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Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Just when you thought it was safe to sit on a bench....
Project 52, Week 13 (27/3 - 2/4)
Durham Cathedral The knocker on the Cathedral’s northern door, known as the Sanctuary Knocker, played an important part in the Cathedral’s history. Those who ‘had committed a great offence,’ such as murder in self-defence or breaking out of prison, could rap the knocker, and would be given 37 days of sanctuary within which they could try to reconcile with their enemies or plan their escape. -
A first landscape foray for a while, investigating what the heather may be like across the New Forest heaths. It's mainly looking pretty scorched with no rain for weeks and record temperatures, so I'm not sure what the colours will be like this year. I was blessed with unexpected beautiful conditions however, and had the place to myself which is always a bonus......just lovely to witness if nothing else. Despite it being a very man-influenced landscape I'm always amazed at the wild feeling it can still produce stood there at dawn in the mist!
(A repost in portrait, previously known as 'Basil')
Urban fox dining out on leftover take away. Not the best ever wildlife shot but my first so I'm proud of it! I'd been inspired by a piece in Amateur Photographer magazine by Richard Peters about wide angle urban wildlife photography so I gave it a try. I was using the wifi function on my Nikon D750 to monitor the scene live via my iPad in order to spot when Basil turned up and then trigger the camera. Six hours later at about 3-30 am, two hours before I was due to be up for work I had this shot. There was a better opportunity earlier when he came and looked into the lens which got me really excited but it transpired that I hadn't set the flash correctly. D'oh! Live and learn.
Lit with one Nikon SB700 wedged in the deck above to camera left, no modifier. Gelled with a half cto to balance with the warm ambient streetlight
ITLS (It's the light, stupid!).
And what else do we need to know? On another day I might have been pondering manual settings or lens choices on my DSLR and missed the moment. When really sometimes all you have to do is turn up and look. Come down early mind, bring a friend...
(SOOC at 16:9, HEIC file from iPhone 11 to JPEG in Flickr.)
08:00am Gravel Hill, Thurrock, Essex UK
Very happy to say I got a commended in the Trees Category of International Garden Photographer of the Year
Getting my fix. Still Life fix that is...
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Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens. Single shot, raw file into Affinity Photo for a tidy up. 2 Canon EL-100 Speedlites, main light at 1/16 power to camera right. 7:5 crop.
From the Richard Harvey Studio One.
....that I can't quite put my finger on. Topographically, historically or culturally two neighbouring counties in the east of England can't be that different. Except when you travel through you notice the difference. They seem to have kept more of this. And I think this is why I like it so much.
The ruins of The ‘Church of the Blessed Peter at Duffus’ which is first mentioned in a charter from 1190 The church was probably built by Freskin de Moray, who also constructed the mighty Duffus Castle nearby.
The church was badly damaged in the early 1300s during the Wars of Independence. It is situated in an situated in an idyllic location among mature trees. A rare medieval ‘mercat’ cross survives among the grave stones.
Getting back to my photographic muse - the abandoned oil refinery site on Canvey Island, Essex UK.
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Here's a trick I haven't done in a while. Whilst outdoors set your White Balance to Tungsten. You'll get this instant blue filter !
Spent a few Days in Porto, the start of which was pure rain. For the first time I only took Micro 4/3 cameras, which were nice and light and easy to handle.
Wooden foot bridge leading to 12th century St Andrew and St Mary's church in the village of Stoke Rochford at sunset.
From the Richard Harvey Studio One
(6 image focus stack, 2s delayed shutter, room light, little tweaks to shadow & contrast in Affinity Photo.)
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November 30, 2022. I have selected this image as my entry for Flickr’s Your Best Shot 2022. In September this was a new venture for me into macro shots which I am enjoying very much, in large part due to the excellent macro photographers here on Flickr from whom I continue to learn. This shot, set up in my home “studio” was enhanced with the focus stacking technique. Coming after a few previous experimental shots in this genre I was very proud of the outcome here. This picture subsequently featured in Flickr’s “Green” Explore Takeover in October. But the real stars of the show are the little group of acorns I had brought home that afternoon. I hope you all enjoy seeing them and my best wishes to everyone for 2023!
An as yet unidentified bracket fungus on a fallen tree. Not that I'm too worried about precise ID. It's here, I saw it, I enjoyed seeing it. Case closed. 😎
Gravel Hill Wood, Langdon Hills, Essex, England
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My preference of two shots today, and I had first seen this a few days ago. I had put the flash in my pocket this morning (for some fill) but then decided to leave it at home. There's plenty of time for all that malarkey!
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.
Thursday 15:23. Suspect vehicle approaches. Instructions are to take a photo, then remain in position until the armed unit arrives.
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The fantasies arising during an extended wait outside school.
Duncraig Castle, Plockton, Lochalsh.
The Castle was built in 1866 for Alexander Matheson, a Scottish businessman and Member of Parliament. Used as a Naval Hospital during WW11, was then converted for use as a Home Economics College for girls until 1989. Duncraig Castle is now closed and in need of extensive renovations.
This image appears in 'Scottish Highlands Calendar 2021' - 'Highland Wonders', which can be purchased from 'Highland Hospice' - highlandhospice.org/shop/products/christmas/calendars-dia...
Some lovely conditions to play with on Monday morning.... and an accidental but welcome bit of lens flare.
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Art lovers and tourists from all over the world flock to this place, made famous of course by John Constable and his "Hay Wain" piece.
Lucky me. I used to live just a few miles down the road and frequently walked up here from the nearby village of Dedham, just across the river in Essex. But that seemed a lifetime ago, until yesterday when we "showed some friends around the old place..."
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A better take? Who knows. Recreating "that" 1821 painting exactly is nigh impossible now, but the cottage is real and it's a beautiful spot regardless.
Flatford, Suffolk, England
Commemorative mural depicting the damaged B-17 that crashed into the Thames off Canvey Point in 1944, narrowly avoiding a residential area. Full story in the link. I salute you gentlemen.
Canvey Island, Essex UK
www.canveyisland.org/history-2/wartime-canvey/wwii/stan-p...