View allAll Photos Tagged managed
So, I managed to get back to Westminster Cathedral at a slightly better time of day with regard to the light, just around golden hour, and that afternoon sun is lightly kissing the sides of Westminster Cathedral here.
I'm really happy that I did return, as this is exactly the kind of shot I've hoped to get before but either due to weather, too many people or not having the right lens I was unable to capture.
Fitting the whole cathedral in with some of the adjacent buildings for context from this close up is again only possible thanks to the properties of the 17mm tilt shift lens. This was a 2 image vertical panorama shot handheld and then stitched in Lightroom.
Rather than moving the camera I twiddled the 'shift' knob on the lens in order to get the two vertically overlapped frames for the panorama. These always stitch much more easily and successfully than ones where you've had to swing the whole camera body up and down.
This is a rare instance of a situation where the image I had pre-visualised in my mind was pretty much what I was able to capture when I got there ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oostvaardersplassen
The Oostvaardersplassen (Dutch pronunciation: [oːstˈfaːrdərsˌplɑsə(n)]) is a nature reserve in the Netherlands, which is managed by the State Forestry Service. Covering about 56 square kilometres (22 sq mi), it is noted as an example of rewilding.[1] It is in a polder which was created in 1968, but in spite of the environment having little time to develop, by 1989 it had international importance as a Ramsar wetland.[2]
Geography
The Oostvaardersplassen are located in the municipality of Lelystad, between the towns of Lelystad and Almere, in the province of Flevoland in the Netherlands. The area of 56 square kilometres (22 sq mi) is situated on the shore of the Markermeer in the center of the Flevopolder. The Oostvaardersplassen can be divided into a wet area in the northwest and a dry area in the southeast.
Wet and dry areas
In the wet area along the Markermeer, there are large reedbeds on clay, where moulting geese often feed. This area is also home to great cormorant, common spoonbill, great egret, white-tailed eagle and Eurasian bittern, among many other animals. Oostvaardersplassen is a Special Protection Area for birdlife.[3]
Before the establishment of the reserve, the dry area was a nursery for willow trees, and in the first year hundreds of seedlings could be found on each square metre. This led to concern that a dense woodland would develop, significantly reducing the value of the habitat for water birds. To avoid this, the park's managers brought in a number of large herbivores to keep the area more open, including Konik ponies, red deer and Heck cattle. These large grazing animals are kept out in the open all year round without supplemental feeding, and are allowed to behave as wild animals (without, for example, castrating males). The ecosystem developing under their influence is thought to resemble those that would have existed on European river banks and deltas before human disturbance. However, there is some controversy about how natural the ecosystem is, as it lacks top predators.[1]
Large herbivores
Heck cattle
Before they were driven to extinction, large herbivores in this part of Europe included the tarpan (wild horse), wisent (European bison), red deer (elk or wapiti in North America) and aurochs (wild cattle). The tarpan and aurochs are extinct, but Konik ponies and Heck cattle are able to act as functional equivalents, occupying a similar ecological niche. The only native large herbivores now missing from Oostvaardersplassen are the elk (moose in North America), the wild boar and the wisent.[citation needed] There is a chance that the wild boar will find its way naturally from the Veluwe.
Head count2010 [4]2011 [5]
Red deer 2,200–2,800 3,300
Konik ponies 1,090 1,150
Heck cattle 320 350
Roe deer 30–40 n/a
Natural processes
Given that the Oostvaardersplassen is below sea level, many of its primary processes have been regulated. As the wetlands have been so spectacular, a dyke was made around it to prevent the process of groundwater-related subsidence. While this had temporary advantages, it created a water body with no open connections to the rest of the polder and the negative effects are only now being understood.[further explanation needed]
The cattle, deer and horses have multiplied in the Oostvaardersplassen. However, there is a limit to the number of animals the area can sustain. In the absence of natural predators the rangers shoot animals that are unlikely to survive. It is quite common for 30 to 60 per cent of the population to die in this way. After a die off, the vegetation has a chance to recover and this will get the first natural afforestation of the area under way.
The large herbivore die-offs are also closely related to the confined nature of the reserve and the flat nature of the reclaimed land, with very little shelter. It is fenced, and thus the large herbivores are unable to migrate away from the over grazed areas in Winter to find either shelter or forage.[6] All the large herbivores have an annual cycle of nutrition. Typically in winter and early spring their metabolism slows down. This is also the period in which they are designed to lose condition (body fat). This is where the ability to seek shelter as they would in a natural environment becomes crucial. Effectively the reserve is too small and impoverished to accommodate the natural processes of large herbivores, as for example in the Serengeti where large herbivores migrate over large distances.
