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Winter rays - (Published by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Sixty nine metres at 07:49am on Monday 8th February 2021, during the beauty of a frosty Golden hour around sunrise (Sunrise was at precisely 06:52am), off Woolwich Road A206 and New Road in the grounds of Lesnes Abbey Woods in the London Borough of Bexley, England.

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Nikon D850 Hand held with Tamron VR vibration reduction enabled on setting One. Focal length 160mm Shutter speed: 1/25s Aperture f/11.0 ISO1000 Image area FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L (8256 x 5504). NEF RAW L (14 bit uncompressed) Focus mode AF-C focus. AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. Auto ISO 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points.AF-Area mode single point & 73 point switchable. Exposure mode: Manual mode. Matrix metering. White balance on: Auto1 (4690K). Colour space: RGB. Vignette control: Normal. Picture control: Auto (Sharpening A +1/Clarity A+1)

Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 95mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter. Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.

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LATITUDE: N 51d 29m 1.38s

LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 6.60s

ALTITUDE: 66.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 95.0MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 55.90MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00

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Apocalyptica - (Published by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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Photograph taken on a summer evening at an altitude of Fifty nine metres at 17:19pm on Monday 24th August 2020 off Ashbourne Avenue and Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent, England.

An absolutely vast flock of gulls crossed the sky as biblical clouds sprawled their way Eastwards. These were a few of the tail end charlie's in the flock.

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Nikon D850. Hand held with Sigma OS Optical stabilization set to position 1. Focal length 160mm Shutter speed 1/400s. Aperture f/16.0 iso125 Image area FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L (8256 x 5504). NEF RAW L (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L (8256 x 5504 FX). Focus mode AF-C focus. AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. AF-S Priority selection: Focus. 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points.AF-Area mode single point & 73 point switchable. Exposure mode: Shutter priority. Matrix metering. Auto ISO sensitivity control on (Max ISO 800/ Minimum shutter speed 125). White balance on: Auto1. Colour space: RGB. Active D-lighting: Normal. Vignette control: Normal. Nikon Distortion control: Enabled. Picture control: Auto (Sharpening A +1/Clarity A+1)

Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3DG OS HSM SPORTS. Lee SW150 MKI filter holder with MK2 light shield and custom made velcro fitting for the Sigma lens. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.

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LATITUDE: N 51d 28m 28.09s

LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 10.36s

ALTITUDE: 59.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 91.4MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 52.60MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

Merodon equestris (Narcissus bulb fly) - (Published by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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©All photographs on this site are copyright: DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2020 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) ©

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Fifty eight metres at 12:10pm on Monday 3rd August 2020, of Merodon equestris (Narcissus bulb fly), also known as greater bulb fly, large bulb fly or large Narcissus fly, off Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.

An Holarctic species of the Hoverfly in the family Syrphidae, it is classed as a 'mimic', displaying a colouration pattern similar to a Bumblebee as a defence mechanism.

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Nikon D850 Hand held with Sigma OS Optical stabilization set to normal position. Focal length 600mm Shutter speed: 1/250s Aperture f/6.3 iso250 Image area FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L (8256 x 5504). NEF RAW L (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L (8256 x 5504 FX). Focus mode AF-C focus. AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. AF-S Priority selection: Focus. 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points.AF-Area mode single point & 73 point switchable. Exposure mode: Shutter Priority mode. Matrix metering. Auto ISO sensitivity control on (Max iso 800/ Miniumum shutter speed 125). White blance on: Auto1. Colour space: RGB. Actve D-lighting: Normal. Vignette control: Normal. Nikon Distortion control: Enabled. Picture control: Auto (Sharpening A +1/Clarity A+1

Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3DG OS HSM SPORTS. Lee SW150 MKI filter holder with MK2 light shield and custom made velcro fitting for the Sigma lens. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch.Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.

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LATITUDE: N 51d 28m 28.03s

LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 10.48s

ALTITUDE: 52.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 90.4MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 15.80MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

Dichotomy of life and death - (Published by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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©All photographs on this site are copyright: DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2020 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) ©

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Fifty seven metres at 08:32am on Thursday 30th April 2020 off Hurst Lane and New Road in the grounds of Abbey Wood in the London Borough of Bexley, England. Abbey wood joins to Lesnes abbey wood and Abbey wood open space as well as Bostall Heath and woods.

After weeks of self isolation due to the global pandemic that we know as COVID-19 Coronavirus, we are allowed to go out for exercise once per day and keep away from others. A walk in the local woodlands after the rain came today to taste the fresh air and get my limbs moving again.

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Nikon D850 Hand held with Nikkor VR Vibration Reduction enabled on normal setting. Focal length 29mm Shutter speed: 1/25s Aperture f/6.3 iso250 Image area FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L (8256 x 5504). NEF RAW L (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L (8256 x 5504 FX). Focus mode AF-C focus. AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. AF-S Priority selection: Focus. 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points.AF-Area mode single point & 73 point switchable. Exposure mode: Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto ISO sensitivity control on (Max iso 800/ Miniumum shutter speed 125). White blance on: Auto1. Colour space: RGB. Actve D-lighting: Normal. Vignette control: Normal. Nikon Distortion control: Enabled. Picture control: Auto (Sharpening A +1/Clarity A+1

Nikkor AF-S 16-35mm f/4.0G IF ED VR. Lee filters SW150 holder. Lee filters SW150 77mm screw in adapter ring. Lee filters Circular Polariser Glass filter. Lee filters SW150 filters field pouch. Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.

LATITUDE: N 51d 29m 6.39s

LONGITUDE: E 0d 7m 30.71s

ALTITUDE: 57.0m

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RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 94.0MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 46.00MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

Mother Carrion crow teaching her juvenile how to fly - (Published by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Fifty eight metres at 20:35pm on an beautiful summer evening as the light faded away on Monday 19th July 2021, off Hythe Avenue and Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.

Here we see an adult Female Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) teaching the last of her three juveniles to swoop, soar and fly. She stayed close to it at all times, on occasions touching it with her wingtips to guide it and reassure it that she was there, an absolutely amazing sight to witness. Beauty and elegance from these magnificent birds that it's been my privilege to get close to for the last few months.

