Sleeping Cygnet.....

This was taken a few weekends ago when it was dry! There were 2 Swan nests at Rooksbury Mill Lakes nature park, it appears that only one Cygnet has survived the hatch.

I have been messing about with a few settings on the cameras to try & get them right, with mild success, but mostly HUGE frustration!

Anyhow, pictured right is an edited RAW image, processed in DxO Optics Pro v5 and then modified in Paint Shop Pro v7. Taken with a Canon EOS 40D with my EF500mm f/4 & EF1.4x converter at 1/2000th sec at F5.6

Memories.....

This Camellia was given to me by my old Solicitor, now sadly passed away, it always reminds of her when I walk past it in the garden.

Pictured in the rain a few weeks ago, just beautiful.

All the flowers now gone, but the plant seems to have thrived in the recent warm & humid conditions.

When feeding smaller birds in the garden.....

..... always be aware that bigger birds are watching!

This male Sparrowhawk swooped in on the Goldfinches tonight, don't think he got anything, but I suppose it's only to be expected given the numbers of smaller birds around at the moment.

Sort of nice to see, but always hope they might get a Pidgeon or two versus a Goldfinch or Greenfinch.

Shot through a pane of glass in the Dining room, so not as great as it could have been, but needed to act quickly as it was gone as quickly as it arrived. Luckily the EOS 40D with EF500mm f/4 and EF1.4x was at hand already set up.

Garden visitors.... and departures

A welcome visitor has been the Goldfinch, a couple of them in fact, all feeding on the black thistle seed (also called Niger seed) feeder I put up about a month ago.

I was just about to take the feeder down as nothing had shown any interest - when they turn up and start feeding like crazy, taking it in turns to feed & then preen.

Also present in the garden have been Greenfinch, Dunnock, Starling and the usual Blue Tit's, Blackbird's, Thrushes and many Robin's. Haven't seen the Goldcrest for a while, but hope to get a good photo of it later in the Summer.

Grey Squirrel's continue to get shot upon entering my garden, I must have taken 30+ now!

Still trying out the new lenses....

...... the Canon EF 15mm Fisheye lens used in a slightly different way.

A much over done subject, the yellow sea of Rape Seed that is so beautiful (if pollen filled & smelly) in early May in the UK.

Dodged the April showers which are still hanging around for my birthday week to take this in a field close to home.

Took a couple in landscape, then a few more in portrait & decided I liked that orientation better with vivid colour of the field with shadow in foreground and large expanse of bright, but cloudy sky. Critics have said they don't like the tree in the top left corner as it distracts the eye, but I think it works.

Bad news......

..... the lady who owns the biggest plot on the road where I live has sold out to developers, sadly for me it means the view I have had for the 10 years will change.

As you can see from the photo taken from my neighbours loft conversion window just 2 weeks ago (left), it's a beautiful large open garden, but it's a crappy delapidated house, and if my 70 year old mother was in the same position I would have advised her to flog it for £1.2m as well.

Banner Homes Wessex Ltd. have applied for 8 houses to be built, having looked at the planning application I have made my objections known, so now it's in the hands of the Test Valley Planning committee to consider them.

12/06 UPDATE : well, well, well. I have now received letter from Banner Homes saying that they have modified their plans in accordance with my suggestion and deleted the 2 windows I said would overlook my property, they have said that they will also frost glaze the 2 remaining windows on the same elevation. They haven't mentioned any of my other suggestions, so assume that they were too much to ask. At least they listened to my main objection, only time will tell whether they are as keen to listen when they start work on the site....

Bad days.....

..... just when you think you are having a bad day because of something trivial like dropping a plate, burning the dinner or things just not going your way. Spare a thought for these two.....


BBC News website reports that a stunt driver delivering the ONLY Aston Martin DBS available for filming of the new James Bond Film - Quantum of Solace, crashes it on a wet road & it then plunges into Lake Garda! Oppps! Luckily he was OK.





