My Weekly Photos During 2015 - Part 2

[Geoff F]

Some more cows for Trish.

He wants a group photo so gather in a tight group girls



7D with Canon 70-200 lens 1/800 F11 Iso 400. I could have got away with lowering the Iso but they were moving around so I didn't want to go too low.

Once again this was the wrong lens so I had to move back as far as I could and shoot at 70 mm. Not totally sharp but I was shooting across a rather harsh light.

Another quick shot with no thinking time allowed, and that includes removing the camera from my backpack and changing lenses.

End of the runway at Malborough International Airport



7D with 70-200 lens 1/640 F11 Iso 200. In theory that was too fast a shutter speed which should have 'frozen' the propeller but I seem to have got away with it from this angle.

Tried some other quick shots including one of the plane lifting off, but this is the only one which partially worked.

[Brownbear]

Hi Geoff,
I haven't checked your threads in a while. All lovely, informative and educational (thank you) but I absolutely adore the Highland Cattle, and cow images, as always.

[Cantab]

Geoff, I loved the cow photo. It looks like they're all set to head to the barn for milking and feed -- although the gate is obviously not intended for bovine use. (An uncle in Saskatchewan used to have dairy Holsteins.)
And I loved your caption for the "international" airport -- with a grass airfield!

[IzzieK]

Many people here are fond of horse shots...and cows, cattles I like them. Geoff does some for me from time to time when he is able...or was that John 2? Tie me Kangaroo Sports! You can do landscapes like Ken...love landscapes too...many inspiration around you...especially if you got acres...

An interesting and well shot series. Taking candid photos with grab-bag equipment always carries a risk of imperfection. That doesn't mean the images lack interest. I love cows, so the shots of the cattle are my favourites! They are such curious creatures. Always love to have a sticky-beak to see what's going on. I suppose life in a never-changing paddock can be rather boring for them. You give me inspiration to post something. I'm quite new to CIC and haven't yet been bold enough to post an image. We haven't any cows at the moment, only horses and kangaroos.

cheers.
Trish

[IzzieK]

I like the first shot of the moon without the MUP. Not as crisp but acceptable because the composition was the killer shot there ...

I was just telling Trish about your (or John 2) giving me some shots of the cattles, cows however they are referred to and here on this page is a bunch of cows!! How nice and accommodating for you to do this for her...!!

I love the cattles too...or cows ...always love seeing them...funny "international" airport...

[Geoff F]

Thanks for the replies. They don't actually milk cows here, but appear to graze young cows before they produce their first calf; after which, I presume they will be sold on into milking herds.

Week 22 - Checking the bird boxes

Each year, local schoolchildren are invited to inspect the bird boxes at a nature reserve and record what they find. A nice change for them to get outside of their classroom and learn something about the natural history of where they live.



40D with Canon 24-105 lens 1/200 F8 Iso 400. Because it was in the shady woods, with dappled sunshine in places, I used flash; but I slightly over flashed the first couple of shots. However this one had the best composition so I did what I could in the way of selective editing.

Another group. The children were divided into groups of 6 which had a teacher plus one wildlife advisor in attendance.

[Cantab]

Good to see the children getting well and truly muddy! If you hadn't mentioned the flash exposure issue with the first image, I probably wouldn't have noticed it.

What type birds use these nest boxes?

[Geoff F]

Mostly Blue Tits and Great Tits, Bruce. They are tree hole nesters but even in a wood there is a shortage of suitable natural nest sites. They have also learned to squeeze into dormice boxes, where the entry hole is facing towards the tree.

This year, with the cold wet late Spring and early Summer period these birds haven't done well. There were a lot of empty boxes and others where the nests have been abandoned either with unhatched eggs or some dead chicks. But in those situations it was mostly a case of just a couple of dead chicks so possibly the strongest 3 or 4 had managed to fledge and had left the nest.

In a normal year, well over half the boxes are used.

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[IzzieK]

I will echo what Bruce said this time...it is a good outing for children...

Well I do not have to go on an outing to see dead birds. I have one right in my deck this morning.

[Kaye Leggett]

What lovely bright pictures - they capture the essence of exploration really well

[Geoff F]

Thanks.

I had another day along the coast path, mostly photographing insects, but had a go at some other scenes while I was passing; and I really struggled with these scenes.

Took many shots of each subject plus quite a bit of editing and I'm still uncertain of the result.


Week 23. The path and gate

Originally shot for 3 x 2 ratio to show the windswept trees plus a gate in the background, but thought that wasn't quite working. So tried again with the path added. Still didn't seem quite right. Then moved back and tried again to include the seat, still at 3 x 2 ratio. When editing, I thought there was too much unnecessary complication on the right side so this version is 4 x 5 to make more of the path and gate.