During a particularly harsh winter in 2005, many animals in the Oostvaardersplassen died of starvation, leading to public outcry against alleged animal cruelty.
Future development
In many ways the Oostvaardersplassen is an isolated area; it is in a polder and there are currently no corridors connecting it to other nature reserves. The "Ecological Main Structure" plan proposes connections between nature reserves in the Netherlands, calls for a corridor to be created toward nearby Horsterwold (nl). The resulting network, called Oostvaardersland, would be part of Natura 2000, the European-wide network of habitats to which Oostvaardersplassen belongs.[8] The creation of Oostvaardersland will allow seasonal small scale migration and take some strain off the big grazers in winter. In the summer, Oostvaardersplassen will offer rich grazing and the sea winds will keep biting insects at bay, in the winter, the Horsterwold will offer protection from cold winds and supply browse. Oostvaardersland will comprise a total area of 150 square kilometres (58 sq mi). Furthermore, there is an option for a connection to the Veluwe forest. Eventually this could allow wild animals to move to and from Germany.[9]
Oostvaardersland was expected to be finished by 2014. However, the project ran into financial and political troubles. In 2012 the creation of Oostvaarderswold (nl), the 7 × 1 mi connecting corridor between Oostvaardersplassen and the Horsterwold, was stopped, and four members of the regional parliament resigned.[10] The government then planned to sell back the property to the previous owners for less money than it originally paid for the property; according to European nature laws it would then have to turn other lands into wilderness areas to compensate for the loss of the Oostvaarderswold nature area.[11] The reasons for this plan of action, which would cost a lot of public money and make the future creation of Oostvaardersland impossible, are unclear.
The advocates of natural processes are also planning for the wet part of the Oostvaardersplassen to be drained.[clarification needed] It is expected that the natural subsidence will lower the ground level and that this will result in a more natural and dynamic system.
Managing to get a few photos between the rain storms of the coastline and sea stacks at Risin og Kellingin (Eysturoy).
A lot of locals turned up for this train. It would appear to be an Austrian flow operated by GySEV. We don't often manage to catch a class 182 along this section of track, so worthwhile
After managing to capture a short focus stack of three photos of this harp ground beetle known as Amara aulica (I've seen it mentioned as princely harp ground beetle) I was pretty stoked and proceeded to process the RAW files into a finished stack.
But then ,looking closer at the way the eyes look and the thin white strands on the legs, I became suspicious and began wondering if I had shot a dead beetle.
And returning to the same place the next morning, I found it there on the same leaf, quite clearly dead.
Regardless of this, I am still quite pleased with how the photo turned out, even if there was zero risk of it running away.
While most people sleep, a few photographers manage to capture what I believe is the best shot of the day. Camping out an hour before sunrise waiting patiently at - 28 degrees I got what I feel was the best shot of two weekends.
Managed today a headshot of this increadible skulky bird.
D700 200-400VR @400mm F7,1 1/100sec iso 1250, full frame
Managed to do a little bit of light painting during a thunderstorm this past summer.
Near Edenwold, Saskatchewan
July 2016
Managed to capture this photo from my car. The guy looking down at his phone he probably haven´t taken notice to the knights chasing him, or perhaps Pokemon Go is more fun.
I managed to take a short break from work, whilst in London and grab a few shots of Tower Bridge.
Still can;t get over how busy it is. It does;t matter what time of the day or night it is, you can't grab just one vehicles lights going through the bridge ha!
I managed three visits to the Mjällådalen nature reserve during our July 2023 trip to my mother-in-law in Härnösand, Sweden (plus a fourth one in August).
This is from the third, and as on the previous two, my son joined me and proved an invaluable photography assistant and beetle herder.
My favourite find on this visit - and possibly of the entire trip - was this red morph of the green-socks peacock beetle (Elaphrus riparius). That's right, this is the very same species as this one: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53022438739/in/album-721...
This is the smallest peacock beetle in Sweden at 5-7 mm (.24") and quite variable in colour although this hue has to be considered quite extreme.
As before, Daniel turned out to be invaluable and we came up with a process where he put his hands down on the sand with his thumbs and index fingers formed in a diamond shape around the beetle so it couldn't run away and I then stuck the camera down close over it and took a shot whenever it took a little break in running around like it was on crack.
Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53047957138/
Also, I've made an album with just the shots of peacock beetles - 14 photos as of posting this: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/albums/72177720309780234
Managed to get out this afternoon for a few more Marsh Harrier shots. Nice to see them quite active. Male was in flight & distant so only records
I only managed to get out once for photography in December 2021 and that was on the 14th, two days after a Great Northern Diver had been reported at Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire.
It was an overcast day with low light.