Then, photo left shows a minor incident in Mexico to a Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin helicopter. It was being towed from the hangar when a part of the undercarriage gave way, I do hope that the proud customer wasn't there to witness it!

Photographers rights....

.... as I have been taking loads of photo's recently, this caught my eye on the BBC News website.

There have been many stories of late of photographers being challenged, and at some point if you take photo's in public places I suppose a stop & search is at some point inevitable, however if anyone (even a Police Officer) asks you to delete photo's or surrender Compact Flash cards etc. - YOU ARE NOT OBLIGED TO DO SO.

This link provides a very useful 2 page PDF file for reference.

You can sign up to the Downing Street petition to stop over zealous local authorities preventing us from doing what we have done for years & years.

Sadly, advertising like this from the Metropolitan Police doesn't help. It goes without saying (or advertising) that if anyone is taking any kind of interest in noting where things like CCTV camera's are in any location it should be reported.

Some of the more intelligent and enlightened forces have adopted some aircraft spotters as another set of eyes. Even the Metropolitan Police worked with Scotland Yard & BAA a few years ago with a scheme of registration for aircraft enthusiasts with LAAS International. The MoD have just started a similar scheme at RAF Coningsby.

They're back......

It may have something to do with my neighbours insistance to feed the birds in the garden with peanuts, or my feeders full of "Robin Bird Feed Mix" which they seem to like as well, but the little bastards a.k.a grey squirrels are back.

So, along with my trusty Theoben I have despatched 3 in the last 2 days (so I've probably got 20 or so in the past 6 months). Keep 'em coming as far as I'm concerned, I've got a couple of thousand pellets spare!

Lot's of coverage in the media about how the grey squirrel does so much damage to bird life and how it carries a virus that wipes out red squirrels, but people still think of them as little fluffy darlings - they're not, they are tree rats & vermin!

Royalty free picture by nvmdigital.com

Things could get a bit samey.....

.... if I over use this lens.

Just a close up of the car, weird how it cuts of the headlights, windscreen & roof.

I'm sure I'll take a load more just like this of many different things that I stumble across, but I'll probably spare you looking at my whimsical snaps.

Fisheye frolics.....

This is a shot I have wanted to try for a while, with the new 15mm Fisheye, I thought it would look a bit different.

Just a snap at the bottom of the garden at the moment, I will try & explore for some more densely populated woodland at the weekend.

A different perspective.....

.... through a newly acquired Canon EF 15mm f2.8 Fisheye lens.

I've always wanted a fisheye lens for my camera, so when one or two came up on ebay I decided to get one, saving s quite a bit on the list price for a new one from Canon.

I don't this it's going to be the most used lens in my camera bag(s), but a useful addition none the less.

As you can see from the quick snap taken earlier today at Rooksbury Mill lakes (home of the Kingfisher), landscapes are big with this lens. Closeups are also interesting as the distortion becomes more noticeable, particularly if the subject has straight lines.

New kit......

In my last post I eluded to the fact that I had successfully found all the elements of photographic kit I was spurred into getting by my chance meeting with a wildlife photography enthusiast a few weeks ago.

The photo left shows some of what I now lug around...

When I attach the EF500mm lens [the taller lens pictured left] to my EOS 1Ds Mk II with a 2 x Extender II and Manfrotto monopod it all weighs in at 7Kg (15½ pounds) which has meant further investment in lens\camera specific bags.

I'm hoping that once I get used to using the kit, I may even start to derive some earnings from photography for a change, maybe try & sell some stock photo's or even get a commission or two for some wildlife images.

Updated kit brings results... but could do better

I've found and procured all the elements of the camera kit I wanted, all 2nd hand, but still mad silly prices - I keep telling myself I can sell them for what I paid..... yeah right!

At least the equipment has proved capable of getting results, I think it's now a matter of me getting better at using it.

Simple things like covering up the dirty great big white lens with something green or even camoflauge would help, I don't think I'll be getting myself decked out in Realtree though.

Rent a stalker.....

... but it actually sounds like a great idea in the end.

