Little Green Men Photography

Sea Palling

2011-12-29T18:09:00.000Z

After the sunny and breezy trip to Happisburgh, we all headed off for a well-earned bacon sandwich (or equivalent) at a wonderful cafe in Sea Palling. I couldn't resist the scene opposite our table, where a rather beautiful Lakeland Terrier was showing the kind patience and - let's face it - unjustified optimism for which all dogs are famous.

Sea Palling itself is rather bleak backwater, and is one of the areas on the Norfolk coast which was devastated by the floods of 1953. The cafe had lots of fascinating pictures on its walls, some of which can be seen in the picture above.

The desolation of the place seemed to call for the same gritty treatment which I gave to West Kirby a few weeks ago. Like it or loathe it, this processing demonstrates what Sea Palling "felt" like to me.

Braving the conditions were a couple learning the ancient art of kite surfing on the beach. Very impressive and exhilarating, even for an observer. As can be seen, the wind was such that it was sometimes difficult to remain earth-bound. The lady, in particular, had to be held down in order to avoid being carried out to sea!

Rough Seas and Intrepid Photographers

2011-12-28T19:22:00.000Z

After braving the wilds of Great Yarmouth on a Saturday night, the rough seas at Happisburgh were chicken feed for our happy band of intrepid photographers. It was cold and windy, but the glorious sunshine and spectacular spray made for a highly enjoyable time on the beach.

The last two pictures are actually of the same couple, the first shot in colour with the 100-400 and the second in Infra Red with the 24-105. Given the fairly harsh (for December) sunlight, I think I prefer the IR version.

The sea defences (well, failed sea defences) are what draw photographers to this spot. The waves crashing into them were spectacular, but according to a notice posted at the scene, it seems that the old defences will be removed relatively soon. What will we poor photographers do without rotting wood and twisted metal?

Again, one picture in colour and one in IR to show the difference. As well as the straight shots, I've also been playing around with blending several to create a more surreal effects. So far I rather like the result, but maybe I'll revise my judgement when I've had a chance to make a print?

Some IR pictures, taken later in the morning, as the sun was getting too high for good colour shots.

Finally, it's time for my fellow Homo photographicus specimens to take centre stage.

Great Yarmouth at Night

2011-12-27T12:58:00.000Z

I'd only ever been through Great Yarmouth on a boat, heading between the Northern and Southern Broads, so it was a novel experience to walk along the promenade after dark.

The sea-front was cold and windswept; and, apart from a handful of tripod wielding photographers, it was pretty well deserted. Looking at the advertisements for past and future "attractions" (the likes of Roy "Chubby" Brown, Jim Davidson, Cannon & Ball and The Chuckle Brothers) told me everything I needed to know about Yarmouth's standing in the celebrity stakes...

The area in front of the Britannia Pier had obviously been recently renovated, and - when I first saw it - was bathed in a rather beautiful violet light. I quickly set my tripod up, but by the time I'd done so the light had turned orange. It took me a little while to twig that the vertical lamp-post objects were rather like latter-day lava lamps, and were changing colour on a regular basis. Given the length of the exposures that night (10s to 30s) there was absolutely no chance of capturing just a single hue. Luckily, good old Silver Efex Pro came to the rescue!

The final two pictures are of the same scene: the first was shot in colour and then converted to monochrome; the second is Infra Red, with the colour "corrected" as best I can. Flare was a huge problem with the IR camera, so if I try this again I'll probably end up using a prime lens rather than a zoom.

Sun, Sand and Surf...

2011-12-26T16:52:00.000Z

...with a bit of gratuitous sex and violence thrown in. Well, it is Christmas after all!

More of our trip to see the seals at Horsey. As well as the unbearably cute pups (see previous post) there were other things going on too. Such as cooling off from the hot (ish) December sun by taking a dip in the North Sea. OK, so there's a cute pup in the first picture, but I couldn't resist.

Once the pups are born it's time for the adults to mate again. This lead to some cantankerous exchanges between all possible gender combinations.

Not all exchanges were acrimonious, however, and the females in particular seemed to have a playful side to their nature. In general, the golden rule seemed to be: when in doubt, roll over...

I included yet another cute pup in that last picture, but I think I might have got away with it...

The youngsters didn't get it all their own way, however. As well as the possibility of a terminal squashing (beneath half a ton of ill-coordinated blubber during a fight), they also had to sit around while mummy and daddy got down to some serious family planning.

I'd like to say that the earth moved but, frankly, it didn't. In fact, nothing very much moved for well over half an hour, so there wasn't much chance of motion blur. Afterwards - you guessed it - the general rule seemed to be: roll over!

It isn't all sweetness and light in seal-land, though, as not all the pups survive. The most obvious casualty was being tucked into by a gull: not a pleasant sight, but a good example of nature red in beak and flipper. According to the wardens this year there has been a greater than 90% survival rate of the pups, which is excellent.

After the gruesome bit, I ought to finish with a couple of gratuitous pups. One was obviously a quick learner because, once its portrait had been taken, it rolled over...

Bye for now!

Terminal Cuteness at Horsey

2011-12-17T22:47:00.002Z

Went to see the Grey Seals at Horsey today. They are such beautiful creatures, and the beach had a bumper crop of new-born pups to look at. Talk about terminally cute - a bit like a labrador with flippers...

The interaction between the various animals - particularly the cows and their pups - was just amazing. It's very difficult not to be anthropomorphic when faced with such behaviour.

Wherever there's wildlife, examples of Homo photographicus can always be found; Horsey is no exception...

Mummy - please can I have a seal?

Abandon Hope...

2011-11-15T12:55:00.001Z

I've been very busy over the last week, so apologies for the lack of new entries. I'd also entered the following set into a Projected "Portfolio" Competition under the title of "The Darker Side of West Kirby: Abandon Hope..." and wanted to wait until after the event itself before posting them.

Needless to say, the judge didn't like them!

They've all been very heavily processed to bring out the gloomy and rather desolate aspect of a seaside town out of season. Not everyone's cup of tea, I know, but I still think they're quite powerful. Especially the last one, which originally reminded me of the Star Wars credits when I first saw it, but which has now been transformed into something far more sinister. Needless to say, the judge missed the solitary individual who had clearly ignored the warning aimed at all ye who enter here...

[For the technically minded, these are all single images processed in HDR Efex Pro to enhance the sky and add "grit" to the proceedings.]

New Brighton

2011-11-08T17:44:00.002Z

After the PAGB Championships, we headed to New Brighton to photograph the lighthouse as the sun went down. I've tried processing the pictures in various ways, but I'm not sure which I prefer yet.

It isn't often I get the opportunity to take pictures as the sun goes down, so I'd forgotten how magical it was photographing in twilight. The following pictures range from 30 seconds to 5 minute exposures.

The only downside of our trip to New Brighton was that the Fish & Chip shop was closed by the time we got there. Tedious people...

Connah's Quay

2011-11-07T17:51:00.001Z

The PAGB National Print Championships took part in the Deeside College. Actually they took place in a building which looked (and felt) like an aircraft hangar, and had the same kind of charm. It was an indoor running track with automatic lights (not ideal when projecting!) and - apparently - absolutely no heating.

There were five of us from Cambridge Camera Club including me. The picture below shows Ann, Miles, Mike and Sue going from left to right.

The entries in the championships were projected onto a big screen so that the assembled multitudes (around 300 people) could admire the work - some of which was absolutely stunning.

Cambridge ended the day in fourth position, which is an astonishing achievement for an "ordinary" club. Below is a picture of a highly chuffed Sue collecting a Silver Medal from the PAGB President, Peter Cheetham.

The good news is that we get automatic entry to Connah's Quay next year too. Better start packing the thermal undies now...

