There's Something Alive In My Garden!

The President of Rotherham Photographic Society set us several challenges at the start of the club's current season in order to spice things up a bit, add a hint of competitive edge to proceedings but also, just to get us thinking about our photography a bit more.

One such exercise is entitled 'Location, Location, Location' and we've been tasked to submit shots taken whilst on the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) in and around Rotherham. So ...... with a free weekend before me and as the sun was shining this morning, post perusal of map over a cup of tea and two slices of toast, I figured my best bet would be to explore the TPT around Catcliffe Flash and Treeton Dyke.

Not such a good plan I don't think, now I'm back and drinking tea again. Don't get me wrong .... there's some very pleasant walking around the Flash and the Dyke and I did enjoy my meanderings but it's still a wee bit too early in the season for any sense of real flourish about the place. It's only just starting to come to life and I struggled to see anything worth capturing just yet. My first blip of the day, since deleted, was a monochromed shot of a swan which, held some interest for me at first, but in hindsight, was just a common or garden swan ... beautiful though they are!

However, when I got home, I took the first wander of the year around my own garden, which, on face value and from the warmth of indoors is a wasteland - an embarrassment of dead things with some serious work to be done come the warmer weather of spring! So, I was thrilled when, on closer inspection, I noticed something was still alive out there!

It was only a small glimpse of things to come, so I used my macro lens to get up close and personal and, although not pin sharp owing to the noticeable breeze which kept things moving, I hope you like this prelude to spring!