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As I mentioned previously while commenting on some of my photos, my artistic approach is a dynamic process and it will likely last forever. I keep redefining my landscape photography vision simply because I constantly develop in the field and switch sources of inspiration. The same compositions, identical photographic styles, non-changing photographic gurus, screaming colours or static photo locations don’t satisfy my artistic desire. So I am in a constant photographic search. My way of landscape photography execution doesn’t involve going to places and shooting the first appealing composition. Instead I like to take risks and come up with new approaches. Before I start shooting, firstly I need to feel the place. And I mean in it in a holistic approach. Each of my photos is a combination of composition, technical skills and deeper connection with the photographed location. One doesn’t exist with the other. I would never go to the place just to take couple photos, but I frequently go to places and explore them even if I don’t shoot. This photo features Brandywine Falls in BC, near Whistler. Every time when I look at this waterfall I reassure myself that it looks more interesting from its very edge than from the bottom. It was a thrilling and adrenaline boosting experience to shoot there again. By the way, it is 70 metres of that plunge.
We were on our way to an Italian weekend in Piedmont. We had the good idea to take the road to the Mont Cenis Pass (2,085 m - 6,841 ft) above Lanslebourg in the Maurienne region rather than going through the Frejus Tunnel.
We didn't regret the detour. Once over the pass, we arrived at the Mont Cenis Lake at an altitude of 1,974 m (6,476 ft), and discovered a breathtaking landscape. The weather was beautiful, although a little chilly. It had snowed in the higher altitudes the previous evening. Before our dazzling eyes, the lake shimmered in the sun, as did the high peaks ahead. The peaks were covered in a blanket of snow, adding to the beauty of the place.
I looked up the name of the large mountain in front of us: it is Mont Guisalet. It's not a small peak; it rises to 3,313 m (10,869 ft) !
Historically, the Mont Cenis Pass was one of the main crossings between France and Italy. Charlemagne notably used it in 773 when he invaded Lombardy. Before World War II, the border between France and Italy ran through the pass. Forts protected this border, and fierce battles took place there in 1940 and 1945. Following the 1947 Treaty of Paris between France and Italy, the border was moved past the pass, encompassing the entire Mont Cenis valley (present-day Mont Cenis Lake). Maurienne thus regained its historical borders. Mont Cenis Lake has existed since 1968, when the Mont Cenis Dam was built.
I was lucky enough to return to the area this summer and was once again captivated by the beauty of the place!
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Une vue somptueuse
Nous étions en route pour un week-end italien dans le Piémont. On a eu la bonne idée de prendre la route du col du Mont Cenis (2085m) au-dessus de Lanslebourg dans la Maurienne plutôt que d’emprunter le tunnel du Fréjus.
On n’a pas regretté le détour. Passé le col, arrivés au lac du Mont Cenis à 1974 m d’altitude, on a découvert un paysage à couper le souffle. Il faisait très beau, bien qu’un peu frais. Il avait neigé dans les hauteurs la veille au soir. Devant nos yeux éblouis, le lac scintillait au soleil, ainsi que les hauts sommets devant nous. Les cimes étaient recouvertes d’un manteau neigeux qui ajoutait encore à la beauté des lieux.
J’ai cherché le nom de la grande montagne devant nous : il s’agit du mont Guisalet. Ce n’est pas un petit sommet, il culmine à 3313 m !
Dans l’histoire, le col du Mont Cenis a été une des principales voies de passage entre la France et l’Italie. Il a notamment été emprunté par Charlemagne en 773 quand il a envahi la Lombardie. Avant la 2ème guerre mondiale, la frontière entre la France et l’Italie passait au col. Des forts protégeaient cette frontière et de violents combats s’y déroulèrent en 1940 et en 1945. Suite au traité de Paris en 1947 entre la France et l’Italie, la frontière a été déplacée après le col, englobant toute la combe du Mont Cenis (le lac du Mont Cenis actuel). La Maurienne avait par-là retrouvé ses frontières historiques. Le lac du Mont Cenis existe depuis 1968, date de la construction du barrage du Mont Cenis.
J’ai eu la chance cet été de retourner dans le coin, j’ai à nouveau été conquis par la beauté des lieux !
