Meanygate meanderings (and beyond) - a farmed landscape
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I got a similar comment when I put it on Twitter!As I scrolled down the page, the fouth shot looked, for a moment, like a small house in front of a row of trees. Like a jungle plantation.
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Same here!I think it's the colour of the top making that look like a reddish roof.As I scrolled down the page, the fouth shot looked, for a moment, like a small house in front of a row of trees. Like a jungle plantation.
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One I forgot. In a couple of places tractors have been hauling and dumping topsoil. I expect to fill in dips which have held water this summer.
A misty autumn morning as a bonus. I wish I'd got out earlier that day as by the time I left home the mist was lifting and time was running out to make some decent pics instead of snaps as I had to get back for a timed delivery.
A misty autumn morning as a bonus. I wish I'd got out earlier that day as by the time I left home the mist was lifting and time was running out to make some decent pics instead of snaps as I had to get back for a timed delivery.
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It was another misty autumn morning today before what could well be the last day of the Indian Summer we've had. I had more time but there was nothing going on within lens range and the mist soon burned off.
Over teh weekend I got out every day but came home with little of consequence.
I keep trying to find a way to make a picture of the big wagons.
I've even tried going out late to find something fresh but so far only managed this one picture. And it's borderline for the project's area.
Over teh weekend I got out every day but came home with little of consequence.
I keep trying to find a way to make a picture of the big wagons.
I've even tried going out late to find something fresh but so far only managed this one picture. And it's borderline for the project's area.
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I like that approach, the trucks look like they are going somewhere, particularly the 1st and third with the cabs behind the bush. Personally I'd go for less skyline clutter...
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It was something that occurred to me on the spur of the moment one morning. So totally unplanned - as per usual for me. I'll try to find a different vantage point, but I like the road leading to the wagons and there's only one other place like that where there's a good chance of wagons passing regularly.
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Couple of randoms today.
Small scale pumpkin crop. Had my eye on these for a few days and today the greenhouse door was partly open.
Seen on the door of one of the minibuses used to ferry gangs of pickers around the moss.
Small scale pumpkin crop. Had my eye on these for a few days and today the greenhouse door was partly open.
Seen on the door of one of the minibuses used to ferry gangs of pickers around the moss.
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Typical. Just when I can't think of anything to write about the blog gets a reader!
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Sunday's are quiet on the moss, and the year is winding down for activity too, but it rained all day yesterday so I went for a look. Sure enough what had dried out is wet again. It must be very frustrating and dispiriting for the growers who are affected.
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It’s hard, that
. And they know that the wetness is one of the factors making it productive.
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The rain never seems to abate these days and the drains and ditches aren't maintained as they used to be. So holding water, which used to be a benefit, now becomes a problem. I had a drive round and the main drain (open, not piped) where it nears the estuary had flooded the road. Another wet autumn/winter like last year will be very hard.It’s hard, that
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ancient_mariner
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Floods everywhere at the moment.
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There certainly are.Floods everywhere at the moment.
Had another look this afternoon. A bit out of area.
This is where the water off the moss ends up.
This is maize, cut the other day, on my walking route to the moss proper. The last part of the route was impassable.
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I chanced a sunny break in the rain today to take another look at the water and got caught out, but not soaked.
Water getting close to this greenhouse.
So action being taken up the road. Another old machine still in use.
Meanwhile the fields get wetter despite the pumps and attempts to drain water by digging channels to teh ditches.
I wonder if this is something like what the moss looked like before there was any drainage?
Water getting close to this greenhouse.
So action being taken up the road. Another old machine still in use.
Meanwhile the fields get wetter despite the pumps and attempts to drain water by digging channels to teh ditches.
I wonder if this is something like what the moss looked like before there was any drainage?
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I'm taking fewer and fewer photos on my meanderings now. So it's definitely time to move on to something fresh (if I can find something) and just call in to the moss now and again.
The water has subsided in some places.
But not in others.
I was sheltering from a shower when I took this one. Borderline for the moss, but on a meanygate.
Could have done with a longer lens rather than cropping, but a rainbow has to be photographed!
The water has subsided in some places.
But not in others.
I was sheltering from a shower when I took this one. Borderline for the moss, but on a meanygate.
Could have done with a longer lens rather than cropping, but a rainbow has to be photographed!
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I'm still meandering but mainly for the exercise so often with an inappropriate lens for what I do come across.
This one's a little outside my originally designated area, but still just about on the moss. My excuse is that it's potato harvesting time, pretty much the only activity to be seen at the moment..
This one's a little outside my originally designated area, but still just about on the moss. My excuse is that it's potato harvesting time, pretty much the only activity to be seen at the moment..