I located the Diver very quickly and spent the first 45 minutes observing it on my own. This Great Northern Diver is a star bird for Farmoor.
The Common Loon or Great Northern Diver is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds.
This Great Northern Diver was reported as a Juvenile.
Managed to get a few more shots of the new North Rider brand today, introduced the previous day by East Yorkshire. All the routes have many picturesque hamlets, villages and vast amounts of countryside just wanting to be photographed! I urge anyone to do it. Big thanks to Scott Poole too for helping with some locations!
A wee fun photo taken at the end of Megalomatic's "Symbolism" EP Launch tour.
Listen to/buy the EP here:
megalomatic.bandcamp.com/album/symbolism
A photo taken in early October 2010 of me dressed up as a woman. If I’m honest, I was thrilled to be wearing a skirt, make-up on my face, high heel shoes and a wig and trying to project a vibe of being female. Not the usual activity for most men!
Why do I like dressing up as a woman despite being a man? Well, I just tell myself it’s because I’m a transvestite! I feel the desire to dress in women’s clothes and wear make-up and try and actually look like a female is something that is programmed within us as other wise why would we put up with the risks and the fears many of us experience with our transvestism?
In my case I feel compelled, a deep need to cross-dress as a woman and emotionally, despite the negative aspects, the concerns and the secrecy I feel real elation and joy when I do dress up as a woman. I feel a part of me needs to free this desire and express it. This is why I am a man that likes to become a woman, it’s fundamental to who I am. The bottom line is I like pretending I’m female. I say pretend because I can never be a woman. I can try to look and act like one but I will never know the reality of being a woman. I’m a superficial parody despite a part of me wishing I was female. It all comes down to I am a man dressing up and engaging in gender illusion and not too successfully when it comes to it!
I have a lot of fun and excitement cross-dressing and I do find it rather erotic in nature yet I also feel a comfort on a deep level when I try to pass myself off as a woman, it kind of feels good and close to me emotionally, it releases something I feel I missed being. It’s a taste but not the real thing.
Cross-dressing lets me experience just about everything from amazing to very worrying and challenges me as a person to confront myself and admit who I am. Who I am is a man that is happy as a man with a caveat, I’m happy as a man most of the time but a very definite part of me wishes to spend part of my time as a woman. I want both not one exclusively. I need to be both genders and this also concerns me. Why is not so straightforward, why am I having these desires and motivations? I have no idea! none! All I know is the exist within me and it has taken me literally decades to come to terms with them.
Dressing up as a woman could destroy my life, I could lose everything if I were too reckless with it all so why don’t I just stop and ensure there is no jeopardy? The answer for me is because I cannot, I have to set free the transvestite aspect of myself now an again to be a complete person, to be true to myself.
I find that if I can manage the desire I can minimise the risks and potential upsets band still achieve that sense of fulfilment and ease the need I have to engage in my transvestism. For me the way to cope is to maintain perspective on reality and acknowledge the true priorities in my life are my responsibilities to those that I committed to, my wife and family and not put them in a position of peril just because I love to wear a dress and make-up and pretend I’m a woman.
I am a fortunate man in that though I rarely get an opportunity to cross-dress as a woman, my family are aware I have a need to do so and tolerate it albeit there is no involvement. For me it is a very private experience becoming my female alter-ego Helene, she is able to emerge on rare occasions but only when I am alone and unlikely to be disturbed by anyone.
Managed to get a shot of four goldfinches at the feeder. There are actually two more young ones - but they're waiting in the trees.
Just managed to capture this Green Fritillary before it flew off near Birling Gap, East Sussex - July 2015.
Managed to do that a little last weekend for a short while, Sadly this weekend is looking a little unsettled.
So wet and chilly tomorrow means a day indoors doing a little decorating and then maybe Sunday will brighten up a little so as i can get a sun dress on again.
I got one of these multi way dresses today from a charity shop, glad i never spent good money on one. OK they aren't bad but they aren't good either.
Maybe over the weekend i will take a few photos of me wearing it a number of different ways, Think it would work better with proper boobs
Managed to get 3 child free nights with the missus, and we spent them in the gorgeous Taormina, Sicily. It was the perfect weekend, with this view on the walk down from the hotel into Corsa Umberto.
Also pleased to say that we came back engaged!
Managed to get two images of this unknown new 21 plate bus. Trucks going the other way blocked the view on my other shots, so pleased I got something.
Managed to finish a meeting early. Got out for 40 minutes to Yattalunga. Great location andsome great light. I like these shots but sunset was so amazing that I feel like they don't do it justice. It was that good!
Managed to make a makeshift tripod with a few books and a shaky table tripod from Kathmandu (designed for compact cameras). The flash was fired from the left of the image and was both bounced from the ceiling, and omnibounced for the fill-in. One hand on the shutter, the other releasing the raspberry.
Managed to catch the movie last night finally :D After seeing the movie i realized how terribly out of shaped my previous version of Obsidian Fury was. Also a big thanks to those who gave me feedback on the head. Did some changes and reverted back to my original draft of it ^^
Build Video on youtube youtu.be/fkUWLzD9wfE
Managed to grab a couple of hours to investigate Hastings with the cameras this weekend. More to come…
I managed to get out for a walk in my local woodland this morning capturing pictures of the local flora and fauna in the frost. www.ChrisDraperPhotography.com shared with pixbuf.com
Managed to capture both male and female Sparrowhawks at Millers wood today, really pleased it was me photographing them for a change.
you can read more on my Website/Blog at: www.johnstantonphotography.co.uk/sparrowhawk-on-patrol/
Well I have managed to photograph winter Long-tailed Ducks in flight before: www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/51984788075/in/photolist but this was my first half-decent shot in breeding plumage. This one was flying over a half-frozen tundra breeding pool on the island of Lagoya in Svalbard. I liked that you can tell it was taken in the Arctic. About a 1000 pairs breed in Svalbard, and many of them winter at sea off the west coast of Svalbard where waters are warmed by the Gulf Stream. The scientific name Clangula comes from the call as clangere is the Latin verb to resound. Hyemalis means of the winter as they are mainly a winter visitor to Europe, including southern Sweden where Linnaeus who named them lived. This is a male with his long tail highly visible.
Managed to enjoy a sunrise and this amazing mist in the Peak District National Park.
Video containing this image here:
I'm running a photography workshop in partnership with Dave Peck Photography in February 2024.
Places are limited.
Details here:
Owned and managed by Canal & River Trust charity since 2012
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Pancras_Basin
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent%27s_Canal
canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/regents-canal
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_%26_River_Trust
----
Somers Town Bridge, Moxon Architects, 2017
moxonarchitects.com/projects/545-somers-town-bridge
----
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Borough_of_Camden
----
Olympus OM-D E-M5 + Olympus M.14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympus_OM-D_E-M5
www.dpreview.com/products/olympus/lenses/olympus_m_14-42_...
www.mountaintripper.com/olympus-mzuiko-14-42mm-f35-56-iir...
P4220322 Anx2 Q90 1400h f10 f25
Managed to correct the height error, still need to replace the reddish brown 1x2 technic bricks with tan ones but still have to order those, I keep forgetting. Almost out of tan 2x2’s too and other parts are in tan that I’m starting to get low on stock
Managed to find where the small flock of Bee-eaters that were flying over the villa was going to feed of an evening.
We managed to see (literally) hundreds of eagles today from all age groups looking to score some food. When there are so many around it is not uncommon for family members to stick together and battle through as a team as the parents teach the young how to fight and defend territory.
Most of these are transient eagles that will be gone by March and only the nesting locals will remain. I was just happy to be able to keep a low ISO and a fast shutter speed today and hang out with some really cool people, some I have not seen for a while so thanks for the time!
******All photos copyright Tony Joyce and CANNOT be used on ANY blogs or websites (inc. Reddit) without my written permission.******
January 9th, 2015 - Risso's Dolphin Slaughter
The Cove runs red with the blood of the innocent for the second consecutive day in Taiji. Cove Guardians documented as the heartbreaking events unfolded before them.
At Approximately 9:25am local Japan time the killing fleet spotted a pod of Risso's dolphins and wasted no time in falling into a drive formation that pushed the family to their ultimate demise. Just off shore part of the killing boats tore away from the main drive to pursue what appeared to be a second pod. It seemed that the killers were merging the two pods together and that the second pod was thankfully able to evade the killers before they were merged into one pod.
After the dolphins were forced against their will into the the main cove they desperately clung close together in terror. Two of the Risso's got themselves entangled in the nets in an attempt to escape but the killers were relentless and forced them back into the killing cove. At one point one of the dolphins actually managed to escape only to fight it's way back through the nets, unwilling to leave it's loved ones behind.
There were four juveniles that had to witness their family slaughtered today before being heartlessly dumped out at sea to fend for themselves. There is very little chance the babies will survive after having to endure so much stress and terror, now swimming alone in the waters just offshore where their families were last seen alive.
11 lives were lost today but they were not alone and we will always be here to expose the atrocities to the world until the slaughter ends – at Taiji, Japan.
Sites for more information :
Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians Page (official)
www.facebook.com/SeaShepherdCoveGuardiansOfficialPage
Cove Guardians
www.seashepherd.org/cove-guardians
Photo: Sea Shepherd