Another lighthouse

I have no idea where this one is or who togged it – people just send me photos of lighthouses and I share the ones I like.

I’m not sure I have seen a standalone yellow lighthouse before. Especially one with a huge blackboard on the side.

Also, rule of thirds: 10/10.

I’ve been looking at options for a mini-photography expedition next week, using professional tools like PhotoPills and everything. I think I may have formulated a decent plan involving an overly shared local icon and some sky, but it is (as ever) weather dependent (plus whether I can actually be arsed once the time arrives).

Right now though, with 8 days still to go, I’m full of enthusiasm.

Preventing shipwrecks in Saskatchewan

It’s a bit problem – or rather it would be were it not for two things:

Firstly, Saskatchewan is landlocked province of Canada:

And secondly, there’s a lighthouse in the middle of the prairie “just in case”:

The Cochin Lighthouse is in… er… Cochin: about 1,100km from any genuine coastline (that of Hudson Bay to the north east), but it’s still a lighthouse with a working light.

One of Cochin’s former mayors had the grand idea of constructing this out-of-place tower after visiting Canada’s coast. His seemingly silly plan to plunk a lighthouse in the middle of the prairies paid off. Locals and tourists alike are enamoured by the beloved landmark. Saskatchewan lovebirds have gotten engaged with the structure standing proudly in the background, then returned to have their wedding pictures taken within the lighthouse’s shadow.

Now, you know that we like lighthouses here on 6000 miles…, but to be honest, I’ve never really been a fan of this North American style. Give me a hefty stone tower any day. And put it by the sea, for heaven’s sake.

Still, a lighthouse is a lighthouse, and this one still makes into the blog on that basis.

Triangle

Triangles are my favorite shape:
Three points where two lines meet.

Tessellate, Alt-J

Yep. That’s a triangle. Geometry game on point!

It’s not quite a lighthouse, in that there’s no light and it’s not a house, but I do like this photo I’ve been sent. The marker is placed to warn of a hidden object underwater.

The movement of the water in the foreground, fading towards the horizon, and juxtaposed against the very still, very solid warning marker. Great use of a longer exposure: maybe even as much as a second here?

Really good stuff.

Texel Reflection

Another trip down South is on the cards this weekend and I’ve been checking the weather forecast accordingly. Cape Agulhas got plenty of rain this week, which is great, but it looks to be mostly clear and bright this weekend, which is also great.

I’m anxious to try some more drone stuff out and also some long exposure stuff. And although it’s right there, I’m going to avoid any lighthouse images this time. Probably, anyway.

Thankfully, other people have been ‘togging red lighthouses (really well), so I don’t have to. This is on the North Hollandish island of Texel, in North Holland. Super simple, but super effective.

Tonight sees me attending my first quiz in ages, which will be even more fun (and possibly slightly more successful) if I can shake this blinding headache before the first question kicks in.

Back down to earth

Even as I begin this blog post, I have no idea what it will be about. How exciting is that?
“What a rebel! What a firebrand! How does he do it?” I hear the audience marvel.

I do know what it won’t be about though: flight. It suddenly struck me that my last three posts had all involved flight, and that I was inadvertently drifting higher and higher: 120m with my Mavic, 40,000ft on that Dreamliner and then about 408km for the International Space Station. This wasn’t at all intentional, it just happened that way.

Anyway, it could be that this post actually ends up being about not knowing what it is going to be about. I’ve been sidetracked so many times since I began writing it (picking fantasy football side, answering emails, doing lab work), that I’m now running out of time to complete it before I have other places to be.

Quota photo?

Quota photo.

How about another one of those Brittany lighthouses?

This one is La Vieille – the Old Lady – off the Pointe du Raz, and forms part of a chain of lighthouses guiding ships safely around the end of Brittany:

There you go. Not a wing, rocket or rotor blade in sight.