Category: Black and White Wednesday.

Black & White Wednesday

Posted on Posted in Black and White Wednesday., Ireland, irish landscape, wildlife, woodsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 12 Comments

Welcome to another B & W Wednesday, hope all is well in you in your part of the world. The norm of this post is a single photograph. I will be posting a few images if they are related to the day and place they where photographed.

So the location is in the Dromara hills close to my home. The morning was heavy fog but around 11.30 am the sun was burning it off and opening the views to that layered effect.

This was taken has I climbed up through Drumkerragh forest has the fog was thinning.

With the fog clearing quickly has I walked higher up into the forest the sound of crows and ravens filled the valley with there calls. Pairs flying from tree top to tree top it gave me a chance to get a few nice images. This one below is off a couple of Ravens on a dead tree.

Raven ( Corvus corax) is a member of the crow family.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/raven/

In spring if you ever get the chance to watch Ravens do their courting flight, please watch them. They love to fly and at times you might think they have a death wish has they race towards the earth.

Here’s a link to a short Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFKcj9aN7ZI

My next encounter was a small bird of prey, a Kestrel. I saw it sitting on a tree top and slowly made my way towards it. I lost sight of it and then has I rounded a group of trees there she sat. I got a few images has she sat looking around her but a bunch of twigs was spoiling them. Then she took off and came my way drifting on the breeze looking for prey. Nearly above me she started to hover and that’s when I got the following image.

Female Kestrel.

Kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ) belongs to the falcon family of birds.

Kestrel:https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/birds/kestrel/

These are another fun bird to watch has they hover in the sky looking for small prey on the ground, when spotted the drop at great speed onto there prey.

Kestrel hovering, this is a great slow motion film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0D-J0cgJME

Kestrel hovering and the dive in real time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaRSihpIU34

Hope you enjoyed a little part of my morning walk and a few of the wildlife we have here in Northern Ireland.

Take care and stay safe.

George.

Black & White Wednesday

Posted on Posted in Black and White Wednesday., General, petsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Hello to my visitors, hope you are all keeping well where-ever you are in our crazy world. This week I would like to meet a home invader. Been caught in my living room, sitting on my sofa, in my kitchen. But is always welcome to come in and get petted. So the other morning I was going out to the coast to do some photography, it was sitting on the doorstep and the sun was reflecting off the white van. So I grabbed the camera and took three or four photos. I turned one into this weeks B & W image. It was only when I looked at the finished photo I thought this is a grumpy looking cat. But it a very friendly and adores getting attention. Did you notice it sits with a front paw up like you would see some dogs do. It always sits like this, at first I thought it might have a sore paw ( hence the grumpy look) but seems to walk and run ok.

Grumpy cat..

So this my house invader, always welcome to come in.

I used a Nikon D7200 fitted with a Tamron 70 – 200 mm SP lens.

Photo data: f/4, 1/60 sec shutter speed. ISO 100 and lens focal length 78 mm.

Thank you for visiting and be kind to all living things.

George.

Black & White Wednesday

Posted on Posted in Black and White Wednesday., irish landscape, outdoors, wildlife, woodsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Out early Sunday morning and went up to my local woods, Drumkerragh Forest. A misty view of the forest and Slieve Croob mountain greeted me. Has I set off with camera bag and monopod on my walk, I hoped the sun would burn off the mist. After three hours of walking and into my final mile the sun started to do its job.

This was taken with a Sigma 150-600 mm lens, shot at 240mm. I love the way a telephoto lens can give the appearance of compressed distance between distant objects in a scene.

This area has a large number of ravens around the woods at this time of the year. Walking towards some dead trees just of the trail. Two landed close by on one of the trees.

Missed the first one in but caught the second one landing has seen above.

This next shot is a silhouette shot edited in Silver efex pro, I use this to edit all my B&W images.

Again it contains a lone Raven sitting calling across the valley.

The start of the walk did not look promising from a photography point but I ended the morning with a few good shots to edit in the evening.

Thank you for visiting and stay safe.

George.

Black & White Wednesday

Posted on Posted in Black and White Wednesday., motorcyclingTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

DREAMING, this weeks photo was taken back in 2012, while walking around the shop I spotted this Victory Highball 106 cubic inch motorcycle. After a few tried it for size I thought I’d give it a fitting. Well it felt fine, I could hear ‘ Freedom of the road, The Drifter’ playing in my head and the wind blowing in my hair. Well it use to, honest..