I've played my part in the rearing of the three babies, putting out food and water, gaining mum and dad's confidence, and what joy they have given me watching their progression. A passerine bird of the family Corvidae and the genus Raven (Higher classification: Corvus), which is native to western Europe and eastern Asia. It can grow to twenty inches in length with a wingspan of up to thirty nine inches.

Unashamedly I will shout it from the rooftops.

I LOVE CARRION CROW.

There, I've said it. Words I use to describe these amazing birds would include stunning, beautiful, bold, magnificent, intelligent and fantastic, loving, tender, victimized...... oh yes, and sometimes they can be brutal (Let's face it, Mother nature often is).

Recently I had a resident pair of Carrion crows who decided that my garden was theirs, playing a game of cat and mouse with a pair of cheeky Magpies (Pica pica) for dominance and food rights. The male crow actually flew in and 'winged' the magpies to make them leave, an incredible sight to witness. It was an honour and a privilege to be able to win their trust and they have given me so much pleasure this year being able to get within a few feet of them, and their three youngsters, to photograph and feed them, and they have reinforced my already deep admiration for a bird that is brimming with beauty, intelligence, confidence and also surrounded by myths, legend and prejudice.

So let's begin with a look back over history.

LEGEND AND MYTHOLOGY

Crows appear in the Bible where Noah uses one to search for dry land and to check on the recession of the flood. Crows supposedly saved the prophet, Elijah, from famine and are an Inuit deity. Legend has it that England and its monarchy will end when there are no more crows in the Tower of London. And some believe that the crows went to the Tower attracted by the regular corpses following executions with written accounts of their presence at the executions of Anne Boleyn and Jane Gray.

In Welsh mythology, unfortunately Crows are seen as symbolic of evilness and black magic thanks to many references to witches transforming into crows or ravens and escaping. Indian legend tells of Kakabhusandi, a crow who sits on the branches of a wish-fulfilling tree called Kalpataru and a crow in Ramayana where Lord Rama blessed the crow with the power to foresee future events and communicate with the souls.

In Native American first nation legend the crow is sometimes considered to be something of a trickster, though they are also viewed positively by some tribes as messengers between this world and the next where they carry messages from the living to those deceased, and even carry healing medicines between both worlds. There is a belief that crows can foresee the future. The Klamath tribe in Oregon believe that when we die, we fly up to heaven as a crow. The Crow can also signify wisdom to some tribes who believe crows had the power to talk and were therefore considered to be one of the wisest of birds. Tribes with Crow Clans include the Chippewa (whose Crow Clan and its totem are called Aandeg), the Hopi (whose Crow Clan is called Angwusngyam or Ungwish-wungwa), the Menominee, the Caddo, the Tlingit, and the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico.

The crow features in the Nanissáanah (Ghost dance), popularized by Jerome Crow Dog, a Brulé Lakota sub-chief and warrior born at Horse Stealing Creek in Montana Territory in 1833, the crow symbolizing wisdom and the past, when the crow had became a guide and acted as a pathfinder during hunting. The Ghost dance movement was originally created in 1870 by Wodziwob, or Gray Hair, a prophet and medicine man of the Paiute tribe in an area that became known as Nevada. Ghost dancers wore crow and eagle feathers in their clothes and hair, and the fact that the Crow could talk placed it as one of the sages of the animal kingdom. The five day dances seeking trance,prophecy and exhortations would eventually play a major part in the pathway towards the white man's broken treaties, the infamous battle at Wounded knee and the surrender of Matȟó Wanáȟtaka (Kicking Bear), after officials began to fear the ghost dancers and rituals which seemed to occur prior to battle.

Historically the Vikings are the group who made so many references to the crow, and Ragnarr Loðbrók and his sons used this species in his banner as well as appearances in many flags and coats of arms. Also, it had some kind of association with Odin, one of their main deities. Norse legend tells us that Odin is accompanied by two crows. Hugin, who symbolizes thought, and Munin, who represents a memory. These two crows were sent out each dawn to fly the entire world, returning at breakfast where they informed the Lord of the Nordic gods of everything that went on in their kingdoms. Odin was also referred to as Rafnagud (raven-god). The raven appears in almost every skaldic poem describing warfare.Coins dating back to 940's minted by Olaf Cuaran depict the Viking war standard, the Raven and Viking war banners (Gonfalon) depicted the bird also.

In Scandinavian legends, crows are a representative of the Goddess of Death, known as Valkyrie (from old Norse 'Valkyrja'), one of the group of maidens who served the Norse deity Odin, visiting battlefields and sending him the souls of the slain worthy of a place in Valhalla. Odin ( also called Wodan, Woden, or Wotan), preferred that heroes be killed in battle and that the most valiant of souls be taken to Valhöll, the hall of slain warriors. It is the crow that provides the Valkyries with important information on who should go. In Hindu ceremonies that are associated to ancestors, the crow has an important place in Vedic rituals. They are seen as messengers of death in Indian culture too.

In Germanic legend, Crows are seen as psychonomes, meaning the act of guiding spirits to their final destination, and that the feathers of a crow could cure a victim who had been cursed. And yet, a lone black crow could symbolize impending death, whilst a group symbolizes a lucky omen! Vikings also saw good omens in the crow and would leave offerings of meat as a token.

The crow also has sacred and prophetic meaning within the Celtic civilization, where it stood for flesh ripped off due to combat and Morrighan, the warrior goddess, often appears in Celtic mythology as a raven or crow, or else is found to be in the company of the birds. Crow is sacred to Lugdnum, the Celtic god of creation who gave his name to the city of Lug

In Greek mythology according to Appolodorus, Apollo is supposedly responsible for the black feathers of the crow, turning them forever black from their pristine white original plumage as a punishment after they brought news that Κορωνις (Coronis) a princess of the Thessalian kingdom of Phlegyantis, Apollo's pregnant lover had left him to marry a mortal, Ischys. In one legend, Apollo burned the crows feathers and then burned Coronis to death, in another Coronis herself was turned into a black crow, and another that she was slain by the arrows of Αρτεμις (Artemis - twin to Apollo). Koronis was later set amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus ("the Crow"). Her name means "Curved One" from the Greek word korônis or "Crow" from the word korônê.A similar Muslim legend allegedly tells of Muhammad, founder of Islam and the last prophet sent by God to Earth, who's secret location was given away by a white crow to his seekers, as he hid in caves. The crow shouted 'Ghar Ghar' (Cave, cave) and thus as punishment, Muhammad turned the crow black and cursed it for eternity to utter only one phrase, 'Ghar, ghar). Native Indian legend where the once rainbow coloured crows became forever black after shedding their colourful plumage over the other animals of the world.