West Kirby

2011-11-06T19:16:00.000Z

Cambridge Camera Club reached the finals of the PAGB National Print Championships in Connah's Quay (Deeside, North Wales). After an uneventful drive up the M6, Ann and I decided to spend what remained of the afternoon at the seaside: West Kirby, to be precise.

Not the sunniest of days, but one with the most amazing cloud cover which worked particularly well in Infra Red.

To give a sense of scale, the middle photograph shows a power station and a paper mill on the left, and the new bridge which spans the Dee on the right. The bottom picture shows circular patterns in the mud caused by some kind of vehicle. See below for a guess as to the possible culprit.

West Kirby has a rather strange causeway across the mud-flats which forms the boundary of an enormous boating lake. It's obviously a favourite walk for couples, dog walkers and the like. When the tide is in, there is the rather surreal sensation that these people are walking on water, when viewed from the Promenade.

The machine which we think must have generated the tracks in the mud is - well - we don't really know. It's operated by the RNLI and has caterpillar tracks to stop it sinking without trace. More strangely it has a couple of wooden benches attached to the back, so either it's designed to give joy-rides to tourists or - more likely - to rescue people who have been stranded by the incoming tide.

Whatever else, it clearly needed a good hose-down at the end of the working day...

Stratford Patterns

2011-11-05T19:10:00.002Z

The final few pictures from the Olympic Park trip were taken once the group had split up at the Westfield Shopping Centre. I was rather taken with the patterns in the buildings and the bus/DLR stations.

The final picture was taken from a moving train as we departed after a highly enjoyable - if exhausting - visit.

Westfield Shopping Centre

2011-11-04T19:16:00.001Z

In the area around the Olympic Park, it's impossible to avoid the new Westfield Shopping Centre: a temple to Mammon which forms, I believe, what will be the official entrance to the games in 2012. Hating such places I confess that I didn't go inside.

More interesting than the shopping centre was a bridge which linked it to the nearby DLR station.

Security is so tight at Westfield that cars are searched when entering and leaving the car park!

The final picture gives some sense of the gathered multitude who were worshipping at the aforementioned temple. Not one of my favourite places...

The Viewing Platform

2011-11-03T14:30:00.001Z

As part of the 2012 London Olympics preparations, a viewing platform was built so that visitors (including the all-important International Olympic Committee) could see the whole site and the progress which was being made. This "platform" is, in fact, the equivalent of a Portakabin which has effectively been glued on top of a 21-storey block of flats!

Being so high results in a truly panoramic view of the whole of the Olympic Site - and most of London, in fact. It was a hazy day and I was shooting through glass, but the results are still fairly spectacular.

More than one person commented on the fact that the tower block was swaying slightly in the breeze, which is yet another reason why I don't think I could live in one of those things...

Grunge and Graffiti

2011-11-02T14:17:00.000Z

The whole of the area around the new Olympic Park is covered by graffiti in one form or another. Although not HDR in the true sense of the acronym (i.e. each image below is a single exposure) I felt that the subject matter called for treatment which added an element of "grunge" - something which HDR Efex does extremely well.

I'm afraid, when I saw the next image, I couldn't resist giving it the title Union Jack. Sorry...

The colourful graffiti also works pretty well in almost-monochrome infra red too.

Northern Outfall Sewer

2011-11-01T14:02:00.001Z

Ok, so it's not a very prepossessing name, but the Northern Outfall Sewer (more of a canal than a sewer) forms one of the boundaries of the Olympic Park. Some marketing bod has seen fit to rename part of it as "Green Way", which seems much more appropriate.

It was actually very attractive, with lots of interesting waterfront properties and no shortage of buildings, people, boats and dogs to photograph. "H. Forman & Son" is a smokery and restaurant, and there was the gentle aroma of oak smoke drifting across the water.

My favourite part of the walk along the towpath was a close encounter with a lone Basset Hound, which seemed to know exactly where it was going without any help from humankind.

Olympic Park

2011-10-31T16:30:00.000Z

Seeing Ann's pictures of her visit to the Olympic Park has shamed me into pulling my finger out and posting my own. Although only a Geographer by marriage, I went as part of a Geographical Association Field Trip on October 15th - a gloriously sunny and unseasonably warm day.

The site itself is enormous: something which was driven home to us while walking around the perimeter, and confirmed when we saw it from the "viewing platform" (see subsequent post for pictures).

The location and conditions seemed particularly well suited to Infra Red...

We were taken to the "View Tube" - a metal structure holding a staircase, a classroom and a balcony. All very well, but there was no way of getting from the staircase to the balcony while the classroom was locked or in use. It wasn't even a tube, but I guess some marketing person thought the name was a good idea...

Unsurprisingly, security at the Olympic Park is very tight indeed. Electrified fences and razor wire demonstrated how seriously a potential terrorist threat is being treated by the organisers.

We did find a chap with an Am I working Safely jacket, though. I guess the answer was "yes", as he seemed to be leaning against some railings watching other people do the real work!

Finally, I was sorely tempted to half-inch the following notice. It would have come in really useful at home...

Fog-bound on Departure Day

2011-08-14T16:13:00.001+01:00

Just like the last time I visited Guernsey, departure day dawned wet and foggy. This was the view from our hotel room windows.

We knew this was bound to result in delays at the airport, but this kind of weather is part of everyday life on the island. A quick look at the arrivals board on the internet showed that the mail had been diverted to Southampton; the newspapers had fared slightly better, being sent to Jersey instead! As no planes were coming in, it seemed reasonable to assume there wouldn't be any leaving. Nothing for it but to have a hearty breakfast and go around taking pictures with my new toy (a Sony NEX-5 which I'd bought in St Peter Port the previous day).

We then took a taxi to the airport. The driver was extremely friendly, which was just as well as Harriet had forgotten to return her room key and he needed to go back and do it for her! We shared the taxi with Alexandra Wood, who had been writing a guest blog for the Visit Guernsey website. You can read about her previous visit here, and hopefully her most recent writings will be posted soon.

Nothing was arriving or leaving the airport; in fact, looking out of the window, it wasn't even evident that there was an airport outside.

When the going gets tough, the tough take pictures. Amazingly there was absolutely no problem with me using the camera air-side. In fact, a very nice lady came over to explain to me that I was welcome to take pictures in the shiny new airport, providing I kept away from the "security" area. I wish other airports were this accommodating...

The final picture was taken hand-held at 1/5s, which show how impressive Sony's OSS (optical stabilisation system) can be. After a couple of hours, after which we'd completely exhausted the Duty Free shop and WH Smiths, we noticed that the fog was starting to clear. Not only that, there appeared to be planes on the tarmac.

Half an hour later and it was possible to see some houses on the far side of the runway, and the next thing we knew was that a plane was landing. It had originally come from Gatwick, and diverted to Jersey after getting bored of circling overhead. Izzi then got caught out, as she'd just bought herself an enormous sausage sandwich with spicy chips when the departure board announced that the newly-arrived plane was being turned round immediately and sent to Stansted!

The scheduled journey took us via Jersey, and the plane was almost empty on this first leg. Among our fellow passengers were some ageing "rockers" who we discovered later were part of a tribute band called Gums and Roses. A fitting end to our holiday on Guernsey...

The Little Chapel

2011-08-12T14:07:00.004+01:00

I know it's a cliché that, when one is a child, everything seems bigger than it really is; and, revisiting a location as an adult results in everything looking rather small. Well, I'm pleased to say that I've found the exception which proves the rule: the Little Chapel seemed absolutely tiny when I was 8, but I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to stand up inside it. More than that, there was room for me, my camera bag and tripod, and several other people who wanted to get in the way of 30 second HDR exposures!

