Project 52 - Botanical Photos by Geoff F - 4th Quarter

[Cantab]

Geoff, I dug out my book on mosses and lichens in my part of the world. Both the moss and the lichen species you mention occur here but I have no idea about the ID. The book has a 13 page identification key for mosses and a 10 page one for lichen. But you have to know more plant anatomy than I do in order to make any sense out of them.

[Geoff F]

Yes Bruce, for many identification keys to work you must have an actual specimen in front of you plus some magnification.

Week 49 and still frantically trying to catch up despite of the weather!

Are these the hands of trapped goblins or sirens beckoning to lure lost souls to approach closer ?



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens 1/6 F11 Iso 400. Merge of two focus points.

OK, I know the 'hands' are Candle Snuff Fungus but so far I haven't been able to identify the two forms of encrusting fungus which are also in that scene.

I found a rather late Lesser Spearwort so took a few shots for identification.



1/25 F11 Iso 400. Merge of two shots. This was chiefly taken as a quick overall image to show the leaves for identification and I also took some close ups of the flower heads; but I messed them up in the poor light. Well those buttercup types always seem to beat me.

This image is just about acceptable but the right side flower is a little on the soft side.

[IzzieK]

Being Asian, the first one to me looks like chicken feet...

Question: when you say "merged of two focus points", does this mean, handheld?

Yes Bruce, for many identification keys to work you must have an actual specimen in front of you plus some magnification.

Week 49 and still frantically trying to catch up despite of the weather!

Are these the hands of trapped goblins or sirens beckoning to lure lost souls to approach closer ?



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens 1/6 F11 Iso 400. Merge of two focus points.

OK, I know the 'hands' are Candle Snuff Fungus but so far I haven't been able to identify the two forms of encrusting fungus which are also in that scene.

I found a rather late Lesser Spearwort so took a few shots for identification.



1/25 F11 Iso 400. Merge of two shots. This was chiefly taken as a quick overall image to show the leaves for identification and I also took some close ups of the flower heads; but I messed them up in the poor light. Well those buttercup types always seem to beat me.

This image is just about acceptable but the right side flower is a little on the soft side.

[Geoff F]

Two shots with different focus points merged using Adobe CC, Izzie.

Week 50. Started off brighter but I soon got rained on, once again!

Mycena sp. Just one solitary fungus pooking up from the leaf litter.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens 1/10 F11 Iso 400. Merge of 3 focus points.

Young Fern growing on a tree. A lot of these about at this site but they soon get distorted and go a bit 'blotchy' as they grow.



Winter Trees on a Dull Day



1/80 F11 Iso 400 Merge of two Raw Conversions from one shot.

[IzzieK]

The first one is most neat...like almost perfect -- no it is a perfect shot....I should start multiple focusing more than doing some single shots all the time unless it is a landscape and the subject doesn't move...#2 also neat...a cool shot that is, but the third one is like three or four different sort of scenery...the orange grass anchoring the shot...I like that colour there...at least it is not brownish like mud like winter always bring during this time of the year...

[Shadowman]

Two shots with different focus points merged using Adobe CC, Izzie.

Week 50. Started off brighter but I soon got rained on, once again!

Mycena sp. Just one solitary fungus pooking up from the leaf litter.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens 1/10 F11 Iso 400. Merge of 3 focus points.

Young Fern growing on a tree. A lot of these about at this site but they soon get distorted and go a bit 'blotchy' as they grow.



Winter Trees on a Dull Day



1/80 F11 Iso 400 Merge of two Raw Conversions from one shot.

Nice entries for week 50.

[Geoff F]

Once again, thanks for the comments. Still rushing to complete some edits to beat the deadline!

Week 51 - Christmas Dinner for a Slug. And it is still eating.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/30 F11 Iso 400. Merge of three focus points. A Sulphur Tuft fungus - Hypholoma fasciculare.

More Slug Food



1/20 F11 Iso 400. Merge of two focus points. Possibly Tricholoma portentosum but I will need a second opinion on this one.

Tubaria sp possibly But another one which requires an expert identification.



1/4 F11 Iso 400. Merge of three focus points. I liked the colour and texture of the rotting tree branch

And showing the underside of one of those fungi.

[Cantab]

Geoff, I was pleased to see another slug photo! I started a slug thread a few years ago, Post Your Slugs , and Christina posted some additional slug portraits here, Another Slug for Bruce (Cantab Bruce) .

I noticed your comment about a merge of three focus points in the slug photo-- a good thing that slugs do not move quickly, or did you have to fiddle the merge manually?

