.

Regards,Steve

From A Weston-super-Mare Blog in North Somerset - Not In AVON !

A couple of photographs taken on Hythe promenade. Bit of a family day out I'm thinking.

...and.

Dunno which I prefer. The young girl is the focal interest.

Hi to everybody...had a lovely walk on the heath this afternoon, but it was too hot to stay for more than an hour but got some pics of the wild flowers and some scenes and the bottom one you see as you come into our estate, and the last but one is from my front garden...can't see the bush for flowers now...gorgeous in the sun...please click on them if you wish to see larger pics and go to my media and click on wildwalk album for a few more...

Great big hugs to one and all....

Hello, everyone! Long not seeing you; hadn't got no cool pics to upload until recently, when again I did a travel ... These pictures are taken at Gili Meno Island, one of the three famous gilis (Gili = island) situated just next to Indonesia's Lombok Island. Hope you enjoy them ... !

I have not enhanced the picture (the sparkle is natural)

X

The south coast's premier seagull formation bombing team, 'The Solent Shitehawks', were caught practicing yesterday at Hythe. Note the illegal use of the red T shirt being worn by the target drone.

click on image to enlarge.

Dennypoos......................a see'r of things others can't.

It was a sunny day. Too much sun. With the aid of my phone, I tried to take some pictures in the town, and when at home I saw one of the pictures on my computer, I could see the strange effect or defect. Some red translucent stripes descending from the sky. The photo of the by-street is not very good, but I don’t delete it because of the strange and interesting defect or effect.

It has to be the first time in a decade that I've been inside a church, but perhaps, looking at the results, I've left it too long.

Back to my usual minimalist style and taken on my first bike ride proper which was a mini tour of the New Forest. Needless to say I took loads of photos (192) and will sort them and post a link as and when.Click on images to enlarge.

Stained glass windows.

Tiles and Rugs.

Three stepped Arches.

Dennypoos............will remove the cushion (strapped to his nether regions) at noon.

Hi all,

I'm currently looking for feedback from anyone who's been on a photographic retreat holiday. I class a retreat holiday as somewhere you go to get away from it all, indulge your passions and be pampered. Usually a retreat will provide food, accommodation and activities included in the price.

Has anyone been on a retreat? Could anyone recommend a good photography course/retreat holiday that I can list on my new site www.worldretreats.co.uk

Let me know if you can recommend somewhere or take a look for yourself, you might find your next photographic break...go on retreat yourself!!

I'm not sure if I like this photo or not, opinions?

I think I like this one better
.

Regards,Steve

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Regards,Steve

One with flash, one without.....
Both better clicking on the pic and viewing "full-size
.

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.
Regards,Steve

Damn bees from the old hive next door keep bullying the bumbly bees off-of the chives. Still, I persevered and in the interests of interest, I include, for your delectation, a threesome.

Click on image to enlarge.

Dennypoos.................can be found wandering the ground of 'Dennypoos Acres' at all hours.

Another from Woburn Safari Park....
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Regards,Steve

...bit of a slow afternoon yesterday, so I thought I'd bugger about a bit. For those of you with an 'Artistic bent', perhaps I should have said, "thought I'd give full vent to my creative juices, in a move the sliders and see what pops up" kind of way.

...and perhaps yer dont take yer choice.

Now I've got that out of my system, I'll go back to my Bees and Chives.

From my day out at Woburn Safari Park... I only took the camera in a holster so opted for my 18-55mm kit lens, I thought the zoom may be useful, it was to an extent but I wish I had taken my 50mm 1.8 instead , ah well!!!
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Regards,Steve

Its nearly imossible to bring out the lush greens and vivid blue of the bluebells. Any ideas?

Have to post links again but look at these amazing sets of photos:
Part 1 and Part 2

Love them!

... well, not everywhere:

They're still open in some places but also struggling financially.

Photo was taken on 02 May 09 in Bayreuth, Franconia (northern Bavaria)

God, just hit Enter in the title line, and the post was saved without text or photo *tsk tsk*

This is the biggest anthill I've ever seen - it covers the whole bench! You can see parts of the backrest (collapsed / fallen back), everything else has been consumed by the anthill!

How about you? Have you seen any huge anthills or other unusual features?

Taken at a now abandoned village in the Czech Republic.  I just like this photo, can't explain why, but it looks even better when you click on it 

Which is better A or B?

Both were taken just after sunset about 2 minutes apart.

x

.............wish this was it.

Actually this is a country park about 12 miles from Glasgow.

These look deep purple under artificial light.
I don't know what they are but Myrtle got them for her birthday.

