In my posting for the 8th February showing the old blast furnaces at Les Forges de Paimpont - http://365project.org/vignouse/365/2015-02-08 - I mentioned that the iron ore for smelting was mined at several open-cast mining sites nearby. The largest of these is shown above and is today known as L'Étang Bleu - the Blue Pond.
Mining here covered several hectares and to a depth of 50 metres. Mining continued for over 40 years after the closure of the blast furnaces and a narrow gauge railway, known as a 'tramway' was constructed through 10 kms of forest to the nearby town of Mauron where there was a regular rail line which was used to transport the extracted ore to the north of France for smelting. It is still possible today to trace the route of the tramway through the forest.
Mining ceased in 1915 and the large open cast pit was allowed to fill with water. It is today the main reservoir for the area and the buildings you can see across the lake are those which house the water pumping station. The 'inlet' in the foreground is the top of the ramp which led down to the bottom of the pit.
@joansmor It was actually quite sunny but shaded beneath the trees. Sorry this image isn't to your taste, it isn't the one I wanted as I was looking to photograph the old mine offices - a two story building which now stands in water to half-way up the ground floor windows. I had to fight my way through thick undergrowth and eventually got to the building but it is now almost completely obscured by trees growing both inside and out. I did take 40 or so shots from different angles but none of them pleased me, so I went with this one. And I was trespassing to get this!
I just thought the sky looked blown out and that's why I thought it might be a gray day. I think I'm just had enough bw (I say that and then just posted one myself). My world is white, white, white and I grave color. I don't dislike this one but it makes me feel gray. What I like is all the detail you have.
@joansmor It looks nice in colour with a blue sky and all! Sorry the weather is getting you down - I'm not surprised given the amount of snow you've had... it will go, you'll just have to wait a bit longer I think :-(
You've captured the water differences well, thus showing that whilst the photo is of course a still, there is no doubt that the wind is alive and well. IMHO a technically difficult shot which conveys much. Well done you!
What a challenging photo. I like the contrast here and the little building is nice surprise. Your tenacity in getting the shot doesn't surprise me, I quite admire it!!
A wonderfully composed and thought-out image. I found myself looking through your albums, full of terrific images. This one I have to fave. I also very much appreciated reading your bio.
@aikimomm Hello Phoebe - thank you for your kind comments. I sometimes wonder if my project isn't a bit of a mish-mash because I do enjoy taking a wide variety of photos; glad to find that others share my eclectic tastes. 365 has been good to me - I feel that I have made enormous progress with my photography in the 14 months I have been on here, due in no small part to the encouragement and feedback I have received... both very much appreciated.
I rather like this one, I think. I keep coming back to look at it. I think it might be the arching branch protruding from the water. Its reflection draws the eye straight to it. The feeling of this in B&W is quite moody. Love the textures in this shot. The bark on the tree in the left of the frame is nice.
February 16th, 2015
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Ian