A Place With History.
What do you see here? A street scene? A deserted road? Maybe an area that looks some what ruin down?
To be honest it Is probably a mixture of all three. These two photographs are taken in an area of Aberdeen that once held the city's fish processing plants.
The large scale fish processing plants and factories are unfortunately now ling closed, destined for history, to only live on in people's memories. The area which to be honest was going downhill and not the nicest to walk through are now being slowly regenerated, the same process that happens in cities up and down the country as the industries change and develop over the years.
The first photograph looks alongside the bridge that carries the main railway line into Aberdeen. Most of the archways have now been sealed, creating premises for a wide array of small businesses. The other areas are also being demolished and upgraded with new office complexes at an astonishing rate. I'm sure that in a few years the whole area will not be recognisable, the history of an industry lost but to a few.
The second photograph is underneath one of the bridges that caries the rail line. A favourite of mine, it is so full of character, maybe not to everyone's taste.
Photograph title: The Arches
Subject: Deserted street scene
Date take: 26th March 2014
Camera Nikon D600
Exposure 18 secs
Aperture f/18
Focal Length 24 mm
Photograph title: Empty
Subject: roadway underneath a bridge.
Date take: 26th March 2014
Camera Nikon D600
Exposure 18 secs
Aperture f/13
Focal Length 23 mm
Tuesday, 11 March 2014
Monday, 24 February 2014
Squawking Herring Gulls
Squawking Herring Gulls
At first glance, just a pair of seagulls. It's like saying just a dog, but to a dog lover you would be missing so much i.e. The breed, so important, as it can reflect greats things like its history, it's temperament. So these aren't seagulls, they are herring gulls!
Anyway enough about that, it's a bird, a gull, a seagull or a herring gull if you please.
The photograph could have been so normal, but there is something about it, once taken, that caught my eye, something about it that I really like. What is that thing? I'm not too sure, is it the darkened background? Is it the contrast with the predominantly white birds? Is it the light hitting the eyes, illuminating them? Is it the beaks both open? I'm not sure, maybe it is a mix of all of the above!
Taken on an overcast day, it was exposed so not to burn out the white feathers, naturally darkening the background so that the birds stand out.
Processing was not too over the top, just the basics, slight improvement to exposure, contrast and of course sharpening.
Photograph title: Squawking Herring Gulls
Subject: Wild Pheasant
Date take: 19th September 2008
Camera Nikon D600
Exposure 1/2500
Aperture f/5.0
Focal Length 200 mm
At first glance, just a pair of seagulls. It's like saying just a dog, but to a dog lover you would be missing so much i.e. The breed, so important, as it can reflect greats things like its history, it's temperament. So these aren't seagulls, they are herring gulls!
Anyway enough about that, it's a bird, a gull, a seagull or a herring gull if you please.
The photograph could have been so normal, but there is something about it, once taken, that caught my eye, something about it that I really like. What is that thing? I'm not too sure, is it the darkened background? Is it the contrast with the predominantly white birds? Is it the light hitting the eyes, illuminating them? Is it the beaks both open? I'm not sure, maybe it is a mix of all of the above!
Taken on an overcast day, it was exposed so not to burn out the white feathers, naturally darkening the background so that the birds stand out.
Processing was not too over the top, just the basics, slight improvement to exposure, contrast and of course sharpening.
Photograph title: Squawking Herring Gulls
Subject: Wild Pheasant
Date take: 19th September 2008
Camera Nikon D600
Exposure 1/2500
Aperture f/5.0
Focal Length 200 mm
Friday, 14 October 2011
Watching them fly...
What is it with men (and sometimes the female folk too!)
that get them excited with machinery with big engines?
One of the best local days out in the annual calendar is the
air show, in my case it’s the RAF Leuchars air show held annually around
September just outside St Andrews on the east coast of Scotland. RAF Leuchars is one of only three operating
aircraft bases in Scotland, unfortunately due to spending reviews and cutbacks
due to the worldwide recession it will be closing to the RAF in 2013, plans are
in place to remodel the base into an army barracks. Although this is somewhat good news as it
still allows money to come into the local economy, there are worries that St
Andrews does not hold the infrastructure to accommodate such an explosion in
the population.
During the aircraft displays it is possible to see a wide
range of modern military jets put through their paces by incredibly high trained
individuals; pilots, aircraft and teams come from various countries, not just
the UK.
Alphajet
The highlight of many people from around the UK in going to
an air show is to see the Red Arrows.
The Red Arrows are the aerobatic display team of the Royal
Air Force, the precision manoeuvres are second to none and will frequently take
your breath away as the British Aerospace Hawk T1’s fly in formations that seem
ridiculously too close.
No Introduction Required.
The 2011 Red Arrows display was tinged by sadness this year
as a few months previously during a display at the Bournemouth Air Festival one
of the display aircraft crashed as it was returning to Bournemouth Airport to
land. As a mark of respect, the team
would continue the rest of the years flying schedule, but in an eight plane
formation. In many of the manoeuvres the
space where the ninth aircraft would have been was left just as that, a space.
Photograph title: Alphajet
Subject: Alphajet aircraft from the Patrouille De France aerobatic display team.
Date taken: 10th September 2011
Camera Nikon D90
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture f/8.o
Focal Length 300 mm
Photograph title: No Introduction Required.