In China the Crow is represented in art as a three legged bird on a solar disk, being a creature that helps the sun in its journey. In Japan there are myths of Crow Tengu who were priests who became vain, and turned into this spirit to serve as messengers until they learn the lesson of humility as well as a great Crow who takes part in Shinto creation stories.

In animal spirit guides there are general perceptions of what sightings of numbers of crows actually mean:

1 Crow Meaning: To carry a message from your near one who died recently.

2 Crows Meaning: Two crows sitting near your home signifies some good news is on your way.

3 Crows Meaning: An upcoming wedding in your family.

4 Crows Meaning: Symbolizes wealth and prosperity.

5 Crows Meaning: Diseases or pain.

6 Crows Meaning: A theft in your house!

7 Crows Meaning: Denotes travel or moving from your house.

8 Crows Meaning: Sorrowful events

Crows are generally seen as the symbolism when alive for doom bringing, misfortune and bad omens, and yet a dead crow symbolises potentially bringing good news and positive change to those who see it. This wonderful bird certainly gets a mixed bag of contradictory mythology and legend over the centuries and in modern days is often seen as a bit of a nuisance, attacking and killing the babies of other birds such as Starlings, Pigeons and House Sparrows as well as plucking the eyes out of lambs in the field, being loud and noisy and violently attacking poor victims in a 'crow court'....

There is even a classic horror film called 'THE CROW' released in 1994 by Miramax Films, directed by Alex Proyas and starring Brandon Lee in his final film appearance as Eric Draven, who is revived by a Crow tapping on his gravestone a year after he and his fiancée are murdered in Detroit by a street gang. The crow becomes his guide as he sets out to avenge the murders. The only son of martial arts expert Bruce Lee, Brandon lee suffered fatal injuries on the set of the film when the crew failed to remove the primer from a cartridge that hit Lee in the abdomen with the same force as a normal bullet. Lee died that day, March 31st 1993 aged 28.

The symbolism of the Crow resurrecting the dead star and accompanying him on his quest for revenge was powerful, and in some part based on the history of the carrion crow itself and the original film grossed more than $94 Million dollars with three subsequent sequels following.

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK

So let's move away from legend, mythology and stories passed down from our parents and grandparents and look at these amazing birds in isolation.

Carrion crow are passerines in the family Corvidae a group of Oscine passerine birds including Crows, Ravens, Rooks, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Treepies, Choughs and Nutcrackers. Technically they are classed as Corvids, and the largest of passerine birds. Carrion crows are medium to large in size with rictal bristles and a single moult per year (most passerines moult twice). Carrion crow was one of the many species originally described by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (Carl Von Linne after his ennoblement) in his 1758 and 1759 editions of 'SYSTEMA NATURAE', and it still bears its original name of Corvus corone, derived from the Latin of Corvus, meaning Raven and the Greek κορώνη (korōnē), meaning crow.

Carrion crow are of the Animalia kingdom Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Genus: Corvus and Species: Corvus corone

Corvus corone can reach 45-47cm in length with a 93-104cm wingspan and weigh between 370-650g. They are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the United Kingdom with a Green UK conservation status which means they are of least concern with more than 1,000,000 territories. Breeding occurs in April with fledging of the chicks taking around twenty nine days following an incubation period of around twenty days with 3 to 4 eggs being the average norm. They are abundant in the UK apart from Northwest Scotland and Ireland where the Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) was considered the same species until 2002. They have a lifespan of around four years, whilst Crow species can live to the age of Twenty years old, and the oldest known American crow in the wild was almost Thirty years old. The oldest documented captive crow died at age Fifty nine. They are smaller and have a shorter lifespan than the Raven, which again is used as a symbol in history to live life to the full and not waste a moment!

They are often mistaken for the Rook (Corvus frugilegus), a similar bird, though in the UK, the Rook is actually technically smaller than the Carrion crow averaging 44-46cm in length, 81-99cm wingspan and weighing up to 340g. Rooks have white beaks compared to the black beaks of Carrion crow, a more steeply raked head to beak ratio and a longer, less curved beak than crows. There are documented cases in the UK of singular and grouped Rooks attacking and killing Carrion crows in their territory. Rooks nest in colonies unlike Carrion crows. Carrion crows have only a few natural enemies including powerful raptors such as the northern goshawk, the peregrine falcon, the Eurasian eagle-owl and the golden eagle which will all readily hunt them.

Regarded as one of the most intelligent birds, indeed creatures on the planet, studies suggest that Corvids cognitive abilities can rival that of primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas and even provide clues to understanding human intelligence. Crows have relatively large brains for their body size, compared to other animals. Their encephalization quotient (EQ) a ratio of brain to body size, adjusted for size because there isn’t a linear relationship is 4.1. That is remarkably close to chimps at 4.2 whilst humans are 8.1. Corvids also have a very high neuronal density, the number of neurons per gram of brain, factoring in the number of cortical neurons, neuron packing density, interneuronal distance and axonal conduction velocity shows that Corvids score high on this measure as well, with humans scoring the highest.

A corvid's pallium is packed with more neurons than a great ape's. Corvids have demonstrated the ability to use a combination of mental tools such as imagination, and anticipation of future events. They can craft tools from twigs and branches to hook grubs from deep recesses, they can solve puzzles and intricate methods of gaining access to food set by humans., and have even bent pieces of wire into hooks to obtain food. They have been proven to have a higher cognitive ability level than seven year old humans.

