Watery mural...

Today's photograph is part of a mural, painted on the external sides of a water pumping station, in the Borough of Poole, Dorset. Painted by local students in 1998, it had the full support of Wessex Water (who's building it is), and received a special commendation in the prestigious Dulux Dimensions of Colour competition for that year.


24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/1600 second at f/5.6. ISO 200

© 2011

Personal best...

Everywhere I go today, there are people engaged in preparation for the coming summer months. Whether it be the installation of the RNLI lifeguard lookout posts, situated along the length of Poole Bay, or some much needed maintenance to watercraft in Poole harbour, Dorset (photo).

It was a busy day, shooting wise, and I cycle just over 49 miles to achieve it: a personal best for a day's riding. By some standards that may well be considered just "warming-up", but to someone who's idea of exercise used to be a game of chess, with the window open, something of a triumph.


300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/2500 second at f/5.6. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 320

© 2011

Shameless pet photo...

I'm making no bones about it - it's a pet photo. Once in a while I manage to get a better-than-average shot of my cat, and today is such a day. The rim lighting, plus the pastel tones of the background make for a decent animal portrait.

A touch of fill-in flash completes the effect.


24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/4. - 0.33 EV compensation, with - 0.7 stop fill-in flash. ISO 200

© 2011

Diving for ragworm...

Today, I spend an hour or so at Sandbanks, beside Poole harbour, Dorset, photographing gulls feeding. As the tide ebbs, these sea birds start feeding on ragworm as soon as the water is shallow enough to make successful dives.

This Black-headed gull has just surfaced from such a dive, with a catch in its bill. At this time of year the adult bird is starting to get its summer plumage, but contrary to its eponymous title, the head feathers are a chocolate brown, not black.

300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/1600 second at f/7.1.  - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400

© 2011

Vernal equinox...

Spring, like autumn, is a transitional period as nature wakes up from winter, and for me one of the great photographic opportunities of the year. As the daylight hours increase insect life is more prevalent, fruit trees are in blossom and the appearance of wild spring flowers bring some much needed colour. As pale green leaves begin to appear on the trees during the next few weeks it will be time to photograph sunlit woodlands, carpeted with bluebells and wild garlic.

But its Poole harbour that is today's attraction for me. The weekend's "supermoon" has produced some exceptionally low tides, while the clear skies help things along. Ideally, I wanted to shoot scenes of colourful boats left high and dry in the late afternoon sunshine, but they were rather sparse for good compositions as many are still out of the water for the winter. Instead, I elect to photograph a solitary boat, making use of what reflections were available, as the sun sets over Brownsea Island.

Next weekend British Summer Time (BST) begins! 

24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/200 second at f/11. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400

© 2011  

Super moon rising...

It's the closest it has been for 19 years, and although some foretell all sorts of strange events, the moon will create nothing more than unusually high or low tides.

Photographed at 19.39 this evening, our only satellite is seen here rising over the Isle of Wight, with the 751ft (229 metre) Chillerton TV transmitter to the right. It is difficult to get a crisp image as the moon's disc when it is this low in the sky as it is usually distorted by atmospheric turbulence, but the colour is accurate.

This "lunar perigee" sees The Moon a mere 221,567 miles (356,577 km) from the Earth, or 90% as close as it ever gets.

300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. 1/80 second at f/5. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 640.

© 2011

Underneath the arches...

Graffiti: It has been around since ancient times - there are examples dating back to Ancient Greece and Rome - and is more or less ubiquitous these days. This form of expression is somewhat controversial, but I find some graffiti rather appealing. In fact, I'm going to devote some time and energy photographing the more amusing illustrations as an ongoing project.

This particular example is a stencil graffiti, a technique originating in the early 1980s, and was painted on the rear wall of the arched beach shelter at Alum Chine, Poole Bay, Dorset. This method is popular, as it greatly reduces the chances of the artist being caught.


24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/1250 second at f/6.3. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200

© 2011

Earlier than last year...

While parts of Scotland were digging their cars out of the snow this morning, the southern part, at least, of the UK was enjoying a spring day, with temperatures peaking at 12˚C.

As mentioned in a recent post, spring is estimated to travel from south to north at 8mph (13kmh), so it will be another week or so before northern regions can look forward to the daffodil and tree blossom displays, prevalent in the south.

Today's image is shot in the same place as my daffodil post last March  - but ten days earlier. Here, all the flowers have bloomed, whilst there were numerous heads still to open in last year's photograph.


24-70mm f/2.8G Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/8. +0.67 EV compensation. ISO 400. Polariser.

© 2011

Not now, I've got a headache...

The nesting season for a good many bird species has got underway: in this instance for the local Mallards at Throop, Dorset. Although these ducks form pairs during the autumn, this partnership effectively dissolves once the female lays eggs. However, males will still forcibly mate with unattached or isolated females (and even with those of a different species).

Unfortunately for this particular drake, the recalcitrant female is having none of it, and makes repeated evasive manoeuvres in a bid to resist his advances. I shoot several high-speed bursts at the peak of the action to capture today's image.


300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. 1/800 second at f/10.  -1 stop EV compensation. ISO 400

© 2011

The plough and harrow...

The high pressure weather system that currently sits over most of the UK is a bonus to farmers and photographers alike - both taking advantage of the clear conditions and better light to work in.

Currently exploring potential locations for Spring photography, I'm peddling the local country lanes in search of something different. The past few weeks have proven fruitful in this respect, and have been duly noted, but today's image happened by chance.

It is late afternoon when I come across a field being ploughed in preparation for seeding at Holdenhurst, Dorset. There is, predictably, an attendant cloud of gulls in its wake, ready to take advantage of anything edible turned over by the plough. The tractor is also towing a harrow alongside the plough, breaking up any clods of earth left behind by the ploughing operation, giving the soil a finer finish.
Neat.


105mm f/2.8D Sigma macro lens. 1/2000 second at f/5.6.  -1 stop EV compensation. ISO 400

© 2011

The duck season continues...

The Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca), above, is a scarce visitor to the UK, with as few as 30 recordings a year. I photographed this specimen on a pond at Throop, Dorset, during late afternoon. Sometimes confused with the female Tufted Duck, it is easily differentiated by its white, beady eye and white stern.


300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. 1/800 second at f/8. - 1 stop EV compensation. ISO 400

© 2011

Under blue skies...

Never photograph birds under anything but a blue sky - a piece of advice I was given a long time ago - is something I always try to adhere to. But although not alway possible or desirable - at dawn or sunset, for example - more often than not it increases the chance of producing images that are pleasing to the eye. This is especially the case here where water is involved. The ripples, created by the Tufted Duck, are highlighted by a clear sky and contrast nicely with the red reflections of surrounding trees and reeds.

Although bright-overcast conditions produce more saturated colours in photography, the water would not have taken on the vivid colours it has here, thus reducing the impact of the photograph.


300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. 1/1000 second at f/8.  -1stop EV compensation. ISO 400. Monopod

© 2011