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Garden of Adventure
There is a large well-cultivated garden at Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's country home. Did Tabitha Twitchit lose her kittens here? Did Jemima Puddleduck waddle by the wall? Did Samuel Whiskers escape down this path?

Writers write what they know and what they see, or they can never be authentic. Many of Beatrix' tales must have begun here in everyday incidents starring her pets and the local wildlife.

@ Garden of Adventure
Gideon begins his photographic tour of Northern Light: Plants.

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Field Marigold
Found in Beatrix Potter’s garden. Calendula (field marigolds) grow best in a cool climate as they are troubled by mildew. The Lake District is perfect for them!

@ Field Marigold

Yellow Daisy Egg
My pets are in awe of these beautiful eggs—they would love to try to paint their own one year. Easter and spring are times of joy as the earth awakens, plants are pushing forth from the soil, and the days are becoming warmer. Many baby animals are born in the spring, and life is burgeoning. May these eggs bring you joy and be a reminder of the earth renewing itself.

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Quince
These quince fruits are that much more interesting because they are growing on Beatrix Potter's house wall. Did she make jam from them? Did she plant the tree, or inherit it when she bought the property? How much of her own food had to come from local sources in this remote area? Small details can tell a lot, or just make you think.

@ Quince
After school, from ages 5 to 11, David would go 'home' to his grandmother’s toy shop, where his mother helped out. He never got any free toys, he had to save up; but he did get to fix all the broken ones!

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I Nearly Got Arrested!
Now what can be wrong with taking pictures of a budding branch? It was at the back of a police station! So there I am taking flash pictures and a constable comes out to find out what I am doing. But he was ok with me when he saw the pictures!

@ I Nearly Got Arrested!
David was born in the 1950s (just 13 days short of the 60s!) The US number one was “Heartaches by the Number” by Guy Mitchell. There were TWO UK number ones: "What Do You Want?" by Adam Faith, and "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?" by Emile Ford and The Checkmates.

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Oilseed Field
Some crops can be a riot of colour. This field was just a mile from my home at the time.

@ Oilseed Field
David was trained as a Systems Analyst in the steel industry and would have loved to stay in that role forever.

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Crocuses
You only get to see just how smooth and waxy the petals are in a close up shot.

@ Crocuses
David would like a model railway, but in 63 years he has never had one of his own that worked.

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Rose Hips
You need not go far to find something to take pictures of with a macro lens. These rose hips were on a dirty lane behind a bus stop. But what fascinating little details there are to see ... are those spikes an anti-caterpillar defense system? Every tiny detail is important.

@ Rose Hips
David heard 'Born to run' on the radio and thought Bruce Springsteen was from Birmingham (UK) because the radio station was based there. He went out and bought the album, which convinced him otherwise. Then he went out and bought the other two (there were no more than three then!) Until 'Born in the USA' he barely met anyone who had heard of Bruce. He was most grateful to Lisa for showing him Asbury Park, NJ, and laughed out loud when he saw what ‘Highway 9’ was really like.

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The Bare Tree
Shooting with the sun behind you at dusk and metering the exposure on the sky produces a dramatic silhouette.

@ The Bare Tree
David's favourite place is Lathkill Dale in Derbyshire, England.

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Daffodil in Detail
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
~William Wordsworth

@ Daffodil in Detail
The first time David went to an Italian restaurant he was very nervous, and especially afraid that he might pick something with garlic in it. He told his friends to make sure he did not do so! Then he ordered a Chicken Kiev. When he asked what the delicious sauce was, he found out it was garlic (and not to trust his friends again!)

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To a Primrose
Welcome, pale Primrose! starting up between
Dead matted leaves of ash and oak, that strew
The every lawn, the wood, and spinney through,
Mid creeping moss and ivy's darker green;
How much thy presence beautifies the ground:
How sweet thy modest, unaffected pride
Glows on the sunny bank, and wood's warm side.
And where thy fairy flowers in groups are found,
The school-boy roams enchantedly along,
Plucking the fairest with a rude delight:
While the meek shepherd stops his simple song,
To gaze a moment on the pleasing sight;
O'erjoyed to see the flowers that truly bring
The welcome news of sweet returning Spring.
~
"To a Primrose" ~ Poem by John Clare (1793-1864)

@ To a Primrose
David's Native American name is "Dances with Rabbis".

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African Daisy
This South African plant thrives in dry, arid areas.

@ African Daisy
David left the Methodist church in his early teens because they convinced him God did not exist. Then he did a physics degree in the hope of explaining to everyone exactly why this was so. Three years later he got saved.

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Beside the Seaside
Flowers can make a great foreground when you want to convey a sense of depth. These red and pink valerian contrast nicely with the sea.

