From bad, to worse...

The British hope for a Wimbledon title this year evaporated as Andy Murray pulled out because of injury, Gordon Brown becomes Prime Minister, and just as I think things can't get any worse, the Spice Girls announce they're reforming...

I continue the week in the New Forest with a dawn shoot. The clouds stayed away long enough today to give some good, low light, which accentuates the colour of the ponies coats. The bracken fern is optional.

© 2007

A morning in the New Forest...

Today, I spent the morning in the New Forest, photographing the ponies. They were more in evidence than yesterday, and finding the more photogenic mother and foal combination was a piece of cake. The little guy in the image was very vocal as I approached, and appeared to enjoy the attention, just as long as I kept a reasonable distance.
Photographed near Cadman's Pool.

© 2007

A walk in the New Forest...

The sun has managed to put in an occasional appearance today, so I took the opportunity to visit the New Forest again, this time concentrating on the wild ponies that are a familiar feature where ever you go. Although these animals are prevalent, it was surprisingly difficult to find any that were reasonably accessible for photographic purposes, but perseverance finally produced results.

© 2007

Rainy day, dream away (part 2)...

The weather along the south coast of the UK is worse today than it was yesterday, although not as bad as the rest of the country apparently, which has had severe weather warnings, and is awash with flooding in many places.
Inspired by the conditions, I decided to take my camera back to the sea side, and capture the British determination to have a good time in the face of adversity. Photographed on Bournemouth pier today, this man was the only soul prepared to brave the elements in pursuit of a good time.

© 2007

Rainy day, dream away...

After a brief spell of sunshine here on the south coast, it's back to the (persistent) rain again here in Dorset. Since summer kicked-off a few days ago the weather has reverted to type, and the forecast promises more "unsettled weather" for the next few days.
Since today is the first anniversary of starting this blog, I was determined to photograph something, and decided to return to the seafront with a fast lens and photograph whatever passed by.

© 2007

Pier progress...

Shot during late afternoon today, the work on Boscombe pier renovation focuses on the metal frames that will support the wind-break along the length of the new structure. All the other materials being removed are transported by barge to nearby Poole harbour for disposal.

© 2007

Summer solstice...

So, it's the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere, not that you'd know it here on the Dorset coast, although the wind has dropped to gale force today, and the rain is nice and warm. It's all probably down to global warming: I do my bit, so it must be the others.
The image was shot at around mid-day today, and shows Boscombe pier undergoing refurbishment, in the distance.

The surf reef, scheduled for construction this year, now has had objections lodged by local fishermen (rolls eyes), and could delay or prevent the reef being constructed. The artificial reef, crucial to the development of the area, must be built this year or the sand that's already in place may be washed away during the winter, thus increasing costs if it is eventually built at a later date. What these people don't appear to comprehend, is that the reef will be a benefit to marine life, as well as the local economy. Plus, why have they left it until this late stage to register a protest? Still, it's their sea, so I suppose it's alright to object.

© 2007

Boscombe pier demolition...

The demolition of Boscombe pier, Dorset, progresses at a slow, but steady pace. The outer pilings have now been removed and disposed of by barge, leaving only concrete stumps visible. The image shows the current stage of the work, with the Isle of Purbeck in the background.

© 2007

Woo-hoo...

After many months of weighing up the pro's and con's of two telephoto lenses (one a prime, the other a zoom) I finally took the plunge and plumped for the former, in the shape of a Nikkor 300mm f/2.8. It arrived shortly after 9:00am today, and after a quick browse of the user manual, I headed into the New Forest, Hampshire, to try it out.
My targets were the fallow deer that reside there, just to get something interesting to assess the lens with. Some people shoot brick walls to check sharpness or distortion, but what's the point? (unless that is why you bought the lens in the first place). The image was shot wide open and with a x1.4 teleconverter attached. The size and weight of the optic makes the whole camera more stable in the field. I can see this piece of glass getting a lot of use...sorry, this post wasn't meant to turn into a lens review.

© 2007

Same species, different family...

The clear weather is holding for southern UK, so it's up at 3:30am to get the best of the light, and down to the river. This swan family (there are eight cygnets in total) is a different one from what I have been photographing recently, and were swimming in open water on the Stour, just before 7:00am today.

© 2007

One of seven...

The 7 Mute swan cygnets, hatched and photographed two weeks ago, are doing well. The image, shot early today, is one of several that were on the nest as I arrived. Reed growth over the past few weeks has made it difficult to see all of the nest, and to get unobstructed views for photography.

© 2007