Claude Schneider's Photoblog » Flora

Sweden – Forest & Lakes Video

Claude — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:55:00 +0000

Over four days in August 2009, I visited a dozen nature reserves around South-Eastern Sweden (see my original post)

The sights were so beautiful and magical that I want to share them with as many people as possible.

Music: Julia – composed by Ludovico Einaudi, performed by Claude Schneider

Garden Wildlife in Macro

Claude — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:41:00 +0000

I purchased a new macro-adapter for my camera, so headed out into my parents’ garden to try it out. It may not have the sharpness of a dedicated macro lens, but for £5, it’s definitely a great way of getting even more practice after my first forays with damselflies a few weeks ago.

Sweden – Forests & Lakes

Claude — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:40:00 +0000

For the third summer in a row, I travelled to Sweden for an intensive dance workshop. Unfortunately, I sustained an injury in the fortnight before flying out that rendered me unable to take part. Not one to waste an opportunity (or a non-refundable flight), I hired a car and drove around the myriad forests and lakes in South-Eastern Sweden for 4 days.

In addition to a dozen or so huge national parks, Sweden has hundreds of small nature reserves, all (relatively)-well documented, mapped, and sign-posted. So it was rather easy to hop from one to another, walk freely through the forests, feel at one and alone in nature, and admire the breathtaking scenery. Two main images remain firmly implanted in my memory – forests where every boulder, rock and patch of ground is covered in multi-coloured mosses; and expanses of blue lakes bordered by forests on all sides.

Many more forest and lake photos from Sweden can be viewed at CantabPhotos

Poppy Field

Claude — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:57:00 +0000

I drove down to London to attend the UJC CEO’s leaving event, and passed by a field of poppies near Foxton that a friend had mentioned to me.

Damselflies at Dawn

Claude — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:40:00 +0000

4:30am, stirring after 2hrs sleep. Greg calls – “Want to come photograph damselflies?” Sure. Cycling to Grantchester meadows 5 mins later at sunrise. Wading through the nettles on the riverbank, start spotting lots of black wing-tips. Snap snap snap. As it warms up 3 hours later, dozens of damselflies fly around you as you stir the nettles.

Sunrise over the River Cam, Grantchester

Mayfly at sunrise

Close-up of male demoiselle damselfly

Male demoiselle damselfly, covered in dew drops

Female demoiselle damselfly feeding

Jardin Botanico

Claude — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:12:00 +0000

Royal Botanic Gardens, Madrid

Claude — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:22:00 +0000

I’ve not really taken many photos in the last few months, but a spur-of-the-moment trip to Madrid was a great way to get my photo-mojo back in gear. While there were few photogenic subjects in the city, the Botanic Gardens contained a wealth of stunning visual treats. I also put together another Colour & Form montage from the Botanic Gardens .

Purple Pansies

Close-up of Purple Iris

Water droplets on a leaf

Textured bark of bonsai tree

Water droplets on red bonsai leaf

Water droplets on bonsai leaf

Orchids

Autumn Changes

Claude — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:39:00 +0000

Autumn Colours

Claude — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:20:41 +0000

Red vs Green

Claude — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:00:09 +0000

The back of the New Court building in St. John’s is covered in vines. From spring to summer, they’re a verdant green, and towards autumn, they turn red before falling. I managed to get photographs of the leaves when green, and then again when red (a week before they fell), and noticed that I had photos of the same windows before and after the colours changed.