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Val Cenis- Maurienne - Savoie - France / Val Cenis- Maurienne - Savoy - France
Needless to say, I don't know what these flowers are. But I saw them at Trentham Gardens (see previous photos).
In my previous article, like many photographer, I was very excited about the release of the new R6 and R5 because they offered tremendous advances.
www.flickr.com/photos/garivalden/50209737163/in/dateposted/
I bought the R6, the Canon RF 100-500mm and sold everything to buy again a 5D mark III
Why? Because the Canon R6 is also that:
1) Delivery of the RF – EF Adapter Ring offered by Canon has arrived 60 days after purchase. Fortunately, my nice store went out of its way to lend me one.
Many customers have suffered this and it is scandalous on the part of Canon not to have integrated the ring in the original box.
2) Prepare to pay (and I'm not even talking about new RF lenses)
- a very fast and robust SD card to enjoy the burst like the Sony Tough SD
- Resistant, I used Lightroom 6 box. To read new raw CR3s, you need Lightroom Classic
- To make the photos look like a Canon Picture Style you need a quality color profile, thank you to Damien Bernal for your recommendations
The choice of an L Bracket is complicated with this screen, Tom Migot has devoted several videos to it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA25FyekVKY
The R6 is with High ISO but if you want a very clean result, Denoise by Topaze is the best Tool , So, one question: Why have I never needed it before?
www.flickr.com/photos/garivalden/51296276233
This photo at 12800 iso will be almost unusable on 5D Mark III but never forget that the easiest and most beautiful thing is to take pictures when there is ... light
- The second battery is essential. It is difficult to say how many pictures you can take with one battery but I advise you to double your battery park as well as the charging time.
For years, I shot without ever thinking about the drums with a second in the bag never used.
3) The ergonomics of the R6 disappointed me and brought nothing
- The grip is worse than before. However, I have small hands and the handle seems too small to me. Those with large hands have their little finger in the air and some props even sell a base to add.
I wore for years a 5d Mark III with a 300mm 2.8mm IS II sometimes by the tips of two fingers to tell if the whole thing was balanced.
- The SD card door opens only by friction. There is still a small slot to slide a nail with difficulty, but the 5d Mark III and IV opened more easily with one hand.
The adjustable screen has never been useful to me because its tilt to the left of the device is not practical and even less with the L bracket
Touch has never been useful to me, in the field physical buttons are more practical
4 / A user experience that sometimes disappoints:
- Eye tracking stalls when it is too complicated in the foliage. Does the ultimate portrait of your dreams with a subject against a pretty background require this technology?
- In billebaude if you take your camera back, it will sometimes take a while before everything turns on again. Several times I had to turn off the R6 completely because the autofocus didn't know where it was.
- You see a beautiful sunset, you take your R6, you put your eye in the viewfinder and there… disappointment. Why not keep looking in our good old DSLR?
5) The rendering of R5 and R6 is often very different in appearance compared to DSLR.
More so if you mount a native RF lens.
Is it the technology or the level of detail that wants this? The shots often appear to be very artificially separated, and natural colors like grass are sometimes strange. I know you can change everything in PP, but all of this bothers me and takes me away from the pictorial and cinematographic universe.
My daughter came home from school with a drastically different school photo than I saw for a decade, I got it, the canon photographer (my daughter had asked a few years ago ;-) had bought an R6 or R5 and the schoolyard became a bit strange as « Gattaca ».... Advantage for Eye AF, it’s tea time for him ;-)
6) Let's talk about goals.
The photos of a Canon hybrid with an RF lens that I have seen in recent months made me want to buy a Canon EF 85mm f1.2 II 1 month after the R6. I'm not sure that was the goal. from Canon that we buy back the EF lenses that we had sold second-hand.
www.flickr.com/photos/garivalden/50806574161
Canon did not lose everything because, to get Canon cash back, I exchanged my Canon EF 300MM 2.8 is II before the summer of 2021 for an RF 100-500mm ...
Why did I do this?
Fear of obsolescence and maybe a follow-up helped by an abundant marketing hype which made me give in and go against my convictions of never buying a zoom because the rendering really has nothing to do with a focal length fixed premium… I sold it 1 month later.