Subject: Hawk T1 jet from the RAF Aerobatic Display Team - The Red Arrows.
Date taken: 10th September 2011
Camera Nikon D90
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Aperture f/8.o
Focal Length 400 mm
Photograph title: Alphajet
Subject: Alphajet aircraft from the Patrouille De France aerobatic display team.
Date taken: 10th September 2011
Camera Nikon D90
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture f/8.o
Focal Length 300 mm
Photograph title: No Introduction Required.
Subject: Hawk T1 jet from the RAF Aerobatic Display Team - The Red Arrows.
Date taken: 10th September 2011
Camera Nikon D90
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Aperture f/8.o
Focal Length 400 mm
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Ever heard of camouflage?
Ever heard of camouflage? One of the questions that I sometimes get asked is must I have a long lens to get close up shots of wildlife?
The answer is...... not necessarily! Now let's be honest a long lens is always going to help with wildlife shots but it is not the be all and end all. What really helps is to understand the wildlife that you interested in and how to make yourself get close to them without spooking them.
The first photograph that I will talk about and share is one which was taken a few years ago and is titled "ever heard of camouflage?". This photograph shows a pheasant in it's natural habitat showing how well it merges in to the background!
Ever heard of camouflage?
If you have ever tried to take a photograph of a wild pheasant you will probably know that they will readily spook and fly off as you approach them, not making them the easiest subject to follow. So what are the choices? You can use the landscape to help your approach, such as walls that sometimes surround the fields in which they can often be found. This method can sometimes result in you getting close enough to your prey, but again, easily spooked birds will often be one step in front of you, somehow always being just that few metres too far away for a frame filling photograph.
A hide could be used, but there are drawbacks. Cost, many hides are costly putting them beyond the reach of the casual photographer who cannot justify the outlay of a piece of equipment that will hardly ever be used. The other drawback with regards to hides is that to be most effective they have to remain in location for sometime so that the animals get used to their presence .
Pheasant Profile
So the photograph in question, how was it taken without the need for a long wildlife lens or a hide. The answer?
The photograph was taken from the car! Your car can make a very effective mobile hide. On the day that this photograph was taken I was travelling with no intention to photographing pheasants, but as luck would show I passed a field that had half a dozens pheasants in the stubble after the harvest. One quick stop in a lay-by later, the camera and lens were removed from the camera bag and placed on the passenger seat for easy access. Next part was to get close. With the window rolled down I drove into the field at a slow and steady pace with the aim of driving parallel to the birds, if you drive straight at them they will fly away. It always seems so strange who close you can get using this method. It should go without say, to drive into any fields you should always have the permission of the farmer / land owner. I have always found that usually, they will be more than willing to help out as long as you are not causing any damage.
Photograph title: Ever heard of camouflage
Subject: Wild Pheasant
Date taken: 19th September 2008
Camera Nikon D50
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 270 mm
Photograph title: Pheasant Profile
Subject: Wild Pheasant
Date taken: 19th September 2008
Camera Nikon D50
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 270 mm
The answer is...... not necessarily! Now let's be honest a long lens is always going to help with wildlife shots but it is not the be all and end all. What really helps is to understand the wildlife that you interested in and how to make yourself get close to them without spooking them.
The first photograph that I will talk about and share is one which was taken a few years ago and is titled "ever heard of camouflage?". This photograph shows a pheasant in it's natural habitat showing how well it merges in to the background!
Ever heard of camouflage?
If you have ever tried to take a photograph of a wild pheasant you will probably know that they will readily spook and fly off as you approach them, not making them the easiest subject to follow. So what are the choices? You can use the landscape to help your approach, such as walls that sometimes surround the fields in which they can often be found. This method can sometimes result in you getting close enough to your prey, but again, easily spooked birds will often be one step in front of you, somehow always being just that few metres too far away for a frame filling photograph.
A hide could be used, but there are drawbacks. Cost, many hides are costly putting them beyond the reach of the casual photographer who cannot justify the outlay of a piece of equipment that will hardly ever be used. The other drawback with regards to hides is that to be most effective they have to remain in location for sometime so that the animals get used to their presence .
Pheasant Profile
So the photograph in question, how was it taken without the need for a long wildlife lens or a hide. The answer?
The photograph was taken from the car! Your car can make a very effective mobile hide. On the day that this photograph was taken I was travelling with no intention to photographing pheasants, but as luck would show I passed a field that had half a dozens pheasants in the stubble after the harvest. One quick stop in a lay-by later, the camera and lens were removed from the camera bag and placed on the passenger seat for easy access. Next part was to get close. With the window rolled down I drove into the field at a slow and steady pace with the aim of driving parallel to the birds, if you drive straight at them they will fly away. It always seems so strange who close you can get using this method. It should go without say, to drive into any fields you should always have the permission of the farmer / land owner. I have always found that usually, they will be more than willing to help out as long as you are not causing any damage.
Photograph title: Ever heard of camouflage
Subject: Wild Pheasant
Date taken: 19th September 2008
Camera Nikon D50
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 270 mm
Photograph title: Pheasant Profile
Subject: Wild Pheasant
Date taken: 19th September 2008
Camera Nikon D50
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 270 mm
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