The Drifter. ( Sherri T Hill )

Needless to say I’m still dreaming.

I still ride motorcycles, have done for 44 years but never had a custom style bike, I’m not finished yet…

Thank you for stopping by and stay safe.

George.

Black & White Wednesday

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This weeks image was taken around five of years back when I was playing around with lighting and having no model at hand it was yours truly in front of the camera. So here is one of those images from that evening.

I was using a fixed light to my right and a reflector on my left side fixed to a spare tripod. It was shot on a Nikon D5300 camera with a Sigma 17- 70 mm lens at 55mm , ISO 100, f/5.3 and 1/100 second shutter speed.

I have been sorting through images stored on hard drives I used has backup . So expect to see a few more image from the archives in the future.

Take care my friends,

George.

Black & White Wednesday

Posted on Posted in Black and White Wednesday., General, outdoors, petsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

I have been looking back through some image files stored on a back up hard drive. So this weeks image was taken in London a few years back. His name is Ralph a Miniature Schnauzer and belongs to my daughter. A little dog with great character who loves attention and to play but would never make a guard dog. He would be putting you out in front to defend him.

Ralph.

Thank you all for visiting,

stay safe and well,

George.

Black & White Wednesday.

Posted on Posted in Black and White Wednesday., Ireland, Moto X, motorcycling, outdoorsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

This week I jumped into my time machine and went back to September 2018. A time you could go out among people, enjoy a coffee with someone and if someone coughed it didn’t even register with you. So this shot was taken at an Irish moto-x Championship round. It was held at the Laurel Bank circuit near Saintfield, County Down, Northern Ireland. A quick word with the clerk of the course and I had permission to access parts of the course closed to the public. This gets you closer to the action but still staying a safe distance should something go wrong.

Laurel Bank Moto-X circuit.
Eating dirt..

Thank you for traveling along with me, here’s one more from the day.

Air time.

Stay safe and thank you for visiting.

George.

Camera : Nikon D750 with a Sigma 150-600 mm telephoto lens.

Data for first photograph: 1/3200 sec @ f/3.2 : ISO 400

Lens focal length : 150 mm

Black & White Wednesday

Posted on Posted in Black and White Wednesday., Coastal, Ireland, wildlifeTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

Had a few days break from work and was happy the sun decided to shine those few days. So I spent one of them at a few spots along the County Down coast. The tide was out and I was not counting on much wildlife on the mudflats. But the day left me with some grand photographs. So todays image is one of a Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) fishing in a fresh water stream that runs out through the mudflats.

Little Egret: Egretta garzetta

So it turned out a enjoyable day and may you all enjoy your day.

George.

Camera: Nikon D750 with a Sigma 150-600 mm lens

Data: f/6.3 @ 1/2000 sec: ISO 360, focal length 600 mm

Black & White wednesday

Posted on Posted in Black and White Wednesday., Coastal, General, Ireland, outdoors, wildlifeTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

This week we’re off to the coast and a small black and white bird called a Pied wagtail (Motacilla alba) is the subject. They are a common bird here in Ireland and the UK and can be seen all year round. They can be found almost any where, from coast to city centres. When standing they frantically wag their tail up and down or dashing across the ground in search of food.

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba).

Camera: Nikon D750 with a Sigma 150-600 mm lens

Data: 1/800 sec @ f/6.3: ISO 320

Lens focal length: 600 mm

Stay safe,

George.

Black & white Wednesday

Posted on Posted in Black and White Wednesday., Ireland, irish landscapeTagged , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

This weeks photograph come from the town of Trim in County Meath, Ireland. It was taken on my mobile/cell phone which is something I rarely do. Trim is around two and a half hours from my home and it being a warm September day I had to get out on my motorcycle. Trim has a lot of history and I’ll put a link at the bottom of the post for anyone interested.

The photograph is off the bridge over the River Boyne. The bridge is claimed to be the oldest in Ireland but there are others that claim the same title.

River Boyne, Trim, County Meath, Ireland.

Trim History: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trim,_County_Meath

Thank you for visiting.

Stay safe,

George.