Five in a Row - Stridey

Ashmore is the highest village in Dorset, some 700 feet above sea level, close to the Dorset/Wiltshire border.
The village is centred on a circular pond and consists of a church and several stone cottages and farms, many with thatched roofs. The pond or "mere" is what gave the village its original name of "Ashmere".

This shot was taken early one Autumn morning, not long after the fog had cleared and the scene was bathed in a lovely low sun. I was very lucky to be there without any cars as Ashmore is something of a tourist magnet :




Regards
Nigel

Lovely calm shot - and I can well imagine it being a tourist magnet!

That's lovely, Nigel - low-sun opportunism at its finest.

Lovely reflection Nigel, and good crisp light. I might have been tempted to include a little bit more sky just to move the reflection a bit nearer to the bottom third of the picture, but that's just my personal taste, a fine shot as it is.

The term "picturesque" comes to mind. Very green and calm.

Best regards

My fourth image was shot on the Swanage Railway, at Harman's Cross. Taken at Christmas last year on a foul wet day where the light levels were quite frankly appalling. LSWR M7 Class '30053' is seen hauling a mixed passenger/goods train from Corfe Castle to Swanage :




Regards
Nigel

The appalling weather makes for a great B&W image in this case with the rails being wet giving some 'life' into them! A lovely sharp image

30053 does rather leak steam from the ( inside) cylinders doesn't it? Interestingly T9 30120 has the same problem! However the veil of steam does highlight the smokebox well...a nice shot,

BTW, if you think that was a wet day at Corfe, take a look at these....https://www.flickr.com/photos/arleimages/sets/72157632744719514/

I like that very much, Nigel. The weather is appropriate for mono - and the subject is likewise complementary. It could almost have been taken with a Spotmatic circa 1965.

A picture perfect postcard for No 3, and a candidate for a popular postcard at the station shop with No 4! I like the mono for the train, and the colours are very well judged and natural for No 3.

The railway from Swanage to Corfe (well just past Corfe!) holds many special memories for me with the family in years past ... this time, after a break away from Dorset for a few years, we didn't do the railway, but the haunting sounds from the trains cast a spell over the camp site just up the hill, an ingrained memory.
Yours is a nicely timed shot with its steamy puffs and our man leaning out the cab. Well done!

It’s a good B&W image of a most suitable subject. Although easy to say after the event, maybe more of the far left rail line could have been included to capture the full pair. Do all steam train drivers stand and pose for photo’s?

Best regards

I really like image 3 and this is one of those shots that benefits from sunshine and blue sky. It is a beautiful, calm scene and well composed / photographed. Number 4 doesn't grab me, mostly because I'm not a fan of train images, they have to be really special to get my attention I'm afraid!

Best regards
David

My mistake - I forgot to tell the new baton holder (Russ) to start next week !!

So in parallel with his first entry, I'll post my final offering. This was shot in the New Forest in November 2013.
The location is a beatiful spot close to Blackwater Bridge, well known for a large gathering of beech trees which develop fantastic colours in the Autumn. That said, I didn't think the colours were as good this year as when I took this picture :




Regards
Nigel

Very nice reflection and colours...I might have been tempted to lose a bit of the right hand side, I find that mass of roots a bit distracting...the lighting is delightful though.

That's a wonderful shot Nigel. I like the composition, the soft golden light and crisp reflection. Can't see anything i don't like about it. Just a really nice image.