The bottom line of this financially not very pleasant operation is that, as in many areas, if we have the feeling that things will not be in our best interest, it is better to abstain ;-)
What will I miss most about the Canon R6
Focusing in low light, your 85mm 1.2 will get a facelift
Staggering stabilization from 100-500mm net to 1/50 th to 500mm
The focus on the eye, clearly the majority of wedding, sports and animal photographers will never want to go back, I understand them, this is a decisive advantage over the competition
And especially the advantage of having the collimators close to the edge unlike the DSLR
The burst and the endless sorting it generates, the swiveling screen, the touchscreen, the wifi, the gps, I will miss less.
I don't think I’ll buy again this excellent 300mm 2.8 IS II.
I still got the magical 135 mm F2 and 85mm 1.2 , my next wildlife Canon Lens will be a prime EF, surely excellent, not too big (price too) because I take my equipment everywhere, repairable I don't know ...
www.flickr.com/photos/garivalden/47688762631
Every day, especially since the digital and the Internet, our so-called user-friendly world becomes unnecessarily more complicated and deliberately consumerist.
The R5 and R6 are good cameras and Canon has really caught up to the competition but it's not my direction.
The 5D Mark III is 2012, a century after 1912, my favorite year, in which I have been preparing a photo for a very long time.
What if Canon EF finally became a way of life.
Gari Valden
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About twenty minutes previous to seeing these deer we heard a shotgun echo throughout the forest. We were not too concerned because we were in a Bird Sanctuary.
Then we happened upon these three deer. They visited with us for a couple of quick moments and then disappeared like deer do with such ease into the bush.
Two minutes later, three hunters appeared from the same direction from where the deer had come from. It felt strange seeing them all decked out in their camouflage gear and rifles hanging at the ready. It felt strange, but even more I felt completely vulnerable.
I wonder if the deer feel that same emotion - especially when they thought they were alone...
This previously unused shot was taken in February 2025. There are over 160 tors - major granite outcrops - in Dartmoor National Park. This one, Combestone Tor, is high on a hill (1,167 feet above sea level) overlooking the valley of the River Dart. It is within the Holne Woodlands area of Special Scientific Interest. Combestone Tor is my personal favourite because of the stunning views and the fact that there is a small car park just a few feet away. My days of climbing are long behind me!
Tramlink, previously Croydon Tramlink and presently branded as London Trams, is a light rail tram system serving Croydon and surrounding areas in South London, England. It is the first operational tram system serving the London region since 1952. Tramlink is presently managed by London Trams, a public body part of Transport for London (TfL), and has been operated by FirstGroup since 2017. It is one of two light rail networks in Greater London, the other being the Docklands Light Railway. Tramlink is the fourth-busiest light rail network in the UK behind the Docklands Light Railway, Manchester Metrolink and Tyne and Wear Metro.
What used to be the pride of the fleet and roam the rails now gets relegated to work trains. A neat note is that one of CP's newest engines was taking the lead.
CP 5750 came up from the states on CSX I166 and continued past toronto. On the window is a sign reading "DO NOT OCCUPY". On the handbrake is reads a bushing is worn out. We are hoping its heading to CAD Rail in Montreal for reapairs.
For a comparison to my previous photo of a Long-Eared Owl, here is a Short-Eared Owl taken five years ago in the same area with my former Nikon D750 and a 300mm prime lens.
Boundary Bay, Delta BC
The short-eared owl is a medium-sized owl measuring 34–43 cm (13–17 in) in length and weighing 206–475 g (7.3–16.8 oz). It has large eyes, a big head, a short neck, and broad wings. Its bill is short, strong, hooked and black. Its plumage is mottled tawny to brown with a barred tail and wings. The upper breast is significantly streaked. Its flight is characteristically floppy due to its irregular wingbeats. The short-eared owl may also be described as "moth or bat-like" in flight. Wingspans range from 85 to 110 cm (33 to 43 in). Females are slightly larger than males. The yellow-orange eyes of A. flammeus are exaggerated by black rings encircling each eye, giving the appearance of them wearing mascara, and large, whitish disks of plumage surrounding the eyes like a mask.
