URBAN PHOTOGRAPHS

Urban Expression And Depression By Infomatique

pond

THE SWAN FAMILY – BOTANIC GARDENS IN DUBLIN

by

THE SWAN FAMILY – BOTANIC GARDENS IN DUBLIN

Today I used a Zeiss Batis 135mm lens. However, I had to abandon the session as both my iPhone and Sony camera overheated because the sun was really intense.

The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland are an oasis of calm and beauty, and entry is free. A premier scientific institution, the Gardens contain important collections of plant species and cultivars from all over the world. The National Botanic Gardens in Dublin are located in Glasnevin, just three kilometres from Dublin City Centre, and are famous for the exquisitely restored historic glasshouses. The National Botanic Gardens in Wicklow are located in Kilmacurragh, where the milder climate, higher rainfall, and deeper, acidic soils of this historic Wicklow garden, provide a counterpoint to the collections at Glasnevin. The two gardens have been closely associated since 1854. The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland are operated and managed by the Office of Public Works.

THE POND AREA – NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS IN DUBLIN

by

THE POND AREA – NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS IN DUBLIN

The pond and nearby is the most popular with children especially as there is the possibility of seeing at least one of the five turtles who have decided that the pond is their “forever home”.

There is also a sculpture, designed by Charles Jencks, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the DNA double helix in 1953. It is a gift to the nation from private donors. It demonstrates our growing knowledge of RNA. It is only recently that we have discovered that all life on earth, from microbes to plants and animals are all related to one another.

note: a young girl corrected me saying that the sculpture relates to RNA rather than DNA and I was in not in a position to argue

DUCKS ON THE POND

by

DUCKS ON THE POND – BOTANIC GARDENS GLASNEVIN

Believe it or not there are some large turtles living in the pond but they can be difficult to locate.

Poet Thomas Tickell owned a house and small estate in Glasnevin and, in 1795, they were sold to the Irish Parliament and given to the Royal Dublin Society for them to establish Ireland’s first botanic gardens. A double line of yew trees, known as “Addison’s Walk” survives from this period. The original function of the gardens was to advance knowledge of plants for agricultural, medicinal and dyeing purposes. The gardens were the first location in Ireland where the infection responsible for the 1845–1847 Great Famine was identified. Throughout the famine, research to stop the infection was undertaken at the gardens.

Walter Wade and John Underwood, the first Director and Superintendent respectively, executed the layout of the gardens, but, when Wade died in 1825, they declined for some years. From 1834, Director Ninian Nivan brought new life into the gardens, performing some redesign. This programme of change and development continued with the following Directors into the late 1960s.

TURTLE ENJOYING THE SUN

by

ABANDONED TURTLE ENJOYING THE SUN – BOTANIC GARDENS

When I first noticed turtles in the pond at the Botanic Gardens in March 2019 I contacted management as I was concerned that they may have been abandoned.

Response From Botanic Gardens:
Hi William
Thank you for your concern regarding the turtles in the pond. They have been in the pond now for at least 4 years. They were abandoned there without our knowledge but they survive ok by themselves so seem to be quite happy there. They like to sun themselves at the edge of the pond when the weather is warm so they are more visible in summer.
Thanks again for bringing this to our attention.

Best regards
Visitor Centre
National Botanic Gardens

Two days ago I used a Sigma 105mm lens and when I got home I discovered that every photograph was fuzzy as if I was drunk when photographing. Today I decided to use a Sony 7-200 F2.8 GM lens and I could not get it to work at all and spent about two hours trying to work out what was wrong. In the end I decided to reset the camera and much to my surprise everything was perfect.

BLESSINGTON STREET BASIN

by

A VISIT TO BLESSINGTON STREET BASIN [Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art Lens]

Blessington Street Basin is a drinking water reservoir in Dublin which operated from 1810 until the 1970s, serving the north city. It became a public park in 1994.

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s day and normally I get to photograph the Dublin parade from the top of a bus after spending a night out with visitors from the USA. Last year the parade was cancelled with a few days notice. This year I knew that the event would not take place.

The problem is that I am now feeling bored after a year of not using my real camera and lenses and worse still I have have forgotten how to use my equipment. Since the beginning of last week I have started to wander around the local area for an hour or two using a different lens.

Today I used a Sigma 14mm f1/8 lens which I have had little chance to use as I purchased it not long before Covid-19 arrived. It is not an easy lens to use as lens flare can be an issue especially on a sunny day like today.

The Blessington Street Basin was built in the early 19th century by Dublin Corporation. Construction began about 1803 and finished in 1810, the plant was opened as the Royal George Reservoir, named in honour of King George III. The basin is rectangular, about 120 m long and 60 m wide basin took about 4 million gallons (15.1 million litres) of water. The water came from Lough Owel in County Westmeath, carried by pipe along the Royal Canal through a 3 km long pipeline into the basin at the western end of the Blessington Street. From its construction, the site was used as a public park.

By 1869, the basin was not large enough for purpose, and water collection moved outside the city. The basin continued to serve the Jameson’s and Powers’ distilleries until the 1970s, and then went out of operation as a reservoir. There were worries about the stagnant water creating a typhoid outbreak in the late 1800s leading to the corporation wanting to fill in the basin and the stretch of water connecting the basin to the canal, this connection was finally filled in 1956.

In 1993 work began on the restoration of the site following a rejected proposal to extensively refurbish it in 1991. The refurbishment was carried out by the Dublin City Council aided by FÁS, and with financial support from the National Heritage Council and A.L.O.N.E. It was reopened as a park on the 4 November 1994. The site also includes a lodge house built in a Tudor style in 1811, and another modern council building.

Since its restoration, the basin now serves as a bird habitat, with an artificial island and a number of fish. Amongst the birds that can be seen there are swans, tufted ducks, chaffinches, mallards and pigeons

%d bloggers like this: