A reflection of Piwna street outside of the Great Armoury in Gdansk

Having played around with some oil on water my next venture was washing up liquid....how would this look under a macro lens? Needless to say it is interesting, and trying to capture the bigger air bubbles after shaking the bottle is not so easy....you have to be quick!

After a little nap Luka was happy enough to continue his inquisitive stare directly at me sat comfortable on his rock.

Processed with VSCO with dog2 preset

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset

A nice early morning shot of St Paul's from the corridor in One New Change.

A nice moment shared with 4 month old Pasha. Having already had a good opportunity to photograph his brother Mischa, Pasha was wondering what it was all about and lay in the shade staring straight at me for a number of minutes.

Processed with VSCO with b5 preset

Processed with VSCO with f2 preset

Lena the leopard cub staring precariously as if in deep contemplation

So having decided to get to grips with my macro lens the old school oil and water attempt was made....needless to say I need some more practise to master this!

Lottie the baby white rhino at Colchester Zoo. Casually running around and terrorising the other rhinos it was quite amusing to watch.

The 90m light tunnel connecting Kings Cross to St Pancras Square. Interesting to see first thing in the morning without hoards of tourists swamping the area.

Whilst on our long weekend we were very fortunate to be upgraded to a suite in our hotel. The view from the suite looked like this and was stunning.

After waiting for what felt like an age on a cold Sunday in Colchester zoo one of the red Panda Cub's finally turned to face me for a split second.

Whilst walking around in Gdansk, we opted to take a subway under the main road and found this musician horsing around :)

Thanks for your visit

Thanks for your visit

So having spent a morning out with the camera Taiga and her cubs, Mischa, Pasha and Tatana were all feeling very photogenic!

The Dlugi Targ Square at night on a cold evening in November

Luka casually on his rock, overlooking the visitors.

Processed with VSCO with hb1 preset

Another great day shooting with the Amur tiger cubs. Pasha as always feeling very photogenic and willing.

Processed with VSCO with f2 preset

The road between the camps in Birkenau, a harrowing and lasting image that cannot easily be forgotten.

Luka and Lena appeared after waiting in the chilly wind for around 40 minutes. Once in sight they quite casually plonked themselves on a log and sat in the sun watching on.

A look down Mariacka street through an Amber jewellery showcase.

The Lockheed Hudson general reconnaissance bomber first flew on 10 December 1938, and was the military version of the Lockheed 14 Super Electra which, in turn, was derived from the Lockheed 10 Electra. Later in 1938, the Hudson was ordered for the RAAF and the first aircraft, A16-1, was received at No 2 Aircraft Depot on 9 February 1940, and the last, A16-247, on 20 May 1942.

By August 1940, Hudsons of Nos 1 and 8 Squadrons had deployed to Malaya and these aircraft made the first RAAF retaliative missions against the Japanese on 8 December 1941. Hudsons continued to strike back during the following months of adversity and wreaked tremendous damage on enemy ships and landing forces. In the Pacific area, Hudsons served with Nos 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25, 32 and 38 Squadrons, while RAF-serialled Hudsons operated with No 459 RAAF Squadron in the Middle East. With the introduction of Beauforts, the Hudsons were gradually relegated to communication and training duties.

RAAF Hudsons included Mks I, II, III and IV. Mks I and II had different airscrews, and the Mk I carried a spinner. Mk IIIs were fitted with 1200 hp Wright Cyclones, and carried an additional ventral gun and two beam guns; Mk IVs were fitted with 1050 hp Pratt and Whitney Wasps. One all-silver Hudson, A16-142, was conspicuous during the war years, and another, A16-214, was used for airborne lifeboat experiments.

The Lockheed Hudson general reconnaissance bomber first flew on 10 December 1938, and was the military version of the Lockheed 14 Super Electra which, in turn, was derived from the Lockheed 10 Electra. Later in 1938, the Hudson was ordered for the RAAF and the first aircraft, A16-1, was received at No 2 Aircraft Depot on 9 February 1940, and the last, A16-247, on 20 May 1942.

By August 1940, Hudsons of Nos 1 and 8 Squadrons had deployed to Malaya and these aircraft made the first RAAF retaliative missions against the Japanese on 8 December 1941. Hudsons continued to strike back during the following months of adversity and wreaked tremendous damage on enemy ships and landing forces. In the Pacific area, Hudsons served with Nos 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25, 32 and 38 Squadrons, while RAF-serialled Hudsons operated with No 459 RAAF Squadron in the Middle East. With the introduction of Beauforts, the Hudsons were gradually relegated to communication and training duties.

RAAF Hudsons included Mks I, II, III and IV. Mks I and II had different airscrews, and the Mk I carried a spinner. Mk IIIs were fitted with 1200 hp Wright Cyclones, and carried an additional ventral gun and two beam guns; Mk IVs were fitted with 1050 hp Pratt and Whitney Wasps. One all-silver Hudson, A16-142, was conspicuous during the war years, and another, A16-214, was used for airborne lifeboat experiments.

A musician performing under the Golden Gate in Gdansk

The Shoes on the Danube monument is a harrowing reminder of the atrocities that once occurred on the banks of the Danube. Having visited in 2017 originally it was one of the sites that made the most impact in Budapest and one I knew I would return to. The second visit hit home just as much as the first and is one I will not forget.

The Amber Sky Ferris Wheel in Gdansk on a cold November evening through the viewpoint of my other half.

Some of my first attempts at macro photography

The largest global sailing competition

The Barcolana is a historic international sailing regatta held every year in the Gulf of Trieste on the second Sunday of October. Known for being one of the most attended regattas, from the 2018 edition, the Barcolana, with 2689 registered boats, is at the top in the ranking of the most crowded regattas in the world, a goal achieved and reached with commitment by the whole Sailing Company Barcola and Grignano. Currently the Barcolana is the largest regatta in the world. [3] The particular formula that distinguishes it makes it a unique event in the international sailing scene: on a single starting line in fact they find themselves competing alongside professional sailors and simple enthusiasts, on boats of various sizes that are divided into categories depending on the length all out.

La Barcolana è una storica regata velica internazionale che si tiene ogni anno nel Golfo di Trieste nella seconda domenica di ottobre. Nota per essere una delle regate con più alta partecipazione, dall’edizione 2018, la Barcolana, con 2689 imbarcazioni iscritte, si pone in vetta nella classifica delle regate più affollate al mondo, un traguardo ambito e raggiunto con impegno da tutta la Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano. Attualmente la Barcolana è la regata più grande del mondo.[3] La particolare formula che la contraddistingue la rende un evento unico nel panorama velico internazionale: su una singola linea di partenza infatti si ritrovano a gareggiare fianco a fianco velisti professionisti e semplici appassionati, su imbarcazioni di varie dimensioni che vengono suddivise in categorie a seconda della lunghezza fuori tutto.

Amur cub Luka managed to find some higher ground to hide from sister Lena with his piece of firehose...how long will that last!

The St Mary's Cathedral in the Old Market Square of Krakow from underneath one of the stone arches of the Cloth Hall.

HDR - Winter

A quick shot of the Gdansk carousel whilst walking along the embankment.