HX Report
Irishman in the Middle East
Qatar National Day
Posted on December 18, 2016
Today, 18 December, is National Day in Qatar and it’s a public holiday. We can describe it, for the benefit and explanation of HX non-Arab followers, as a sort of Islamic/Arab St Patrick’s Day. Read More
Weekly Photo Challenge – New Horizons
Posted on December 10, 2016
Other than the fact that MB traveled there recently, many many years after his first trip to the same city, MB has no idea why he is posting a shot of the Amsterdam skyline for this week’s ‘New Horizons’ photo challenge. Crazy r what!
Weekly Photo Challenge – Tiny
Posted on November 11, 2016
Weekly Photo Challenge – Chaos
Posted on November 4, 2016
Weekly Photo Challenge – Shine
Posted on October 21, 2016
‘I was blinded by the light’ – Manfred Mann
Earlier this year, MB was trying to get a shot of the trees behind the visitor center at the lake back home. It was early morning and some rain had fallen during the night. The rain clouds had disappeared before dawn and the sun arose to a clear sky.
But on looking towards the trees, MB was completely blinded by the sun’s reflection off something very bright lying on the ground a few meters forward. MB had to shift his position somewhat to see that the sun was actually shining off a rain puddle, that was a leftover from the night before. Made an interesting addition to the shot.
Weekly Photo Challenge – H2O
Posted on October 7, 2016
Weekly Photo Challenge – Mirror
Posted on September 2, 2016
Followers of the HX Report will have seen this one before. It’s a shot taken on solstice morning, 21 June 2014, of Knockfennel Hill, which overlooks Lough Gur lake in MB’s HX homeland. MB took the shot in perfect early-morning calm, when there wasn’t a whisper of wind in the air.
The perfectly still lake surface was like clear glass, which provided the perfect mirror for the adjacent hill and the sky overhead. At left of pic, one can see a small white cloud in the sky and its mirror reflection on the surface of the water. The dark tree and its reflection provide some additional contrast to the shot and a point of interest. MBs perfect mirror!
Weekly Photo Challenge – Look Up
Posted on July 8, 2016
A stroll around the souq
Posted on July 7, 2016
Souq Waqif and surrounding streets. Doha, Qatar. 05 July 2016.
Weekly Photo Challenge – Opposites
Posted on July 1, 2016
Solstice morning. 21 June 2014. The calmest morning MB ever witnessed at Lough Gur lake. The water surface was like a mirror. Every reflection was a perfect opposite. MB took many shots. This is one of his favourites:
Geneva
Posted on June 4, 2016
MB had to stop in Geneva for two days on his way back to the Middle East last week, and took the opportunity to take a few shots of the famous Geneva fountain, which was opposite MB’s hotel.
Geneva (Switzerland) is in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, right on the French border, and is located where the Rhone River enters lake Geneva. The city has a population of approximately 200,000 and is famous as a financial centre & for its watch-making industry, in addition to being the location for a number of UN organisations & the Red Cross. It also hosts the world famous Hadron Nuclear Particle Collider which is located nearby at a depth of 175M, extending under the French/Swiss border.
Everything in Geneva is expensive, and property prices are in the stratosphere. The airport includes a shop where one can purchase Rolex watches and another where one can buy Leica cameras; which both, in themselves, tell a story of the city and its visitor profile.
Some pics of the fountain & surrounding area:
Limerick
Posted on May 29, 2016
The city of Limerick lies on the Shannon & Abbey Rivers in Ireland’s south-west, 12 miles from HX, give or take. It dates from Viking days, circa 800 AD, although there were older settlements in the locality. The architecture is primarily Georgian, with many buildings built from red brick and containing impressive Georgian-style doorways. The population is approximately 100,000, making it the Nr 3 city in Ireland. Sport is huge; with hurling, soccer and rugby (in particular) to the fore. Read More
Weekly Photo Challenge – Abstract
Posted on April 22, 2016
A brilliant abstract shot of a grassy hill by MB – from which you can extract 4 swans (if you have nothing better to do).
The 4 Swan Extract/Abstract (by MB)
The Emerald Isle
Posted on April 19, 2016
MB travels home tomorrow for a mini-break. Maybe he will see some sights similar to those below, captured on previous trips. Read More
Weekly Photo Challenge – Half Light
Posted on March 25, 2016
“The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light”
This week’s challenge offers an option to demonstrate the ‘half light’ – before night-time darkness, or morning sunrise. In the field of photography, this particular hour (in the morning or evening) is referred to as the ‘golden hour’.
HX Report 