autofantasia's photos

The Volkswagen Lupo was a city car produced by the German car manufacturer Volkswagen from 1998 through until 2005. The Lupo was created to help fill the gap in the VW range caused by the increasing size and weight of the Polo. The name is Latin, meaning wolf, and is named after its home town of Wolfsburg. Despite the short manufacturing run they have a loyal following amongst VW enthusiasts and although this early one is anything but standard it very much appealed to me.

I came across this large and somewhat unsightly block of flats in Harrogate last week and for some reason it immediate reminded me of the side of those massive big cruise ships. Maybe it was just because of the small sailing ship that someone had placed in their window or maybe it was the harshness of the structure. Whatever the reason I decided to capture it with a Dutch angle and then added some texturing before taking the selective colouring option ... overall I think it works? Please view on black for best effect. For Sight and Sound ... what else but Rod Stewart with "Sailing": youtu.be/KCgJXuOqTYY youtu.be/u1v60FITAfY youtu.be/yqs0ZAJngls

For this week's Sunday Challenge , for which the subject was time , one of the few things we all want more of, but which is finite and so we just have to make the most of what we have. As it happens, earlier this week we made time to visit Nunnington Hall . This beautiful country house is situated in North Yorkshire and a stone bridge over the River Rye separates the grounds from the nearby village of Nunnington. The Vale of Pickering and the North York Moors lie to the north and east. Nunnington Hall is owned, conserved and managed as a visitor attraction by the National Trust. A dwelling of status is actually recorded on the site from 1249, but the existing house has grown out of a Tudor hall. Over the past 450 years the house and estate has been altered to suit a succession of owners and tenants. Within its many rooms are a host of beautiful and historical exhibits including several stunning longcase clocks. Also known as a tall-case clock, floor clock, or grandfather clock, these are tall, freestanding, weight-driven pendulum clocks with the pendulum held inside the tower or waist of the case. The one I've shown here was in a poorly lit room and so I was struggling to get a decent hand held shot, but in the end I got this one which I was fairly happy with. However, I wanted to put the focus on the centre of the clock face, but there were some window reflections around the edge that no matter how I positioned myself I just couldn't get rid of which is why I went with the zoom effect. Hopefully, the processing hasn't taken away too much from the beauty of this old clock and it still makes for an effective image. Perhaps best viewed large on black for best effect.

No, not a sign that I'm going back to flickr, just another one from the 'processing room', which I hope some of you will enjoy seeing. Three images blended with some 'brushy wizadry' on top!

Or even just a sign of better times to come for ipernity and those that care so deeply for it ... as ever though, the Devil may well be in the detail. Or perhaps it's all just too little too late and we are all damned. Ipernity Members Association Project Please view on black for best effect ... while you still can!

For this week's Sunday Challenge , for which the subject was rubbish . Spotted this coffee cup for a well known outlet lying discarded by the side of the A19 in North Yorkshire. Didn't have to look all that hard though as you see them lying all over the countryside.

If you like your campervans a bit longer in the tooth then how about these two from the Sixties. In the foreground (HCK 96E) was made in 1967 and the one beside it (BOC 955B) was made a few years earlier in 1964.

The colour may not have been exactly subtle, but pretty much everything else about this T5 was tastefully done.

Yet another nice looking Mk4 Golf, but one which the DVLA no longer has a record of so here's hoping it's still around somewhere.

Sticking with the theme how about this red Mk4 Golf from 2002 ... bit too modern maybe for my taste, but still a really good looking car.

Not sure of the exact year on this one as the owner had removed the registration plate for the show. However, what is certain is that it's a Mk3 Golf, so built sometime in the Nineties, and it was exceptionally pleasing on the eye!

This flaked buggy was another that drew lots of attention at the show. Sadly, I have very little information this one as the DVLA site no longer has a record of it.

Another interesting find at VW North West 2011 was this ever so neat VW powered beach buggy.

Always had a soft spot for a well put together trike and this one certainly fitted the bill in that respect ... plus it was red too!

Not quite Marvel's Ghost Rider ... more amusing than menacing and I'm not at all sure why he needs a crash helmet! Also for Sight and Sound : Johnny Cash with "Ghost Riders in the Sky"... youtu.be/Mynzbmrtp9I youtu.be/qt0rURntFQE

For this week's Sunday Challenge , for which the subject was art and we were asked to show our "arty side". So I took a shot I'd taken of some blossom which had fallen onto the top of a clipped box hedge. Then I set the sliders to maximum and gave it a good going over with the brushes before adding some home made 'swirliness'. A copy of the original image can be found in the Notes. Also for Sight and Sound : Heart with "(up On) Cherry Blossom Road"... youtu.be/INnNEw0C8hI youtu.be/_lwTyStbwOw youtu.be/GZKsaI8cHVM

A somewhat late entry for this week's Sunday Challenge , for which the subject was feather or feathers . I'm afraid thought that as Judith said although there seem to be feathers all over the place, they're never there when you really want one ... so this is from the archives, but has been worked on specifically for this week's challenge. It's a macro shot of an interesting badge I spotted on the front of a very old car at a local show. No idea what it is and I don't think I've ever seen one before or since, but I thought it an interesting subject. Also for Sight and Sound : Woven Hand with "Iron Feather" .... youtu.be/EeXLrAsNUzc youtu.be/573YJKVH9Ao youtu.be/ZJ3KPE256N4

An interior shot, looking up at the sky above, of the fascinating beehive shaped Dovecot located within the grounds of Aberdour Castle in Scotland. Aberdour is among the oldest masonry castles still standing in Scotland and hidden within the complex, aside from the Dovecot, are the remains of a two-storey hall-house, which may date from the early 12th century. According to the plaque fixed on the outside wall of the Dovecot it provided a valuable source of meat in the winter months. The stone nesting boxes around the walls, of which there are many, were originally reached by a revolving ladder called a potence. You can find out more about Aberdour Castle by following the shortened link below: goo.gl/ipcrz1 Also for Sight and Sound : Imagine Dragons with what else but "Round and Round" ... youtu.be/JD92Ui_PWKQ youtu.be/i9zTi0Ctspk youtu.be/jaLh7lV5APQ