Filler

Thought I'd post an old-ish shot for filler since I haven't done much in the past few days.

I've bought a flash, off camera lead, bracket and some other bits which I hope will allow me to take the next step on my macro stuff. I'm starting to want the Sigma 50mm back again too... I would like to broaden my horizons a bit and a prime at this length should force me to think more about composition and depth of field.

Here is an old-ish shot taken during my first ownership of said lens...


50mm 1/8000 at f/2.0

Gatekeeper

I didn't get much of a chance this weekend to photograph anything, apart from a quick walk around Lydiard Park on Sunday. Plenty of butterflies about, though it was rather windy and most of them flew away as soon as they heard the camera shutter.

This is my favorite of the bunch, and while heavily cropped shows excellent detail. I'm definitely very pleased with the Canon 100mm f/2.8 L lens I recently bought!


1/320 at f/7.1

Mixed seeds

While out looking for poppies this weekend, we spotted a load growing in a wheat field just outside Lacock, Wiltshire.


100mm 1/2000 at f/3.2

The weather was quite clear but really windy, the kind of conditions that cry out for some kind of blurred attempts. Sat in the wheat to try and get a view through the wheat to the poppies, the sun came out just at the right time and lit this one up. The part cloudy sky also helps the background (in my opinion, anyway) plus the a larger patch of poppies in the background help warm up the image.

Nostalgia...

As mentioned in my 'bio', my first passion for photography began when I was in my teens and I had ambitions to become a professional Formula 1 photographer.

When I was 17 I managed to get access to F1 test sessions at Silverstone, access that I could only dream about these days. So between 1998 and 2000 I got plenty of chances to get closer to the action than the normal fan. Sat by the side of the track with a V10 F1 car roaring past you at 160mph and maybe only six feet away from you is something that stays with you, and leaves you temporarily deafened!

These two photo's, of seven times F1 Champion Michael Schumacher, were both taken in 1999. Using my old Canon EOS-1N film SLR and trusty 300mm f/4L on Fuji Reala film.



On the approach to Bridge corner, scene of my temporary deafness!



Waiting to be released from the pit garage.

Having finally set up my film scanner, and hoping to learn photoshop to clear some of the many scratches and dust particles on these old negatives and slides, I am hopeful to post a few more in the coming weeks and months.


Those were the days!

Venezia, Italia

Back in 1998 as a much, much younger boy, I was lucky enough to visit Venice with my Aunt and Grandmother.

We stayed in the Europa & Regina hotel on the Grand Canal, well situated for most of the major tourist attractions. We reached the hotel by boat, an experience I wont forget. A place I'd love to re-visit now that I'm older, it holds special memories for me of two people that are sadly no longer here.

The picture below was taken at a gondola 'rank' with San Giorgio Maggiore island in the back ground.


Kodak TMY 5053. Shot on an EOS 500N at approximately 28mm.

Lavender

While desperately looking for something else in my garden to test out my new lens, I found some lavender. Most of it is dead (it never seems to grow properly?!?) but there were some purple shoots. The bug at the top isn't nearly as sharp as I'd like for a bug macro shot, but I think I'm willing to sacrafice that in this shot, as it's more about the flower. I'd tried to get a more purple background, but I think on reflection what I did get was a nice mix of colour.


100mm 1/1250 at f/2.8

Goodbye Sigma 50mm, hello Canon 100mm f/2.8 L

After much pondering, I have decided not to try and replace the second 50mm lens from Sigma. Instead deciding to make more, and frankly better, use of my excellent 24-105mm f/4 L.

To fill the void left by a lack of purchase, I have decided to trade-up my old Sigma 105mm (currently on Ebay...).

Just a few test shots in my garden, but after just a few frames I am certainly left more than happy with lens sharpness, though I'm yet to figure out how useful image stabiliser will be.

1/200 at f/4.5

Family Portraits

A couple of photo's of my niece and nephew taken this weekend at Bristol zoo. Sophie isn't that keen on the camera so many of the photo's of her were taken while trying to disguise the fact I was taking them. James on the other hand is a bit of a poser! A bit like his uncle ;-)

50mm 1/320 at f/4.0

47mm 1/640 at f/4.0

Both using my much ignored 24-105mm f/4.0 L - seems like a nice sharp lens for a zoom. Though it has re-newed my interest in a 50mm prime, despite the Sigma debacle.

Cardinal beetle

Taken in very low light, hence the high ISO, but I like how the colour of the beetle contrasts with its green surroundings.


105mm 1/200 at f/3.5 ISO 1600