Something Sticky

 

Earlier this year I had very few new pictures to share and that was really frustrating. I wasn't getting out nearly enough with one thing or another so I felt like things were drying up a little bit. More recently I have been out, photographing all manner of things; fast jets, sand yachts, landscapes, star trails, medieval architecture, woodlands and beaches and now I have so much stuff I don't know what to post, I have felt a little stuck.

So if you will pardon the pun, I thought I would share something sticky and what is more sticky than a stick? I can hear the groans now, sorry.

These shots were taken on a recent walk in a Welsh forest on a cold day early in November. The light was not the best but every  now and then as the winter sun managed to break through the clouds there were moments when the woodland colours shone through the grey.

The forest was mostly pine so there wasn't a lot of colour but I thought these pine cones, mosses and lichens made for interesting images which I hope you will enjoy. 

The Holly and the Bokeh

 So, following on from yesterday here are a few more shots experimenting with bokeh.

This time instead of lichen I have used holly as the subject but the naturally fragmented light in the shrubs behind the holly has created marvellous bokeh. 

I love the rich tones of the first two images but I also think it works well in high contrast black and white as in the third image.

A Little Bit of Bokeh

 After the Goldcrests (see yesterdays post) had flown away I hung around for  little while and tried to make use of the sunlight through the trees. 

I spotted a little bit of lichen on a broken branch so tried to get a nice image of it, in doing so I noticed the bokeh created by the light breaking through the trees and shrubs in the background. So I spent some time experimenting trying to capitalise on this interesting effect.

I practiced with some other plants as well as the lichen and I will share them in my next posts.

These were shot using my 100 - 400mm telephoto lens and 1.4x converter at F8, 1/1000 sec and ISO 3200 

Tulips

 I love tulips but I was somewhat surprised to find these little beauties growing in a kitchen garden at Sizergh Castle. It seemed an unusual setting but to be honest they looked really good.

I think the flower in the first image is absolutely stunning in its elegance with its soft cream and pink petals. I am sure you will agree it is a real delight.

The other images are of two different red varieties. I have been told that photographing red flowers is really difficult because it is hard to capture a true reproduction of the colour. I am not sure why this is but it is true and so I had to try several times to get what I hope are the true colours of these lovely blooms. 

"Wish" on a Star

 So as promised yesterday here are the other shots from my experiment with bokeh, I figured that star shaped bokeh was appropriate for these images which I think have turned out quite well. The lights in the background are just standard white LED Christmas lights but the effect is created by shooting through a star cutout placed over the lens. That is not all there is to it but that's the starting point.

Anyway I hope you have enjoyed the pictures over the past two days

Happy New Year to everyone, hoping that 2021 has good things in store. That's definitely a wish worth sharing.

A little Christmas Cheer

 

Doesn't time fly! It is a month since I last posted anything and although I have had ideas of things to share I haven't really got round to doing anything until today.

A couple of years ago I tried a technique to create some interesting bokeh with the Christmas lights, I thought it was fun and quite effective but then I never did anything else with it, the lights got packed away and that was the end of that.

I had hoped to do more this year and post something in time for Christmas day but my first efforts were to be honest quite pathetic and I put my camera aside until I had a little more time to practice and figure out where I had gone wrong.

I have two lots of pictures to share; today I have some festive shots of Santa with a heart shaped bokeh and tomorrow I will have some other images with a different effect so if you like these then please look out tomorrow.

The first two shots today are of a Royal Doulton Toby Jug that I absolutely love, it comes out every year and has so many memories attached to it, it is a real treasure.

Pictures 3 and 4 are of two ornaments that sit on top of the mantlepiece, legs dangling overlooking the room, they also bring lovely memories, reminders of Christmases past.

I have enjoyed creating these images today and although they come a little late hopefully they help retain some festive cheer as the year comes to an end.

Bejewelled

At first glance as I walked through the meadow alongside Colemere the dew encrusted spiders webs were just a pretty white (very damp) blanket but as the sun rose above the treeline the early morning rays lit up the webs in a glorious display.

Wild Flower Meadow

Yesterday was a trip into the past but today I have decided to get back to nature. 

Driving to work this morning the sky was so dull, grey and featureless and as the day wore on it didn't get any better. In fact outside right now it is positively miserable and I needed to find something to bring a little colour to my day.

Looking at these pictures maybe I have tipped the balance to a colour overload but what colours... I love wild flower meadows and this small swathe of wildflowers while not quite a meadow (it actually bordered the approach to Brick Croft nature reserve) is certainly a welcome sight today.

Hard At Work

So I had gone to Ness to photograph the summer flowers but of course where there are flowers there are also going to be bugs and with my macro lens and a lot of patience I can get in close and get some great shots.

Today's selection shows a beautiful bumble bee hard at work gathering pollen from Actaea simplex "Brunette" a hardy herbaceous perennial with flowers almost as soft and furry as the bee itself.

I am really happy with these shots, not just for the clarity of the images of the bee with its strong colours and glassy wings but also for the bokeh in the first picture and while I tend not to blow my own trumpet I am sure you will agree they are pretty darned good.

After The Rain

Yesterday I went to Ness Botanic Gardens. I have lived in this area for almost 25 years and have never visited the gardens before so in hope that the weather would stay favourable and that there would lots of flowers to see I headed out with my camera and my 100mm macro lens (in truth I had all my gear but only used the one lens) and went wild...

Although it was quite cloudy and cold it was a nice day. It having rained heavily the night before everything was fresh and green, if a little squishy under foot. 

At first I couldn't decide which pictures to start with but thought that as I had posted pictures of water splashes for the past two days I would lead into my selection from Ness with these beautiful water droplets on succulent leaves. 

I like the first image with the tiny bubbles glittering in the large droplet but my favourite shot is the second one with the smooth round droplet and with the bokeh the droplets in the background appear like fairy lights.

A prickly subject

Just one picture again today.  This thistle is a good specimen and the colours are as sharp as the thorns...

Something Festive

Merry Christmas!

As promised I have posted a few festive shots for today's offering.  I have been experimenting with my Christmas present, a 50mm f1.8 lens and trying to create a nice Bokeh effect with a wide aperture and the Christmas lights. I have to admit these are not great pictures but we have had a house full today and so I have limited time to play so for now they will have to do.

In the last photo I have tried a new technique (for me anyway) to get a heart effect with the lights.  I think that works well and I am pleased with my first effort.  I still need practice to get to grips with the technique.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for my special announcement.