Winter Sun... River Reflections

With the first real day of sun I returned to one of my favourite places on our river again. This is a shot taken not far up river from the shot if the bridge earlier in the week but with the river like glass and the tide low it was a chance to take the range stump which I have looked at several times before but never got anything I liked of it as I was never sure if I could even make it look interesting although to me who loves this place it has a certain beautify even as a totally industrial tool.

The range stump was a simple tool that allowed the boatmen and and harbour staff to keep tabs on the tidal range and the depth of water on this, one of the most narrow sections of the navigable reaches of our river. I always imagine this stump having come from Pile Island in Australia a place where the the timber is dense and impervious to the salt water making it ideal for pilings for piers and jetties and I imagine its journey across the world to finally land on or little stretch of river.

There is a sadness to this shot I think, despite the sun, the loneliness of the stump in the vastness of the river seems to mirror how I feel,that feeling of the stranger on the shore perhaps. The ominous shadow of that bridge omni present when I shoot up the river... Notwithstanding the beautiful sun it was still oppressively cold but I would rather cold and crisp than wet and windy. I hope you enjoy the shot and I hope this strange subject doesn't bore you too much