Passionate about photography... A daily photo blog to showcase some of my favourite pictures from my growing portfolio. Landscape, Macro, Black and White, Travel and Street photography.
Thursday, 3 April 2025
Bright Eyes
Wednesday, 2 April 2025
Bad Tempered or Good Parent?
I visited Martin Mere twice in March and in the resident collection of birds from around the world there is a pair of Coscoroba Swans, a species native to South America. It is the smallest variety of swan although is larger than most geese, and I think it is a very good looking bird. The female was (as you can see) on the nest, and the male was dutifully patrolling the perimeter warding off any potential threats. He was quite aggressive and I definitely didn't want to get too close. He seemed quite grumpy and bad tempered but I guess you could argue that he was taking his role very seriously and doing his best to protect his future family.
Although unrelated I have included an extra image below, this time of a Moorhen also sat on its nest. It is that time of year and I look forward to seeing lots of new life as spring really gets under way.
Friday, 24 January 2025
Goosander
Thursday, 23 January 2025
Morning Glow
Monday, 20 January 2025
Standing Out
Saturday, 18 January 2025
Falling Sideways
I have had a couple of good days out with my camera in the past week and got some lovely shots of a mix of different subjects on and around the marine lake in West Kirby, and also along the beach on my walk back home. I have some wildlife shots, some landscape and sunrise shots as well as a few random images of stuff that caught my eye and that I figured I could do something creative with.
In my last post I shared a few pictures from the first day and I now have loads more to sort through and share. I wasn't sure what to post today however I settled on the two images below. A couple of abstract images of a waterfall, actually the sluice overflow that allows the lake to drain without constantly overtopping the path around it. I have flipped the images counter clockwise through 90 degrees creating a very pleasing effect with the stream of water flowing sideways rather than falling down as it actually was. I used different exposures and I have made some adjustments (white balance, shadows etc) in lightroom to create contrasting images from effectively the same scene.
Falling sideways is an apt title for this post because that is what the images show. It is also a reference to the fact that I took a tumble on the walk home. I lost my footing on the path because I was distracted by a group of people doing some conservation work on the dunes and I wasn't looking where I was going. I landed quite heavily, and must have looked quite a sight as I clattered to the ground. One person came rushing to offer assistance and after checking that I was OK one of his fellows quipped "never mind are you OK how is your camera?" As dusted myself down I admit that was actually my first priority. Fortunately it is fine.
As I walked the rest of the way home (about 1.5 miles) I could feel myself stiffen up and although I dismissed the idea of getting someone to come and pick me up (I probably should have done) I used the time on the rest of the walk to ponder the question "did I fall over, or did I have a fall?" It is a funny thing that young people "fall over" but when an older person takes a tumble they're said to have "had a fall". Does "having a fall" refer to the act of falling itself or is it a indication of perhaps more serious consequences of falling when an older person is the one who falls that is what it seems to imply to me. I can't pretend I am as young as I like to believe I am, and certainly I feel more fragile after this incident even though I have suffered only bruises, a few lingering aches and pains and a degree of embarrassment. I am also aware that in the past I would have laughed, bounced back up and not even given this event a second thought. Nevertheless despite the creeping of the years I will not be deterred, next week I am starting horse riding lessons. Oh yes! wish me luck.
For now enjoy these images and look out for more in my next post...
Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Sorry, Not Sorry
Earlier today I took a walk down to the marine lake at West Kirby, I had seen some male Goosander yesterday but didn't have my camera so went back today in the hope of getting some shots. Unfortunately I was short on time and missed out on that score however I did manage a few nice shots of some Turnstone and a flock of Redshanks roosting on a pontoon.
I was speaking to a guy who informed me of some other species I might be interested to see but they were further out on the lake and I didn't get to photograph them. He mentioned that a Shag had been spotted and I was fortunate enough to not only see it but to watch it fishing. The water was still and clear so each time it dived I could watch its progress under water and with my grandson along for the walk we enjoyed guessing whether it would come up with a shrimp or fish in its beak.
When asked what this bird was I had told someone it was a cormorant but I believe it is a Shag. The two birds are of course very similar and so although I am sorry for giving misleading info to that passer-by I am not really sorry because they are closely related and at the time we were chatting it was quite a way off, it was only when I saw it close up I realised my error.
I love the way they swim, almost half submerged and they dive so gracefully, barely breaking the surface. Then when the return to the surface their dark feathers have a beautiful glossy sheen.
Anyway here are a couple of the images I got of the Shag. I will share some photos of the other birds in due course and I will be back by the lake tomorrow to see what is about then, as long as the weather is as forecast.