The short-eared owl occurs on all continents except Antarctica and Australia; thus it has one of the most widespread distributions of any bird. A. flammeus breeds in Europe, Asia, North and South America, the Caribbean, Hawaii and the Galápagos Islands. It is partially migratory, moving south in winter from the northern parts of its range. The short-eared owl is known to relocate to areas of higher rodent populations. It will also wander nomadically in search of better food supplies during years when vole populations are low.
Cape Penguin (Previously called the Jackass Penguin because of the noise they make.)losing its fluffy baby coat at Boulders Beach Simons Town near Cape Town. The birds nest among the bushes at the top of the beach and wander down to the water to swim, catch fish and preen.
As seen in the previous photograph, this chair has needed a new seat cover for a long time. I thought I'd show the cute fabric print and give a shoot-out to Spoonflower.com. You choose a pattern and then they print it on the type of fabric you select. I think the sturdy cotton I picked gives it a feeling of vintage barkcloth.
After I filled the holes in the seat, I added "elbow patches" of linen over the areas the cats liked scratching the best--to slow down future damage--before the final fabric covering.
In my previous post, a snowy egret had struck at a tiny fish as it flew by the water’s surface hoping for a fly-by catch. It was indeed successful and after gulping this tiny minnow down it continued its search for more.
On this particular morning, the tide was coming in and there was a feeding frenzy like I had not witnessed before. Literally a hundred or more birds were feeding in the shallow water feasting on the bounty of small fish. There were snowy egrets, great egrets, reddish egrets, great blue herons and white ibis to name a few. There was also a pod of baby tarpon feeding nearby, although they definitely didn’t fit the bill of “small fish!”
Thanks so much to everyone who takes the time to view, like or comment on my photos!
© 2019 Craig Goettsch - All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use without permission is prohibited
This lone lesser yellowleg joined the solitary young pelican previously posted and provided several minutes of shooting. For me the, the concentric rings of ripples make the image.
Market Lake WMA, Roberts, Idaho
Previously named Baird Court after zoologist Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823-1887).
The building still houses rhinoceroses.
Conti Chivalry (previously known as Ever Chivalry) (IMO: 9293791) is a container ship registered and sailing under the flag of Liberia. Her gross tonnage is 90,449, her overall length (loa) is 334 m and her container capacity is 8,084 TEU. She was built in 2006 and is operated by NSB Niederelbe Schiffahtsges of Germany.
I photographed the Conti Chivalry as she passed through the mouth of the Swan River heading into the Fremantle Inner Harbour on 30 April 2021. Her last port of call was Adelaide and her next port of call is Singapore. She was assisted by four tugs, Svitzer Albatross and Svitzer Eagle Svitzer Falcon and Svitzer Redhead most likely due to both her size and the tide. I did notice one of the tugs was working hard to keep her speed down.
Note the plumage similarities with my previous post of a fall female Cerulean--the supercilium (wide pale stripe above the eye), the prominent auricular (cheek patch) patch, the wing bars, and the lighter color below. These plumages can be confused in the field especially with so so views and lighting. The dorsal (back) streaking will never be present in the female Cerulean but back views of these canopy species are not often seen well. I've read about how the auricular patch is "rounded off" in the Blackburnian as opposed to Cerulean but as can be seen above I've found that NOT to be the case in many instances in female Blackburnians. The tail is longer in the Blackburnian with a very short extension of the tail beyond the under tail coverts in the Cerulean. The female Cerulean has more olive tones and the Blackburnian has more brownish tones but with certain lighting this can be difficult to appreciate. Most Ceruleans have migrated to the South by early September whereas Blackburnians can be be found early and late in migration. Much care must be taken in the identification of female type Ceruleans as many if not most of these especially late in the season will be Blackburnians.
I previously posted this photo after doing a pretty sloppy touch up in Lightroom. I decided to use it as my Best Shot of 2024 entry but wanted to clean up the Lightroom edits first. So, if it looks familiar, there is a reason for that.
This previously unused shot comes from my archives, and features the North Norfolk Railway station at Sheringham.
This delightful heritage railway line runs the five miles from Sheringham to Holt in Norfolk, with intervening stations at Weybourne and Kelling Heath. It operates both steam and diesel services.
