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A bit of minimalism today, this is the harbour wall at Sennen Cove taken with a 50 second exposure to give a smooth effect on the water which concentrates the shape of the wall.
With Storm Freya passing through Cornwall on Sunday I took a quick trip down to Portwrinkle as the waves crashing over the old harbour wall are always fun to shoot… unfortunately there was so much spray flying in the air that nearly every shot had some form of glare in it, but I did try some other shots from near the larger wall which was a bit more sheltered. Nice to bump into Jonathan from Liminal Light there, I wasn’t the only one mad enough to be out taking shots!
A nice group of Grévy's zebras in the early morning light.
Grévy's zebra is the largest living wild equid and the most threatened of the species. It is found in parts of Kenya and Ethiopia. Grévy's zebras' physical features can help to identify it from the other zebra species; their overall appearance is slightly closer to that of a mule, compared to the more "equine" (horse) appearance of the plains and mountain zebras. Compared to other zebra species, Grévy's are the tallest; they have mule-like, larger ears, and have the tightest stripes of all zebras. They have distinctively erect manes, and more slender snouts.
The Grévy's zebra live in semi-arid savanna, where they feed on grasses, legumes, and browse, such as acacia; they can survive up to five days without water. They differ from the other zebra species in that they do not live in a harem, and they maintain few long-lasting social bonds. Stallion territoriality and mother–foal relationships form the basis of the social system of the Grévy's zebra. In its native home this zebra is listed by the IUCN as endangered. Its population has declined from 15,000 to 2,000 since the 1970s. In 2016, the population was reported to be "stable"; however, as of 2020, the wild numbers are still estimated at only around 2,250 animals.
Olympus EM-1ii, 300mm F5.6, 1/1000 ISO 2500
#Grevy #grevyszebra #endangeredspecies #nature #wildlife #Samburuspecialfive #Equusgrevyi #imperialzebra
#LaikipiaWilderness
#Laikipia #Kenya #Africa #Safari #magicalkenya #lovelaikipia
#wanderlustmagazine #travelphotography #naturephotography #africanimals #safariphotography #adventure #BlackandWhite #BNW
#microfourthirds #microfournerds #omsystem
The main event, the stunning sunrise over Goldiggens Quarry last Friday, before the mist rolled in... sure was good to be out!
It’s been done before and I’m sure it’ll be done again, but it would be rude to not take a shot of St. Michael’s Mount under the Milky Way when it’s as clear as this! A bit different to my normal Milky Way shots though as this time I decided to shoot a tighter crop rather than going for my usual wide-angle which I think works for this composition as you get a lot more detail in the core.
Well, it would be rude not to take a picture when the picture frames are all lined up so nicely in Collioure!
More downtime at Laikipia Wilderness River camp. There was a huge web between my room and the mess area and I just had to get some shots of its occupants.
Nephila is a genus of araneomorph spiders noted for the impressive webs they weave. Nephila consists of numerous species found in warmer regions around the world, although some species formerly included in the genus have been moved to Trichonephila. They are commonly called golden silk orb-weavers, golden orb-weavers, giant wood spiders, or banana spiders.
Olympus OM-1, 40-150 F2.8 + 1.4 TC @ 160mm F5.6, 1/1000 ISO 500
#goldenorbweaver #goldenorbspider #spider #Orbweaver #insectphotography #wholelottabugs #insectguru #spiderweb #Nephila
#LaikipiaWilderness
#Laikipia #Kenya #Africa #Safari #magicalkenya #lovelaikipia
#wanderlustmagazine #travelphotography #naturephotography #africanimals #safariphotography #adventure
#microfourthirds #microfournerds #omsystem
We’ve just returned from a weekend staying at The Lizard and what a fantastic weekend for photography with the weather throwing everything at us! It started on Friday evening, and as the wind pounded Cornwall I knew the one place I wanted to stop on the way down; Porthleven. I’ve seen so many fantastic shots of the church being battered by storms and I’ve never visited there myself so we took the diversion from Helston, and leaving my wife and children in the car I ventured out… although the waves were not quite as big as I’d hoped it was still an amazing sight with the swells that were generated in the harbour and I did manage to catch one big wave in the distance!
I’ve finally got around to processing another image from my last visit to St. Michael’s Mount. This time it’s a wide-angle shot, but instead of using the causeway as a lead-in line, I used one of the catamarans beached on the shore to add an extra point of interest.
My second shot from Polzeath, this time later in the evening as we spotted an old buoy left stranded on the beach.
I'm going to take a little break from sunset & sunrises as I've posted quite a few recently! Returning to a very wet and dreary morning on The Hoe, with this shot I was mostly taken by the ominous dark clouds that were sweeping in from the right… I do wish I’d taken a step to the left to centralise Smeaton’s tower between the flag poles though!
This morning I met up with Shaun from Timeslip Photography and headed up to Colliford Lake... there was little cloud predicted so we didn't expect much of a sunrise (and didn’t get much either) so this gave us an opportunity to shoot the twisted trees. There’s very little water left around them now which does limit the compositions as from some angles the reflections from the bank were cutting through the trees, something I was trying to avoid. Here’s one of the furthest sets of branches, with the pink sky reflected in the water providing some colour.
