Day 9 - 17th September 2014 - Pinkhill Lock to Oxford

Took the train to Oxford for this section, hiking upstream to Pinkhill Lock then back to Oxford. Another warm dry day, grey throughout except for sun just for about three hours early afternoon. There's more activity on the Thames as it widens and enters more populated parts. Oxford marks 54 miles of the path completed - or 108 as I'm hiking both directions.

No, I don't know what it is either!

The Lock at King's Weir

Bridge at Godstow Abbey

Dangerous Heron

Reflection of Swinford Bridge

Under the A34

Bridge at Godstow Abbey - II

Day 8 - 8th September 2014 - Newbridge to Pinkhill Lock

It's 14 miles to Oxford - or 28 miles hiking as I'm hiking each section in both directions. So, 14 miles was today's quota getting me just beyond Pinkhill Lock before turning back to Newbridge. Day 9 will see me in Oxford. Totally different weather from the last two outings when I didn't see the sun all day. This section was wall to wall sun making some images possible whilst ruling out others. The photograph (third one down below) of the shadow of the weir superstructure on the waters of the weir at Northmoor Lock is an example of an image for which not only is the sun is essential to cast the shadows, but also the particular time of day is important. Any earlier and the bright slots of sunlight would not yet have appeared whilst not too much later and they, along with the railings, would have stretched too far out to the left. My arrival at the right time was pure luck - an essential ingredient in at least some of my work. The second photograph of the weir was taken about 5 hours later when, this time, the sun's low position made the image possible creating the contrast of the bright warm back-lit spewing water with the cool light in the shaded remainder of the image. Whilst the first works well for me in b&w, the second requires its colour.

Under the Newbridge Willows

Disused Boat House

Weir at Northmoor Lock - I

Weir at Northmoor Lock - II

Day 7 - 5th September 2014 - Chimney Meadow NNR to Newbridge

Another good day hiking but after my previous day this one provided me with a few more images to work on. The day once more was overcast with an even grey sky and almost no breeze. Not much use for landscape vistas with big skies, but ideal for closer more intimate images with the absence of harsh shadows. Butterflies are now almost always shown in full colour so my monochrome Comma harks back to older times when all wildlife photography was in black and white.

I met and hiked for part of the way with Tim and Jean from Olympia on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. They are on a 15 day hike for the whole of the Thames Path. The coincidence is that in May this year I traveled and photographed all round the peninsula, their home territory. My photographs from the trip are linked here on my website.

The Old Bridge at Newbridge

Comma

Shifford Lock Footbridge

Cow Parsley

Fungi on Dead Poplar