What pleasant weather we had over the Bank Holiday, I took the camera with me when Holly and I went walking. I was busy trying to get some nice shots of the flowers, but my usual favourite subject sneaked into this one too Click to make bigger (If you want to)

This was a 400 mile round trip and I decided not to hire a car, but to let some other dude (Scotline) do the work so all I had to do was sit back and relax and enjoy the day.

We left the Royal Mile at around 8.00am, short breakfast stop at Kilmahog

The gateway to the Highlands.

There was still some snow on the mountain tops

and lots of pretty chocolate box scenery

I fell in love with Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness

We cruised from here at the widest point of the Loch to the Canal on the East side, The trip took about an hour. Sadly, despite drinking a fair quantity of whisky, we failed to see Nessie.

For me the highlight of the tip was the cruise , the low point was lunch at the woolen Mill at Fort William where we had to queue for over half an hour to get a couple of sandwiches and some soup. Much of the hot food on ht menu had run out by 12.15, it seemed that they were too busy to cope with the high volume of tourists on a bank hol weekend.

X

Edinburgh sunset

Just going to have another cocktail and then I'm off to bed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSKzmNY1GCE

X

Hi to everybody...my easter cactus is coming into full bloom now...these are just a small part of it...loads more flowers behind these...really pretty...and here's a view we see every time we sit down to eat in the kitchen... Click on each pic to see larger image if you wish...

Great big hugs to one and all...

Think this is a lily but not sure.  I like that the background has gone dark and the flower is not over exposed. I think it works okay.

Not my usual stuff and a bit rushed as it was about to piss down, but I promise you better next time. Tripod, Pre-focussed, et all.

Dennypoos...............Nature boy/Naturist etc.

As mentioned, here's one of my early attempts at digital 'retouching'

Not perfect as clicking on the image will reveal, but not bad for my first real exercise.

BEFORE>>>>>

AFTER>>>>>
>

Future son-in law back from being on tour in Iraq for 6 months,,,,

Took a quick pic of him and my daughter before we left for his "welcome home" party.............
Regards,Steve

(click the picture to enlarge it)

Cheers, Tom.

Hi to everybody...had my yearly prune today and have just taken these pics of my now tidier garden in the evening light...and one from the end of it too...click on them for larger pics if you wish...

Great big hugs to one and all...

Every picture tells a story - or so they say, I wonder what the story was that passed between the two gents in the foreground?

View from Ratagan on shore of Loch Duich.

For my political comments please see the general blog.
Anybody with a better illustration of the ' Westminster Show ' [ I mean allowances for third homes to cure dry rot, islands in duck ponds, or £18,000 book cases, etc ] please post it for everybody to have a laugh. [ It should make most of us weep over the incompetance of our 'leaders' ].

This pub is directly across the road from the Fishmongers on my previous post, obviously it closed a lot later, as in 18 months ago but it portrays how that area is shutting down bit by bit, Shop-fronts now house windows,Other shop windows full but obviously not open anymore....
MAY DO A STUDY,WATCH THIS SPACE!!!!!!!

Hi to everybody...noticed the sky tonight...really strange pattern of clouds...click to see larger pic...

Great big hugs...

Hi to everybody...thought I'd show you my ceanothus now in full bloom in my garden...takes it over for about six weeks...LOL...and my Easter Cactus that's just starting to bloom! Better late than never...very old and lives in my conservatory...this is just one branch, it fills the kitchen bowl it lives in...LOL...If you click on each image, you'll be able to see the larger version...

Great big hugs to one and all...

right now it is in mint condition

Acer's high

Clematis is cool

with the Olive tree in the foreground

and apple trees in the backround as well as no admission charge. It's no wonder the neighbours keep

popping in

and out.

Regards,Steve

Just a peep into our little garden! More sun needed!

Penny awake...

...and Penny alegedly asleep...

x

A "miserable weather" weekend yet again, the only place that I could find to keep dry and reasonably warm was the local garden centre, so, that's where I took the pictures.

I took a pic of my daughter flying a kite....

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Then a shot of the kites.....

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There was a storm brewing and it poured down minutes later.... I thought I could enhance the clouds behind the kite, Mono/B&W??? NAH!!! Lets do some HDR!!!! Does it enhance the pic????
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Regards,Steve

It's Old John Barleycorn

Here's a few random profile snapshots I took yesterday at Shepley Spring festival

Regards,Steve

A poppy from Kew Gardens

Here is the uncropped version of the dancing feet, so what's the verdict, do you prefer this one or the cropped one? (previous post)

This is a cropped version of a photo that I took today, the child was a delightful bonus, as I was focused on the feet at the time. I will post the full version of the photo so that you can compare them and let me know what you think.

Click on the photo for full size.

