Tag: waterfall

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Canada 2015 – Niagara Falls

Over the last few weeks blogging has sadly taken second place to work.  A project I’m working on has taken me around the UK, giving me lots of opportunities to photograph some great places (photos coming soon!) but no time for anything else.  So for now a return to my series of photos from last years Canadian holiday with just ten photos from Niagara Falls.

I visited Niagara Falls on the last day of my holiday; hiring a car in Toronto and driving one-and-a-half hours around Lake Ontario to spend a couple of hours exploring this natural wonder, before driving back to Toronto’s Pearson Airport and flying back to England.

The falls themselves are simply amazing, the sheer size and the roar of the water is stunning.  I was hoping for clear blue skies but was confronted with a dull rainy day which doesn’t make for the best photos.

What I hadn’t realised before my visit is that the town of Niagara Falls is split in two by the Niagara River – one side in Canada and one in America.  I was on the Canadian side and didn’t have the time to get over to the American side – although checking the location (geotag) information on my photographs I can see that I did technically get into America without using my passport due to the country boarder running right down the middle of the river!

The Canadian side definitely gives better views of both the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls, but once you’re aboard a boat (Hornblower from the Canadian side, Maid of the Mist from the American side) you get the same experience.  

Before you board a boat from either side you get given a waterproof poncho to wear.  Obviously the falls produce a lot of mist, but I wasn’t prepared for just how close the boats go to the falling water!  Despite the poncho both me and my camera got soaked – luckily I could get changed after, and my Olympus EM-1 camera is weather proofed.

After my soaking I headed back into town and I went up the Skylon Tower to get photographs looking down on the falls.  The views from above didn’t disappoint, although they didn’t last for long as incoming rain obscured the view.  

I didn’t have time to explore much else of the town, although what I did see looked very touristy, almost resembling a tacky British seaside town with its endless gift shops and casinos.  But I’ll definitely return some time for a longer visit in the hope of getting better weather for daytime photographs and at some night-time ones too.

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A Wet and Windy Weekend in Wales

Just back from a wet and windy weekend in Wales, I thought I’d quickly share just ten photos from the trip (yes I know I’ve a huge backlog of Canada photos to share… all in good time!).  

I’ve been to south Wales a few times in autumn and winter but it’s the first time the weather has been quite so bad.  Rainstorms and gusty winds overnight meant some missed sleep, but luckily the worst of the daytime weather came when I was under cover.  

Saturday morning was rained out, and Plantasia in Swansea offered a watertight glass dome filled with plants and animals.  As the weather brightened up a lunchtime trip to Verdi’s Cafe in Mumbles gave the opportunity for views across Swansea Bay.  Being close to 5th November there were lots of fireworks to choose from in the area, and seeing a bonfire and fireworks in the shadow of Coity Castle was a treat.  

On Sunday a trip to the Cats Protection Bridgend Adoption Centre left me feeling a little sad that there were so many cats waiting to be adopted.  But I was perked up by a visit to St Fagans, and all the dark clouds didn’t lead to a drenching.  This was my second visit to the museum, which is a huge site with various buildings from all over Wales.  The buildings are dismantled brick-by-brick and rebuilt at St Fagans.  The St Teilo’s Church, for example, took twenty years to dismantle and move.  Autumn is a great time to visit and see all the buildings set amongst the colourful trees.

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Scotland (part 1 of 2) – Lochs and Travels

As readers of the Just 10 Photos tweets will know, there’s two posts coming up from my recent trip to Scotland.  This first post focuses mostly on the Lochs, with a few other photos thrown in for good measure.

The five day coach break with Bakers Dolphin involved two days of travelling to and from Scotland, and three days exploring the Trossachs national park and Edinburgh.  Coach trips aren’t very relaxing as you’re always on the move, but it’s a good way to see the area and let someone else do all the driving (a good opportunity for a nap on the move!).  

Although lots of miles were covered and lots of stops were made, none were long enough for me to fully explore and photograph in detail.  But I had long enough to get a good feel for the area and get few photos of Scotland’s stunning scenery.  This was my first trip to Scotland, and I’ll definitely be retuning one autumn to capture the autumnal colours which I imagine will be amazing.

The weather was a mixed bag although I only got wet on a couple of occasions.  For anyone who like to see or photograph landscapes and never ending greenery you must add a trip to Scotland to your list!