A historic Pelton Wheel that was used in mining gold during the great California Gold Rush in Nevada City California that sits at Robinson Plaza in Downtown Nevada City. I set 3 learning-proficiency-practical goals photographically for 2025 to continue my growth/evolution as an image maker, it was 3 specific areas where I lacked practical/real-world experience. This image was taken with the amazing Lensbaby Composer with a Sweet 35 Optic, which I’ve been carrying in my Tamrac bags for the last 7 years but have not used much. So that was 1 of my goals, to practice, be mindful, learn and to creatively use these wonderful tools which are already in my possession. Happy with these results, so at least 1 out 3 goals are in progress, well really 2 out of 3. OM System Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark III Lensbaby Composer with a Sweet 35 Optic #developportdev @gothamtomato @developphotonewsletter @omsystem.cameras #excellent_america @bheventspace @bhphoto @adorama @tamracphoto @tiffencompany #usaprimeshot #omd #tamractales @kehcamera @mpbcom @tenbabags #olympus #olympusphotography @visitcalifornia @visitnevadacity @nevadacountyca @lensbabyusa #microfourthirds #microfournerds #micro43photography #micro43 @nevadacountylandmarks
The Fisherman’s Hut is a favourite location for any photographers visiting Mullion Cove, after the sun had dipped below the clouds on my last visit there I headed back down the cliffs to get a shot of the hut, it does seem to suit a more subdued style of editing.
At last it happened… something resembling a decent sunrise! Lol I ventured back to Portwrinkle on Saturday morning as the forecast was showing lots of high clouds which usually results in some nice pre-dawn colours and although there was some my favourite shot of the morning was from after the sun had risen above the horizon.
A shot from Polperro a few weeks ago. I’d gone there looking for better weather for a shot of The Net Loft, but I grabbed this shot on the way back to the car without really giving it much though, mainly because of the red boat at the front.
Anybody can take a shot of a poppy field with a beautiful sunset behind it showing the glory of the Cornish coast… it takes a special kind of crazy to visit the poppies on a stormy evening where the wind is howling a full-on gale and there’s been no sign of the sun for days! :)
Another year, another failure to see the Pollyjoke poppies at their finest, one year I will make it before they get decimated by the weather!
A warm summer day in Alaska, but not along Turnagain Arm where it always seems to have a cool, strong wind to remind you that Winter is Coming!
Turnagain Arm near Bird Point, Alaska
On Friday evening we had to drop my daughter to Cub Camp, so that gave me an excuse to get out to the beach on the way home. I’ve barely been to north Cornwall this summer so I decided to head to Bedruthan Steps… considering it had been pouring with rain during the afternoon the clouds cleared just nicely in time for sunset!
Last night we ventured out for our weekly camera club photowalk, due to the weather being forecast for rain and thunder we decided to meet in Seaton. As we arrived it was clear the forecast was very wrong, as we had clear blue sky so a change of plan was needed and we headed to “boiler beach” along Whitsand Bay as we’d still get a chance at a sunset shot. More of that to follow, but my initial shot from the evening is an ICM (intentional camera movement) shot where I was panning with the waves which I think adds some drama, especially combined with the “Dutch Angle” horizon.
Another shot from Golitha Falls, this time focusing on the river itself. I like this part of the river as the split allows you to place the trees in the centre of the frame, giving you a strong focal-point.
Last night I decided to head down to Whitsand Bay for sunset as the forecast was looking promising, as is often the case there was still a band of low cloud that stopped the majority of the show but there was still a nice patch running along the coast so I decided on a telephoto shot to concentrate on the most colourful patch of sky.
Last night I decided to get some fresh-air after work as the sunset was looking promising so I headed to Sharrow Point on Whitsand Bay. I’d only been on the beach for 5 minutes and taken one shot before the sun dove down under a bank of clouds so I headed a bit further than I normally do and found this nice outcrop which was just being covered by the waves on either side making for some nice mini-waterfalls.
My second shot from Monday night, braving the dark and the fear of “The Beast” :) This time I moved on from the quarry to The Cheesewring, somewhere I’ve been planning to get to since I first started taking astro shots last year. I am quite please with this one as I think this has to be the clearest Milky Way I’ve captured so far, a combination of a clear night and new knowledge for getting the best out of the equipment and the processing.
It’s fair to say I’ve not had a good year for competitions this year, sometimes it just seems that you can’t pick the right image to please people! Anyway, I was rather pleased that I managed to get 3 Highly Commended shots in the clubs Natural History competitions, which is surprising as it’s not a subject I generally tend to excel at. This pair of dragonflies were caught in Spain last year, the large pond gave a nice clear background to isolate them from distractions.
Taken at the Roger Waters British Summer Time concert, while attempting to find refreshments during the beautiful sunset.