Sheringham Station was first opened in 16 June 1887 by the Eastern and Midlands Railway as part of the Cromer Branch linking the Norfolk Coast to the junction at Melton Constable railway station. In 1893 this was merged into the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Network. On 6 April 1964 in the wake of the Beeching Report, the line to Melton Constable was closed to passengers. Withdrawal of goods services from that line (as well as from Sheringham itself) followed on 28 December 1964. Sheringham Station remained open for passengers until 2 January 1967, when it was closed upon the opening of a new station for passengers on the opposite side of Station Road, enabling the level crossing to be closed.
In 1970, the old station was re-opened as part of the North Norfolk Railway. The "new" Sheringham railway station is on the National Rail network, just across the road from the NNR station.
previous title: "kitschy picture?"
was #5 in Explore (highest position so far) on March 8, 2007, thank you!!!
RKO_6583.
Another image of the backside of the famous coloured houses at the Rietplas in Houten, The Netherlands. See also the previously uploaded image. As mentioned before, most people make photo's of the colorful frontside, but the backside is at least as beautiful.
Copyright: Robert Kok. All rights reserved! Watermark protected.
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www.instagram.com/robertkok_photography/
Please do not use my photos on websites, blogs or in any other media without my explicit permission.
Thanks a lot for your visit, fave and comments. Its truly appreciated!
(See previous upload to understand this thread)
Paradise? I'm sure I saw it on this map somewhere. But then those Evangelicals say you can't find it with good works alone even though between us we've done lots of those....... Then again, we are called the Golden Boys so maybe.........
William Bloye's statue of Matthew Boulton, James Watt and William Murdoch in Broad Street, Birmingham, for the moment nicely isolated from a background whilst rebuilding works carry on behind it. These three men all played an important part in the Industrial Revolution centred around Birmingham.
The statue was recently re-gilded with this unfortunate garish tacky bling finish. Another image in first comment box taken before the background building works
Continuing my edition on the previous trips to MRL in Montana, the gas local is almost a requirement to go shoot on the MRL if you ever venture out here. Whichever you prefer, the day or the night gas, they both provide some spectacular shots to be taken along their journey from Missoula to Thompson Falls, Montana and back. Running along the Clark Fork River in the late afternoon, the night gas is my preference to shoot as the late evening light set some great settings for shots along with only being able to photograph them a few short months of the year. Although on this trip, this was my only shot of the gas I got this time as I was focusing more on the locals east of here on the MRL. Paradise, Montana.
...considering my previous post...
Always surrounded by nature and especially by greens. A big flamboyant in front of the house offers that green frame and once in a year the greens give place to intense reds.
It is beautiful.
The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, previously known as Villa Vizcaya, is the former villa and estate of businessman James Deering, of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune, on Biscayne Bay in the present day Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida. The early 20th century Vizcaya estate also includes: extensive Italian Renaissance gardens; native woodland landscape; and a historic village outbuildings compound. The landscape and architecture were influenced by Veneto and Tuscan Italian Renaissance models and designed in the Mediterranean Revival architecture style, with Baroque elements. Paul Chalfin was the design director.
Miami-Dade County now owns the Vizcaya property, as the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, which is open to the public. The location is served by the Vizcaya Station of the Miami Metrorail.
Our incredible canine companion gifted to us by his previous owner seen here keeping a close eye on me while taking photos.
We are fortunate to have been given this thoughtful creature who had saved John (his previous owner).
This dog was John's PTSD dog and watched over John so that he could now feel safe and relax after his traumatic military service having lost three friends during one Christmas period from his military unit.
John was understandably after this experience struggling with the loss of his Australian brothers in arms.
John's commanding officer wisely advised John after this experience to get a dog as a companion as he feared he may end up dead.
So a few months after this advice John went to a dog rescue center and was not sure what sort of dog he needed when a little nine month old Boofy came over to John with his then tortured soul.
Boofy looked into John's eyes, wrapped his little front puppy legs around his arm and would not let go and John realized he had found the right dog and canine soul brother and left with young Boofy after paying some veterinary fees and doing the new ownership paperwork.
9 years later John collapsed from an infection in his house. Boofy refused to let John go to sleep as he sensed he would possibly not wake up again.
