POTR

The Logo / Trademark

The design was inspired by several factors:

Rocks:

Where I live and roam the countryside it is mostly quite rocky and the 'hunting grounds' are surrounded by the so characteristic stonewalls.

Most of the little friends live in or on stonewalls or like to make use of their warmth and shelter, for some it is a save home, for others it is a place to wait silently for prey to make the wrong move, and for some it is just a welcome stop to sunbathe.

Pixels:

Most of you readers will know: any digital image is made up of thousands of pixels.

The squares:

Each represents one of the three primary colours - called the RGB additive colour model. I won't go into too much detail; basically red green and blue are added together in various ways to reproduce a vast selection of colours.  It's main use is for the display of images in electronic systems such as TV, Computers, Printers etc .

The glass:

At the time when I designed the logo I quite liked a drink or two. While this is no longer the case (who needs to escape when one is with nature?) it is part of the logo in shape of a martini glass ... 

____________

The equipment:

A Canon 450D EOS, purchased 2nd hand 3 years ago and it keeps going despite almost daily use from spring till autumn. It is what my budget allows and it is doing a quite good job.

As you can see, it is having a bit of a hard time when it has to accompany me through think and thin ... it has a fair amount of 'battle' wounds yet it is my trusty travel mate.

The lens is just a simple zoom lens and I use a close up filter to have a bit more detail. 

I try to be as least intrusive as I can when I go and observe the little friends out there. No flash, no light rings, no tripod is used. Its all down to spur of the moment circumstances: the right light at the right moment and me being able to balance calmly with a steady hand in all kind of positions ... patiently ... ideally without breathing ... ;)

_________

The human:

Nowadays I have very little interest in the past but as I do get the same questions asked here a quick summary of my character:

Age: Gone past the answer to the question of life, the Universe and Everything.

Gender: if photos below leave you in any doubt: female.

Originally born in Switzerland, I clearly seem to have a thing for bugs early on. From racing snails outdoors to actually eating slugs (by accident I might add because I thought it was a brown biscuit) I was fascinated by the outdoors. This was supported by my grandparents with whom I spent much of my childhood and they were my 'role models' at the time of course and we spent all the holidays in the mountains. 

The great colours of the seventies ... 

My grandparents spent all their holidays in either Davos or Sedrun and while I was living with my grandparents I was allowed to go on all their holidays with them. Even when I was no longer living with them, they would allow me to join them.

While most of my adventures now are in a big small world ... as a child they were in a big big world.

The photos below where taken when I was in my teenage years at some point in the 80s.

View from the 'Schwarzhorn' - Flüela-Schwarzhorn - at 3'142 meters above sea level.

And another view, from the same place ... you can just make out the narrow footpath leading up to the peak.

Enzian - or Gentiana, apparently - this was one of my favourite flowers to spot, with their beautiful blue you could hardly  miss them. 

Morteratsch Glacier

I cannot remember the names of the peaks or little lake but I remember still very vividly that I wanted to have a log cabin next to that lake and live in it until the end ... this was such a wild, pure and so very peaceful place. 

And so, just like the winding footpaths in the alps, life too leads us on many paths ... mine eventually led me to England. First in the south, but then I was lucky enough to move to the midlands, whith its beautiful peak district. Rugged valleys, never ending views ... a little like a tame version from what I was used to.

View over Over Haddon near Bakewell, Derbyshire, England.

I call this 'The Fairy Path'  One of the bridle / foot paths nearby.

The charming English countryside with its rolling hills and endless views.

And in 2010 we even had a Swiss-style winter ....

Who knows where to next - for now though I shall spend my free time looking after my trusty steed and observing all the small beings that surround us and life with us.

I hope you do enjoy the adventures in a small but still very big world!

Thank you.