Boscombe Spa Village (and a new lens)...

Having taken delivery of a Nikkor 12-24 mm lens, yesterday, I give the lens its first outing by photographing the progress of the Boscombe Spa Village project. It has been roughly 18 months since the site was just a car park, and the image shows the progress to date.

© 2008

Swanage railway branch line weekend...

With a back that's beginning to suffer from lugging heavy camera gear about, I aim at something more genteel today, and stumble upon the last knockings of the Swanage railway branch line weekend. Quite by chance I stopped at Corfe Castle to see what the railway was running, and despite the unpredictable weather trying to put a stop to my shooting, I wait with a handful of other railway enthusiasts who were equally determined to shoot whatever came by. The image, shot during an impromptu hail storm, shows a Standard Class 4 tank engine pulling the train, with an LSWR M7 tank engine at the rear, ready to pull the train in the opposite direction for the return journey.

© 2008

Cervus nippon...

In much need of a change of pace, I travel west to the RSPB reserve, Arne, on the shore of Poole harbour. Although well known for its open heathland, oak woodland and bird populations, it was photographing the sika deer that was the primary purpose of my visit. Although they tolerate human presence more readily than other species, it's still no easy task to get good images of these wild animals, and you still need to employ all the necessary precautions to get within range with a telephoto lens.
The deer were originally introduced into UK parks during the 1860's, but escapees established themselves into the countryside.

© 2008

Blue Tit...

The image, made at Eyeworth pond in the New Forest, is my first serious attempt at photographing the smaller species of British birds. Up until now, I've tended to concentrate my energies on the larger specimens of the indigenous wildlife to be found on these islands. For one, they are easier to shoot: the bigger they are, the slower they tend to move, but taking the easy option doesn't improve my photography. So, attaching the x1.4 tele-converter to my 300mm ƒ/2.8 lens, I set to work. Not the best of images ever made, but a fair attempt at what is, after all, a faster moving subject. The biggest problem, as ever, is selecting suitable backgrounds that compliment the subject, so that's going to need some work. I think I'm gonna need a longer lens...

One foal a-leaping...

Today, there was snow in my garden from an overnight fall. It's the first time I've seen snow in this area for nearly nine years, so it was something of a rarity. Of course, once the sun started shining, it all disappeared quickly.

Despite the unseasonable temperatures, I head for the New Forest, hoping that some foals have been dropped during the past week, and this time I strike lucky at my first stop. It took all of five minutes before I stumbled upon a mare and its recently born foal. I get a few insurance shots before the pair move off into deeper forest. I decide against following so as not to cause undue stress, but later the pair re-appear and seem relaxed enough to allow me to spend an hour or so photographing them.

© 2008