An Odd Week this

[James G]

An Odd Week this ... everything has been a bit scrappy with my schedule..
I've been snatching time from other things to get out and get a few shots...
Earlier in the week I went up to Charlecote Park (near Stratford on Avon), and was lucky to catch up and stalk the only stag (and a couple of does) that were out in the public area.
I then took advantage of the only clear night to take an hour to practice my night shots. I decided on a variant to the usual city/vehicle light stream shots by trying for a plane taking off.
Then, yesterday, I took an hour to reconnoitre the area around the flight path to the airport to find a better spot for night shots, and I was lucky enough to see the most intense iridescent cirrus I have ever seen. This kind of phenomenon is not uncommon but very transient, so I was lucky to spot it and then be able to change lenses in time to capture it.

I even got a shot of a plane :-)













C&C welcome

[Kodiak]

C&C welcome

Hi James,

I really dig the three last shots. Unconditionally.

I like the three first shots too though…
— #3 was taken in a most elegant and majestic pose…

I can imagine old master painters in their workshop trying to
get something faintly close to this,

— 1, 2, and 3 are rendered far too bright,

either the whole scene like #1 that I suggest a tamed down
version here, and/or the backgrounds in 2 and 3.

[RogerCook]

Wow what color in that cloud nice, and I wish I could go to a local park and find deer like that but I do have the beach 2 min. away so I won't complain life's good. All great shots.

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[IzzieK]

James...I like all your shots here especially #1, 4 and 5. #1 for the beauty of the animals. I like the expression of the first doe though...#4 -- I wouldn't be able to imagine taking a shot of a plane as it took off the way you did for this one. And #5 for the beautiful clouds.

It would be helpful if you number your images as you go along and put your narrative on each at the top of the shot to describe the photos. Just a suggestion...

[Stagecoach]

Good series James, thanks for sharing them.

Those clouds are captured superbly and a good job done with the deer if a bit of work as Kodiak has suggested with the PP.

[Wavelength]

I like all those images.... yet i prefer no abrupt change of subjects.... i think that affects the quality of enjoyment

Regards

[deetheturk]

Lovely series James, well captured!

David

[James G]

Thank you all for your kind comments..
Kodiak, (& Grahame), I too thought that shot 3 was somewhat 'classical' and very much an artist's scene. Truth be told though, the stag was very aware of me, and though in no way disturbed by me kept moving away keeping under tree cover maintaining a distance of 100-150 yards. (The herd at Charlecote is technically 'wild' but as it is a National Trust site, they are completely habituated to people)
Your point about the brightness of the images is well taken. It was a very bright day with full sun on the park and deep shadows under the tree canopy ..I struggled to balance the light.
The shots of the stag all develop an ugly look in the background if darkened too much (something like the donut effect you get from catadioptric lenses!) On balance I was definitely too timid.
I've reprocessed them and represented below. Still not entirely happy, and will be spending a bit more time on them, but at the end of the day, more than pleased to have actually got the shots

#1


#2


#3


Roger... Life is definitely good

Izzie, sorry about the numbering issue, good point and I will number in future.. As regards the light trail shot of the plane, it is a bit easier than you might think. But does need time to experiment a bit.
Shot on a tripod, using a Canon EOS 7D with a Sigma 50-150 Telephoto locked at 50 mm and range set at infinity. ISO 320, F4.6, exposure 20 secs.
I set everything up and took a series of shots of the runway at different exposures using lowest ISO possible while keeping under 30 secs. (noise control). Planes were nearly a mile away at the turn onto the runway, and their 'headlights' are very bright in comparison with their navigation lights, so I waited until the plane was near its take off (about halfway down the runway), before clicking the shutter. (That way the plane is airborne and the headlights lo longer glare.)

Nandakumar, I understand your preference for a single theme to the shots, I do usually present images on this basis as most people do. I think the point of the thread is that although I 'specialise' in certain subjects, my interests span a wide range of photographic genres. Usually I have plans to go out to capture specific subjects. It was an 'Odd Week ' very much because I really had no time for advance planning, and simply took advantage of some free moments to just go out and do it.
With hindsight, I kind of surprised myself. I certainly could never have planned the Cirrus shot.
Maybe we should all just freewheel our photography sometimes, it was a very relaxed and rather spontaneous photographic week

[FrankMi]

I really like your capture of Cirrus Radiatus, James!

[Chrisclick]

A wonderful series of photos. I like the animal shots and I especially like the long exposure of the plane taking-off. The iridescent cloud is beautiful.

[bnnrcn]

I like them all but Cirrus Radiatus is super