Boofy ended up jumping on John as he lay on the floor to stop him falling asleep and finally John realized in his daze that he had to phone for an ambulance for help and he then passed out.
The ambulance guys had to break into John's house and Boofy led these guys to John.
Subsequently when John woke up in hospital
he was very aware that he had been asked in effect to phone for help before being allowed to pass out as the Doctors had told John he was definitely about to die from sepsis.
This dog is an Australian cattle dog X German boxer cross.
You may notice the Bentley star on his forehead.
My son and nephew are proud to call this wonderful creature their wolf brother.
Boofy can now relax with our family where he just wanders around the garden at will and bothers the birds and lizards, just doing doggy things in his later years now and enjoys our family outings.
John, his previous owner phones up regularly to ask how Boofy is going and we send John photos.
He is very happy that Boofy can just be a dog and relax and not feel obligated to care for John now and that in itself is a sign of incredible strength and compassion on John's behalf.
Soligor 105mm f2.8 at f2.8 P9091656
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhdFe3evXpk
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Almost three years ago we rented a cottage for a week in Norfolk. This was one of those showery April days when we decided to go out for a drive and head for the patches of blue sky to try and avoid the showers. Where the landscape is flat and the skies are huge it's a technique that works, even though we had no idea where we would end up. At least, we saw parts of Norfolk that we hadn't previously visited.
Having uploaded a shot of 76031 (previously 76044) and 76032 heading towards Wath a couple of images ago, this is a shot of the same pair later in the day, seen here departing Wombwell Main Exchange Sidings with a loaded MGR train to Fiddlers Ferry PS.
I'm stood at the very foot of the Worsborough Incline, a gruelling seven mile rise, three miles of which are at a nominal gradient of 1 in 40. In fact legend has it that some sections were much steeper as a result of coal mining subsidence in the area. I took this from a public foot-crossing about one hundred yards from the Exchange Sidings.
Above the locomotives can be seen Swaithe Viaduct carrying the Sheffield to Leeds line. Wombwell station, my point of arrival earlier in the day, lies a mile or so down the line to the left.
In the distance you can just about make out the home and distant signals. With both currently 'on', these control progress over Lewden Crossing and, to a lesser extent, the crossing beyond.
Given the full train-load of coal, the two locomotives on the front will be supported by a pair of bankers, also class 76s. These will drop off at the top of the incline and return back down here to await their next turn of duty.
Having 'discovered' this area the previous week, I was lucky enough to be able to get time off work and make a swift return with the trusty OS Map for a bit more exploring. This trip saw me start the day at Mitchells Main, walk on towards Wombwell Main Exchange Sidings and this foot-crossing, before following another footpath and ending up at Lewden Crossing. These weren't particularly long days seeing as the train back from Wombwell station left sometime around 4pm - you could never leave it too late because trains from Sheffield back south to Nottingham were quite thin on the ground after 6pm as I recall. Despite the shortish day it still proved a decent enough circular walk carrying a couple of cameras plus lenses - happy days when the stamina was a bit better!
As mentioned before, this freight line has long since disappeared and the route is now part of the Trans Pennine Trail.
An image uploaded for curiosity value, and in portrait format too so it might look better on a tablet or smartphone! Commenting off, thanks.
Ilford FP4 rated at 160asa, developed in Acutol.
1st July 1977
On my previous visit, a couple of weeks earlier, I noticed something that I’d never really registered before. As I crouched over my tripod on the rocks, halfway through a long exposure, they came in numbers, as they always seem to not long before sunset, a mass movement of gulls across the sky in front of me. The daily exodus from the mainland looked so familiar in this patch I know so intimately, yet at the same time, it seemed a novel experience. Why had I not paid the moment proper attention before today? Of course, by the time that long exposure had finished doing its business, the gulls had moved across the narrow strait between the headland and the lighthouse. The moment had gone until the next time. I went back to my briefly interrupted train of thought, and carried on shooting in the fading light. Not a bad evening’s work so it turned out. I used the new long lens on the lighthouse with the sun setting right beside it and was quite happy with the outcome. Maybe you saw that one in a recent post.