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Somewhere new to me today when I managed to get out (after the sunny morning turned cloudy). Strictly speaking this is the next named moss over, but they're all one contiguous area of mossland . This footpath goes through a potato packer's yard which as the sign suggests is a busy place.
The main reason for this route was to see if I could get some pictures of wooden potato crates.
At this time of year when potatoes are being carted around they turn up all over the place.
The only problem with going through the yard is that if I don't retrace my steps there's a lot of walking with nothing much to see. I still managed this picture of a turf fied, which I think is my best (Gurskyish) effort to date.
The main reason for this route was to see if I could get some pictures of wooden potato crates.
At this time of year when potatoes are being carted around they turn up all over the place.
The only problem with going through the yard is that if I don't retrace my steps there's a lot of walking with nothing much to see. I still managed this picture of a turf fied, which I think is my best (Gurskyish) effort to date.
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The only problem with going through the yard is that if I don't retrace my steps there's a lot of walking with nothing much to see. I still managed this picture of a turf fied, which I think is my best (Gurskyish) effort to date.
No - far too much of interest there.
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I like these Dave - they make a nice connected set.
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It was nice to have a single theme to photograph for a change.
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superpippo
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I like the Gurskys
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A return visit to the potato yard this morning, reckoning that it might be quieter on a Sunday, to grab a couple of shots I'd seen the other day. A pity the sun was shining. I guess I must be odd but I much prefer overcast but bright days to clear sunny ones. Especially at this time of year with the sun casting long dark shadows. It's fine for making shapes in pictures which are about themselves, but the distract from 'documentary' pictures. If a picture has 'pop' or the 'wow' factor the message/story gets overlooked. Just my opinion, or course.
This row of trailers was one of the pictures I had in mind.
This big pile of crates the other.
This is a bit of a nothing/filler shot.
The bloody light forced me to make an 'arty' conversion for this one to hide the fact the sky is blown to smithereens in the original! You can get away with a lot in black and white.
Quite a productive morning this. Before heading to the potato yard I spend some time round the feed merchant's which closed over a year ago, which aren't for this thread. Then I walked a different route and found some other stuff worth recording and/or adding to some ongoing collections. Going out of the originally designated area has got me back in the swing again. On the way back home across the moss I snatched a record shot for this project of a typical sight on the stubble fields at this time of year. Wintering pink foots and whooper swans.
This row of trailers was one of the pictures I had in mind.
This big pile of crates the other.
This is a bit of a nothing/filler shot.
The bloody light forced me to make an 'arty' conversion for this one to hide the fact the sky is blown to smithereens in the original! You can get away with a lot in black and white.
Quite a productive morning this. Before heading to the potato yard I spend some time round the feed merchant's which closed over a year ago, which aren't for this thread. Then I walked a different route and found some other stuff worth recording and/or adding to some ongoing collections. Going out of the originally designated area has got me back in the swing again. On the way back home across the moss I snatched a record shot for this project of a typical sight on the stubble fields at this time of year. Wintering pink foots and whooper swans.
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With the moss being quiet now, and still stuck for a fresh subject, I'm moving out of the area a bit to other parts of the flatlands - the old marsh and the edges of what was Martin Mere when it was reputedly the largest lake in England. While all three areas are flat they differ in character and crops grown. As the crow flies all within five miles of my house.
A few from recent weeks.
In places there is sandier soil in the mere area. Unfortunately for me there are very few public footpaths on what was the mere itself. I wonder if that's because the routes of rural footpaths were determined hundreds of years ago - before the mere was drained?
It's still wet on the old marsh and draining it remains a battle.
More brasicas and potatoes on the marsh than the moss.
As with the mere locations there are more hedgerows and trees. Views to Pendle hill (below) Longridge Fell and the Bowland massif emphasise the flatness and sense space to me. Certainly when I'm there on a clear day.
A few from recent weeks.
In places there is sandier soil in the mere area. Unfortunately for me there are very few public footpaths on what was the mere itself. I wonder if that's because the routes of rural footpaths were determined hundreds of years ago - before the mere was drained?
It's still wet on the old marsh and draining it remains a battle.
More brasicas and potatoes on the marsh than the moss.
As with the mere locations there are more hedgerows and trees. Views to Pendle hill (below) Longridge Fell and the Bowland massif emphasise the flatness and sense space to me. Certainly when I'm there on a clear day.
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Went looking for leeks today, but too cars parked where I'd planned to go so I settled for spuds on the mere. Dark peaty soil over sand as the bottom of the ditches shows now they are running clear again.
This gives an idea of how deep the ditches and drains are dug.