An ICM shot showing the beautiful pastel colours from “boiler beach” last week after the sun had sunk below the horizon.
Another shot of the old lifeboat station on The Lizard at the weekend with some beautiful colours lighting up the clouds. Again it’s hard to convey quite how strong the wind was at this point, and rather annoying I forgot to take my tripod so everything is hand-held for a change!
Another shot from Sunday evening at Godrevy, it was a shame that the clouds didn’t really light up as I’d hoped but at least the sea put on a good show of power!
Looking the opposite way from yesterday's shot... there was only a slim window of golden light before the clouds obscured the sun!
This morning I made my second trip to Shag Rock, which is located half-way between Downderry and Portwrinkle on Whitsand Bay. This awesome sea-stack is only accessible at low-tide, and while looking for locations this morning I realised that low-tide was just after sunrise so the decision was made. It’s been a couple of years since my last visit so it seemed like a good way to start the weekend.
This time I managed to get longer at the stack, and also ventured around to the far side. It was quite treacherous as some of the rocks are incredibly slippery; I’m normally quite confident at rock-hopping but this morning was a case of testing each footstep before committing to a move.
The sunrise didn’t really materialise, there were a few minutes of nice light, but it was still a great start to the day.
One more shot from Portwrinkle, this time with a 10-stopper to extend the exposure time to 60 seconds. I always think this effect works well with the many jagged rocks found when the tide is nearly at its high point.
On Sunday morning I decided to head a little further afield than normal and made the journey to Start Point Lighthouse. Even though I got there half-an-hour before sunrise I really could have done with being there five minutes earlier as the best colour happened as I walked down to the lighthouse from the car park. As I’ve been there once before I had a decent idea as to where I wanted to be so I made a mad scramble up the hill to get the last moments of pink in the sky.
It was a beautifully clear night last night to I went out with a few other photographers from the Liskeard Camera Club and we headed to Whitsand Bay, first stop was Rame Head which I’ve visited before but then we headed to Portwrinkle. This is one of my favourite beaches along Whitsand Bay as there’s a huge choice of compositions available, but inspired by a shot by Matt Stansfield I decided to take the Milky Way at the end of the old harbour wall… this is a shot I’ve taken many times during the day, but it was very special last night being on the rocks with the water flowing all around as the tide reseeded.
I’ve also been testing Sequator to stack the stars which really has improved the time it takes to merge multiple exposures, I wasn’t entire happy with the colour (though I don’t think that’s Sequator’s fault) so I decided to convert to monochrome and add a blue tint which gives it a bit of an “other worldly” feel.
Another quick trip out from our visit to The Lizard; with clear skies it would be rude not to made the journey to Kynace Cove but a little too much cloud and too much wind causing vibrations in the tripod mean the shot is not as good as it could have been… that does mean I need another trip there which is not necessarily a bad thing!
Lola Montez, whose birth name was Mario Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert when she was born in Ireland in 1818 though she claimed to be born in Spain. A flamboyant woman of international intrigue that left her indelible mark upon the California Gold Rush town of Grass Valley, where she married newspaper man Patrick Hull and they purchased this home on Mill Street near downtown Grass Valley. It was the only home Lola ever owned and this replica stands where the original once stood as it had to be torn down because it had become horribly deteriorated. Ironically myself being from back east, Lola spent her last years of life in New York City where she passed away and is buried. OM Systems Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark III Olympus M.Zuiko PRO 12-40 f/2.8 lens #developportdev @gothamtomatosays @developphotonewsletter @omsystem.cameras #excellent_america #omsystem @bheventspace @bhphoto @adorama @tamracphoto @tiffencompany #usaprimeshot #tamractales @kehcamera @mpbcom @californiaisbeauty @nevadacountyca @visitcalifornia @visitgrassvalley #omd #olympusphotography #microfournerds #micro43photography #micro43 #lolamontez #grassvalley #grassvalleyca #grassvalleyculture
It seems like ages since we’ve had a clear enough night for some astro photography, but even though the moon is still quite full there was a window of opportunity before it rose at 12:30 so I visited a beach I’ve been wanting to get to for ages. Shag Rock is situated half-way between Downderry and Portwrinkle and makes for a great subject. You can also see Jupiter shining brightly near the galactic core.
This is the shot I was planning for on my trip to Rame Head, a panorama I’ve taken before where I was hoping for a nicer sky… unfortunately the sky ended up very similar to my last attempt so it looks like I’ll need to make another trip back there.
We’re back from a weekend on The Lizard where I managed to capture a few images. This first shot is from Friday night where I made a mad dash to Kynance Cove as soon as we’d checked in and managed to catch 10 minutes of beautiful light before it faded for the evening. The good thing about returning to locations is that you know where to go when you are in a hurry, something that definitely came in useful!
I spotted the potential for a nice sunrise this morning and as it’s now a slightly more palatable hour I decided to get up and have a trip out before work. I knew that the tide would be low, so not ideal, but it’s been ages since I’ve been to Millendreath so I headed there and started with my favourite rock which separates Millendreath from Plaidy beach.