Sunday, 12 January 2025
Comeback Kid
A few months ago I watched a rerun of a TV show about Cornwall, I had a holiday planned and wanted to find out a little more about the area from a local perspective (the presenter has grown up, lived and worked in Cornwall for many years).
One of the things he highlighted while visiting Lands End was the growing population of Choughs in the region, a bird from the Corvid family that has long had a presence in Cornwall but whose numbers had declined significantly but were now beginning to gain a foothold once again. They are distinguishable by the curved bright red beak and red legs and are quite at home on the exposed rocky coastline.
I had seen them previously at a distance in Anglesey near South Stack but not close enough to photograph them. Visiting Lands End I hoped to see some a bit closer but although I did spot some they were never quite close enough.
I was staying in Newquay and one morning I went for a walk along Pentire Headland which provided some great views across Fistral Beach and along the coast. I spotted a small flock of Choughs along one edge of the headland and slowly approached them with my camera at the ready, fully expecting them to fly off but although they were a little wary they were too busy feeding to take much notice as I gradually inched towards them down on their level.
It was so rewarding to see them knowing that not so long ago this would not have been possible and hopefully you will agree that they are quite cool looking birds and you will see why I was so "chuffed" to capture these shots.
Thursday, 9 January 2025
Right Place, Right Time
Unless you are working in a studio or a prepared set of some kind a great deal of success in photography is about being in the right place at the right time. Of course you won't know what you have missed if you don't see it but there have been many times when I have been in the right place but I haven't been ready or I have just seen the bird I wanted to photograph fly away as I arrived or got set up. Imagine the frustration of arriving at a hide to be told by another photographer that a kingfisher has been about and seeing the fantastic images he has captured and then sitting for an hour or so afterwards and seeing nothing.
Last October I went down to Cornwall for a short break, I was mostly prepared to photograph the landscape and some sunsets. I was not expecting to do any wildlife photography, because it was short break I knew I wouldn't have the time to sit for a long time staking out my prey as it were.
On the last day of my trip I was visiting St Ives and after a spell sitting on the beach and paddling in the cold sea I went in search of a place to eat. I was walking around a small headland and got talking to a guy from Lancashire who was watching some birds on the rocks, they were Rock Pipits and he was excited because he had never seen them before. At this point in time my camera was packed away, food not photography was on my mind. As I left him to the pipits I walked around the path and spotted a small group of people with their mobile phones held high as they tried to photograph a kestrel that was hovering just above the path. I have rarely seen a wild kestrel so close and at first I just watched and then realised I was missing an opportunity. I got my camera out and started shooting before realising that the settings were all wrong. I soon rectified that and then gradually approached closer and closer to get what I think are some amazing shots. This chance encounter was certainly a case of being in the right place at the right time. I was buzzing, not just because I knew I had got some good photos but because being so close to this beautiful bird was a real treat and an experience I won't forget.
As an aside, you will know that kestrels and other birds of prey have exceptional vision, they can spot their prey from tiny movements from height and then approach almost silently before going in for the kill. But, did you know that they also have the ability to see in the ultraviolet spectrum and this allows them to see the urine/scent trails of mice and small rodents which reflect UV light and leave what can be described as a "glow trail" this can lead the kestrel to its prey by following the trail even if the mouse is hidden.
Anyway here are some of the shots I captured that evening, you can see from the first 2 images how close it was to the path.
Wednesday, 8 January 2025
On My Doorstep
In my last post I mentioned how there are some places and subjects that I would never tire of photographing and I shared some images from my travels around Europe. Without a doubt I would be more than happy to spend days or even weeks photographing puffins or street scenes in Venice, Florence, Vienna or a host of other wonderful places. I also long to visit new locations, inspired by my own travels and by images shared online I know I would get so much pleasure exploring new places with my camera. However I have to be realistic, while there will be lots of opportunities to do this in future there will also long periods where I will have to stick to what is local or familiar.
I am privileged to live in a beautiful place, by the sea but close to varied landscapes, urban landscapes and lots of wildlife. However when I look through my many files of photographs I realise that I have relatively few from my locality and I am missing opportunities to develop my skills and fulfil my passion here on my doorstep. Perhaps it is familiarity that means I sometimes fail to see the interest in what I see every day and that is a big error because the beauty and interest is there and for people that I share those images with they will largely be new or unfamiliar so it must be worth me spending more time where I live. It doesn't matter if I go back several time to the same lake, lighthouse or park/reserve there will always be another angle or different light etc. So while I will dream of and look forward to travelling to new places I will also take more time to see what is on my doorstep.
Here are a few images of some of the wonderful places near me.
West Kirby Marine Lake
Red Rocks
Meols shore
New Brighton Lighthouse