The mere is a major wintering ground for thousands of pink footed geese - which is why the WWT have their reserve there. Although the geese often go elsewhere to feed. Difficult to photograph the huge flocks and put them in context unless you can catch them as they take off because they soon gain height. This is a near miss.
As can be seen, despite the mechanisation this group had to resort to forks and buckets. It was a hint of mist which had made me head out hoping for some late autumn atmosphere but there wasn't quite enough of it. Or maybe too much sunshine.
Three rather pathetic looking scarecrows. Or scaregeese?
This gives an idea of how deep the ditches and drains are dug.
The mere is a major wintering ground for thousands of pink footed geese - which is why the WWT have their reserve there. Although the geese often go elsewhere to feed. Difficult to photograph the huge flocks and put them in context unless you can catch them as they take off because they soon gain height. This is a near miss.
As can be seen, despite the mechanisation this group had to resort to forks and buckets. It was a hint of mist which had made me head out hoping for some late autumn atmosphere but there wasn't quite enough of it. Or maybe too much sunshine.
Three rather pathetic looking scarecrows. Or scaregeese?
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A farm near me that I only see driving past has an interesting idea for scarecrows that I haven't seen elsewhere. Instead of in the middle of the field he puts them near a hedge but they have “shotguns” pointing skywards. Quite convincing to humans, not sure what crows think of them
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Ingenious.A farm near me that I only see driving past has an interesting idea for scarecrows that I haven't seen elsewhere. Instead of in the middle of the field he puts them near a hedge but they have “shotguns” pointing skywards. Quite convincing to humans, not sure what crows think of them
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I spied eight sheep in a field on within my original area the other day. Too far off to do any more than identify them as Zwartbles.I went to have another look at them this afternoon and try out a new-to-me lens. The blasted sheep were even further away. And lying down! However, just along the meanygate the cattle which should have been grazing in the spring had arrived. Most likely user error caused the missed focus rather than the lens being faulty. I don't know if there will be any pictures to be made of these beasts, but I'll have a few more looks at them.
It was gloomy and nothing much was to be seen but keeping my eyes peeled I found some onions.
Detail shots like this one could come in handy if this project makes it into book/zine form.
There's still lots of water lying on the fields. These radishes have suffered.
Back near civilisation I grabbed this shot of the yard just because something in the arrangement of shapes appealed to me.
And these sprouts because Christmas is coming.
It was gloomy and nothing much was to be seen but keeping my eyes peeled I found some onions.
Detail shots like this one could come in handy if this project makes it into book/zine form.
There's still lots of water lying on the fields. These radishes have suffered.
Back near civilisation I grabbed this shot of the yard just because something in the arrangement of shapes appealed to me.
And these sprouts because Christmas is coming.
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They were digging potatoes the hard way on the moss too.
The pumps have been switched off. Which actually means that some land is draining better now because the pumped water isn't going into the ditches which drain it, so the water isn't backing up the same. The lying water will be compacting the soil it's on though.
The pumps have been switched off. Which actually means that some land is draining better now because the pumped water isn't going into the ditches which drain it, so the water isn't backing up the same. The lying water will be compacting the soil it's on though.
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I know you're supposed to make your own luck but I'm not very good at it! I set out this afternoon because the sky looked strange. I grabbed a couple of shots as I walked across the playing field but by the time I was in open country the sky stopped looking strange and was plain grey again. Nonetheless I carried on to look for the shy sheep. Which were again cowering at the far end of their field. The cattle were a bit closer but one was a bit skittish as I approached them. I even got the one I focused on sharp. There's something a bit 'blue' about the pics from this new lens though.
I was debating whether to carry on and do a circuit or turn back when my mobile rang. This hardly ever happens and even more rarely do I answer the thing, but it was someone I don't mind talking to. Unfortunately he likes talking and it was getting darker. Lights were coming on and there were pictures to be made. I was walking back the way I came when a tractor, all lit up towing a trailer of potatoes, started coming towards the road. I had to make do using the camera single handed with the phone to my ear! A pity because I could have made better pictures. Such is my photographic life...
It was that dark I couldn't see if the other tractor working that field was still around. When I was already on my way back across the fields it appeared. Although the phone call had ended it was another chance missed. Bah!
No doubt if I go looking for these late running tractors tomorrow they won't be around...
Still, for an impromptu wander I shouldn't complain. Owt's better than nowt.
I was debating whether to carry on and do a circuit or turn back when my mobile rang. This hardly ever happens and even more rarely do I answer the thing, but it was someone I don't mind talking to. Unfortunately he likes talking and it was getting darker. Lights were coming on and there were pictures to be made. I was walking back the way I came when a tractor, all lit up towing a trailer of potatoes, started coming towards the road. I had to make do using the camera single handed with the phone to my ear! A pity because I could have made better pictures. Such is my photographic life...