DoF!!!!
At 5 feet @1.8 the Dof is a few mm with this lens!!!! Hence furthest eye is in focus, nearest is slightly out....

This is St Marys Loch looking down at Loch of the Lowes. The only two lochs in the south. I was walking the southern upland way at the time. The light was unfortunately very gray and hazy from thin whitish cloud cover. So it doesent look as fresh as it
could have. The shot has been cropped.

A friend suggested "matchstick girl"........
The Little Girl with the Matchsticks

It was New Year’s Eve, and a poor little girl was out on the cold streets selling matchsticks. She was hungry and freezing, with neither hat nor shoes. She was afraid to go home for her father would surely beat her as she had not sold any matchsticks that day.

In a nook between two buildings she tried to warm herself by lighting her matches. In the light of the first match she saw a hot iron stove. She then lit a second match and this time saw a fully laden dinner table with a cooked goose that came right toward her. It too disappeared as the match went out. By the light of the third match she saw a beautiful Christmas tree lit with thousands of candles. The lights of the tree went higher and higher until she saw that they were the stars. One became a shooting star and she remembered her grandmother telling her that a shooting star means that a person has died and a soul gone to heaven.

Upon lighting the next match she saw her grandmother, the only person who ever loved her. Hoping to keep her grandmother as long as possible, she quickly lit the whole bunch of matches. Her grandmother then lifted her in her arms and they flew with joy and glory higher and higher and there was no cold, no hunger, no fear – they were with God.

The next morning her body was found with a smile upon her lips, frozen to death and with a burned out bunch of matches. “She wanted to warm herself!” people said. No one knew what beauty she had seen or with what glory she had gone with her grandmother into a joyous new year.

This is the Forest at Dunkeld. I struggle with this kind of shot. Its a classic problem. If you expose for the shadows the sunlight is over done. If you expose for the sunlight the foreground is muddy black. Tricky. It has been solvedby other photographers  by taking two photos on a tripod. Although I have never tried it.

Just another of my attempts; you will probably guess the name of the flower!

These shots are always dificult without a polariser as there is so much haze on sunny days. Not sure if its polution or just moisture. At certain times of year this kind of shot can be very colourful.

It has given me it's beauty, now it's time for this tulip to sleep.

Hedges, yes, I've got a few, in fact far too many. I am about a 3rd of the way through, it's like the bloody Forth Bridge.

(click the pic to enlarge)

Cheers, Tom.

I know you are all waiting for more holiday snaps so here is one of the Sahara there will be many more.

Taken at sunset in the Sahara Desert

Spot the 2 schoolkids "dodging" the waves!

The bread buns that this little girl and the family were eating were thrown and caught from a great height, as explained HERE
The location was Wath-on-Dearne taken on May Day weekend.

During  my recent trip to Kew, I thought these were most striking!

Not from me, no.

Click here for a slideshow of excellent photos from the launch - with audio!

Wish I had been there. My photos would never have been this good but just to experience it ... WOW!

This is a view from the top of Falkland Hill. Unfortunately the resolution doesent do it justice.

This is Earlsferry in Fife taken from the dunes road.  This is a really beautiful area. Nice beaches whitewashed houses. The place has a lovely feel to it.

Opinions please!! I like aspects of both....

Just a mile away from where I took this pic, there is a lane/street named Bluebell Hill. Half way down is a pub/restaurant named "The Bluebell" I was gonna try get a shot of the street sign but I could not be arsed!!! And ironically the road was built through a forest/wood and all sign of any bluebells was lost!!!!!

The weather here today has been superb, so when I got back from Groombridge place, Nick and I went for an early evenign stroll in the woods.

Nick spotted this beautiful peacock butterfly just sunbathing on the path.

At one time they were a common sight around here, but until today I haven't seen one for years.

The Holly was in bloom so there will be lots of berries in the winter.

There were some mallard ducks and ducklings at Strawberry Hill today.

But no sign of the Moorhen chicks from the nest their parent carefully built in the tree and I hope this guy is not the reason, it makes me mad when people release non indigenous species into the forest ponds.

BUT

We found two families of Moorhens at the Staples road pond

But the mothers were wary and kept hiding their chics from us in the bullrushes.

Hope you had a Sunny Sunday.

X

Took this this afternoon.  The picture has not been changed at all, and I shot it low down with the sun high behind the flowers.  I like the result.

Took this photo about one hour ago against the sun in a foggy environment.

Since I've upgraded to Vista at home, my (very old) Photoshop can't be loaded anymore and I'm too stingy to fork out hundreds of $$ for a new version of Photoshop, so I've started to use GIMP.  Am not good at it, don't know what many of the features do, but here are two attempts at tweaking a photo I had posted earlier

Not sure if they're any better than the original. Well, I tried!

