Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a very happy New Year.
Shot with GX-20 dSLR and a glass or two of Christmas cheer
I was visiting another friend the other day when she mentioned that in the cemetary (next door to her house!) some fungus had grown overnight, and as I was interested in photography I should take a look. Of course I did just that.
It was very dark in the cemetary, the fungus was growing round the foot of a huge old tree, and what little sunlight was still filtering through was further hampered by an old building in the middle of the churchyard. Challenging conditions.
To take this I had to lie flat on the floor without upsetting any of the residents, so getting into the right position was achieved with some degree of contortion-ism! I had to use on board flash to get the fungus and the tree exposed properly, and again had to play with all different settings to ensure a good balance of light on both subjects. I used the flash compensation feature to get the flash looking like sunlight underneath the fungus, and I think I’ve achieved my aim.
Bank Holiday Weekend, and all my friends are busy. I spend the Saturday pondering what to do with the next couple of days, and since I’ve not been to the coast since last year, I decided that I’d take a leaf out of fellow blogger Steve’s book and get up early and go to the beach. However, I live in Northamptonshire, which if you’re any good at geography you’ll know is nowhere near the coast. My aim was to sit on the beach and watch the sun rise. I love doing that, nothing is more therapeutic in my opinion. To do this meant getting up at the time on a Sunday morning when I’m normally going to bed! I left the house at three, and was on the beach at Brancaster in Norfolk by half past five. It was magical. A freshness in the air you don’t normally associate with August and complete isolation.
I’d taken my camera with me with the aim of taking a photo of the groynes there with the sun rising behind them, but they face the wrong way and the tide was out anyway. I did take a photo of them and played with it in photoshop but it’s not the photo I wanted. (makes mental note to remember which way the sun rises next time…!) I then turned my attention to the dunes and the tufty grass growing there, which I have to say didnt look that exciting while I was sat there, but when I got home and opened the files it proved to have been a good idea. I love the way the only set of tracks in this photo are mine where I’ve walked over from the groynes. This beach is packed normally, so to be the only one there is special.
After I’d left the beach I had decided to go along the coast road a bit to find some fishing boats. I never made it! I drove past this windmill, and happened to catch in my rear view mirror how the sun was making the top of the windmill glow, and against the still dark clouds it looked amazing. I had to stop. I turned round when I could and went back, but the only place I could park was tucked in behind another car, in a cramped gateway. I assumed the owner of the other car was out walking his dog… it wasn’t until I got into the field that I realised I was wrong, he was also in the field, with all his camera gear, having driven past and done a double take just like I had!
About a week ago a couple of friends and I went to Rockingham Castle, we’d woken up on the Sunday morning and found the weather had been kind to us in that it wasn’t raining for a change! We didn’t go inside, as our interest lay in the views of the castle and its grounds.
We wandered around the courtyard, from where you had the most stunning view of the Northamptonshire countryside. There is an old school and Church attached to the castle too, the whole place is steeped in history and has quite a romantic feel.
My favourite photo of the day is the one of the bench, we were sat on another bench across the garden, and this particular bench was calling to me as it looked more decrepit than the others, and was in a little corner surrounded by rose covered walls. My friend and I got some very strange looks - not least of which were from his wife!! - as we sat on the gravel in the middle of the pathway to get the photo we wanted. Our efforts paid off however, we were both happy with the end result.
We also had to sit in the middle of the gravel pathway getting curious glances to take this photo. This was rather more challenging and we had to spend a long time getting the exposure right on this - we either blew the highlights getting the tree exposed correctly, or the tree was too dark and the gravel was correct.. A little time and effort ensured that we got there in the end. I’m not so happy with this as the composition doesn’t sit too well with me, but being able to get the exposure right means a lot in itself.
This is a more general view of the castle and its impressive garden from the centre of the formal garden.
And this one shows the stunning view you can get from the Castle. I would recommend a visit here, its a very photogenic place and a lovely way of spending an a sunny afternoon.