My memory from 1968 was that the chapel was completely covered in sea shells. While there are some shells used for decoration, the majority of the surface - both inside and out - is actually made from pieces of broken pottery. Based on some of the comments from other visitors who seemed to be knowledgeable about such things, the bits of pottery had come from all over Europe.

Despite having to run the gauntlet of all the visitors, I did manage to take a few shots inside the chapel.

A rather strange place, all told, but clearly one which has a lot of significance to some people considering all the pieces of paper and assorted offerings left by its many visitors.

More information about the Little Chapel can be found here.

St Peter Port Town Church

2011-08-11T14:18:00.000+01:00

Initially, when I went into the St Peter Port Town Church, it was a haven of peace. It was also cool, unlike outdoors which was quickly heating up in the warm sun. Another chance to practise my neophyte HDR skills, although the very high contrast range makes it difficult to achieve a natural result. I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that the best HDR images are made on dull days, both indoors and out.

Not sure why I used the fisheye in the church, other than it already being on the camera. With hindsight I'd probably have been better with the 17-40, but it's a bit late to go back now!

A few more people came into the church, so I decided to beat a hasty retreat. It turned out to be not quite so hasty, in fact, as a person came in carrying a kind placard on a stick, closely followed by dozens of Germans in close-packed sheep formation. Presumably a cruise ship had just disgorged its contents into the town, and this was one of the organised tour groups. Eventually, when all the sheep were safely lined up to listen to their leader's spiel, I managed to slip out unnoticed.

St Peter Port Harbour

2011-08-11T12:04:00.003+01:00

Our last full day in Guernsey was probably the best as far as the weather was concerned. Warm sun, but with a gentle cooling breeze off the sea, fluffy white clouds, and very clear. I spent the morning wandering around the harbour in St Peter Port taking pictures. To give a sense of the place, here is a panorama taken from one of the jetties.

Guernsey is clearly a play area for rich people, given the number of luxury boats in the harbour and the preponderance of "Wealth Management" companies.

By this point is was starting to get busy - and warm - so I decided to head into the Town Church to escape from the crowds and cool down. I couldn't resist my favourite blue postbox before doing so, however.

More pictures to follow of the church interior...

April and George

2011-08-07T14:46:00.001+01:00

A big thank-you to April (and George, of course) for making our trip to Sark such a memorable one. As a postscript to the day, here are a few pictures I took of the two of them together. George is particularly fond of vegetable crisps, apparently. While being given his treat, the neighbouring horse decided he wanted to muscle in on some of the action!

Sark, part three

2011-08-07T14:32:00.002+01:00

The tour continued around the island, heading for the chocolate factory and La Coupée: the natural land bridge which links Big Sark with Little Sark. Having met a tractor, we were soon overtaken by another boy racer (actually, it was the same boy racer!) but George preferred to continue at his normal leisurely pace. According to April, the only place he accelerates is at a blind bend with a nominal speed restriction, but that's another story.

Next stop was La Coupée, which had to be crossed on foot (even bicycles had to be pushed). While the land bridge itself is natural, it was reinforced with concrete and provided with safety railings after the Second World War. The work was done by German PoWs, many of whom were left on the island after liberation. Before the reinforcement, apparently it was sometimes necessary to cross La Coupée on hands and knees, owing to the strength of the wind.

La Coupée is also a good vantage point, as well as providing access to one of the best beaches on Sark. Only a few hardy souls on the beach the day we were there - possibly related to the number of steps which need to be climbed on the way back (see above).

Eventually George took us back to The Avenue, at which point the rigmarole of reversing the horses into position started all over again.

We then wandered back to one of the eating houses on the island, which turned out to be part of the school. Possibly the only school I've ever been to which has a comprehensively equipped bar! While wandering around we spotted the doctor's house (including emergency transport) and another tractor which appeared to be delivering provisions to one of the shops. Either that, or it belonged to a family which needed lots of pet food and toilet paper. We also went past the Seneschal's office, from which the island is governed. Posted outside was a list of recent proceedings, including details of a resident who had been "black listed" from all licensed premises - presumably for being drunk and disorderly.

After an ice cream (from the aforementioned Polo lady) we walked slowly back to catch the ferry back to St Peter Port. This took us past the island rubbish tip, a multi-purpose telephone box and the less-than-glamorous ticket office belonging to the Ferry Company.

The journey home was relatively uneventful, although we did spent quite a long time looking as if we might crash into Herm on the way home. In the end the ferry negotiated the narrow gap between Herm and Jethou and we arrived home unscathed.

All in all, a great day out to a unique island. One day I'd like to go back and stay there for a few days, just for the peace and quiet. Always assuming that the tractors don't continue to multiply and the whole place hasn't been taken over by the Barclay brothers, that is...

Sark, part two

2011-08-07T13:26:00.001+01:00

Having arrived on Sark, the first challenge was to climb the hill from the harbour. While some hardy souls did it on foot, the majority paid up their £1 and jumped on a trailer behind one of the Sark tractors. Definitely money well spent!

There are no cars on Sark, which is one of its claims to fame. I had expected this to mean "no motor vehicles", but there are actually a large number of tractors on the island: 99 at the last count, which is almost 50% up on the previous year according to someone we spoke to. The tractors took over from the horses, which used to pull the visitors up the steep incline from the harbour as well as working the fields. The horses now offer a wonderful way to see the island, and we booked our tickets for the tour later in the morning.

Horses, it would appear, don't have a "reverse" gear. Backing one into position along with its peers took several people and lots of pushing and shoving.

While waiting for the horse-drawn tour we explored The Avenue, which is essentially Sark's High Street. A real mixture of shops, including a couple of banks and a genuine French boulangerie (we met the genuine Frenchman who was running it).

Bicycles were the main form of transport for the locals, when they weren't whizzing around on their tractors, and many of the visitors hired bikes for the day. Being lazy (or, as we were called on Herm, genteel) we decided that being pulled by a horse sounded much more attractive! Initially, the view wasn't great...

It soon improved, though, as we trotted off along one of the lanes. Our horse and guide for the day were George and April respectively, and they were obviously very used to working together. A little way along the street, April declared that George was likely to stop for a "number two"; this he duly did, much to Izzi's disgust as she was sitting right behind the offending orifice.

George had a "near miss" with a tractor recently, so was very wary of them. As a result we slowed down and gave the nasty machines a wide berth whenever we saw them. This did mean that occasionally we were overtaken by "boy racer" horses and their drivers.

We stopped at La Seigneurie gardens which also had an excellent tea shop. A younger member of the party was obviously exhausted by the morning's exertions, and had been lain out in the shade for a quick forty winks. Yet more Echium (I've been practising remembering this name!) and, of course, the ubiquitous Hydrangeas - although this time pink, rather than the more usual blue.

The chap on the trap (as it were) was actually a Geordie who seemed to have made the island his home. The lady was well-known to George, in that she drove a "stop me and buy one" ice cream bicycle. George isn't allowed ice cream as it gives him the runs, but he was given a Polo mint in compensation.

The journey around Sark will continue in part three. Surely something not to be missed...

Sark, part one

2011-08-05T21:56:00.001+01:00

Sark is one of those places I've always wanted to visit. Perhaps it's the quiet island life, or the complete lack of cars? Whatever it is, we decided to take a day trip to have a closer look. The first few pictures are of the harbour in St Peter Port. There was an enormous cruise ship anchored in the bay, and we saw several of its little ferry boats (which look like inter-galactic escape pods).

Arrival on Sark is around a wooded headland on which is positioned a lighthouse. The island is clearly much bigger than Herm, but also much hillier and more covered in trees.

