Tag Archives: ciel

Blue Hour Reflections

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Walking home this week, and while it is still dark by the time I leave work, with it being lighter till a little later every day as we move into spring, there was a smidgen of blue light in the western sky. I didn’t have the tripod with me, so sat the camera in timer mode on the stone wall by the Walker Bridge over the Union Canal, where it runs between rows of Victorian tenements.

Blue Hour Reflections

And I was lucky enough to catch this gorgeous Moon rise over the Union Canal, as dusk fell, the Moon chasing the setting sun across the sky.

The Moon Chased The Sun Across The Heavens 02

Blue Moon

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Walking home last night, as the planetary parade was taking place. It was a clear night, the very tail-end of Blue Hour, most of the sky dark save a fading, blue glow in the west, and above the tenements running parallel to the Union Canal, Venus shining diamond bright. I didn’t have the tripod with me, so I set the timer and sat the camera on the stone ledge by the bridge over the canal to steady it for a long exposure and crossed my fingers:

Venus Shining Down

Then this evening, the 1st of March, walking home, same spot over the Union Canal, Venus in a clear, dusk sky, but this time joined by a gorgeous, large, crescent Moon over the old tenements, so I improvised again, resting the camera on the stone ledge of the bridge to get a long exposure:

Blue Moon, You Saw Me Standing Alone 01

“Blue moon, you saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I really could care for
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will hold
I heard somebody whisper, “Please adore me”
And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold
Blue moon
Now I’m no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own”

Blue Moon, You Saw Me Standing Alone 02

The Moon and Venus, Dancing in the Heavens

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Walking home from my first day of work of 2025, frigid but beautiful winter’s night, amazingly clear skies, even over the city. Above the Union Canal, which was rapidly icing up, a large, bright, crescent Moon, with an incredibly bright Venus shining right next to it.

The Moon And Venus Danced Among The Heavens 01

As I was coming from work, I didn’t have my tripod with me, so I improvised, setting the timer on the camera, then resting it on the edge of the old, stone bridge over the canal to steady it for a longer exposure, and crossed my fingers. And while it isn’t as good as with the tripod, given it is a makeshift night shot, it’s not too bad:

The Moon And Venus Danced Among The Heavens 02

And this was the view looking east – you can just see Jupiter in the sky above the buildings at the end of the canal in this one, just right of centre:

Union Canal, Winter's Night 01

And a wee zoom in closer to the old Leamington Lift Bridge, and the cold waters starting to freeze over:

Union Canal, Winter's Night 03

As ever, click on the links to see the full-sized versions on the Woolamaloo Flickr stream (now north of 28, 000 photos on there!)

Giant Meccano

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The giants cast vast shadows…

Giants Cast Large Shadows

Some huge cranes were catching the evening light recently, which drew my roving eye to take a few snaps, zooming in closer until it looked like giant Meccano sets in the sky. The declining evening sunlight also made them cast enormous shadows onto some of the modern buildings at the end of the Union Canal too, which was just begging for some monochrome shots.

Meccano 01

Meccano 02

Meccano 05