@ Beside the Seaside
David was so good at early video games that students formed a queue just to watch him. David developed a sly habit of sticking his elbows out at unexpected moments to make them keep out of his field of view.

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Peach Blossom
Sometimes a shot would be a lot easier if you had someone to help! Out of view here is my left hand, holding the branch, whilst I stand on tiptoe holding the camera between forefinger and thumb, operating the controls with my middle finger and poking the flash open with my pinkie. Srsly! A little wind can make a simple shot next to impossible if you are alone!

@ Peach Blossom
David came from a family with an endless supply of aunts and very few uncles. Two of the few uncles he had were called Granville. This made life quite confusing for him on occasions.

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Grass Seeds on a Poppy
Somehow these grass seeds ended up on the petals of a poppy. I found the flower on a piece of waste ground fifty yards from home.

@ Grass Seeds on a Poppy
David has never been drunk. He's seen it done; that's what put him off.

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Cuckoo Flower
Insects and flowers are often shot in still life at home, setting everything up just so. But when the flower is growing under a bush, a close up foreground flash will render the background very dark, giving you a dramatic shot without all that work.

@ Cuckoo Flower
Oh look ... you won a little pet!

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Micro Habitat
I was taking pictures of bluebells hidden under a bush, and saw no more until I got home and viewed the picture on a big screen. Do you see the spider looking right at you? He might be less than a millimetre across; but every curve of every bluebell flower is important to him.

@ Micro Habitat
David says he has learned more about Christianity from the local rabbi than from any Christian minister in the last 25 years, and the rabbi isn't even trying.

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Yellow Archangel
In a garden this flower would be a pest, but growing wild in Palmerston Wood, it adds one more fascinating rarity to the uniqueness of Lathkill Dale.

@ Yellow Archangel
David hated secondary school (11 to 16) intensely and was so badly bullied he never finished his time there. He went to a 'college of further education' and rebuilt his education from scratch in a place where students were treated like human beings.

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Windswept Welsh Poppy
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
~ Christina Georgina Rossetti

@ Windswept Welsh Poppy
David heard 'Born to run' on the radio and thought Bruce Springsteen was from Birmingham (UK) because the radio station was based there. He went out and bought the album, which convinced him otherwise. Then he went out and bought the other two (there were no more than three then!) Until 'Born in the USA' he barely met anyone who had heard of Bruce. He was most grateful to Lisa for showing him Asbury Park, NJ, and laughed out loud when he saw what ‘Highway 9’ was really like.

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Jacob's Ladder
This plant, very rare in the wild, thrives on the hill next to the source of the Lathkill, a limestone cave.

@ Jacob's Ladder
David's favourite book is "The Silmarillion" by JRR Tolkien. He says you have to get past the first third, then it makes LOTR look unimaginative by comparison.

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West Derbyshire Poppy
Using a telephoto on a foreground subject renders the background in soft focus ... which is just what I wanted.

@ West Derbyshire Poppy
David was taught to solder aged 31 by an 11 year-old boy.

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Golden Light
Under the shadow of a high hill, a few shafts of golden light illuminate the dying leaves of a beech tree. Underexpose a little, and you have a smooth black background instead of a confusing dark mess.

@ Golden Light
David’s parents tried to have a child for seven years, then gave up and left the matter to God. David arrived shortly afterwards. They chose his name from the bible to give thanks for being given a son.

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Tiny Fungi
Fungi aren't plants, but there are often opportunities for charming shots of mushrooms when you are looking for plants. Or vice versa.

@ Tiny Fungi
David hated secondary school (11 to 16) intensely and was so badly bullied he never finished his time there. He went to a 'college of further education' and rebuilt his education from scratch in a place where students were treated like human beings.

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Rain or Glycerin?
A quick shower can create great flower pictures. Some photographers carry a glycerin spray to simulate this effect. I just rely on the rain; in Derbyshire there's usually plenty to be had!

@ Rain or Glycerin?
David found out about girls rather late at 22. Before that they seemed entirely baffling to him. It was probably mutual.

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Thistle
In a dull field on a dull day, the bright bloom of the thistle can provide a spark of colour.

@ Thistle
David has a younger sister. He was always told he had to be better behaved than she was because he was older. He got so exasperated he asked his mother when his sister was going to be older than he was.

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Dog Rose
Flowers are not only interesting when at their best.

@ Dog Rose
Gideon has now completed his viewing of Northern Light: Plants. As he prepares to go home, he receives a wonderful gift!

Gideon has enjoyed his photographic tour of Northern Light: Plants, but it is time to go home now! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also enjoy a photographic tour of "Northern Light!"