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I shan't complain about some rain today. It's long overdue and look what it's given me...
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Raw file into Affinity Photo, Sooc Exposure, 10x8 crop.
Part of my 'Duffus Castle through the seasons' project.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
Our garden, July 2023
Come on kids, you try arranging a black backdrop outdoors, in a stiff breeze, getting wet knees due to the rain today, desperately trying to capture this little beauty before it faded away. I tried shutter speeds up to 1/3000s and a monstrous ISO but this seemed to work best. It's supposed to be summer. Oh, things we do for our photography...!
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Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens, single shot handheld, contrast boost and square crop.
Off to the beach they said ok I said, I’m bringing my camera and here we have a moment of reflection by my family. Long exposure at Talacre beach.
Common or Black Headed Gull surveying the shoreline.
Canvey Island, Essex UK
(CC February 2025 Rainbow Challenge - Natural Grey)
Cherry Blossom 2025
I am recording the progress of an ornamental cherry tree we planted in our garden in the late summer of 2021. So far it has survived snow, frost, high winds, heatwaves, the "wettest winter on record 2023/24" and the not infrequent attentions of a certain dog. This is our first spring, the first day actually, with what I would describe as a full show of blossom from head to toe. My now customary April 1st "progress shot" is to come and (**spoiler**) although it has gained less vertical height this past year (much as we expected) it is filling out more...
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The best of a bunch of shots from today. With/without tripod, even off camera flash for the DoF. This is handheld, no flash and treated as a moving subject in a slight breeze. And obviously I would have preferred a bright blue sky but we can't have everything...
Corringham, Essex UK March 2025
CC March Rainbow - Pink
We're having people over for dinner. Do join us. No need to dress...
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From somewhere along the River Thames in the morning mist. I thought a flash pointed straight ahead would do something. It did.
Longstrattonian and I visit the RC Cathedral again I have borrowed a fisheye lens which I am enjoying experimenting with. Especially, I like NOT correcting the distortion. It gives images a 'different look' and I find it fascinating. The RC Cathedral near to me hs been an ideal place to try this out...a beautiful building and the light is often extraordinary...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John_the_Baptist_Cathedral,_Norwich
A majestic if Moody Slieve League at Dawn. Donegal's iconic 600m mountain cliffs plunge into the sea if only you could hear the deep booming of the waves crashing into the precipice below...
The Trees Of Rannoch Moor
A wander over Rannoch Moor to photograph this group of trees over towards the Black Mount. I had hoped there would be a bit more snow for obvious reasons. This is an image I wasn't sure about sharing, purely for the simple reason that these trees will suddenly start appearing on many a photographers photostreams. That said, here is the first image of the trees, nice lighting and sitting beneath the imposing peak of Stob a' Choire Odhair.
Hopefully you all like this one.
Rannoch Moor, Scotland
Sony A7Rii
Sony FE70-200mm f4
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© Brian Kerr Photography 2018
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Someone pointed out to me that this Roller Coaster was built in Great Yarmouth in 1932! Almost 100 years old... not sure I would feel happy about riding on it.
There never seems to be a 'quiet time' these days. I like the light trail, it was a happy accident! But there seemed to be a lot of cars around for the time of day :-/.
Wow, it's Friday already... have a great weekend!
Grey Plover, River Thames, East Tilbury, Essex UK.
The conditions were almost perfect, if a bit on the windy side so maybe 300mm handheld at 1/400s was risky, especially on a lens with no IS. Meanwhile Freddie, my “faithful companion”, was off somewhere sniffing something disgusting so I had just a few moments to capture this chap before I had to retrieve the little hooligan. But would he turn and look at me? Well of course he wouldn’t….
And 30 minutes later when I passed by again he was still there gazing across the river. Still, he (or indeed she) has lovely colouring.
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April 2022 review. I now have a lens with IS, only a 200mm but paired to a full frame camera the results have been far superior. Freddie however remains a hooligan and if we are to capture more birds successfully he’s going to find himself tied to a tree…
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August 2024 review. I still look back on this photo fondly, despite such limitations as I described above. I’m not sure if I have surpassed it often, if at all, in the intervening period despite some improved gear (and hopefully technique). There’s our lesson for the day.
This morning along Chalkwell Beach, Essex UK.
Come early. Bring a wide lens. Get home before the weekend crowds arrive. Sit in garden with a glass of vino.
I came to this location over two years ago but didn't find this particular spot until it was too late and the light had gone. This time I marched directly to it for sunrise and managed to nail it. What a gorgeous place.
You can just see a glimpse of part of the remains of the Ancient Roman wall at Roman Camp, Caistor St Edmund, Norfolk, UK..
17th Century Pub near Tilbury Docks and the modern day cruise terminal. I've never been in but it's highly thought of by long term residents.
Not to be confused with the more fashionable and celebrated "World's End" pub in London. They got the apostrophe...
Tilbury Riverside, Essex UK
Getting up the hill for the event of the season.
One Tree Hill, Corringham, Essex UK
SOOC shot, no crop
A young herring gull learns quickly how to get a free lunch when there’s people around eating chips. Shot with a 50mm prime you’ll note. That’s how confident they are…!
Broadstairs, Kent UK
Taken at Bempton a couple of weeks back - the RSPB site is heaving with people trying to catch a glimpse of the albatross. Ah me.
I've had an ambition to capture a half decent frosted Teasel shot for some time. Here's two in one morning...
www.flickr.com/photos/bigharv/54153215605/in/photostream/
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(Raw file into Affinity Photo for development but exposure SooC)