2024 Project 52 - Weekly photos by Geoff F

[Geoff F]

Week 10 - Snow on Dartmoor. First day of spring yesterday and there was a thin covering of snow on Dartmoor this morning.



7D with Canon 70-200 lens. 1/320 F11 Iso 400. Merge of two bracketed exposures.

Looking seawards.



1/160 F11 Iso 400. Merge of two bracketed exposures.

Looking towards the next town.



1/400 F11 Iso 400

[Cantab]

As always, an interesting set of photos. The third image has a collection of disparate geometry: winding hedges, curves left in the fields by farm machinery, and an almost centred church spire. At first I was curious why you omitted part of the roadway on the left side of the photo. But when I looked at the image in litebox I saw what looks like a traffic island in what is possibly an intersection – something that you had good reason not to have visible.

[Geoff F]

There is a junction there, Bruce, which leads to a farm. But what I had to avoid was a large and unattractive lamp post in the road outside my house. No real alternative except to use this crop.

A 3 x 2 ratio shot would be above the lamp but I also wanted to show some of the lower valley areas. Another reason for going to 4 x 5 ratio is that I wanted to have this option for use in the local history society calendar, which requires a 4 x 5 image. The calendar has recent and old images of the same scene.

[Geoff F]

Week 11 - Peacock Butterfly feeding on crocus flower. From my garden today - a reminder that summer is coming.



7D with Canon 70-200 lens. 1/400 F11 Iso 400

And a couple of moths from a moth trap last night. Double-striped Pug



Sigma 180 macro lens. 1/80 F9 Iso 400

A March Moth (Alsophila aescularia)

[billtils]

Nice moth shots Geoff - I've not taken too many but enough to find out that the soft wings are ... soft! The Peacock is indeed a pleasant reminder that summer is coming. Enjoyed this set>

[Geoff F]

Thanks, Bill.

One thing to remember about moth photos is don't over sharpen the image. Because their outer layer is made up of individual little scales excessive sharpening gives a blocky appearance.

[billtils]

Geoff, just to be sure, I didn't mean that the shots needed sharpening - just stating the obvious that the wings are naturally soft in appearance

[Geoff F]

No worry, Bill. That is how I took your comment. Nicely soft looking.

[Cantab]

A great set of images. The first one is stunning even though the peacock butterfly is in competition with crocuses in the background. The combination makes for a good blast of colour.

[Geoff F]

Week 12 - There will be a break in my uploaded photos this year. Two weeks ago I went into hospital for a heart valve replacement and although I am now home I won't be able to lift heavy cameras for a few weeks.

It was done under one of those schemes where the local National Health Service also hires facilities in private hospitals. This meant travelling about 250 miles and an Ambulance Service car was provided for three patients.

After the operation, we left hospital on the Sunday a week later and another car was sent to take us home.

Although still weak and groggy I thought this was such an important event for me that I had to get a photograph as we were leaving. So just two quick shots with my little Fuji X20 camera, without any serious thinking time.

Our Ambulance Car awaits



The surgeon found time to come outside and wish us well as we left.

[escape]

Wow, Jeoff. You really are hardcore. Week and groggy after a heart operation, and you're taking photos as you leave the hospital.. Sending you best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[Cantab]

Hi Geoff,

Best wishes for your recovery! (And I agree with Daniel's comment about your photo taken outside the hospital as you were leaving!)

I've read a number of stories in the online British news media about delays and other issues with the NHS. So it was good to read your comment that NHS is getting surgical work done by sending it to private hospitals and clinics, even if it was 250 miles from your home.
Bruce

[billtils]

Hi Geoff

Thank for sharing your experiences and I join Daniel and Bruce in wishing you a speedy return to full health.

On another note, my personal experiences do not tie with those Bruce mentions - I have a serious illness that could have been life threatening but it took less than a month from seeing my GP to having an MRI, being seen by a specialist, and being put on an appropriate drug regimen, and all at no personal cost.. That was over 2 years ago now.

I am a huge cynic in regard to "news" media - there are almost no objective sources, only a range of print, TV and digital entities choosing stories perspectives that suit and shape the views of their target audience, usually with minimal objective evidence. But then I'm just a grumpy old scientist with 2 degrees and membership of one of the UK's prestigious Royal Colleges ...

[Geoff F]

Thanks for your comments and wishes for the future.

I am slowly recovering and have recently managed to get into my garden for a few insect photos; although I am moving around rather slowly and carefully which means many insects are a lot faster than me.

Week 13 - Insects from my garden.

Celery Fly - Euleia heraclei



7D with Sigma 180 macro lens. 1/200 F9 Iso 400. Flash used

Pisaura mirabilis spider



Andrena scotica

[Geoff F]

Melanostoma scalare hoverfly



Aglaostigma aucupariae sawfly

[Cantab]

A good set of bugs. I don't recall from past insect photos whether you usually use an exposure speed in the neighbourhood of 1/200. Were you relying on the flash to freeze any insect motion that might be present or was it the case that none of the insects were moving particularly quickly?

[billtils]

A nicely varied and technically every good selection of 'flies. I've never encountered a celery fly or indeed the rather strange spider - thanks for introducing me to these.

Stay safe and well.

[Geoff F]

Thanks for the comments

My usual insect settings are manual camera settings around 1/200 F8 to F11 and Iso 320-500. Then adjust the flash output compensation for individual scenes. For example, a dark insect on a pale background requires a fraction more flash output than a bright insect on a darker background.

After a bit of experience these adjustments come naturally and in many cases a quick glance at the review screen will show if different settings are required.

[Geoff F]

Week 14 - Digging the drains. Across the valley from my house there is a building site and I have been recording their progress from my garden. They were recently digging out and laying drainage pipes.



7D with Canon 70-200 lens. 1/400 F11 Iso 250

[Cantab]

Week 14 - Digging the drains. Across the valley from my house there is a building site and I have been recording their progress from my garden. They were recently digging out and laying drainage pipes.



7D with Canon 70-200 lens. 1/400 F11 Iso 250

When I first glimpsed this image, thought that it was rotated out of vertical -- even though that is not your usual practice! But when I looked more closely, it became clear that the men were vertical; so all the other interesting angles were presumably the result of steep ground and your interesting viewpoint.