2024 Project 52 - Weekly Photos by Geoff F - Part 4

[Geoff F]

Once again, I will be attempting to post at least one photo per week throughout 2024.

The previous part 3 is here

2024 Project 52 - Weekly photos by Geoff F - part 3

Week 43 - More local fishing boats

Claire Louise



7D with Sigma 150-600 Sport Lens. 1/500 F11 Iso 400

Mayhem



1/400 F10 Iso 400

Tenacious

[Geoff F]

Week 44 - Views from where I was recording insects this week. Wareham Point & Frogmore Creek from Snapes Path, Salcombe



7D with Canon s4-105 lens. 1/400 F11 Iso 400. Merge of two bracketed exposures

Blanksmill Creek & Lime Kiln



1/200 F11 Iso 320

Gerston Point & West Charleton

[Geoff F]

Week 45 - Limebury Point, Salcombe. Another of those impossible scenes - but I might as well have a go anyway.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/1600 F11 Iso 125. Merge of two bracketed exposures

The tree must come down. Probably what I know as a Macracarpa, also possibly known as Monterey Cypress. They were favourites of the Victorians but were often planted in the wrong locations without any forethought about their eventual size. Now they are reaching the end of their lives and are becoming dangerous so they have to be felled. But it has become a difficult job.



1/640 F9 Iso 400

[billtils]

Another nice set Geoff. I especially like the tree felling one for its story telling, framing, colours, and the way you have handled the exposure. Or to put it another way, I like this one a lot . No sign of "Project 52" fatigue here.

[Geoff F]

Thanks for the comment, Bill. With the tree I was thinking about the local history society. Possibly to use in the next calendar but also as a record of a local event. History isn't just finding out about times past. Future history requires the recording of current events which may be of some interest in 50 years time, or longer.

[Geoff F]

Week 46 - Dock Bug. Sometimes, hiding just means looking inconspicuous compared with a bright and colourful background.

[Geoff F]

Week 47 - Fox & Cubs (Pilosella aurantiaca). It may be the end of October and the clocks have been set back an hour but there are still a few summer flowers about.



7D with Sigma 180 macro lens. 1/200 F13 Iso 400. Flash used.

And a brown form of Cassida vibex Tortoise Beetle. They are normally a bright green and black colour but brownish forms sometimes occur, particularly late in the season.



1/200 F10 Iso 400. Flash used.

[Geoff F]

Week 48 - Chilli Logs to deter squirrels. The company where I purchase my bird seed has produced some suet logs with added chilli powder to deter squirrels while birds are unaffected. So what do my garden visiting squirrels think of them?



Absolutely delicious. 7D with Canon 70-200 lens. 1/50 F6.3 Iso 800 in poor light.

The birds seem to prefer their previous Super Suet Balls

[billtils]

Hardly surprising given how much Americans enjoy chilli

[Cantab]

A wonderfully sharp and entertaining photo.

Geoff, do you do your bird feeder shots with a tripod or with a very steady hand?

[Geoff F]

It depends on the circumstances and which lens I use, Bruce.

This one was handheld but I was shooting through the gap in an open window so I was able to steady myself against the house wall and use the lens stabilisation. I took several shots which weren't totally sharp.

When using my 150-600 lens I generally prefer to use a tripod simply to carry some equipment weight

[Geoff F]

Week 49 - Out of season flowers. We have had a spell of somewhat drab weather but quite mild with no frosts yet, so some summertime flowers in my garden are flowering again.

Snapdragon



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/200 F11 Iso 320

Nigella



1/320 F9 Iso 400

Berberis darwinii



1/320 F11 Iso 320

[Geoff F]

With the Berberis, I was looking up towards the top of a 7 ft high bush. On second thoughts, I should have removed some of the distractions before shooting. Or clipped off the main subject and mounted it in a better location.

[billtils]

... or leave it out since the Nigella and (especially) the snapdragon are so lovely!

[Cantab]

Geoff, the berberis darwinii caught my attention. In my part of the world, I'm aware of two native berberis species, berberis nervosa and berberis aquifolium (both aka Oregon grape) so it was interesting to see a different species but one with similar leaves.

I agree with Bill that the first two images turned out very well; my favourite is the Nigella.

[Geoff F]

I also have some Berberis aquifolium in my garden. It is a rather unassuming low growing plant but generally trouble free.

B. darwini is a very useful tough evergreen plant with somewhat spiky holly like leaves. It can make a good hedge up to about 8 ft high with those bright orange flowers being followed by purple berries which are popular with birds particularly Blackbirds who leave bright purple 'thank you' messages all over the paths and on my car.

I had some B. thunbergii which is a deciduous shrub with purple leaves and vicious spines which can grow to 8 ft. Unfortunately they suffered from die back which recently caused me to lose quite a few shrubs and small trees.

[Geoff F]

Week 50 - One of those calm and sunny early winter days. From a local part of the cliff path.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/320 F11 Iso 320. Merge of two bracketed exposures.

The old tower was erected as a lookout and signalling station during the Napoleonic War.

[Geoff F]

I then moved on to North Sands beach but by the time I arrived it was clouding over. However I discovered this marvellous machine being used for repairs to the sea wall but by the time I got my camera ready they were starting to pack up for the day. Five minutes too early or five minutes too late seems to be the story of my life.



1/80 F11 Iso 320. Leaning across the top of the sea wall to try for a workable angle.



1/160 F9 Iso 400

I returned a few days later on a nice sunny day but nobody was working that day.