The final few pictures are waiting to disembark onto the island, followed by the "welcome" tunnel which everyone needs to walk through.

Watch out for the next, thrilling instalment of our trip to Sark...

Trip to Herm

2011-08-02T23:04:00.000+01:00

We decided to go on a trip to Herm, which is only 20 minutes away from St Peter Port by ferry. It was a Sunday morning, and everything was pretty peaceful waiting for the boat to depart until - out of nowhere - a "fire & brimstone" evangelical preacher appeared on the quayside. He proceeded to recite sections of Genesis to the assembled multitudes in an exceedingly monotonous voice. I've included the close crop of his pictures to show the resolving power of the L series lenses (the first shot is full frame).

The Herm folk are very polite: I've never been called "genteel" by the natives before! I've also included a picture of the latest must-have beach gadget: a bomb which whistles as it flies through the air. A bit close to the bone, perhaps, given the Channel Islands' recent history, but fun to play with nevertheless.

No sooner had we arrived on Herm than the fog descended. The Eastern side of the island was clear, though, and bathed in glorious (hot) sunshine.

The final two shots are of an Anthony Gormley statue which has recently been placed high on a rocky outcrop. Needless to say, it was a magnet for visitors.

Sausmarez, Fermain and Pleinmont

2011-08-01T22:09:00.000+01:00

The manor house in St Martin (Sausmarez) hosts a weekly farmers' market. Fabulous fresh produce: particularly the vegetables and fish, which were precious little use to us as we're staying in a hotel. Here are a few pictures taken during the morning's proceedings.

Then, following a tip off from Jan Trestain, a local photographer who's been helping me during my trip, we walked down a steep and winding path to the superb beach cafe at Fermain. A truly excellent place, serving crab sandwiches to die for. It was improved by essentially being inaccessible to cars (unless you count the idiot Brits who decided to ignore the no entry and permit holders only signs). The only downside was the long walk back up the hill and back to the hotel, but at least I was able to stop and take a few pictures on the way.

Being gluttons for punishment (it was hot and very sunny) we took the bus to Portelet harbour and walked around the Pleinmont peninsula. The main landmark was Pezerie fort, dating from Napoleonic times, but commandeered by the Germans during WWII. Not many people were out (unsurprising, given the heat) and those which were tended to be on the beach or swimming in the sea.

As before, I thought I'd end today's post with one of those strange signs I find occasionally. There's clearly a very useful information centre, but it seems one isn't actually allowed to go there (except on foot, of course).

L'Ancresse Bay

2011-07-31T22:11:00.001+01:00

I was determined to visit L'Ancresse Bay: a wonderful beach in the north of Guernsey where I had spent a family holiday in 1968. It was pretty well as I remembered it, apart from being smaller (as always with childhood memories) and much busier.

Yet again it was very hazy, so out came the IR camera...

For some reason, after 43 years, I believed I could find my way back to the flats I'd stayed in as a child. Wrong! An hour and a half was spent wandering the labyrinth of lanes around L'Ancresse Common attempting to find the elusive building, without knowing it's address, current name, or even whether it still existed! Needless to say I failed to find it, but I have since discovered that my vague memory of the name (Hirondelle) is correct, and that The Swallow Holiday Apartments are still very much alive and well, albeit rather up-market compared to the late '60s. Still haven't found them on the ground, though, as the map on their website is truly appalling...

Here are some pictures I took while thoroughly lost in the L'Ancresse area.

Eventually I spotted a landmark I'd seen from the bus earlier in the day: a cow tethered by the side of the road, apparently a natural hazard associated with the L'Ancresse Golf Course. I've included a natural colour shot of the animal too, just to prove that Guernsey cows aren't blue...

The afternoon was spent on the beach playing silly games with Izzi, but I also went for a paddle in the sea. While doing so, I spent ages photographing the patterns made by the water retreating over shells and stones. Here are a few of the results.

Travels around Guernsey

2011-07-30T19:06:00.001+01:00

We went to Oatlands, a visitor "attraction" (oxymoron), because Izzi wanted to play Crazy Golf. The golf was fun, but the place was nothing to write home about. More interesting was the lane outside and the disused brick kilns.

There seem to be far fewer cows on the island than when I came as a child. We found some in a field without a gate: not a problem, as every cow was tethered.

I'd like to say they were no flies on this particular cow, but it would clearly be a lie!

We wandered along the cliff for a couple of miles, which was beautiful and rather spectacular in places. As it was hazy I decided to use the IR camera (not being a natural born landscape photographer, I didn't know any better). These are some of the pictures, including a colour version taken on the LX3 for comparison.

The walk finished with the obligatory ice cream at Icart Point. Great ice cream, and a wonderful garden too. I'm getting used to recognising Giant Lobelia and Agapanthus...

Later: Shows how much I know. Apparently the "Giant Lobelia" is, in fact, an Echium. Being botanically challenged, I blame my spouse for not correcting my misconception earlier!

There are some beautiful houses on the island, so I've included a couple of des res examples here. One is to die for, combining a traditional granite main house with a thatched extension.

Being a collector of strange signs, I thought I'd finish off this post with a couple I found in the last few days, along with another example of hedge veg.

Sainte Marguerite de la Foret

2011-07-29T22:11:00.000+01:00

This is a little church, just round the corner from the Museum of German Occupation. Not much to look at from the outside, but with a very simple and attractive interior. Besides, photographing the church filled in the time between the visiting the museum and lunch, and it also allowed me to practise some more HDR.

St Peter Port

2011-07-29T18:15:00.002+01:00

A few pictures taken in St Peter Port, the capital of the island (or, simply, "Town" as it's known by the locals). It was busy, partly because an enormous cruise ship had just disgorged dozens of Americans onto the streets, and partly because it is the Carnival this week.

I know this is false-colour infra-red, but the post boxes really are blue. The telephone kiosks are yellow too, as will be proved later!

I was amused to notice that the ferry for Herm (a trip planned for later during our stay) departs from the Cambridge steps.

A couple of pictures to prove that photographers can find decay and detritus wherever they go...

Finally, the evidence that you've all been waiting for (and, NO, it hasn't been Photoshopped).

Told you!

Arrival in Guernsey

2011-07-28T10:43:00.000+01:00

Left Cambridge on Tuesday for a few days away in Guernsey. I've been to the island once before (I believe it was in 1968!) and apart from a staggering increase in the amount of traffic it doesn't seem to have changed much. The following pictures were taken while waiting for a bus having just landed at the airport.

An excellent bus service (each journey costs £1, or 50p if pre-paid with a smart card, irrespective of distance) dropped us very close to our hotel. After checking in we went for a walk in search of an ice cream, and discovered the first example of a Guernsey phenomenon: Hedge Veg. Apparently, "veg" is used as a generic term, and can mean anything for sale at the side of the road (including books, DVDs and - apparently - ash trays).

We also spotted a car for sale: a "good little runner", despite not being roadworthy, which was free to a good home. The car was 20 years old and had done 80,000 miles - not bad on an island which is 6 miles by 4 and has a maximum speed limit of 35mph!

One of the things I remember from my first visit was the sheer number of greenhouses. We've seen several which are derelict; or, like this one, for sale. Perhaps the bottom has dropped out of the Guernsey tomato business?

CLA Game Fair

2011-07-23T22:15:00.003+01:00

We managed to get to the CLA Game Fair, which was held in the grounds of Blenheim Palace this year. A very large and busy event with lots going on - starting with the queue to get in (a cool £56 for a family ticket).

Then, of course, there is the inevitable battle of the sexes. Note the obvious differences between the waiting times for the Gents' and Ladies' loos.

Who could resist a couple of Basset Hounds? Totally endearing to everyone, including to a young child who had a close encounter...