Two days later we were away for a brief trip to Exmoor, where an entire new catalogue of images was collected on the back of the camera. In time honoured fashion, some have already made it into the editing suite, others shared with the wider world in an initial fury of enthusiasm, while far too many linger pathetically in the folders where I left them, waiting to see the light of day. In fact I’m beginning to wonder whether I’ll ever catch up with the backlog from the last couple of years. And all the while during the little adventure in the van across the border the sight of them sat in the forefront of my mind. “I’m going to try and photograph those gulls when we get home,” I told Ali. All I’ll need to do is sit and wait and not get sidetracked by distractions. The reminders seemed to be everywhere. After returning home we spent an evening at my son’s house and watched an enormous flock of rooks take to the air above us, filling the dusk with an almighty chorus as they made for their roost across the valley. “They do that every night,” we were told as we gazed at the sky. The following night, not quite ready to retire we strayed across the last half hour of Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” Still as terrifying as ever, yet it didn’t put me off as I went through my commitments for the week. “I’m going down to Godrevy on Thursday,” I announced.
So you probably already know what happened. Having found a quiet shelf at the edge of the cliff overlooking the lighthouse I sat and waited, checking my settings now and again to see whether anything needed changing as the light fell. With the remote cable connected I leaned back against the natural armchair that the shelf provided and watched for Grey Seals at the edge of the rocks below. The camera sat obediently on the tripod, strangely stripped of even a polarising filter as the vigil moved from the first hour to the second. I thought I’d see my subjects about half an hour before sunset, but I couldn’t be certain. From time to time, small groups of gulls raced across the space in front of me, sometimes comfortably within the frame, at others far too high above me to link into the scene. Should I change my focal length and go wider? I wasn’t really sure to be honest. Occasionally as a cluster flew past, I’d hit the shutter three or four times half-heartedly, wondering whether the sun was too bright and thinking about sticking a thumb across the offending area of the lens to be blended in later on. Lazily I didn’t bother. It wasn’t the shot I’d come for and I’d have to stand up and stoop over the camera to get it right. It seemed an awful lot of effort. I waited and waited, but still the birds refused to repeat the airborne extravaganza they’d laid on for me during the last visit.
Eventually, with five minutes to go before the sunset hour I gave up and swapped to the big telephoto lens that has so quickly become an ever present option in the bag. The narrow band of orange on the horizon sat directly behind the lighthouse, offering a zoom into the details against the dark silhouette of the island. Orange and black work so well together; the distraction had arrived. And of course that’s when every seagull on the peninsula decided to float in unison across the void. Almost one hundred minutes of waiting patiently and then the moment happens when I’d finally weakened. It takes a certain knack to have such bad timing you know. If there were a market for it, I’d make a fortune as a tutor.
But I could perhaps console myself in the fact that the gulls were heading across the scene rather than into it as I’d hoped. Maybe my presence among them on this lonely ledge had changed their pattern, or perhaps I’d imagined it that they all cross in unison each evening like they had done a couple of weeks earlier. Whatever the truth, it seemed I’d have to wait and try again. Maybe I’ll try another vantage point and hope they pay me less attention than I give to them.
The next day I tinkered with the images I’d collected. With no more than five or six gulls in any one image I’d had a mind to blend a number together and fill the sky with them. But when I did so I didn’t like the result at all as the scene became cluttered and messy, so in the end I chose just three separate images and stacked them together, ultimately only using two of them for the final result. Usually I feel that less is more, and more is chaos. So if I ever manage to remain patient enough to capture that evening exodus, then who knows whether I’ll like what I come home with anyway? Fun trying though.
As I drove home and the shadows crept in to steal what was left of the light, I noticed a lone figure up on one of the bridges over the dual carriageway. At the moment I passed beneath him he leaned out over the bridge and appeared to vent forth with a drenching of phlegm in the direction of my car. I’ve no idea who he was or what I'd done to offend him. Whether he’d singled me out for this treatment or was liberally spraying all passing traffic I cannot say. Maybe he didn’t like Skodas. Perhaps he was telling me what he thinks of my photography. It’s a strange world at times.
