament Street, looking onto the harbour industry bulidings. The colours reminded me of an old saying and I wondered does anyone out there, remember this or have a different version?

"Read sky at night, shepherd's delight. Red sky in morning shepherds's warning."

Gary has just told me that he remembers it but he said "sailor" instead of "shepherd." He's from Fleetwood, a costal town in the North Of England and I'm from Birmingham, the second city in the UK. It explains why Gary would substitute the word sailor, but not why I would use the word shepherd, although many moons ago before the industrial revolution Birmingham was quite rural. Either way it's a prediction using the sky's palette of the upcoming weather.

So, do you recall this saying, or have you got a different one ?

If you want to particpate in skywatch see Jane & Tom at WIGGERS WORLD.
Only genuine skywatchers need apply. None of your advertising for sales sites please. This is for enthusiasts only and hosted by Tom of the fabulous WIGGERS WORLD

SKYWATCH FRIDAY - FLYING BIKE

It's Skywatch with a difference. Had to get the Isle of Man TT in the post somewhere and this one can do the multi tasking this week. So, a rest from the business of motorbike races and one from the stunt team instead. This was taken over the park, where during the TT we have a day off from the races and have what's known as "Ramsey Day." Not the most imaginative title, but it seems to pack the punters in. This is a wonderful all day event, with stalls, displays, and motorcycle sprints along the promenade. One for all ages, locals and tourists in unison with the sole aim of having a good time.

The biker here is one of a two man stunt team. The event has the two bikers showing an appreciative audience their agility skills, with a very jokey compare at the helm. All I will say is if you were from outside of the UK, some of the jokey comments may have got lost in translation. The stunts though are universal. This one was taken just as the guy had left the ramp before landing atop of a lorry. I went for the "suspended in mid air moment against a brilliant blue sky."
Good job I got it then! For TT action see previous posts this week.

f you want to particpate in skywatch see Tom at WIGGERS WORLD.
Only genuine skywatchers need apply. None of your advertising for sales sites please. This is for enthusiasts only and hosted by Tom of the fabulous WIGGERS WORLD

SKYWATCH FRIDAY - IN THE CLOUDS

That time of the week again, Skywatch. Yesterday I was out and about snapping the very gloomy sky over Ramsey. This was over the Nature Reserve again, but the other side, looking towards the mountains.

Often I say that I get questionable looks snapping images around Ramsey, but not today. A gentleman I met in the park asked if I was a professional. We entered into a converstation about taking sunsets and the awesomes skies for granted and how I would never be short of those to photograph. I explained what Skywatch was, and it's worldwide links. He didn't think this was odd, wierd, or time consuming. On the contrary. He thought it was a marvellous idea and said he would look out for me and tell people, I know that girl, she's a photographer for Ramsey Skywatch. So here it is the one I settled on.

If you want to particpate in skywatch see Tom at WIGGERS WORLD.
Only genuine skywatchers need apply. None of your advertising for sales sites please. This is for enthusiasts only and hosted by Tom of the fabulous WIGGERS WORLD

RAMSEY GOLD - SKYWATCH FRIDAY

Apologises for another sunset, but small islands don't have great cityscapes. You work with what you have, so it's another Ramsey setting sun shot. It's taken from a friends flat,(a very understanding friend of this obsessive photographer, one of the rugby players from an earlier photo post) hanging out the upstairs window. Probably not the safest way to capture a sunset, but I didn't want half a window frame obscuring the view. The harbour front buildings and scaffolding I kept in, and refrained from cropping, simply because they are integral to the overall image, a slice of Ramsey.

Anyone want to learn another language? Do you fancy speaking a little Manx this weekend? You do? Then I have just the link for you. If your're game, then try this link - LEARN MANX
It's a wonderful colourful site dedicated to all things Manx. From the beautiful language, lastest news, a diary of events, puzzles, historical content and more, you'll find it at LEARN MANX
A special mention must go to my good friend, and radio star,"Manx Language Officer for the Manx Heritage Foundation," Adrian Cain. The details for contacting Adrian, for all your Manx Language needs, can be found on the site. Contact him, he won't bite, well only in Manx.

If you want to particpate in skywatch see Tom at WIGGERS WORLD.
Only genuine skywatchers need apply. None of your advertising for sales sites please. This is for enthusiasts only and hosted by Tom of the fabulous WIGGERS WORLD

RAMSEY, PARLIAMENT STREET

The photo above represents the not so picturesque side of Ramsey. It's a majestic buliding that has been sadly empty for some years now. The lower half (not photographed) used to be one of our local shops, but it's the top half I wanted to highlight.

This is the kind of building on the high street that is crying out to be renovated and turned into suitable living accommodation. It would be cheaper than a new building, and a once repainted much easier on the eye. Left empty and neglected for years now, it's rapidly falling into further decline, soon to be beyond repair. So any business out there looking for a retail outlet in Ramsey, with rental accommodation, here it is. Prime location, loads of floor space, easy access need I say more.?As you can see ,this is particular pet hate of mine, but in this I know I am not a lone voice.

On a lighter note, the infestation of traffic cones seems to be dwindling, which must mean we are expecting tourists. So to all those mad bikers out there who are coming here, a warm welcome awaits. Visitors also include the host of yesterdays ABC WEDNESDAY MRS NESBITT and friends of SKYWATCH FRIDAY host Tom and Jane at WIGGERS WORLD