Communications wise, their repertoire of wraw-wraw's is not fully understood, but the intensity, rhythm, and duration of caws seems to form the basis of a possible language. They also remember the faces of humans who have hindered or hurt them and pass that information on to their offspring.

Aesop's fable of 'The Crow and the Pitcher, tells of a thirsty crow which drops stones into a water pitcher to raise the water level and enable it to take a drink. Scientists have conducted tests to see whether crows really are this intelligent. They placed floating treats in a deep tube and observed the crows indeed dropping dense objects carefully selected into the water until the treat floated within reach. They had the intelligence to pick up, weigh and discount objects that would float in the water, they also did not select ones that were too large for the container.

Pet crows develop a unique call for their owners, in effect actually naming them. They also know to sunbathe for a dose of vitamin D, regularly settling on wooden garden fences, opening their mouths and wings and raising their heads to the sun. In groups they warn of danger and communicate vocally. They store a cache of food for later if in abundance and are clever enough to move it if they feel it has been discovered. They leave markers for their cache. They have even learned to place walnuts and similar hard food items under car tyres at traffic lights as a means of cracking them!

Crows regularly gather around a dead fellow corvid, almost like a funeral, and it is thought they somehow learn from each death. They can even remember human faces for decades. Crows group together to attack larger predators and even steal their food, and they have different dialects in different areas, with the ability to mimic the dialect of the alpha males when they enter their territory!

They have a twenty year life span, the oldest on record reaching the age of Fifty nine. Crows can leave gifts for those who feed them such as buttons or bright shiny objects as a thank you, and they even kiss and make up after an argument, having mated for life.

In mythology they are associated with good and bad luck, being the bringers of omens and even witchcraft and are generally reviled for their attacks on baby birds and small mammals. They have an attack method of to stunning smaller birds before consuming them, tearing violently at smaller, less aggressive birds, which is simply down to the fact that they are so highly intelligent, and also the top of the food chain. Their diet includes over a thousand different items: Dead animals (as their name suggests), invertebrates, grain, as well as stealing eggs and chicks from other birds' nests, worms, insects, fruit, seeds, kitchen scraps. They are highly adaptable when food sources grow scarce. I absolutely love them, they are magnificent, bold, beautiful and incredibly interesting to watch and though at times it is hard to witness attacks made by them, I cannot help but adore them for so many other and more important reasons.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE PAIR IN MY GARDEN

Crows have been in the area for a while, but rarely had strayed into my garden, leaving the Magpies to own the territory. Things changed towards the end of May when a beautiful female Carrion crow appeared and began to take some of the food that I put down for the other birds. Within a few days she began to appear regularly, on occasions stocking up on food, whilst other times placing pieces in the birdbath to soften them. She would stand on the birdbath and eat and drink and come back over the course of the day to eat the softened food.

Shortly afterwardsds she brought along her mate, a tall and handsome fella, much larger than her who was also very vocal if he felt she was getting a little too close to me. By now I had moved from a seated position from the patio as an observer, to laying on a mat just five feet from the birdbath with my Nikon so that I could photograph the pair as they landed, scavenged and fed. She was now confident enough to let me be very close, and she even tolerated and recognized the clicking of the camera. At first I used silent mode to reduce the noise but this only allowed two shooting frame rates of single frame or continuous low frame which meant I was missing shots. I reverted back to normal continuous high frames and she soon got used to the whirring of the frames as the mirror slapped back and forth.

The big fella would bark orders at her from the safety of the fence or the rear of the garden, whilst she rarely made a sound. That was until one day when in the sweltering heat she kept opening her beak and sunning on the grass, panting slightly in the heat. I placed the circular water sprayer nearby and had it rotating so that the birdbath and grass was bathed in gentle water droplets and she soon came back, landed and seemed to really like the cooling effect on offer. She then climbed onto the birdbath and opened her wings slightly and made some gentle purring, cooing noises....

I swear she was expressing happiness, joy....

On another blisteringly hot day when the sprayer was on, she came down, walked towards it and opened her wings up running into the water spray. Not once, but many times.

A final observation came with the male and female on the rear garden fence. They sat together, locked beaks like a kiss and then the male took his time gently preening her head feathers and the back of her neck as she made tiny happy sounds. They stayed together like that for several minutes, showing a gentle, softer side to their nature and demonstrating the deep bond between them. Into July and the pair started to bring their three youngsters to my garden, the nippers learning to use the birdbath for bathing and dipping food, the parents attentive as ever.

I was privileged to be in close attendance as the last juvenile was brought down by the pair, taught to take food and then on a night in July, to soar and fly with it's mother in the evening sky as the light faded. She would swoop and twirl, and at regular intervals just touch the juvenile in flight with her wing tip feathers, as if to reassure it that she was close in attendance. What an amazing experience to view.

Corvus Corone.... magnificently misunderstood by some!

Paul Williams June 4th 2021

©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams). No image may be used as source material for paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other art form without permission and/or compensation to ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 39.468+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.

***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on July 20th 2021

CREATIVE RF gty.im/1329632253 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 5,110th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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Nikon D850 Focal length: 550mm Shutter speed: 1/1600s Aperture: f/7.1 iso640 Hand held with Tamron VC Vibration control set to ON (Position 1) 14 Bit uncompressed RAW NEF file size L (8256 x 5504 pixels) FX (36 x 24) Focus mode: AF-C AF-Area mode: 3D-tracking AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual exposure mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Auto1 (4990k) Colour space: RGB Picture control: Neutral (Sharpening +2)

Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 95mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.

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LATITUDE: N 51d 28m 28.11s

LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 10.63s

ALTITUDE: 58.00m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF FILE: 90.5MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 52.70MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

FALL BETWEEN PEAKS - (Selected by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

6

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***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on August 23rd 2015

CREATIVE RF gty.im/572739515 MOMENT OPEN COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 1,022nd frame to be selected for inclusion and sale in the Getty Images 'Moment' collection, and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Twenty seven metres at 13:25pm on Tuesday 19th May 2015 off the A87 between Sconser and Luib in the shadow of Marsco, and Loch Ainort, on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

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Nikon D800 70mm 1/1600s f/2.8 iso100 Hand held with Nikkor VRII Vibration Reduction on. RAW (14-bit) AF-S single point focus. manual exposure. Centre weighted metering. Auto white balance.

Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED IF VRII. Jessops 77mm UV filter. Nikon MB-D12 battery grip. Two Nikon EN-EL15 batteries. Digi-Chip Speed Pro 64GB Class 10 UHS-1 SDXC card. Nikon DK-17a magnifying eyepiece. Hoodman HGEC soft eyepiece cup. Lowepro Transporter camera strap. Lowepro Vertex 200 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS unit.

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LATITUDE: N 57d 15m 49.66s

LONGITUDE: W 6d 5m 28.31s

ALTITUDE: 27.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE SIZE: 103.00MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) SIZE: 24.93MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU processor. AMD Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 8.1. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon VIEWNX2 Version 2.10.3 64bit. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit

TAKING STRIDES IN THE UNDERGROWTH - (Selected by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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I was originally enrolled into the GETTY IMAGES collection as a contributor on April 9th 2012, and when links with FLICKR were terminated in March 2014, I was retained and fortunate enough to be signed up via a second contract, both of which have proved to be successful with sales of my photographs all over the world now handled exclusively by them.

On November 12th 2015 GETTY IMAGES unveiled plans for a new stills upload platform called ESP (Enterprise Submission Platform), to replace the existing 'Moment portal', and on November 13th I was invited to Beta test the new system prior to it being officially rolled out in December. (ESP went live on Tuesday December 15th 2015 and has smoothed out the upload process considerably).

With visits now in excess of 17.806 Million to my FLICKR site, used primarily these days as a fun platform to reach friends and family as I have now sold my professional gear and now take a more leisurely approach to my photographic exploits, I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to FLICKR, GETTY IMAGES and everyone who drops by.

***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on December 13th 2016

CREATIVE RF gty.im/624709596 MOMENT OPEN COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 2,354th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Sixty one metres at 09:01am on Sunday November 13th 2016 off Heron Hill and the A206 in the grounds of Abbey Wood open space in Bexleyheath, Kent, England.

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Nikon D7200 10mm 1/80s f/5.0 iso100 RAW (14 bit Lossless compressed Image size 6000 x 4000). Colour space sRGB. Handheld. AF-C focus 51 point with 3-D tracking. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto white balance. Auto Active D-lighting. Nikon Distortion control on. Vignette control on.

Nikkor AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED DX. Phot-R ultra slim 77mm UV filter. Nikon EN-EL battery. Hoodman H-EYEN22S soft rubber eyecup. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 32GB Class 10 SDHC. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module.

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LATITUDE: N 51d 29m 11.90s

LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 11.30s

ALTITUDE: 61.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 69.10MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 34.09MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D7200 Firmware versions A 1.10 C 2.015 (Lens distortion control version 2)

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU processor. AMD Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

Okanagan Lake (Penticton in British Columbia) - (Selected by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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©All photographs on this site are copyright: DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2019 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) ©

.

I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 34.643+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.

***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on October 21st 2019

CREATIVE RF gty.im/1181868872 MOMENT OPEN COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 3,990th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

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Photograph taken at 15:06pm on Monday 9th September 2019 off Lakeshore Drive East within the grounds of Okanagan Lake Park, looking over Okanagan Lake in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada.

The park is around 4.5 hectares and situated in Penticton City in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, with a population of around 33,760 (2019)

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Nikon D850. Focal length 24mm Shutter speed 1/500s Aperture f/4.0 iso64 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L (8256 x 5504 FX). Hand held with Nikon VR Vibration reduction set to normal. Focus mode AF-C focus 51 point with 3D- tracking. AF-Area mode single point & 73 point switchable. Exposure mode - Aperture priority exposure. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. Matrix metering. ISO Sensitivity: Auto. White balance: Natural light auto. Colour space Adobe RGB. Nikon Distortion control on. Picture control: Auto. High ISO NR on. Vignette control: normal. Active D-lighting Auto.

Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. Cokin GND4 resin filter . Nikon EN-EL15a battery.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod 3 Sections (Payload: 5.6kgs). Manfrotto 327RC2 Light Duty Grip Ball Magnesium Tripod Head (Payload: 5.5kgs). Manfrotto quick release plate 200PL-14. Jessops Tripod bag.Nikon MC-DC2 remote shutter release cable.

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RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 94.0MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 53.00MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.017 (20/3/18) LF 1.00

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.3.1 11/07/2019). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

Burning star over Kweq’ Smánit by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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©All photographs on this site are copyright: DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2020 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) ©

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Two metres, at 06:52am on Sunday 12th September 2011 around sunrise off 1st Street and Bevan Avenue, between the boat jetty and Bevan Avenue Fishing Pier in beautiful Sidney by the sea on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

In the distance we see Mt Baker in Washington State, USA . Known to the Lummi First nation people (Lhaq'temish) as Kwelshán, ('Shooting place' in Nooksack), to the Halkomelem as Kwelxá:lxw, to Lushootseed speakers along the Skagit River as Teqwúbe7 meaning “snow-capped peak'', to the Nooksack language as Kweq’ Smánit (“white mountain'') and also known as Koma Kulshan, (pronounced kō-ō’mah’ kool-shän’), the name for the Middle Fork which originates from the glaciers such as Deming and Thunder on the western slopes, she is an active glaciated andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States, standing 3,286 metres tall and was first ascended in 1868, her last eruption recorded in 1880.

The name Mount Baker first appeared in print in Captain Vancouver’s 1798 narrative of his voyage around Vancouver Island. Legend has it that his third-lieutenant, Joseph Baker, was the first to spot the mountain while they sailed into Dungeness Bay on April 30th, 1792.

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Nikon D700. Focal length 135mm Shutter speed: 1/125s Aperture f/16.0 iso200 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L (4256 x 2832 FX). Focus mode: Manual focus AF-Area mode: Single point. Exposure mode: Manual exposure. Matrix metering. ISO Sensitivity: Auto. White balance: Natural light auto. Colour space Adobe RGB. Nikon Distortion control on. Picture control: Auto. High ISO NR on. Vignette control: normal. Active D-lighting Auto.