Once again, thank you for posting interesting botanical shots through the year. Will week 52 appear before midnight on the 31st?

[Shadowman]

Once again, thanks for the comments. Still rushing to complete some edits to beat the deadline!

Week 51 - Christmas Dinner for a Slug. And it is still eating.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/30 F11 Iso 400. Merge of three focus points. A Sulphur Tuft fungus - Hypholoma fasciculare.

More Slug Food



1/20 F11 Iso 400. Merge of two focus points. Possibly Tricholoma portentosum but I will need a second opinion on this one.

Tubaria sp possibly But another one which requires an expert identification.



1/4 F11 Iso 400. Merge of three focus points. I liked the colour and texture of the rotting tree branch

And showing the underside of one of those fungi.

Nice entries for week 51, very rich colors.

[Geoff F]

Slugs are somewhat under rated photographic subjects, Bruce; along with their friends the snails. They certainly move quickly enough when you are attempting to shoot multiple shots for a merge, as I have previously discovered.

I did indeed have to reject one set of these merge shots because the chief character moved while I was shooting.

Somewhere I do have some keys for identifying UK Slugs.

The final upload photos have now been shot and are awaiting a little bit of editing and some identification; if possible.

[IzzieK]

Very interesting subjects again, Geoff...you are persevering with this project...I wonder now what you will have in store for us for 2016...

[Geoff F]

So here it is - the last upload to this Project 52 thread; and I've found some more difficult to identify fungi, plus a few general scenes of that woodland area.

Week 52

Phellinus species, possibly, or an older Schizopora sp? One of the difficult types to identify because it tends to start off as an encrusting fungi then develops into more of a bracket type. I'm waiting for a second opinion from a more knowledgeable expert.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens 1/13 F11 Iso 400. Merge of two focus points.

More encrusting problems. Maybe an older form of Hyphoderma setigerum which has darkened a little?



1/20 F11 Iso 400 another merge of focus points.

I'm wondering if this might be a variation of Trichaptum abietinum



1/10 F 11 Iso 400.

A dull day in one of the clearings between woodland. Something of a let's have a go and see what happens type of shot.



1/100 F11 Iso 800. Merge of two focus points plus a bit of editing in an attempt to make the foreground visible while keeping the sky dark and stretching the area of focus depth. On reflection, there are a few small brighter stems scattered around which I may try to clone out.

Previously, I have had a few attempts at photographing general landscape type scenes deep inside the woodland; with varied amounts of success. Well here are a couple of final tries with small woodland streams for subjects.



1/13 F11 Iso 800. An overcast day is necessary to prevent over exposed areas from dappled sunlight. Although it was a windy day the breeze was being well filtered by all the other trees.

And a slightly different version of a similar subject.



1/30 F11 Iso 800.

When I started this challenge I was reasonably confident about my knowledge and abilities for botanical subject photos; but I quickly realised that I still had a lot to learn.

Probably my main initial underestimation concerned the amount of preparation which was required. Backgrounds and foregrounds had to be tidied up before even thinking about looking through the viewfinder. Then I had to keep going back over the scene picking up little bits of stray leaves and other debris.

Over bright areas in the background were another frequent problem and I often had to position a Difflector to darken those spots. In fact I quickly learned that bright sunshine was more of an enemy than a friend.

So nearly all of the images in this project were shot with the aid of a tripod; and a lot of thinking time before pressing the shutter.

[Cantab]

A good end to the 2015 botanical series! My favourite is probably the penultimate photo, closely followed by the final one. They both work well.
I'll not take a stab at identifying the fungi -- on the basis that they're unique to Britain and do not exist here (probably not true ).

[IzzieK]

I love all of them, Geoff but my preference is the last one. That is an excellent shot...

[Geoff F]

Thanks for these final positive comments.

[Cantab]

Thanks for these final positive comments.

Geoff, are you doing a botanical series for 2016, in addition to your more general Project 52?

[IzzieK]

No...he is writing a book and giving it away to everyone for the New Year...

[Geoff F]

Well I do produce calendars of local landscapes and wildlife; but just a few for friends at Christmas.

During the coming year I will be taking more botanical photographs and trying to 'plug the gaps' with the species which I missed at that site last year. Maybe have a look at another site but definitely not every week for a whole year.

[Kaye Leggett]

Well done Geoff for achieving week 52. I have enjoyed watching the seasons in your part of England. Best wishes for 2016

[Geoff F]

Thanks, Kaye.