Category: Photography

Another trip out. The morning found us exploring the moors.  We then headed to Rievaulx Terrace which as well as some interesting architecture, has some dramatic views down the hill and through the trees to the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey.

We took some shots of the temples built as items of interest by Thomas Duncombe the landowner.  The sun climbed and illuminated Abbey below, so both Caroline and myself took some shots of the Abbey using our medium format gear.

We then popped down to the Abbey itself to visit their tea room for lunch and photograph the dramatic ruins from close up.

The sun had gone in but the dark clouds with some glimpse of blue had potential, so we carried on carrying the medium format gear, tripod and Nikon SLR with the 12-24mm f/4 DX (APS-C) around the Abbey ruins in hope.

At the end of our visit we walked slowly back to the car, when I saw the hills in the distance slowly becoming illuminated in light.

Looking at the clouds I guessed that in about 5 minutes the break in clouds would illuminate the Abbey.  Quickly finding a good position I had spotted early, I set the tripod and Medium format camera up.

As the golden light reached the Abbey I quickly metered the scene with my spot meter and two shots, one with Fuji Velva 50 and one Ilford FP4.

I quickly repositioned and shot two more frames before the sun when in again.

With that we packed in and headed home.

 

Many photographers have a Love & Hate relationship with HDR, I like it when its used with a degree of subtlety but even I have sometimes gone over the top when I feel the image suits it.

Interestingly the general public tend to like HDR more then photographers.

This is about as over the top as I go, but felt the image suited it.

If your interested in HDR check out the website stuckincustoms.com, some very dramatic examples and tutorials.

Well last week I did say I was going to photograph the Daffodils. Well the blooms were not yet open but this weekend they were so, with the trusty Nikon D200, 100mm f/2.8 macro lens and the macro flash gear I spent some time trying to get some good shots.

Near the back door next to our poor dead bay leaf trees that have been killed by the hard winter were a likely bunch of Daffodils.

Setting up the tripod, nearly as low as it would go, I composed on the open flower.  I wanted a black background so I laid a black cloth behind.

The cloth together with a fairly high shutter speed to under-expose the background, this made the background a nice black.

 

With only one Daffodil in bloom, I then switched over to the bush that had lots of yellow flowers.

Once again I employed the black cloth and a high shutter speed to underexpose the background.

My attention was then next drawn to the bush next door which seemed to have an inordinate number of lady birds on it.

 

 

 

With so few flowers to chose from my last flower to photograph was the crocuses, a rather pretty purple.

A pleasant afternoon shooting.  Nothing to dramatic but good practice.

The lighting was nothing special just front lit via the macro flash.  Later in the month when we have more blooms to choose from I will definitely try something a little more challenging.

A few cut flowers, cut glass crystal vase and some studio lighting is in order

Well today I had another look at the Micro Four Thirds range.

I am still looking for that perfect travel camera, small pocketable and with high quality large sensor and interchangable lens.

I had a close look again at the Panasonic GF-1.  Not the GF-2 as I don’t feel thats as good ergonomically.

I am still very tempted but the lack of decent wide angles, still puts me off.  Its the x2 crop factor, I feel wide angle does not really start until you get to 24mm, and on micro four thirds thats 12mm.

There is currently not much to choose from in that range and what there is is very expensive.

Still I going to have to decided soon or if I do want a GF-1, it may have to be a second hand model as they are going fast.