Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Pictures from a wet wedding

I photographed a wedding on Easter Saturday - the weather was very dull (and sometimes raining) so I am very pleased that I decided to invest in a more powerful flash gun - the fill-in flash gave life to the photographs.
I must also add a large white umbrella to my wedding accessories as this one proved great for photographs.
I set camera and flash gun to 2nd curtain sync during the 'first dance' but I think they must have been going sideways at the point I fired the shutter.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Splash of colour on a dull weekend


Some tulip images from my recent trip to the Eden Centre to cheer up a very dismal Easter
Sunday here in Cambridgeshire

Friday, April 10, 2009

Wet walk in Waresley Wood




The woods are at their best for primroses and oxlips but, unfortunately, the rain started just as we arrived in the wood. Managed a few photos of the primroses and this colour-coordinated snail on an Equisetum.

Duxford Air Museum


I hadn't visited the Duxford Air Museum for many years; there have been a lot of changes, most impressive of which is the American Air Museum.
Despite the rather dull light I was pleased with this photograph - made me think of the long hours spent in airport lounges - must be the chairs.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Fox Part Two

Fox came back for a long visit today and here is the evidence of what it is eating!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Visitor to our Garden

Looked out of bedroom window while dressing this morning and came face to face with this fox (we live in a bungalow!). It was eating some apples that I had thrown onto the lawn the day before and seemed quite unafraid though obviously aware of the camera being pointed at it.

Possibly a female with cubs still feeding from her and therefore very hungry but I am still surprised that she was eating apples.



Sunday, April 5, 2009

Pasque Flowers at Royston

The pasque flowers are just about out on the heath - very short stemmed and lots of buds so should be OK until end of the month.


Saturday, April 4, 2009

Matching Colours


Another image from my West Country trip. Image is cropped but otherwise straight from camera - loved the way the clothing matched the beach hut doors.

Friday, April 3, 2009

For Fishermen


For Ian to welcome him to Blogspot - over a door at the Cobb Lyme Regis


Thursday, April 2, 2009

Spring in Devon


Daffodils on a bank in warm spring sunshine

A Fly and Me


Didn't notice that I was reflected in the thorax of this irridescent fly that was visiting a clump of celandine that I photographed at Eden.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Eden Project Flower Close-ups

Managed to avoid tripping anyone up with my tripod or to set off the alarms and get some close-ups of some of the flowers.



The white flower below is African Hemp Sparrmannia africanna. It has an amazingly large number of stamens.







Dartington Hall


Taken by holding camera with 15 mm lens above the flower and seeing what I got. Pleased with result. Would be good in a breeze with petals falling down. Thanks to Meg (in background) and Malcolm for their hospitality.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Weston-Super Mare is Being Rebuilt


















Would you want a room even for £15 in the hotel above left.



The Pier View Parlour is closed along with the Grand Pier but there is plenty of rebuilding activoity going on in WSM at the moment.







Here is one for my collection of dogs and owners with matching hair colour.












Friday, March 27, 2009

First Migrant Bird arrives




Chiffchaff singing in Toft Wood this morning


- the first migrant that I have heard.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Trials on White Balance


Two images taken inside Great Wilbraham Barn with automatic white balance

















Images below are similar views also taken with AWB and then the white balance corrected in Lightroom
















The last image is taken with custom white balance by photographing a white card and setting the camera's custom white balance before shooting the scene. Colour rendition looks better but would need further trials. Anyone got comments on theoretical value of the two approaches?















Thursday, March 19, 2009

Favourite primrose image


The flowers are just coming out in the west Cambridgeshire woods. These primroses were taken last year with 16mm lens. I am looking forward to repeating with the 15mm fish-eye to compare the image. It involved lying almost in a stream to get below the flowers.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Monday, March 16, 2009

Spring is here

Beautiful sunny day today, so all the coltsfoot are in full bloom on the banks. Strange plant in that it has flowers before the leaves appear.


Friday, March 13, 2009

Millie and Ruby's relatives at Crufts

Red (on left) is Ruby's nephew once removed - definitely a family likeness.

Not know name of the setter on the right but was from Millie's breeder and very like her when she was younger.






Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Motion in the Ring


Took a lot of these at Crufts. I like the flow of this one but I guess there should be something sharp. Unfortunately everything is moving in different directions, including the ears, in an Irish Setter

Sunday, March 8, 2009

American Cocker Spaniels at Crufts


I want to illustrate the enormous bond that exists in so many cases between owner and dog, even to the matching of hair colour.





Saturday, March 7, 2009

Images from Flyball at Crufts

Need a soundtrack to go with these images as the dogs bark continually while waiting their turn over the jumps.


Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Paddling pool 2


There is a loneliness about paddling pools in winter. No happy splashing and laughter, just discarded rubbish and silence

Monday, March 2, 2009

The Drummer




Taken with rear curtain flash to attempt movement of the drumstick - more or less worked.

1/60th sec f4.0. Manual focusing. Flash set ETTL and rear curtain.

Ann Miles Photography - My Favourite Images of the Past10 years or so