Nikkor AF 75-300mm-300mm f/4.5-5.6D. Sandisc 16GB Class 4 SD card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod 3 Sections (Payload: 5.6kgs). Manfrotto 327RC2 Light Duty Grip Ball Magnesium Tripod Head (Payload: 5.5kgs). Manfrotto quick release plate 200PL-14. Jessops Tripod bag.Nikon MC-DC2 remote shutter release cable.

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LATITUDE: N 48d 38m 57.61s

LONGITUDE: W 123d 23m 34.30s

ALTITUDE: 8.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 34.50MB NEF: 23.7MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 12.60MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D700

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.3.1 11/07/2019). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

Ponte Vecchio (Old bridge) from Ponte Saint Trinita in Florence, Italy - (Selected by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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I was originally enrolled into the GETTY IMAGES collection as a contributor on April 9th 2012, and when links with FLICKR were terminated in March 2014, I was retained and fortunate enough to be signed up via a second contract, both of which have proved to be successful with sales of my photographs all over the world now handled exclusively by them.

On November 12th 2015 GETTY IMAGES unveiled plans for a new stills upload platform called ESP (Enterprise Submission Platform), to replace the existing 'Moment portal', and on November 13th I was invited to Beta test the new system prior to it being officially rolled out in December. ESP went live on Tuesday December 15th 2015 and has smoothed out the upload process considerably.

These days I take a far more leisurely approach to my photographic exploits, a Nikon D850 FX Pro body as my trusted companion, I travel light with less constraints and more emphasis on the pure capture of the beauty that I see, more akin to my original persuits and goals some five decades previously when starting out. I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 30.538+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.

***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on October 27th 2018

CREATIVE RF gty.im/1059149342 MOMENT OPEN COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 3,457th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Fifty six metres at 11:14am on Sunday April 16th 2017, from Ponte Saint Trinita (Holy Trinity Bridge built 1567-1569 by Bartolomeo Ammanati), the oldest elliptical arch bridge in the world, looking over the river Arno towards Ponte Vecchio (Old bridge), built originally around 996 and nowadays notable for still having many shops adorning the bridge, Florence, Italy.

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Nikon D7200 Focval length 18mm Shutter speed 1/125s Aperturef/14.0 iso100 RAW (14Bit)Size L (6000x4000), Hand held with Nikkor VR Vibration Reduction enabled. Auto focus AF-C with 3D-tracking enabled. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto white balance.Auto Active D-lighting.

Nikkor AF-S 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED. Phot-R 77mm UV filter.Nikon MB-D15 Battery grip pack. Nikon EN-EL battery (2). Hoodman H-EYEN22S soft rubber eyecup. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 32GB Class 10 SDHC. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module.

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LATITUDE: N 43d 46m 9.60s

LONGITUDE: E 11d 15m 2.10s

ALTITUDE: 56.00m

RAW (TIFF) FILE SIZE: 69.00MB NEF 27.2MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) SIZE: 16.80MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D7200 Firmware versions A 1.10 C 1.02 (9/3/17) L 2.015 (Lens distortion control version 2)

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB DATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.2.4 24/11/2016). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

Feral pigeon (Columba livia) - (Published by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

5

©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams). No image may be used as source material for paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other art form without permission and/or compensation to ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

.

I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 38.485+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.

***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on March 9th 2021

CREATIVE RF gty.im/1305935509 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 4,845th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Six metres at 08:44am on Sunday 7th March 2021 off the Mall and Horse Guards Road within the grounds of St James's Park in Central London, one of the Royal parks of London situated in South West London.

Here we see a Rock Dove or Feral pigeon (Columba livia), huddled and puffed up to keep warm on a cold, wet and windy morning in winter. They are a wild ancestor of domestic world pigeons. A common sight in UK gardens, and traditionally seen on London postcards of Piccadilly circus until the feeding of pigeons was banned, they can weigh up to 370g with a wingspan of 34cms. There are approximately 550,000 breeding pairs in the UK.

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Nikon D850 Focal length 380mm Shutter speed: 1/800s Aperture f/9.0 ISO800 Hand held with Tamron VR Vibration reduction enabled on setting 1. Image area FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L (8256 x 5504). (14 bit uncompressed file) Focus mode AF-C focus. AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled AF-Area mode: 3D-Tracking Exposure mode: Manual mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Auto1 (5270K). Colour space: RGB. Picture control: Neutral with sharpening +2

Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 95mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter. Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup. Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.

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LATITUDE: N 51d 30m 5.41s

LONGITUDE: W 0d 8m 12.94s

ALTITUDE: 6.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 92.9MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 45.70MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

The bay of golden light - (Published by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

4

©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams). No image may be used as source material for paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other art form without permission and/or compensation to ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

.

I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 38.693+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.

***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on January 7th 2021

CREATIVE RF gty.im/1294856441 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 4,915th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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Photograph taken at an altitude of One metres, at 19:11pm on Saturday 20th September 2019 around sunset off the 17a West Saanich Road, from the shoreline of Patricia Bay near beautiful Sidney by the sea on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Patricia Bay is a body of salt water that extends East from the Saanich Inlet and forms part of the North Saanich shoreline in British Columbia. The bay was named after Princess Patricia of Connaught, daughter of the Duke of Connaught who was Governor General in 1912.

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Nikon D850. Focal length 35mm Shutter speed 1/125s Aperture f/16.0 iso320 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L (8256 x 5504 FX). Focus mode AF-C focus 51 point with 3D- tracking. AF-Area mode single point & 73 point switchable. Exposure mode - Aperture priority exposure. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. Matrix metering. ISO Sensitivity: Auto. White balance: Natural light auto. Colour space Adobe RGB. Nikon Distortion control on. Picture control: Auto. High ISO NR on. Vignette control: normal. Active D-lighting Auto.

Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 77mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Lee SW150 0.9 (3 Stops) Reverse ND Graduated filter. Nikon EN-EL15a battery.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod 3 Sections (Payload: 5.6kgs). Manfrotto 327RC2 Light Duty Grip Ball Magnesium Tripod Head (Payload: 5.5kgs). Manfrotto quick release plate 200PL-14. Jessops Tripod bag.Nikon MC-DC2 remote shutter release cable.

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LATITUDE: N 48d 39m 46.21s

LONGITUDE: W 123d 27m 5.27s

ALTITUDE: 1.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 91.0MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 30.80MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.20 (14/01/2021) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 R3 Series graphics card (26/03/21). 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

Male Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus), sunning it's wings - (Published by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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©All photographs on this site are copyright: DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2020 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) ©

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I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 37.686+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.

***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on August 20th 2020

CREATIVE RF gty.im/1267131370 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 4,682nd frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Two metres at 12.50pm on Sunday 22nd September 2019 10km West of Victoria off Ocean Boulevard at the Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary at the southern end of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Established in 1931, the 134-hectare sanctuary features a salt water lagoon and supports a host of wading birds from October through May each year.

Here we see a Male Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus), named after ornithologist Thomas Mayo Brewer, and distinguished by it's iridescent purple head (unlike the Rusty Blackbird to which it is closely related). Males are up to 10.3 inches in length with black legs and bright yellow eyes and a green and blue colour to the body feathers. It is classd as an American bird, and a New World Blackbird.

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Nikon D850. Focal length 300mm Shutter speed: 1/125s Aperture f/16.0 iso640 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L (8256 x 5504 FX). Hand held with Nikon VR vibration reduction enabled. Focus mode AF-C focus 51 point with 3D- tracking. AF-Area mode single point & 73 point switchable. Exposure mode - Aperture priority exposure. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. Matrix metering. ISO Sensitivity: Auto. White balance: Natural light auto. Colour space Adobe RGB. Nikon Distortion control on. Picture control: Auto. High ISO NR on. Vignette control: normal. Active D-lighting Auto.

Nikkor AF-P 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150Con adapter for Lee 100 rings.Lee 100 67mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 Circular polariser glass filter. Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Nikon EN-EL15a battery.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod 3 Sections (Payload: 5.6kgs). Manfrotto 327RC2 Light Duty Grip Ball Magnesium Tripod Head (Payload: 5.5kgs). Manfrotto quick release plate 200PL-14. Jessops Tripod bag.Nikon MC-DC2 remote shutter release cable.

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LATITUDE: N 48d 25m 45.86s

LONGITUDE: W 123d 27m 29.37s

ALTITUDE: 2.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 93.5MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 54.10MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.017 (20/3/18) LF 1.00

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.3.1 11/07/2019). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

THREE OF A KIND - (Selected by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on July 1st 2015

CREATIVE RF gty.im/562744145 MOMENT OPEN COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 791st frame to be selected for inclusion and sale in the Getty Images 'Moment' collection, and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Seventy one metres at 09:23am on Tuesday 19th May 2015 off the A87 between Sconser and Luib, overlooking a body of water where Loch Sligachan, Loch Ainort and Loch Na Cairidh come together, on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

The Heilan Coo, (Scottish Gaelic: Bò Ghàidhealach), or Highland cattle is one of Britains oldest and most distinctive breeds. Also referred to as kyloe, they are a Scottish breed of cattle with long horns and long wavy coats which are coloured black, brindled, red, yellow or dun.

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Nikon D800 24mm 1/160s f/9.0 iso100 RAW (14-bit) Handheld. AF-S single point focus. Manual exposure. Centre weighted metering. Auto white balance.

Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED IF. Jessops 77mm UV filter. Nikon MB-D12 battery grip. Two Nikon EN-EL15 batteries. Digi-Chip Speed Pro 64GB Class 10 UHS-1 SDXC card. Nikon DK-17a magnifying eyepiece. Hoodman HGEC soft eyepiece cup. Optech Tripod Strap. Lowepro Transporter camera strap. Lowepro Vertex 200 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS unit.

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LATITUDE: N 57d 17m 33.55s

LONGITUDE: W 6d 5m 21.85s

ALTITUDE: 71.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 103.00MB

PROCESSED FILE: 26.79MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU processor. AMD Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 8.1. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon VIEWNX2 Version 2.10.3 64bit. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit

I TOOK A WALK, MY THOUGHTS AND I by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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This photograph was taken in the magic of The Golden Hour around Sunrise, (Sunrise was at precisely 07:39am), at an altitude of Sixteen metres, at 06:59am on Thursday January 28th 2016 off Botany Road and Marine Drive, on the sandy shoreline of Botany Bay in Broadstairs, Kent, England.

I set off at 05:00am on a clear morning, the moon and the stars out to dazzle in temperatures around five degrees, on a pleasant hour and half long journey to enjoy a lovely sunrise. The seven bays in Broadstairs consist of: (From south to north) Dumpton Gap, Louisa Bay, Viking Bay, Stone Bay, Joss Bay, Kingsgate Bay and Botany Bay.

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Nikon D800 23mm One 1/1.3s f/2.8 iso100 RAW (14Bit) Nikon back focus button enabled. AF-C Continuous point focus with 3-D tracking. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto white balance.

Nikkor AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED IF. Nikon MB-D12 battery grip. Two Nikon EN-EL batteries. Nikon DK-17M Magnifying Eyepiece. Nikon DK-19 soft rubber eyecup. Manfrotto MT057C3 057 Carbon Fiber Tripod 3 Sections (Payload 18kgs). Manfrotto MH057M0-RC4 057 Magnesium Ball Head with RC4 Quick Release (Payload 15kgs). Manfrotto quick release plate 410PL-14.Jessops Tripod bag. Optech Tripod Strap.Digi-Chip 64GB Class 10 UHS-1 SDXC. Lowepro Transporter camera strap. Lowepro Vertex 200 AW camera bag. Nikon MC-DC2 remote shutter release. Nikon GP-1 GPS unit.

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LATITUDE: N 51d 23m 19.80s

LONGITUDE: E 1d 26m 11.93s

ALTITUDE: 16.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE SIZE: 103.00MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) SIZE: 10.09MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D800 Firmware versions A 1.10 B 1.10 L 2.009 (Lens distortion control version 2)

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU processor. AMD Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX2 Version 2.10.3 64bit. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit

Blue sky threatening - (Published by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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©All photographs on this site are copyright: DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) ©

.