London Photo Bloggers reported a few days ago about a new idea of taking candid shoots of a person going about their normal day & presenting them as gift portfolio.

"MethodIzaz is a unique photography experience. Using information provided earlier about their weekly routine, the photographer will arrive on the scene, and unseen, take shots of the subject. Subjects are unaware of the exact moment they will be photographed and of the photographer's identity. Instead, the subject is photographed completely naturally, living life as normal. "

Looks like it's only in New York at the moment, but I'm sure someone will start up in London soon enough.

The image [left] is of a bronze somewhere in Bratislava, I think it's a really good piece. It apparently is on the corner of a building housing a restaurant call The Paparazzi.

Just when you think you are making progress......

.... someone else comes along and pisses on your parade.

I'm talking photography, yet again. I was told a few weeks ago that at Rooksbury Mill Park lakes which is close to my home, there are a number of Kingfishers to be seen.

So, on Sunday morning with the sunshine making an unexpected appearance before the well forecasted approaching storms, off I went in search of said bird with Canon kit in hand - not an insubstantial setup of kit - EOS 5D, 70-200mm f2.8 L USM IS with 2 x Extender attached. Only to find that a local wildlife photographer had beaten me to it. He was fully decked out in Realtree camoflauge jacket with EOS 1DS Mk III and a Canon 500mm f4.0L USM IS in hand, similar to that as shown above.

To add insult to injury, no Kingfisher (wasn't expecting to get any shot's on first attempt, so I will try again) it pissed with rain, and of course I hadn't taken coat as the sun was shining when I left!

Having seen what can be done with the EOS 1DS Mk III & Canon 500mm, I have to confess that plans are afoot for an upgrade! Watch out Mr Mastercard, your about to get a short term beating!

If you really want to see what can be done with kit like this, check out this link... Ophrys Photography in Kent, UK. A wonderful array of amazing & beautiful wildlife photographs. I have to admit that I have half hinched the image of the Canon setup from their website, so I do hope they don't mind as long as I give them a plug here!? If you do have a problem with me doing this, please mail me.

I hadn't thought about this until today.....

.... who owns today? Leap year day, added to the working week without any mention by employers.

Except for the National Trust who have granted its whole full-time workforce the day off. Calling it the Great Green Leap Day, they are asking staff to use it for the environment. "We're giving them this opportunity to look at steps to green their own lives at home," explains Mike Holland of the Trust. "Anything from converting to greener energy to starting a compost heap."

Think I'll just be a bit greener, by turning off a computer or two....

A mine of useless information......

......I have been called many times.... about many things.

But I have been amazed at how little I really know about subjects that interest me, like photography. It was only when Carl Tyler made a comment about taking a photograph of the lunar eclipse & that he didn't have a fancy camera like his brother.. how he didn't understand f stop values etc that I realised I don't know them 100% either, I know how to use the equipment & what the values translate into when using the kit, but where they come from or how they are derived - no idea. Until now.....

Excellent easy to understand articles on lens apertures, focal length, lens speed and a whole host of other photography subjects can be found using these links from the Canon Professional Network Infobank website.

It's broken, one of two things should be in mind.....

..... either I should jump for joy at the thought of being freed from my continual reliance on email & Sametime (not self imposed!), or I should feel lost without it?

I think I feel more of the former.

Screen went blank today, sadly the IBM fix it squad can repair it in about a week & have kindly supplied a replacement.

I did go out for lunch in London today feeling a great release at being PC free for a couple of hours though.

Waddesdon, wine & poor weather....

Another Sunday spent visiting a National Trust property, this time Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire.

Very grey day weather wise, interesting place, will visit later in year when all the statues, gardens & grounds are looking a bit better.

Nice lunch in the main house, and yet again free entry included in National Trust membership. Interesting shop with a range of Rothschild wines.

Couldn't find corkscrew big enought for this bottle though!

I think Lacock Abbey could be next on the list of NT places to visit, it has photographic museum & the cloisters were used in the Harry Potter films, see if I can find myself a Dobby!