I am lucky enough to have family living in Southern Ireland, so whenever I can, I nip over and see them. I’m only half an hour from Luton Airport and the flight is an hour, so I can be there in time for lunch on a Saturday! The photo of the cottage was taken early evening, I was mooching about the house when I noticed that there was a storm coming in, and that the light had turned wonderful.. I grabbed my camera and ran out of the house, determined to capture the light, somehow… My mum was astonished, and I can still hear her shouting, “but Elaine it’s going to rain!!”
My latest visit was for a bit longer than normal, and I was able to get out and about with my camera. There is something about Ireland, its landscape and community that is very appealing and I always thoroughly enjoy my time over there. This time I went to Killala Bay, and from there to Ross Strand where I discovered a derelict lifeboat station. Ireland has a wealth of run down buildings, not all accessible, but many are. I was very taken with this one, and took several shots, some of which I converted to mono.
Just down the road from the lifeboat station in Killala Bay, I discovered an old harbour. There didn’t seem to be any functioning boats there, maybe I just didnt see them or maybe they were out working, I don’t know. I found a row of disused old boats, some very badly needing repair. I sneaked a few shots of these, too, before I wandered off.
The next day, I was invited to go and visit one of my Mum’s neighbours, a man named Jimmy Joe. I’ve been fascinated by this man ever since Mum moved to Ireland, as he still lives the traditional Irish way. He has no electricity, no gas, no running water, no transport… I have no idea how he manages it. He has a donkey and raises some cattle each year which he sells for his only source of income. He cycles into town once a week to buy his provisions - he is 66 years old, and town is eight miles away. In the summer he cuts his own hay. He’ll cut it, fork it into piles to dry, and when it’s dry he will load the hay into his cart. He will then join the donkey in the traces, and help her pull the full cart up the hill to his barn, where he’ll unload it before going back down to the hayfield and start it all again.
His family have lived on the same plot of land for generations. They built their first house which comprised just two rooms, several hundred years ago, and seven people lived there. When they outgrew (!) this one, they built another, bigger, house, the family moved into the new house and their livestock moved into the old one. On Jimmy Joe’s land there are seven houses where the family had moved up as they grew in numbers. There is only a chimney stack left from original house, and all the others are in disrepair, in descending levels of decay. Jimmy Joe himself lives in the new house… built in 1921. Fascinating man, I spent all morning talking to him and could honestly have spent a lot lot longer.
This photo is one of my favourites from this year. It’s of a Scottish Wildcat, taken at the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey. They hold “photographer days”, where small groups of photographers are taken on a guided tour of all the animals there, with access into the pens (under guidance!). Although these animals are captive, they are a long long way from being domesticated, and you certainly wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of this chap’s teeth and claws. The intensity of this cat is palpable, he is concentrating very hard on something - his dinner as it turned out.
These cats are becoming increasingly rare in their native Scotland, on account of mixing with domesticated moggies. They are frequently mistaken for the common tabby, but if you look closely you can see they are different… Their stance, the much more muscular body and their very presence all set them apart. They are slightly bigger than a domestic cat too.
I am particularly pleased with how this photo has come out, with the cat itself being sharp from nose to tail, the background blurred enough to make the cat stand out, but sharp enough to keep enough of the cat in context. I love my camera :o)
A few weeks ago I visited my sister in Salisbury. It was a lovely sunny Sunday, so my sister and I decided to walk off the excesses of the night before by walking into town and taking a look at the Cathedral.
I had never been before, so had no idea how much of an impressive building this is, or even how old it is. It was built 750 years ago, boasts the tallest spire in the UK, and apparently does not even have “proper” foundations! I simply can’t get my head round how they achieved this, and how it is still standing!!
The Cathedral is being extensively refurbished, with all the carvings being restored to their former glory. The entire front of the cathedral is covered with these, as is the spire.
I had great fun wandering around here for a couple of hours, my sister must have been quite bemused as her house is less than a mile from this impressive example of architecture, so she is quite familiar with it. I was using the 12 - 24 wide angle zoom so had to get very close to the building itself, but all this did was show the detail very well.
We ended our trip with a wander around cloisters, from where the main picture was taken. It was very cool in here, all that stone, very welcome from the heat of the day (you can tell it wasn’t recently…)
I’d recommend a visit to this impressive building, the true beauty of it cannot be truly appreciated until you are standing in front of it, feeling very very humble.
