Nothing quite like a January morning in the lakes

Two more shots from the Lakes, the first of Ashness bridge, lit up by the Sun, just creeping around to shine down into the valley.  Photographed many, many times, but I couldn't resist with the distant snow, glowing amber bracken and pure azure skies.

The second is another single frame of the northern fells from the slopes of Skiddaw, my primary
thought was to capture the sunrise Sun and mist in my previously posted panorama, but I like
this composition too.  Looking like serious mountains with the snowy peaks, with the silhouetted misty treeline in the foreground, then leading diagonally up to the glowing sunlit snow in the distance as a focal point I think it balances simplicity, structure and interest.  I'd consider a crop of some of the left side and sky, but left it "straight from camera" instead, since I'm attempting to lean away from Photoshop as much as possible these days.

Ashness bridge Jan 2013
ISO100, 32mm, 1/50s, f/9, -1.3ev, tripod, mirror lockup, cable release, circular polariser, levels

Misty Mountains
ISO100, 105mm, 1/200s, f/9, -1ev

North West fells from Skiddaw

 

Snow capped mountains catching the early morning Sun as the valley warms

and a mist starts to form over Braithwaite. 

 

Taken as a composite of 11 portrait oriented images using manual mode to keep exposure consistent,

then combined in Photoshop. 

 

Even this method is feeling old fashioned now, as my partner's new

Lumia shoots great 14MP panoramas all in camera.  Very impressive technology, even handling high dynamic range panoramics, straight into the Sun, really well. 

 

Plenty more to come... I'm off for another walk in the snow...





ISO100, 100mm, f/9, 1/320s, -1ev, composite of 11 images

Three Bird Post

Back from a winter visit to the Lake District which was very nice and suitably picturesque. 
Still to process those photos at the moment, but while I tweak my PC settings and get back in the swing of posting on here again, here are three more bird photos..  Two taken today in the snow..

Hopefully will get out in the snow again tomorrow followed by some Lake District photo processing this weekend..

Gorse Robin
ISO1600, 365mm, 1/250s, f/5.6, -0.3ev, noise reduction

Snow Kestrel
ISO640, 560mm (teleconverter), 1/1000s, f/8, noise reduction, cropped

Snow Robin
ISO320, 275mm, 1/500s, f/5.6, -0.6ev, noise reduction, levels, colour balance (remove blue)

35mm Oil Painting

 

Photo or oil painting?

ISO800, 220mm, f/9, 1/800s, -0.6ev, selective levels

 

Another steam locomotive shot taken locally, just north of home.  Running late, by the time she swept through there was quite a gathering of curious passer-bys, most were amazed that that they still run and that it's not an openly advertised event. 

 

Note:  Just google UK Steam for all mainline steam loco activity. 

 

With the hazey, cloud filtered sunlight, muted winter colours, classic grey clouds and a bit of high ISO noise I couldn't help but play on the image looking somewhat like a Constable style oil painting.  I left in the noise and added a dose of levels to darken areas with a large soft edge brush.  I really like the effect, especially given it's only slightly photoshopped (levels took about 20 seconds to do).



Back up to speed in 2013

Happy New Year!  What a strange year 2012 turned out to be, absolutely tonnes of change for me since riding my motorcycle around Iceland, hence the embarrassingly woeful blog count.  However, I am now settled into a new home, with a new car, a new job and a new PC to aid my main new year resolution - to get back taking photos, exploring, shooting new things, blogging as much as possible (including the few things I have photographed over the last few months) and generally getting back to it.   Who knows we might even see a new piece of photographic kit joining the bag this year!

Starlings swarming past the full moon

ISO 1600, 400mm, f/8, 1/160s, -0.6ev, noise reduction

After walking through muddy fields in search of inspiration for a couple of hours, it was when we arrived back to xmas base camp that we had the pleasure of witnessing this spectacle.  Thousands of starlings swarming overhead with a haunting sound of a million feathers in the night air.

 



Autumnal Robin spying its prey

ISO1250, 330mm, f/5.6, 1/500s, -0.6ev, noise reduction, cropped

 

Night station

ISO800, 34mm, f/8, 8s, -2ev, noise reduction, cropped

Waiting on a foot bridge for a steam locomotive to pass through, I like the colour and composition of this shot.  Unfortunately for the reader, the steam loco was just good fun rather than a photo opportunity!

 



 

Winter fisherman

ISO100, 100mm, f/4.5, 1/1000s, -1ev, cropped

A fisherman bags his reward for fishing on a bitterly cold day, the stark winter trees reflecting their subdued colours in the still water.