I found myself photographing things with a dogs' eye view - of which more later. This included the obligatory green wellies.

There were some pretty bizarre things on sale at the show. These included a rather some rather expensive decoy hunting targets (too deer for me [sorry!]) and a rather spooky mask.

More wellies, of varying hues.

My personal interest in going to the show was the fly fishing stalls. There were several live demonstrations, some of which were being filmed. The elongated stretch of water is a casting pool, and the chap with the rod is demonstrating a Spey cast with a double-handed salmon rod. The final image is a fly-tying demonstration, the details of which were shown on a big screen.

People watching is a good pastime at such events. I presume the guy inspecting the Bentley didn't have to ask how much it cost...

Other strange things spotted during the day, including a sign which is bound to come in useful sometime along with some microscopic tweeds for the land-owner-to-be. Mustn't forget the beer tent, of course, or the surreal sight of a 20 foot giraffe and a blimp representing the back end of a dog...

More pictures of dogs (or taken with a dogs' eye view).

A couple of a jazz trio who were playing their hearts out.

Not forgetting the "leading artificial turf" company, the AA (no joiners), or the "not so sushi" bar.

It's exhibition time again

2011-06-29T12:24:00.001+01:00

If you're in the Grantchester area this weekend, why not drop by at our exhibition and say hello? Even if you don't like any of the pictures, there will be plenty of tea and cake available...

Visit to Monach Farm

2011-06-28T16:55:00.000+01:00

Enormous thanks are due to Roland Randall and his wife, Dreda, for allowing us to wander around Monach Farm on Saturday afternoon taking pictures. A wonderful place, and the Caprilatte ice cream is to die for!

These are some of the horses being moved after a heavy day at the Riding Stables.

The goats were endearing, and great characters. These two had been banished into a barn along with a couple of tractors.

There was an opportunity to photograph the goats being milked, but it was much more fun to take pictures of Homo photographicus instead.

Some more goats, along with a "wannabe" goat: a Highland calf called Buzz Lightyear who is being hand-reared.

Does my nose look big in this? Also, it seems like Buzz wasn't the only goat wannabe...

Roland showing us Paddington, his stud boar, who stole the show.

Monach Farm is a great place, and well worth going to one of their open days. There's always one on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Last gasp before my HDR Efex Pro trial runs out

2011-06-22T12:42:00.006+01:00

The more I use HDR Efex Pro, the more I like it. Initially I thought that Exposure Fusion (something which Photomatix does) would be the solution for natural-looking church interiors, for example. After playing with it for a couple of weeks, I'm convinced that careful use of the Nik tone mapping is more than capable of producing a highly natural and realistic looking result. Anyway, judge for yourselves based on the last set of images I was able to create before my evaluation licence expired...

Yet more HDR (but am I getting any better?)

2011-06-16T21:50:00.000+01:00

After experimenting with four different HDR programs (Photoshop, Dynamic Photo HDR, Photomatix and Nik HDR Efex Pro) I keep coming back to the last one. The user interface is so much more intuitive than the others, and - just as with Silver Efex Pro - is designed to be used by photographers in very much the same way as things used to work in the darkroom.

The following images were all processed in HDR Efex Pro, and I was deliberately attempting to achieve as natural a look as possible (given the limitations of the medium).

I also couldn't resist going for a surreal interpretation of some work taking place in the Triforium. I'm not normally a fan of OTT processing, but this image really seems to work.

Before the 14 day trial runs out on Monday (sob) I've also been experimenting with some other examples of HDR work. The first is a three picture set, two stops apart, which was hand held. The auto-align feature of HDR Efex Pro is pretty astonishing (Photoshop made a complete dog's breakfast of the job).

I also tried a couple of "single image" HDR examples, starting from a single RAW file rather than a bracketed set. Both a bit surreal, but certainly more interesting than the originals (not saying much).

The final example is a bracketed sequence from my Infra Red camera, just to se what the result would look like.

I now need to break the world record when it comes to learning and HDR processing before my trial period runs out. Either that or break open the piggy bank...

More HDR experiments from Canterbury

2011-06-13T17:44:00.002+01:00

I've been playing with, and comparing, three different HDR conversion programs in an attempt to produce something palatable from Canterbury. I'm impressed by Photomatix, but the user interface is a bit clunky. The Nik "HDR Efex Pro" is much more refined, but more expensive (naturally). If I'm lucky I'll have worked out how to use it before the evaluation licence runs out...

First a couple of images I'd already tried using the Photoshop HDR converter.

Neither look particularly natural, I know, but that's partly deliberate. The rest of the images show the experimentation and learning I'm going through. Hopefully the results are improving slightly, but I'm yet to be totally convinced.

These images were all produced using Nik HDR Efex Pro, and then modified slightly in Lightroom for straightening and/or cropping. Not too bad, but still more experimentation is necessary, methinks...

Canterbury Cathedral

2011-06-07T16:38:00.002+01:00

I spent the last three days in Kent with a group of people from Cambridge Camera Club, and part of that trip was a tour around Canterbury Cathedral on Saturday. I have barely started processing the images I took, but here are a few to be going on with. I decided that the location was an ideal place to learn about HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, but these are very early days yet. As you can see below, some of the results are less than successful! I'm currently evaluating a couple of pieces of software for performing the HDR conversion and tone mapping, which explains the textual "watermark" in some of the pictures.

On the left is the "Exposure Fusion" version, which is much more natural but has failed to preserve details in the brightly lit wall. On the right is the overcooked version using classic HDR processing and tone mapping. Not sure the grungy look suits this particular image.

Another comparison with "natural" versus "OTT" processing. It's pictures on the right which get HDR a bad name, and it's not difficult to see why...

The picture of the pulpit works reasonably well in HDR, as it seems to fit with the vertical distortions caused by the 15mm fisheye lens. The treadmill is actually high up in the roof space of one of the Cathedral transepts, and was in almost complete darkness. Not sure I like the way I've processed it, so I'm sure I'll be coming back to this particular picture. An truly astonishing monument within a monument.

Here the overcooked look actually seems to suit the image rather well. Maybe it's the curved verticals which help to make the surreal processing more acceptable? This is probably my favourite HDR conversion to date, but it's clear I've got a long way to go yet. A book is on order from Amazon!

The last two images from this this first set are straight shots. On the left is a rather magnificent brass lectern. On the right is a the amazing ceiling of the tower, which had to be photographed from the middle of a treacherous flight of stairs. The shield in the middle is, apparently a trap-door.

More from Easter Sunday

2011-05-02T19:21:00.000+01:00

A few more IR shots taken on Easter Sunday while playing tourist in Cambridge. As well as the obvious shots of King's College Chapel, I've included the picture of the Gibbs Building - not because it's a great image, but because it contains an unexpected ornithological specimen. A case of "what the duck"?

Then a walk along the backs from Kings College to Garret Hostel Lane. I loved the couple eating ice creams, who were also clearly enjoying some kind of private joke.

The final picture is the gate into Clare College gardens which contains a large lens in the centre.

Mucking about on the River

2011-04-30T18:54:00.001+01:00

The last month has been very busy (as always) but I managed to get into Cambridge on Easter Sunday when my niece came to visit. It was the first time I've visited the normal tourist spots since my 20D was converted for IR, so I thought I'd give it a burn. This is a set of pictures I took from King's College Bridge of the River Cam, which was literally crawling with punts.

Spring Sunshine

2011-03-25T11:13:00.000Z

The last couple of lunchtimes have been absolutely beautiful with lovely warm Spring sunshine. Time to dust off the IR camera again, as the soft muted colours seem to fit well with metallic modern architecture.

As an antidote to the stark concrete and aluminium,here's something a little more natural...

