More Wintery Shetland Photography

Dore Holm

I'm still really enjoying being home but  we've had some pretty awful weather. I haven't seen more than a handful of hours of direct sunshine in the last 2 weeks.

The Drongs

On Christmas Eve, my parents and I were on our way to the local shop when we spotted an otter and her cub right beside the road. Luckily my dad had a camera with him. The one occasion I didn't have mine with me, interesting critters appeared.

They left me to fend for myself while they went to the shop and I snapped away. The lens wasn't long enough and the light was so poor that I barely got anything salvagable, despite them being so close. Maddening.

 I followed them along the beach for as long as I could before I couldn't feel or move my fingers or toes.

Christmas day was great. I've eaten my own body weight in chocolate since being home.

Our house on Christmas day. My brother, dad and grandad.

 It has been threatening to snow again the last few days, getting really cold today. It worries me that I may get stuck here, as the council is cutting funds to gritting roads. Roads like mine aren't being gritted anymore. Oh the fun.

Some really unusual ice formations today on the lochs

Kind of an abstract landscape.

Merida and Angus

I know that I have the Brave DVD coming from Santa to me this Christmas. I can't wait to watch it again.

Deluge of Sunsets

I keep saying it, but its so good to be home again, even just for a little while. All the time I've been away, my parents have been getting amazing photos without me, so whenever I'm home I feel like I have to make up for lost time. Nothing like a bit of friendly competition to encourage you.

Photos taken around an hour ago in Eshaness Shetland

Home for Christmas

This is only my third day back? Third? Not sure, must be, doesn't feel like I've been home for that length of time. I've spent most of my time asleep. Its been glorious. Despite sleeping like a log, I've already seen a meteor shower, seals, Shetland ponies, and ah I love home!

Observational drawing sketches of my cat Bailey, whilst on my lap. I never do enough obervational drawing, here is the small start of an attempt to keep it up over Christmas.

The first day back, it was a beautiful day. I'm so glad I came back on the boat when I did. The weather has been horrible since. I'm a poor sailor at best.

Here are some snapshots of the sunrise on that first day: I haven't bothered editing them at all, you're going to have to put up with squint horizions and all.

 And now for something really weird.
The loch at the Tingwall golf coure was frozen over. My mam spotted this rabbit out on the ice. It has to be one of the stranger things I've seen.The ice was more than thick enough to hold its weight thankfully.

 

Until the weather improves, I'm stuck inside, but I hope it does soon so I can go roam the hills with my camera 

Outside my window it looks more like this right now. Bummer. Classic Shetland winter weather right there. Gale force winds, 2 degrees outside, real feel -14. Lovely...  

More observational drawings from my sketchbook

Self portraity doodle

I've attempted to do self portraits various times this year, and failed and failed and failed. I'd like to have one under my belt that I'm happy with. Not even sure for definite that I like this one. Oh well. 

Animated Fire + Tilly Lamp tests

Exactly what it says on the tin. For the Kelpie film I'm working on.

Unfortunately I need to upgrade my editing software, the largest size it can output video to is 800x 450 (if its widescreen :P) which is pretty rubbish. Therefore the quality is quite bad.

Maybe santa will bring me some new software, or money to get some 

Heffalumps and Heffalump Seals

More observational drawing from webcams around the world

And some cartoony doodles of my flatmate- not technically wildlife- but close enough ;) - wait til she reads this, haha

Obervational Drawing- sort of

I'll admit it, I don't find people as interesting to draw as animals. And since there are no gazelle or even a stray rabbit bouncing along the street where I live, I very often sit on real time wildlife webcams on rainy days with my sketchbook and draw whatever happens to appear. 

Some are from zoos, others from wildlife preserves in Africa and South America.