It was that dark I couldn't see if the other tractor working that field was still around. When I was already on my way back across the fields it appeared. Although the phone call had ended it was another chance missed. Bah!
No doubt if I go looking for these late running tractors tomorrow they won't be around...
Still, for an impromptu wander I shouldn't complain. Owt's better than nowt.
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This field is borderline moss, although within my original boundary. Rubbish photos but it was nice to be chatting about and photographing sheep again.
'"When we got married my husband said I couldn't have a horse. The Zwartbles are mine, the Blue Texels are the children's."
I now know why the mineral bucket is where it is. It's a gate stop.
'"When we got married my husband said I couldn't have a horse. The Zwartbles are mine, the Blue Texels are the children's."
I now know why the mineral bucket is where it is. It's a gate stop.
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Dave, I suspect that you do not carry out much processing of your photos.
They all have a slightly desaturated look to me.
Presumably this is deliberate and I wondered why.
Do you have a preset that gets you a head start?
Also do you see a project developing from those new b&w shots on your blog? They are intriguing, not least because of them ostensibly being of man made items but without any semblance of a human in sight. It is as if the humans had deserted thair area.
They all have a slightly desaturated look to me.
Presumably this is deliberate and I wondered why.
Do you have a preset that gets you a head start?
Also do you see a project developing from those new b&w shots on your blog? They are intriguing, not least because of them ostensibly being of man made items but without any semblance of a human in sight. It is as if the humans had deserted thair area.
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I have my camera profile set to 'flat' as it seems to keep more shadow detail and don't do much processing. Usually some highlight recovery for the sky, maybe a touch of contrast but more often a tweak to the tone curve.
The more recent pics have been shot with a new-to-me lens and look a bit flatter than usual to me. I like the lens but the contrast and colour (it's cooler to my eyes) in the photos it produces are taking some getting used to.
The black and white pics might be for the next zine swap if I get enough to work with. There's more processing done to them though.
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A while back I had in mind a project I called Mere, Moss and Marsh which was to be about these three drained areas locally. But it was too much to take on.
I still take plenty of photographs of the areas and having already wandered out of the meanygate area in this thread here are a couple of photos of the mere.
The first one is the main drain which keeps the area dry, seen here just downstream of the WWT Martin Mere reserve - that's the other side of the bridge in the distance.
This is a private track which crosses what was the original Martin Mere. Long Meanygate on maps. The drain runs along the side of the tress in the distance on the right. When I used to fish there I often looked back over the flat landscape and tried to imagine it when it was a lake.
On the edge of the moss I was trying to get a picture which showed the hills in the distance. I can'[t get my bearings for this so I'm not sure which hills they are! It also happens to be an example of serendipity in photography. I didn't notice, and couldn't have planned, the kestrel. It almost looks as if it's been Photoshopped in.
Another strange thing I find with photography is that you can walk past things without noticing them, then one time they leap out at you. Maybe there weren't as many leaves on the hedge this time and so the truck was more visible?
This lane on the edge of the moss, where it changes and becomes more wooded, has a strangeness to it. Why is there one gatepost to a paddock with this on it?
It's pretty obvious that I'm drifting away from the original concept. So maybe time to stop and pull something together from the earlier pictures. Give it a rest. Or perhaps redraw the plan, or start a new one?
I still take plenty of photographs of the areas and having already wandered out of the meanygate area in this thread here are a couple of photos of the mere.
The first one is the main drain which keeps the area dry, seen here just downstream of the WWT Martin Mere reserve - that's the other side of the bridge in the distance.
This is a private track which crosses what was the original Martin Mere. Long Meanygate on maps. The drain runs along the side of the tress in the distance on the right. When I used to fish there I often looked back over the flat landscape and tried to imagine it when it was a lake.
On the edge of the moss I was trying to get a picture which showed the hills in the distance. I can'[t get my bearings for this so I'm not sure which hills they are! It also happens to be an example of serendipity in photography. I didn't notice, and couldn't have planned, the kestrel. It almost looks as if it's been Photoshopped in.
Another strange thing I find with photography is that you can walk past things without noticing them, then one time they leap out at you. Maybe there weren't as many leaves on the hedge this time and so the truck was more visible?
This lane on the edge of the moss, where it changes and becomes more wooded, has a strangeness to it. Why is there one gatepost to a paddock with this on it?
It's pretty obvious that I'm drifting away from the original concept. So maybe time to stop and pull something together from the earlier pictures. Give it a rest. Or perhaps redraw the plan, or start a new one?