My Weekly Photos during 2015 - Part 1

[Geoff F]

Once again, I will try to post at least one photo per week during 2015. The scenes will vary to show something of the area where I live and things which happen here.

In order to keep this thread within a reasonable size I will split it into 4 sections.

The 2014 photos are here (4th quarter) My 2014 Weekly Photos - Part 4

Week 1 - Thurlestone Rock

An area, fairly close to where I live, but I have tended to neglect this location for some time. The tide was just right and it was a clear sunny day with onshore breeze when I arrived. Then, of course, as soon as I picked up my camera heavy clouds appeared as if by magic. However I did what I could under those conditions, but the shutter speed was far too low for the waves.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens 1/250 F8 Iso 400

I wandered around looking for any better angles then when I returned to the same spot the sun broke through for a few minutes. But by now the tide had dropped slightly so the surf wasn't breaking so well around the rock.



1/1000 F8 Iso 400.

Perhaps I will return to the general area soon to see what else might be worth trying.

This will be in addition to my Project 52 weekly photos; providing I can keep up with running two threads.

[Shadowman]

Nice start to your project.

[IzzieK]

Very, Very nice, Geoff...good start to the week.

[bnnrcn]

Although I prefer #1 compositionally, they are both nice images

[Cantab]

Geoff, you've set yourself quite a task with two weekly threads! I like the feel you managed to capture in the first photo. I'm definitely not a fan of blurred water/waves but think you may have captured the best of both worlds: there's just enough slight blur to the breaking waves that there's a sense of motion, not just a wave frozen in time.

[Geoff F]

Just like you, Bruce, long exposures on moving water is one of my few strong dislikes; it has to look real for me.

Anyway, thanks for the comments and on to:-

Week 02 - The Lumberjacks

In another thread, I did mention that I ought to take more photographs featuring people so I will try to include a few here.

It was volunteer maintenance day at the wildlife site where I'm attempting to produce a range of botanically based photos for my Project 52 this year. I was mostly felling large rhododendron shrubs deep in another part of the wood but later on managed a couple of snaps of these guys creating a new clearing in one of the overgrown areas.



The day started with heavy rain so I only took my Fuji X20 pocket sized camera. 1/55 F6.4 Iso 400. The afternoon light was starting to get a bit low and was coming through the dappled trees.



1/100 F6.4 Iso 400

Messed up a bit with my settings. Accidentally left on the macro option so although it worked out reasonably well with these two shots I was unable to see the shutter speed etc through the viewfinder and couldn't get flash to work. Which resulted in low shutter speed blur with several other shots. Couldn't work out what was wrong until I returned home and consulted the book!

[Shadowman]

Just like you, Bruce, long exposures on moving water is one of my few strong dislikes; it has to look real for me.

Anyway, thanks for the comments and on to:-

Week 02 - The Lumberjacks

In another thread, I did mention that I ought to take more photographs featuring people so I will try to include a few here.

It was volunteer maintenance day at the wildlife site where I'm attempting to produce a range of botanically based photos for my Project 52 this year. I was mostly felling large rhododendron shrubs deep in another part of the wood but later on managed a couple of snaps of these guys creating a new clearing in one of the overgrown areas.



The day started with heavy rain so I only took my Fuji X20 pocket sized camera. 1/55 F6.4 Iso 400. The afternoon light was starting to get a bit low and was coming through the dappled trees.



1/100 F6.4 Iso 400

Messed up a bit with my settings. Accidentally left on the macro option so although it worked out reasonably well with these two shots I was unable to see the shutter speed etc through the viewfinder and couldn't get flash to work. Which resulted in low shutter speed blur with several other shots. Couldn't work out what was wrong until I returned home and consulted the book!

Seems to have worked out fine. Nice efforts.

[Kaye Leggett]

Messed up a bit with my settings. Accidentally left on the macro option so although it worked out reasonably well with these two shots I was unable to see the shutter speed etc through the viewfinder and couldn't get flash to work. Which resulted in low shutter speed blur with several other shots. Couldn't work out what was wrong until I returned home and consulted the book!

I'm glad I'm not the only one to still make basic errors ! These are good shots, but I guess I would really have like to see one with the tree mid fell - but I'm just being picky !

[Geoff F]

Those I'm afraid were amongst the ones which failed through having too low a shutter speed. Plus one where he got his saw jammed and had to get another person to cut in from the other side to free it.

[wilgk]

Great start to the project, I'm keen to use it to challenge myself to shoot what I don't routinely as well.
I really like the second from week 1 with the sun coming to the party.