I need to revisit the daffodils before they start to die back.

Ladybower Interpretations

2011-03-22T12:47:00.002Z

Further to Frances's recent blog post, I think the picture of Ladybower could be interpreted successfully in many ways. Here are two more to add to the mix: a hard monochrome; and a soft, dreamy, colour version.

I think the second one is my favourite.

It's a Dog's Life

2011-03-14T15:35:00.000Z

Spotted while walking to the Post Office this lunchtime.

Another attempt at playing with Silver Efex Pro 2.

Checker Board

2011-03-10T12:17:00.001Z

I treated myself to an X-Rite Color [sic] Checker Passport at Focus on Imaging on Tuesday. It's a very clever piece of kit indeed, and a huge amount of thought has gone into its design. The first test for it was to make a proper camera profile for my Panasonic LX3, as I've never been truly happy with the "Adobe Standard" version provided with ACR and Lightroom. Skies always used to have a cyan cast, and some reds were pushed towards yellow/orange.

Based on an experiment which took all of 2 minutes in the car park at work, the results are very impressive. All I did was to photograph the passport in daylight, then process the image in the Lightroom plugin which came with the product. Out pops a colour profile which can then be applied to other images, and I've included a selection here. In all cases, the original (Adobe) profile is on the left; the new (X-Rite) profile is on the right.

The ColorChecker Passport in action

It's possible to make "joint" profiles from pictures taken under two completely different lighting conditions (e.g. daylight and tungsten). According to the documentation, this should improve the performance further in the sense that the profile generated should work for a greater variety of source images. It's also possible to make custom profiles for specific situations simply by including the passport in one of the RAW pictures taken under the same lighting conditions as the rest of the set. This should help enormously in colour-critical jobs, such as photographing paintings or quilting/textiles, or locations with mixed lighting such as church interiors.

I'll report further when I've had a chance to experiment with my other camera bodies...

Experiments with Silver Efex Pro 2

2011-03-03T14:21:00.001Z

I blame Ann for this (naturally) but I downloaded the demo version of Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 yesterday. This lunchtime was spent watching a number of tutorial videos, followed by a decision to "have a go". All the pictures below were taken at the Black Country Museum on a miserably cold, wet day in December 2009. They are all full-frame shots (i.e. no cropping or rotation) and none of the B&W conversions took longer than 5 minutes to perform. I have to say that I'm dead impressed so far, but then I haven't shelled out any hard-earned dosh yet. I might have to, though, especially as version 2 has some superb features which make it much more flexible and easier to use than version 1.

IR close to work

2011-02-09T13:47:00.000Z

Camera Club duties have, again, taken their toll when it comes to my own photography since Christmas. That's life, unfortunately. I did have the chance to wander around with my new IR camera one lunchtime last week, however, and these are the results.

My office is just around the corner from Cambridge Airport, hence the picture above.

The "greasy spoon" caravan is just outside the Airport perimeter fence, and directly opposite a large Mercedes dealership. Usually this means that there is no shortage of takers for its wares. Because of the red filter in the IR camera, the "NO ENTRY" sign has been rendered almost invisible. The second picture is a local "tyre, brake and exhaust" outfit, and the chap shown was simply basking in the early February sun.

The final four pictures are of the Mercedes dealership, which has just had a shiny new aluminium cladding fitted - presumably as this will make people spend even more on their outrageously expensive cars. Interestingly, the flags in the last shot genuinely were blue; but then so was the sky. That's one of the things I love about IR photography, as it's not always possible to predict the outcome.

Barrington in the Sun

2011-01-10T17:48:00.001Z

For the first time since my 20D was converted to Infra Red, the sun shone last Saturday afternoon. Despite it being bitterly cold, Phil and I ventured to Barrington to see what was happening. The thatched cottages around the Village Green looked extremely attractive in IR.

There was also a football match going on, and although IR isn't the obvious medium for sports photography, I thought I'd give it a go. I particularly like "The Booking", possibly resulting from the fact that the language was as blue as the photographs, courtesy of most of the players...

The final picture is of Phil, who looked particularly fetching in his new blue and beige livery!

New Year Walk

2011-01-02T14:19:00.009Z

One of my favourite haunts for walking Amber: Button End, between Harston and Haslingfield. Still getting to grips with the IR camera, as I'm finding the metering a bit hit and miss. Just like the old days with Kodak HIE film, in fact...

Not sure about pure mono or false-colour IR either. Need to keep experimenting!

A trip to Wells

2010-12-31T16:44:00.002Z

In an attempt to burn off some of the Christmas calories, we went to Wells-next-the-Sea on the Norfolk coast a couple of days ago. It was dull, grey and gloomy, and the rain set in during the afternoon. Nevertheless we had a great time on the beach, throwing a frisbee for the dog and photographing the beach huts.

I've never tried photographing the beach huts with a fisheye lens before, but the results are rather interesting. Of course, there's always the possibility of a stray dog and frisbee finding their way into the shot, but that's just an occupational hazard...

I also took my newly converted IR camera with me, and rather liked the false colour images produced simply by correcting the white balance. Something akin to a cross between split toning and hand colouring...

The final shot shows my daughter, Frances, taking a picture of something interesting on the beach - a cockle shell, by the look of it. Perhaps she'll post it on her blog at some point?

A New Toy

2010-12-30T13:14:00.003Z

It's been a long time since I last posted, and this reflects an almost total lack of photography since October. Too many other things to do, unfortunately, but a few days off work have enabled me to do a bit of catching up.

Santa was very generous this year, and allowed me to have my original 20D converted for Infra Red at Advanced Camera Services. Despite the weather (and me being late sending the body off for conversion) the good people at ACS worked liked troopers to get everything completed in time for Christmas. Superb service, and a very friendly and helpful bunch of people. Boxing Day was my first opportunity to take the camera out, and these are the results from that inaugural trip...

We went for a walk along the edge of the quarry between Barrington and Harlton. The day was rather dull and cold, but there was clearly still a fair amount of IR light around. Frances had borrowed a couple of item from my camera bag, and was busy trying them out during the afternoon.

A couple of details from the walk...

... and three views of the quarry and its environs.

P.S. I love my new toy (although I'm yet to be convinced by Blogger's new auto-layout editing system - so much for WYSIWYG!).

A Trip to Wimpole

2010-10-03T17:30:00.004+01:00

My daughter is putting me to shame when it comes to Blog postings, so I'd better pull my finger out. Here are some pictures, taken today, of a camera club trip to Wimpole Hall. There were seven of us braving the elements, but early on we were rewarded with some fairly spectacular light over the hall itself.

The sun didn't stay out for long, but I managed to take a few more pictures while it did. The monochrome picture of the trees isn't Infra Red - just a cheat B&W conversion which makes it look that way.

The weather turned grey, so we went for a well-earned cup of tea - during which time, of course, the sun came out again. By the time we'd finished, it was back to being grey and cloudy with the occasional spot of rain. Typical! Never mind, as there's always Homo photographicus to be observed...

In the final picture, Ann is explaining the finer points of using a Neutral Density filter to obtain long exposures. She was practising on reeds blowing on the wind, as the "scudding clouds" she'd hoped for had long since evaporated.

I had a go at the water lilies on the lake and a rather fine fungus on a rotting tree trunk...

Meanwhile, we discovered exactly how many photographers it takes to capture a Shaggy Ink Cap!

Then we tried the famous "three photographers in a triangle" trick.

Of course, no post would be complete without a sequence of Ann realising - yet again - that she was going to make a star appearance in someone else's blog...