With Tom and Emo both screaming out to be discovered as the UK’s next big fashion Gurus and Jay caught on cam inventing a new way of skating - coined as the Sitting Locust, this move is for experienced skaters only, grip tape burns never heal! especially a double cheeker, so kids don’t try this move wearing thongs unless you have an aversion to toilet seats, cos thats the only seat you’d be able to use for a while. Shot using a GX20 with a 70 - 200mm zoom lens attached, initially I wanted to get a bit of distance between me and the skaters for a couple of ungaurded shots. Keeping the zoom lens attached, I then shot a series of shots focussing on just the skater’s feet and the board as an impromptu game of SK8 on the red triangle kicked off.
With a memory card full I headed to Southsea sk8 park for a quick burn, after carving the Snakerun, the Peanut Bowl and the Halfpipe all of which feels a lot like snowboarding and an hour of failing gallantly and heroically to fulfill my skating ambition to Olly up a 4″ kerb, I decided to stop, prime my camera and take pictures of “real skaters”. I noticed a few skaters fronting up like something was about to go down, I used to breakdance and recognise a burn off when I see one! You see when a skater says “fancy a game of Skate?” in a parallel universe a Chav version of him is Bare chested beating on it with fists covered in gold sovereigns screaming to 6 other Chavs “Cmon I’ll take you all on, lets Ave it!!” Back in this Universe I attached my hot shoe infra red transmitter and a remote flashgun then got low down to freeze the action, 180, F4.5 ISO 100. With Star Jumper, Running Man and Puppet Boy guesting, the slideshow link below really does have some serious skater body movers.
Its a Skate Off
The images in the links to a couple of Skate and Snowboarding Galleries were all All shot with the GX20.
This is probably one of the very few times I’ve said to myself ”Steve, it’s time to leave.” The thought of coming home early, (albeit forced upon me) is one of the worst things I can imagine when being out on a photo shoot. There are simply not enough hours in my day for me to appreciate the spectacle of the natural beauty that surrounds us and trying to capture its beauty via that shutter button.
Family and friends think I’m mad when I set off at 2am heading for what I hope to be a ‘perfect’ sunrise, or sitting under the protection of an umbrella as a violent storm unloads its cargo from above. But to me and no doubt endless other photographers, these are must do things.
So that leads me to the title of this shot. For once I must have realised that my brain should rule my heart and I’m rather pleased it did.
Just seconds after taking this the mother of all rain storms descended, I would love to have stopped but no matter how well prepared I am, a canoe is not on my packing list.
I treat photography as a hobby; something to relieve stress and boredom, but mainly as fun. It gives me artistic freedom; rather like how oils and a fresh, stretched canvas or well loved guitar can give some people pleasure. I am tone deaf, and my paintings are terrible. Generally, I am happy with my photography, but I strive to be ‘better’ (whatever that is).
I suppose like most British people, the weather (and the sheer unpredictability of it) fascinates me. Currently, we are enjoying our summer. How long it will last, nobody knows. But, I hope it will be a better summer than the ones we have had the past three years.
Whilst sweltering in the sticky, humid, almost unbearable atmosphere in my flat in Manchester (which, as you know is satirically thought of a rain-soaked, grey place), I looked outside and thought that for once, I would really love a huge thunderstorm to freshen up the air.
Like most things in my photography, ideas just come to me. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. But, being impulsive I usually have to act on the idea straight away.
My preferred style of photography is portraiture. I like to try new things, and also be a little different. So, I thought of a taking a ‘portrait’ of my umbrella. I suppose you could think of this as a still life, but by putting it a very domestic setting, I tried to give some life and presence.
It looks like an easy shot, but even with the window blinds drawn; there was a lot of backlighting. I am pleased at the exposure metering of my GX20, taking into consideration the blackness of the umbrella and the extreme brightness of the windows, I think the metering handled this very well. I wanted the spokes of the inside of the umbrella to be visible, as this was an important part of my “sitter’s” features, but I didn’t want the windows to be completly blown out. I am certainly no expert when it comes to the technical side of photography, but I find the functions and options on my camera as easy or as complex as I need them to be. For the price, I have an exceptionally high-spec camera that will grow with my experience.
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