Good morning to all!

No photo this time but a question for help:

Can the experts among you give me any advice on how to take good photos of lightning flashes during a thunderstorm?

Friday evening we've had a thunderstorm and I tried to get photos of the lightning but it didn't work out.  I need to add that it was still light outside, still before 8 pm.

All advice is appreciated! 

No, not THAT - what are YOU thinking???

Looking Up  the mast
Bow Wave and WildlifeDawn, Biscay

All get bigger if clicked.

Found by Nick

In the unlikeliest of places.

But, where is it?

PS CLICK to enlarge!!!! It works on my mums laptop!!!! I can upload, not post via Flickr!!!!!
Regards,Steve

We had a great full moon this early morning. As usual, I was too lazy to pull out the old tripod therefore the photos aren't completely focused, but they still capture the lovely moonshine scenario

This second photo also shows the clouds that were faintly illuminated by the moon.

As always, click to enlarge

Edit at 09:15: on the monitor at home I was able to see the clouds, at work I can't. Don't know why, will check the photos again when I get home and possibly change them. Sorry about that!

Still on the look-out for Natures hidden beauty.....just a few more; some of these are still under cover...others are 'on show' in the garden....

Praise the Lord, the rain has halted for a while, mother nature tells me, " I've watered it for you, now you go out and weed it, and while you are there, cut the grass".  Still, who can walk about the garden without a camera, not that she was going to give me much sun or cease the wind for a while.

In the foreground  the branches of a hazel, avellana "contorta",( corkscrew hazel ). The red leaves are the Japanese maple "palmatum", and just visible are the white flowers of the exochorda, "Macrantha, the bride".

The flowers of the Exochorda Macrantha.

The rhododendron flowers are fighting against the wind.

Almost full moon last night, she was bright and beautiful in the early part of the evening, but she got a bit coy around midnight when I tried to photograph her and started hiding in the clouds, while they danced around her.

Eventually though, she peeped out for a little while

and I got a picture of her, but it was a bit hazy so she her markings are not as clear as I would like them to be.

This has a kind of delicate quality about it. Its almost all in focus too.

Hi to everybody...had a good walk today with my camera...it's a shame, but I keep trying to get a really good long distance shot of what we can see when on the heath in the distance but it's not easy to get the distant scenes to come out clearly but had another go today. Please click on the images to enlarge them...some of the trees are really lovely...the sky image was supposed to take a pic of the literally dozens of seagulls flying in and out of the clouds very high up indeed...never seen so many before all together...the one I've put up was all I could catch in one shot...LOL...the bottom one is a beautiful feathery conifer inside the entrance to our estate...sorry it's not more clear but really is a beautiful tree...

Great big hugs to one and all...

Hi to everybody...hubby spotted this in the garden this morning...got a good shot of it before it departed...pure white... Click on image to see larger pic...

Great big hugs to one and all....

Hi to everybody...here's a few shots of the heath this late afternoon when I actually remembered my camera...sadly the day wasn't very clear but still a beautiful view...the first one is of a garden wall we passed...it's just a mass of these lovely clematis flowers...very pretty... Click on them to see a large image if you wish...

Great big hugs to one and all...

First bloom of our prized Clematis Collection; opened overnight; measures 7inches from tip to tip......Empress One!

Wallace looks thoughtful.

X

You have to click on the pic, then on Flikr click all sizes, then large!!!!!

Had a closer look at this...and even closer....Aqualigia..(Spelling?)...Also posting the reverse....fascinating....

Not sure what type of beetle this little guy is, any ideas anyone?

X

Have a lovely day

Went to Anstruther today, here are a few pics I took along the way..

A photo taken on my visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park today

More pics from today's visit HERE

On my walk to take my grandson home. I was hoping the diverstiy of color and texture would come out more but with a cell phone it doesnt always

As well as fulfilling my mission to photograph more irises I came across this lovely clematis

Finally got to assemble/tweak and test my new exercise machine.

"Man boobs be gone", I say.

Dennypoos........................a bloke on a mission.

...Just some shadows?

Takes me back to my student-y days shooting Tri-X in my Leica and uprating it to 1600ASA.

For many of you this is complete jibberish, but I care not at this moment in time.

Denny.

It didn't strike here! It did break but in 'The Downs'! Reminiscent of Africa! Much more dramatic there!

Light seemed right! This looked SO beautiful in eht sun! Had to share it! Hope you enjoy it!

Man in rear garden pondering the meaning of life, the futility of it all...etc...blah-blah.

Denny is back in the building.