Paxton Pits

2010-08-27T17:23:00.000+01:00

We had a club outing to Paxton Pits, near St Neots, last Sunday, but I've been so busy that this is the first chance I've had to post any pictures. There wasn't a great deal of bird life around - mainly cormorants, in fact, and as a trout fisherman I have a pathological hatred of these black pests! There were some rather beautiful swans around, though, and the ripples on the water provided a great background for them.

On one of the shots, a second swan managed to find its way into the frame - in reflection only - but I rather liked the effect.

Not being motivated (or proficient) enough to chase the rapidly moving dragon flies, I stood by the river and watched the world go by. The speed of the canoe was more to my liking!

As always, this trip wouldn't be complete without the usual selection of Homo photographicus specimens. There weren't many of us, but that didn't matter as we had an excellent morning out.

Breezy Bridlington

2010-08-20T16:38:00.000+01:00

My parents moved to Bridlington after they retired, so it's somewhere I know quite well. I can't say it's one of my favourite locations, but Izzi was keen to re-visit places hadn't been to since my mother died in 2005. The whole of the North Promenade area is taken up with amusement arcades and fairground rides, all of which were a bit tatty and slightly sleazy. Everything in Bridlington is done "on the cheap"...

We went onto the North Pier to avoid the noise of the arcades. Bridlington is flat - much more so than the resorts just up the coast - so attracts the elderly and infirm. As a result you need to be careful of people zooming around on disabled scooters.

There were various flavours of boats in the harbour, including two very different pleasure craft.

The people are always fascinating in seaside towns, and these two caught my eye. The girl was very bored looking after an ice-cream stall, and nobody was buying anything because of the weather. The chap with the camera kept leaning further and further back over the railings - what we photographers do for an ideal shot!

Two more scenes from the North Promenade, including the "road train" which takes families from Bridlington to Sewerby. The building in the first picture - actually a leisure centre - was completely covered in seagull guano. Seems to sum Bridlington up...

Finally, some pictures of Bridlington's shops. Now you know where to go if you ever need smelly balls!!

...and then the sun came out

2010-08-17T16:35:00.006+01:00

In the middle of the afternoon the clouds cleared and the sun came out. That doesn't mean it was warm, of course (being Yorkshire) but everyone started behaving as though it was anyway. We never did manage to get to the beer festival...

Because the middle of the town was heaving with people, Amber and I wandered onto the West Pier to escape the crowds. This is a great place to observe traditional seaside behaviour on the beach below.

There were several pleasure boats steaming around the harbour, including an appropriately named speedboat and Whitby's old lifeboat which now gives pleasure rides. The speedboat driver (pilot?) seemed to be in the middle of a late lunch, as I discovered when I looked at the pictures when I got home!

The pier itself is always a good place to watch the world go by.

The final two pictures from Whitby, looking back towards the town from the pier. What a magical place...

People Watching

2010-08-13T12:42:00.001+01:00

More from Whitby, illustrating some of the human specimens I observed while wandering around. It was cold when we arrived, so there weren't very many people on the beach. This person seemed to have the right idea.

The next group struck me as "three of a kind". I'm not sure I'd want to meet any of them on a dark night...

Others were sitting, watching the world go by.

Shops and Cafes are always good places to observe human behaviour. The Cafe, in this instance, is the world famous Magpie which serves the best fish and chips ever!

The centre of the town became really busy towards the end of the afternoon, so I retreated onto the West Pier where the last two shots were taken.

Not quite sure why, but I seem to be going through a bit of a monochrome phase at the moment.

Trip to Whitby

2010-08-12T12:48:00.001+01:00

Whitby is a place of which I am extremely fond, having gone there on holiday as a kid pretty well every year since I was six. I always make a pilgrimage whenever I'm in the area, and this time was no exception. First port of call is one of my favourite shops: the Carlsberg of bakeries, E. Botham & Sons. A magical place which produces the best sandwiches and scrummiest cakes in the world. On this occasion I was banished outside as I had Amber with me, but the "Queen Of Hearts" made this an entertaining experience while she replenished the window display.

Whitby was extremely busy with tourists, in contrast to the sleepy fishing town I remember from the mid sixties. The narrow streets of the East Side, in particular, were heaving with people, so Amber and I headed for the 199 steps up to the Abbey and St Mary's Church.

Amber then proceeded to pull me up the steps at break-neck speed, much to the amusement (and envy) of some onlookers. It was mercifully quieter at the top, and as an added bonus the sun came out!

We took the descent at a rather more leisurely pace (thankfully), and watched the world go by as we went.

The final shot on the steps was of a fellow tourist attempting to balance a camera and rapidly melting ice cream while taking a shot of the view. I was struck by the similarity in colour of her dyed hair and the pantiled rooftops.

Monochrome in the Morning

2010-08-06T14:16:00.000+01:00

The Yorkshire Wolds are beautiful in their own way: gentle rolling countryside rather than the more spectacular and bleak scenery of the Dales or the North York Moors. I walked Amber early (well, early-ish) each morning, and if the light looked at all promising I took my camera with me.

More often than not it was cloudy and overcast, so I've decided to convert this particular set of pictures to monochrome. It seems to bring out the texture in the crops, fields and trees, even though the lighting was pretty weak most of the time.

I was particularly taken with the straight lines formed by the tractors, presumably when spraying, and their interaction with the hedges, trees and cloud shadows.

The landscape is dotted with farmhouses, usually nestling in the valleys like this one.

Flotsam, Jetsam and Then Some

2010-08-05T17:30:00.000+01:00

I've just got back from a week in Yorkshire, staying with my sister near Driffield. One afternoon we took Amber for a burn on Fraisthorpe Beach, between Bridlington and Hornsea. A huge expanse of sand, famous locally for being a nudist beach until relatively recently; there are signs in the car park reminding visitors that, in 2010, they need to keep their clothes on!

Amber spent a very happy time on the beach eating anything which had been washed up, including the remnants of a filleted fish which had been thrown overboard by one of the trawlers. Labradors! We were also treated to a fly-by from the local Air/Sea rescue helicopter.

Although the sun shone for a bit, it was perishing cold on the beach - typical for Yorkshire in July. I guess the word is "bracing"; or is that only Skegness?

More from the Lowry Outlet Mall

2010-07-19T13:09:00.004+01:00

After visiting the Lowry Centre, it was back to earth with a bump as I needed to meet up with the rest of the family in the Outlet Mall. Quite an impressive place (if you like that kind of thing) but it's clear that there were several empty spaces remaining to be filled. I love the euphemism involved with such announcements: Exciting New Retailer Coming Soon sounds so much better than Boring Old Retailer Went Bankrupt...

Everything had a "Sale" on, including a rather large kitchen and household goods store. A bit like a warehouse, with all the charm which that entails. At least the escalators were rather more aesthetically pleasing!

My final view of the Mall, which seems to sum it up for me. Several people wandering aimlessly about, buying "stuff" which they don't need and eating fast food which is bad for them. The bin just about says it all.

Salford Quays and The Lowry Centre

2010-07-17T13:26:00.000+01:00

Exactly like the last time I visited, the Manchester weather closed in as soon as we'd reached Salford Quays. Typical. This didn't worry Izzi, however, as her prime interest was a retail experience in the Outlet Mall rather than admiring the architecture. Again, typical! No problem, as this gave me an hour or so to wander round taking pictures.

I was determined to go into the Lowry Centre as I'd heard the interior was well worth a look. The exterior wasn't bad either...

I never got to the Lowry exhibition itself as I was overwhelmed by the foyer and theatre. The whole place is made up of either polished steel or solid blocks of vivid colour: primarily red and orange, but also yellow, blue and purple. It was one of those places where the main question is "where do I start?". Well, the following selection of pictures is in no particular order, but I hope will give some flavour of the place.