7D with Canon 70-200 lens 1/200 F11 Iso 200 A merge of two focus points. The wrong lens really, so I was attempting to stuff everything into the 70 mm end.

Saw some interesting scenes of flowers on the cliff edge but I tried to be over greedy and cram too much into one photo. It just didn't work and became over complicated. I should have chosen just one small group as my main subject. It is that 'bluebell syndrome' again; where it looks like a stunning scene in real life but just doesn't transfer to a photo. Eventually cropped tighter during editing.

Clifftop Foxgloves.



1/400 F11 Iso 200. Another merge of 2 focus points.

And the same problem with these flowers.

Poppies.



A merge of 3 focus points this time.

Started with just a single shot showing more of the flowers on the left and having the distant headland out of focus. Then I though what if . . .

[Geoff F]

Week 24 - The grass is greener and the flowers are tastier . . .



40D with Canon 24-105 lens. 1/125 F11 Iso 400. Just a quick shot without any 'thinking time' available.

This is part of the grass cutting team at a wildlife reserve.

[IzzieK]

Darn this hotel, I just lost my connection so I lost my response to this thread too. Anyway, I still remember what I said...

I missed the post before the horse image. In that batch, I prefer #1 best because it has a story in the shot itself begging for answer on what lay beyond the path that led after going through that gate. The second and third one, no comment...

I like the horse image after because despite the quick shot, you still managed to get the horse shot OK and sharp including the explanation of why there was that vehicle within the shot. I am now left wondering if the horse feels that sharpy stuff on his neck...

[Geoff F]

The horse shouldn't be in that field, Izzie.

He had gained unauthorised entry from the next field and was returned there; but within an hour he was back in his chosen field.

So it was decided to leave him there. Not sure how he is getting in but I saw him standing on a bank where the fence wire was lower and he was nervously looking around to make sure nobody was watching, he must be jumping the wire somehow. I did find a bit of horse hair on the wire.

It doesn't really matter which of these small fields he uses but horses were kept out of that one because there are a lot of wild orchids and it was thought he might trample them.

My thinking about the path scene was as you surmised. A lonely path leading to a gate then going off to the right and into the far distance. So what was around the corner?

But as I previously mentioned, I kept trying different angles hoping to manage something acceptable and changing my mind all the time as I kept rejecting my test shots. I never had any firm idea of what I wanted from the scene.

Tried some more foxgloves from another area this week but I haven't processed those shots yet. Single plants just didn't look right and groups all seemed to create various problems.

I don't seem to be able to transfer my thoughts into actual photographs. Like I said, it is that bluebell scenario again; looks fantastic in real 3D life but just doesn't work out as a photograph.

[Shadowman]

Week 24 - The grass is greener and the flowers are tastier . . .



40D with Canon 24-105 lens. 1/125 F11 Iso 400. Just a quick shot without any 'thinking time' available.

This is part of the grass cutting team at a wildlife reserve.

Nicely captured.

[Kaye Leggett]

Like Izzy I missed the flower and path shots - comms on the West Coast of Kintyre are pretty minimal. I like both the flower shots - they are the essence of wild flowers and I'm not sure there can therefore be a perfect photo of them. The path shot needs a bit more zing.... the greens are all too much the same green I feel and there isn't much else in the shot. But I know how difficult they are as I've tried some recently too and none have been keepers. Maybe better on a bright day ?? or at sunset to get more contrast in the colours ? I won;t suggest a sunrise shot as that is just too early this time of year !

[Kaye Leggett]

Week 24 - The grass is greener and the flowers are tastier . . .



40D with Canon 24-105 lens. 1/125 F11 Iso 400. Just a quick shot without any 'thinking time' available.

This is part of the grass cutting team at a wildlife reserve.

Great capture

[bnnrcn]

Very nice image

Week 24 - The grass is greener and the flowers are tastier . . .



40D with Canon 24-105 lens. 1/125 F11 Iso 400. Just a quick shot without any 'thinking time' available.

This is part of the grass cutting team at a wildlife reserve.

[Geoff F]

I have had a slight rework on that path scene but I think it isn't going to come up to expectation no matter what I do in the way of editing.



The reason why people were working at the wildlife site was to prepare for an 'open day' which happened today. A selection of little exhibits with guided walks around the area and talks on various subjects.

Week 25 - Devon Wildlife Trust Event



40D with Canon 24-105 lens 1/80 F11 Iso 400. Sunshine was proving too much on those white canopy tops with hard shadow underneath; but there were plenty of cloudy periods which worked better although I ended up with too slow a shutter speed and had several rejects due to people movement. I did change the aperture to F8 for some other scenes but this still gave a rather low shutter. I should have risked some noise and increased Iso to 800.

I should have gone a fraction wider on the left side and included all of that man but I was concentrating on closer subjects so didn't notice that side.