The previous year, 2023, we climbed Blahnukur, but due to the bad weather, we didn't climb any other peaks in Landmannalaugar. This year it was a very nice day and we started to climb the Brenninsteinsalda, but without much hope of finding any spectacular views, since all the guides talk about the views from the blahnukur. What a mistake We encountered wonderful landscapes. The climb is much smoother and shorter than that of Blahnukur and above all, the sun made everything fantastic!
Astoria-Megler Bridge, Oregon
After a beautiful sunset out by the Peter Iredale, I dashed with intent and purpose toward the spot where I previously shot this. I took that picture with what Canon decides to grace us suckers with as a kit lens, and it's a bit soft and grainy as a result. So here we go again.
The weather has been beautiful, so the Saturday night sky was a glorious dark blue/purple. Very different from the dark, misty night I previously shot on. This is also a two-minute exposure as opposed to a 30-second, giving my "spaghetti" a much thicker consistency. I'm very pleased with the clarity, and I had a great time trying to find this spot again (after weaving all over the top of the hill yet again--I should really write that street down).
123-second exposure at 53mm using a cable release - ISO 100, f/13 - Canon 17-85 IS lens
Previously red. The rusty exhaust pipes are interesting. Seem to be related anomalies in front. Not sure what they suggest about the uses of the barn.
This previous summer the Central Maine & Quebec did a trackwork blitz on their Moosehead Subdivision, and it really shows, as track speeds are a consistent 25 MPH across the entire line (and many spots could easily handle faster speeds). Job 1 is seen from the Route 6/15 overpass at Moosehead hammering down as they split away from Moosehead Lake, and head west towards Tarratine. I'm glad I spent quite a bit of time this fall documenting the Red Barns on the Moosehead; it was nice to see former CP engines on the an old CP line. All of the SD40-2Fs have now been repainted; however, the 9017 still wears a bit of red, it was selected to wear a Bangor & Aroostook heritage scheme.
Making a return visit, the first group of baby quail hatched in our backyard make another appearance.
Every now and again I go back to a location I’ve scouted out previously and attempt to get that elusive shot that I’ve pictured in my mind but never quite manage to catch. Today’s post is a revisit to the location of a nice little island near the edge of Loch Leven. My vision was for a misty morning with a light fog on the water but with the colours of the sunrise creeping in from behind giving some warmth and tone. A few weeks ago I posted a ‘very’ misty version of that vision but with no sunrise. That version was received with much better feedback than I expected and I have grown to really like the image. I dismissed it at the time primarily because it didn’t meet the brief but that would have been a mistake. Today I post the sunrise version of the island but alas there was no mist on the water to provide contrast to the far shore. I like both images in their own right but neither quite makes the grade in meeting my idea of the perfect shot. I’ll have to keep an eye on the forecast again and look for those perfect conditions and maybe I’ll get it just right next time.
Previously it was Boiga dendrophila melanota but in 2020, it was elevated to a full species i.e., Boiga melanota.
Location: Peninsular Malaysia
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Today I was out to remove Red-Clawed Lobster (an invasive species) from our waterways, this is not supposed to be a herping trip haha! But as cliche as it sounds, "once a herper, always a herper" Haha!
Also known as Western Mangrove Cat Snake previously Mangrove Cat Snake.
This specimen was slightly longer than the one on Friday at about 1.8-1.9m.
Another previously unpublished image, this one from last December. This was taken from a bitterly cold highpoint on the Bealach na Bà where Iain and I had hoped to witness a sunset across the Inner Sound islands to Skye and beyond. Unfortunately after the sun dropped behind the Cuillin there was to be no more colour and our uncomfortable wait was to be something of a disappointment. There are elements of this I really like and others not so much. However my decision to post was tipped by the effort and discomfort it took to capture in the first place, so here it is.
Not long after the previous photostream photo was taken, the second section of the "Lakeshore Limited" also crossed the Vermilion River. For one living in the land of no daylight passenger trains in the 1970's, it was a real treat to see two passenger trains like 30 minutes apart (or something like that). Of course, it was anything but a treat for the passengers of the very late train. For some reason, Amtrak had decided to take the Boston section, train #449, and continue west all the way to Chicago this day as a separate train. They basically followed #49 as a second section, from what I recall. More details on that day, including an excellent shot, can be seen on my friends Flickr page as noted below.