As you can probably tell, I was totally bowled over by the place. It was pleasantly empty too, which is more than could be said for the Outlet Mall...

To Salford Quays by Tram

2010-07-15T14:52:00.000+01:00

There's something about travelling by tram which is both very old-fashioned and ultra-modern at the same time. The Manchester tram network is pretty amazing, and we decided to make the short journey from Castlefields to Salford Quays using it.

By the way, that disgusting steel & glass monstrosity with the grid on top is the Manchester Hilton Hotel. You can see it for miles around - unfortunately...

The trams were clean, quiet and very speedy. Mind you, we were travelling on a sunny Sunday afternoon - who knows what they'd be like during a rainy rush-hour in November...

Castlefields Canal Basin

2010-07-14T17:42:00.000+01:00

In Manchester we were staying in a flat in the Castlefields area, close to Deansgate. The flat is in a converted warehouse next to a canal basin, and we walked along the towpath on our way to catch a tram to Salford Quays. A world away (and then some) from the Curry Mile in Rusholme...

Graduation Day

2010-07-13T16:39:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was Frances's graduation in Manchester. A moment for Harriet and me to be proud parents, and for Izzi to wonder what on earth was going on. It was all rather different to a Cambridge ceremony, but I was pleased to see that the robes were made by Ede & Ravenscroft.

Once the robes had been collected, there remained one important thing to do before graduation itself: namely, choosing a bear. It was never like that in my day...

It was a short walk across the road to the Whitworth Hall, but being Manchester it was raining - naturally. The hall itself is large Victorian edifice, and is absolutely stunning with a huge organ at one end.

After the ceremony, it was back across the road again for a reception and buffet lunch. Admission was "strictly by ticket only" with only two tickets per student, but since there was nobody on the door to collect the aforementioned tickets (strictly or otherwise) we all joined Frances for something to eat.

Before handing the robes back, there was the obligatory "I wonder what I'd look like with that silly hat on" experimentation. Izzi soon got the idea, but it seems that the Cambridge graduate doesn't quite know which way is up...

Of course, the true graduate knew exactly how to wear it on the day.

Fisheye Skies

2010-07-07T13:30:00.000+01:00

East Anglia is justifiably famous for its big, open skies, but it's actually quite difficult to photograph them. While walking Amber early on Sunday morning, I pointed my fisheye lens towards the heavens to see what happened!

The poppy field in the first image was absolutely stunning, but the position of the sun meant that it was impossible to photograph it without including my own shadow.

While in a "self portrait" mood, I was rather taken by the reflection in my car window at the end of the walk.

Thank heavens for Live View...

Sunny Mill Road

2010-06-28T12:04:00.000+01:00

Taken a few days ago at lunchtime in the Mill Road area of Cambridge. It's a bustling part of town, and even busier now that it was when I lived there as a research student.

21 Today!

2010-06-22T11:48:00.000+01:00

Frances, my "little girl", is 21 today, so...

MANY HAPPY RETURNS!!

She's just graduating with a degree in Engineering from Manchester, and her chosen birthday present was a digital camera. Truly a chip off the old block...

Burwash Manor

2010-06-21T14:30:00.002+01:00

Another camera club outing yesterday afternoon, this time to Burwash Manor Farm in Barton. A fascinating place run by a farmer who is obviously passionate about wildlife and working organically. We were treated to a ride around the farm on a trailer with plywood seats - a bit like a South African Game Drive, but without the South African Game!

Several shallow ponds have been dug specifically for birds and insects - especially dragonflies. There was a family of mallards going quietly about their business, but all of a sudden panic set in and they all decided to abandon ship.

Otherwise the ponds were very peaceful and, with one exception, crystal clear.

This is the farmer himself, explaining why red clover acts as a natural contraceptive for cows because of the level of oestrogen it contains...

Who's a shitty boy, then? Another of the farmer's stories related to a solitary calf which was wandering around the field covered in excrement. Apparently it's all down to the fact its mother had died, so spent its time attempting to steal food from the other cows in the field. The only way to avoid being kicked is to approach the udder from behind, but this has obvious drawbacks...

Once the official tour was finished we were dropped off by the ponds in order to wander round on our own. Apart from a couple of damsel flies and some water boatmen, there wasn't much sign of activity in the ponds themselves. Slightly further afield, though, I came across a male Broad Bodied Chaser which was sunning itself on a twig. It flew off for a while, but then came back to a different branch close by. In terms of photography, though, it's clear that the background makes a huge difference. Both shots were taken at exactly the same camera and lens settings, but I know which one I prefer...

The farmer had planted beetle banks to split up his large fields, and these were absolutely full of insects including Large Skippers and the humble Bumble Bee. The picture with two Skippers shows some interesting behaviour: when the second butterfly arrived, it spent the whole time while on the flower vibrating its abdomen. I've seen bees "dance" before, but not butterflies.

The flowers were superb, although not being a botanical type I'm not sure what some of them are. I recognised Poppies (obviously), Scabious and Knapweed, but I don't know what the big Daisy-like flowers are. Any help with identification gratefully received!

This posting wouldn't be complete without the usual selection of Homo Photographicus specimens. A couple clearly found something fascinating to photograph in the soil (heaven alone knows what) while others were unusually shy and elusive. Good camouflage in the final picture, though...

Wicken Wildlife

2010-06-17T12:04:00.001+01:00

An intrepid bunch of individuals from Cambridge Camera Club ventured to Wicken Fen on Sunday. We were treated to the spectacle of an emerging dragonfly, although there was quite a queue when it came to photographing the beastie. We also had to run the gauntlet of some rather vicious mosquitos, which soon developed a taste for photographic flesh...

While waiting patiently to photograph the dragonfly, I turned my lens on other subjects. The first was an unsuspecting Azure Damselfly which was soaking up the sun on a fence post. [Later: a wise man has informed me that it's a Blue-tailed Damselfly, not an Azure. Who am I to argue?]

I then ran out of insects (and patience) so started to look at my fellow mosquito fodder.

I was even lucky enough to capture these specimens of homo photographicus exhibiting some interesting behaviour. First there is the illicit gardening while nobody is looking, followed by some kind of ritual dance to get back behind the viewfinder. Finally, I was extremely fortunate to see two individuals interacting in their natural environment.

The poor dragonfly is visible in the final picture - just!

The Lowry Outlet Mall

2010-06-16T15:28:00.000+01:00

When it started to rain (this is Manchester, after all) Frances and I ducked inside the Lowry Outlet Mall to have a look around. Not many people there, but there was a Costa which produced a Damn Fine Cup Of Coffee (TM).

I just love the distortion of the 15mm lens, and the low-light capabilities of the 5D mean that hand-holding in this kind of environment is eminently possible. I expected to be accosted by a burly Mancunian security guard, but nobody seemed to mind one iota that I was taking pictures...

Salford Quays

2010-06-14T14:06:00.001+01:00

Life has been a bit hectic at home recently, which is why I haven't done much in the way of photography. This wasn't helped by the fact that my super-duper new fisheye lens didn't work properly, so had to be sent back to be repaired - twice. I finally got it back about a week ago, so when I found I had to collect my daughter from Manchester at the weekend, I decided to give it it burn in Salford Quays.

Unusually for Manchester the sun was shining - for a short while anyway. After the overcrowded, grimy back streets of Rusholme, Salford Quays felt very different indeed.

True to form the sun went behind a cloud, and then the whole sky went grey. Even in the dull light, though, the area was pretty impressive. I didn't go into the Lowry Centre itself, as my daughter was intent on finding something to eat in the "Lowry Outlet Mall", pictured above right.

We'll be going back to Manchester in July for graduation day, and I fully intend to jump on a tram and visit Salford Quays again. Assuming it's not raining, of course...