[Geoff F]

Week 03 - A gap between the rainstorms

The heavy rain suddenly ceased and the weather became sunny with clear air, but I knew it wouldn't last; so went for a quick walk along the nearby cliff path.

I have tried this scene many times but have never been happy with the results. This time was the best so far, but a little bit of cloud in the top right corner would have been nice.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens 1/200 F11 Iso 200

A little further on, after failing to find any scenes which were working for me, I had a go at this distant headland but tried to keep some foreground interest.



1/400 F11 Iso 400. A bit slow on shutter speed really but I was worried about getting too much noise Iso at 800. That probably would have been worth trying though to get even sharper surf.

On the return walk I stopped at this sheltered beach where a little bit of surf had developed. The old castle is just visible on the headland.



Managed to increase the shutter speed to 1/800 and still keep an acceptable aperture of F9.

[Wavelength]

Nice images...all the best for this endeavor

[Geoff F]

During another short break in the weather on the following day I was in the town but only had my Fuji X20 pocket camera with me.

A crane offloading building materials.



Just a little later, after a quick afternoon pint, and the sky was already starting to cloud over which was giving a rather poor light.

I'm getting a wrong photo showing and I can't clear it so I have posted the image as a reply.

[Geoff F]

Attempting to post the correct image. Whatever I do in the way of an edit keeps bringing up the wrong image - not one of mine.

I see the correct image in the Tinypics upload then copy and paste but the same incorrect photo keeps appearing.

Still won't work correctly. I'm now suspecting that I'm getting a spam image of some form.

This has been linked from P base instead. Like the previous three images of the seascapes.



1/60 F7 Iso 400.

Not really sure if this image is really worth all this extra trouble though.

That little camera is reasonably good under the right conditions but it does tend to 'mush up' the backgrounds and get a little noisy under difficult circumstances like this.

[IzzieK]

I like the third photo with the surf. That was really good. And the one with the boat is nice too. I wish we have some kind of scenes like this here. We do but it is too far for me to travel to. I am not much of a driver...so I have to wait for my mule to drive me and from where I wanted to go.

[Shadowman]

Week 03 - A gap between the rainstorms

The heavy rain suddenly ceased and the weather became sunny with clear air, but I knew it wouldn't last; so went for a quick walk along the nearby cliff path.

I have tried this scene many times but have never been happy with the results. This time was the best so far, but a little bit of cloud in the top right corner would have been nice.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens 1/200 F11 Iso 200

A little further on, after failing to find any scenes which were working for me, I had a go at this distant headland but tried to keep some foreground interest.



1/400 F11 Iso 400. A bit slow on shutter speed really but I was worried about getting too much noise Iso at 800. That probably would have been worth trying though to get even sharper surf.

On the return walk I stopped at this sheltered beach where a little bit of surf had developed. The old castle is just visible on the headland.



Managed to increase the shutter speed to 1/800 and still keep an acceptable aperture of F9.

Nice set, I like the third one best as is, first has a lot of detail in the foreground, 2nd seems a bit too evenly toned.

[Barbara Ponder]

Geoff, I am enjoying not only the quality of the photos but the locals. Almost like a little virtual vacation.

[Geoff F]

That is the intention, Barbara.

I'm not much of a driver either, Izzie. Perfectly happy with those narrow country lanes around here, but not so keen with the motorways (freeways) and I won't touch city driving.

[wilgk]

The series of 3 that you walked us through, are lovely. I too prefer the 3rd, it's composition just appeals right away.

[Geoff F]

Week 04 - Seabirds

Had a try at some birds from a hide beside an estuary. Fortunately I was the only person there so I was able to open two 'windows' and had a choice of marsh to the east and estuary when facing west; but the light angle wasn't too good whichever option I tried. And brambles had grown up around the estuary side which limited my view.

Started with a tripod but had to go handheld for in flight shots. It was also easier to get quick shots around the brambles without having to move the tripod around; but I had to go up to Iso 800 to get sufficient shutter speed, which did produce some noise in the shadows.

Black-headed Gull in winter colours.



7D with Sigma 150-500 lens. 1/1250 F8 Iso 800

Something tasty to eat - If only I can get down to it!



1/1600 F8 Iso 400

An Oystercatcher.



1/3200 F8 Iso 800. Could have dropped the Iso but I was following this bird and the exposure kept changing.

Digging for food.



1/2000 F8 Iso 800

And going even deeper.



Managed to get on the tripod and decrease Iso to 400 but that produced a shutter of 1/400 which was on the slow side for a moving subject.

When these swans flew past I had to move quickly without any thinking time. Almost there but a poor background and not totally sharp focus.



1/1600 F8 Iso 800