I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 39.938+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.

***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on January 20th 2021

CREATIVE RF gty.im/1297028523 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 5,197th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Thirty four metres at 11:22am on Monday January 18th 2021 off Hurst Lane and New Road in the grounds of Abbey Wood in the London Borough of Bexley, England. Abbey wood joins to Lesnes abbey wood and Abbey wood open space as well as Bostall Heath and woods.

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Nikon D850 Hand held. Focal length 14mm Shutter speed: 1/80s Aperture f/13.0 iso64 Image area FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L (8256 x 5504). NEF RAW L (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L (8256 x 5504 FX). Focus mode AF-C focus. AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. AF-S Priority selection: Focus. 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points.AF-Area mode single point & 73 point switchable. Exposure mode: Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto ISO sensitivity control on (Max iso 800/ Minimum shutter speed 125). White balance on: Auto1. Colour space: RGB. Active D-lighting: Normal. Vignette control: Normal. Nikon Distortion control: Enabled. Picture control: Auto (Sharpening A +1/Clarity A+1)

Nikkor AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED IF. Lee filters Nikon 14-24mm SW150 holder kit. Lee filters Circular Polariser Glass filter. Lee filters SW150 filters field pouch. Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Black Rapid Curve Breathe camera sling. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.

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LATITUDE: N 51d 29m 13.04s

LONGITUDE: E 0d 7m 51.56s

ALTITUDE: 34.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 94.3MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 53.60MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

A touch of Spring - (Published by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams). No image may be used as source material for paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other art form without permission and/or compensation to ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 44.094+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.

***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on Thursday 1st December 2022

CREATIVE RF gty.im/1434052691 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 5,738th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Nine metres at 11:08am on Wednesday 9th March 2022 at 81 Central Parade, in front of Waltrop Gardens, beside the current pier looking towards the remnants of one of the original piers at Herne Bay on the Thames Estuary, CT6 5JQ, England.

I left at 9am for the One hour journey down with the prospect of a cloudy day with scattered sunshine. At Herne Bay it was time for my usual stop at 'Makcari's Coffe Lounge & Ice Cream Parlour' for a slice of cherry and almond gateaux and a lovely latte coffee before a pleasant stroll on a mixed day.

This is all that remains of the third pier at Herne Bay, with just the steamer pasengers landing stage remaining after a storm January 11th 1978 which wrecked the 3,787ft (1,154m) wooden pier, designed by Wrighton & Co which originally opened in 1899.

Nikon D850 Hand held with Tamron VC Vibration Control enabled on Normal setting 1 Focal length: 150mm Shutter speed: 1/125s Aperture f/13.0 iso64 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L 8256 x 5504 Full Frame FX Focus mode: AF-C focus AF-Area mode: 3-D tracking Exposure mode: Manual exposure Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance: Auto 1, 0, 0 (5750K) Colour Space: Adobe RGB Active D-Lighting: Low Picture control: (NL) Neutral +2 sharpening

Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 95mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch.Nikon EN-EL15a battery. Black Rapid curve breathe sport shoulder strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Jessops Tripod bag.

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LATITUDE: N 51d 22m 20.01s

LONGITUDE: E 1d 7m 16.19s

ALTITUDE: 7.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF FILE SIZE: 91.20MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 38.20MB

PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.01 (16/01/2018) LD Distortion Data 2.017 (20/3/18)

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.2.11 15/03/2018). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

St Mary's Chapel in Godstone, Surrey - (Published by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams). No image may be used as source material for paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other art form without permission and/or compensation to ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 39.909+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.

***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on Saturday September 4th 2021

CREATIVE RF gty.im/1337646504 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 5,191st frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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Photograph taken at an altitude of One hundred and twenty two metres at 12:47pm on a miserable cloudy day on Wednesday 1st September 2021 off Church Lane in the village of Godstone. Godstone is a village in the civil parish of Surrey, England, covering an area of 6.973 square miles.

Here we see the top of St Mary's Chapel and St Mary's homes founded in 1872 and built in a romantic half timbered free Tudor style to a design of Sir George Gilbert Scott who, at that time, lived nearby and was also carrying out extensive works to the adjoining church of St Nicholas.

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Nikon D850 Hand held with Nikkor VR Vibration Reduction enabled on normal setting. Focal length 52mm Shutter speed: 1/200s Aperture f/13.0 iso200 Image area FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L (8256 x 5504). NEF RAW L (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L (8256 x 5504 FX) Focus mode: AF-C focus AF-C Priority Selection: Release Nikon Back button focusing enabled. AF-S Priority selection: Focus AF-Area mode: 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points.AF-Area mode single point & 73 point switchable Exposure mode: Manual exposure Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Auto1, 0 0 (5740K) Colour space: RGB Active D-lighting: Normal Picture control: (NL) Neutral (Sharpening A +2)

Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4.0G ED VR. Lee filters SW150 holder. Lee filters SW150 77mm screw in adapter ring. Lee filters Circular Polariser Glass filter. Lee filters SW150 filters field pouch. Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.

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LATITUDE: N 51d 14m 47.04s

LONGITUDE: E 0d 3m 24.56s

ALTITUDE: 122.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 93.8MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 41.20MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

Juvenile Corvus corone Vs the fish finger by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams). No image may be used as source material for paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other art form without permission and/or compensation to ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Seventy six metres at 09:38am on an beautiful summer morning on Friday 16th July 2021, off Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.

Here we see a juvenile Carrion crow (Corvus corone), the smallest of three reared by a resident pair, learning to forage for garden scraps. Here, with mum just out of view, the youngster gets to grip with a delicious fish finger, a favourite treat of his parents. The juveniles have a more pronounced blueish tinge to their plumage which darkens with maturity. A passerine bird of the family Corvidae and the genus Raven (Higher classification: Corvus), which is native to western Europe and eastern Asia. It can grow to twenty inches in length with a wingspan of up to thirty nine inches.