Black and White Wednesday

Posted on November 28, 2018 Posted in Black and White Wednesday., outdoorsTagged Black and white, black and white photography, Black and White Wednesday., Bradford, Double Decker, monochrome photography, nikon, Nikon D7200, nikon lens, Saltaire, Salts Mill, Salts Mill shopping centre, Sigma lens, travel, Wedding bus, Weddings2 Comments

This photo I shot a few month’s back at Salts Mill, Bradford. It was parked outside the church and just managed to get a couple of shots before it left with the wedding party.

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Thank you for visiting and please feel free to comment.

George

Black and White Wednesday

Posted on November 21, 2018November 21, 2018 Posted in Black and White Wednesday., outdoors, wildlifeTagged black and white photography, Black and White Wednesday., forest park, Hillsborough forest park, Hillsborough Lake, Lightroom, monochrome photography, Mute swan, nikon, nikon D750, Silver efex pro 2, swan, Tamron lens, walking, wildlife, wildlife photography4 Comments

This weeks shot come from my Sunday walk around Hillsborough Forest Park, County Down, Northern Ireland.

The Mute Swan.

This was edited in Lightroom then finished in Silver Efex Pro 2 which is a B&W editor.

Thank you for viewing and feel free to comment.

George.

Black and White Wednesday

Posted on November 14, 2018 Posted in Black and White Wednesday., outdoorsTagged Black and white, black and white landscape, black and white photography, Black and White Wednesday., blog, Blogging, Dundrum bay, Ireland, Irish mountains, monochrome photography, Mourne mountains, nikon, nikon D750, Northern Ireland, outdoors, photography, sea shore, Sigma lens, travel6 Comments

Hello, this week we are off to the Mourne Mountains, well Dundrum bay to photograph the mountains. With the moving cloud cover and the brighter highlights it gives a nice distinction to the landscape.

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Thank you for viewing.

George.

Black & White Wednesday

Posted on October 31, 2018 Posted in Black and White Wednesday., outdoorsTagged black and white photography, Black and White Wednesday., Co.Down, Dundrum bay, Little Egret, monochrome, monochrome photography, nikon, Nikon cameras, Nikon D7200, Northern Ireland, outdoors, sea birds, Sigma lens, wildlifeLeave a comment

This weeks photograph was taken while taking photo’s of a Little Egret. On a bridge a photographer was photographing the same bird from a different spot. So my shot this week is of the lesser spotted photographer.

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Dear photographer, if you happen to read this please contact me, would love to see your shots of the little Egret.

Comment’s welcome and have a great Wednesday.

George.

Black and White Wednesday

Posted on October 17, 2018 Posted in Black and White Wednesday.Tagged black & white, black and white photography, Black and White Wednesday., Co.Down, Coastal, Grey seal, Ireland, Little Egret, monochrome, monochrome photography, nikon, Nikon cameras, Northern Ireland, seals, Sigma lens, wildlife, wildlife photography2 Comments

oct2018-1-60-01 This weeks shots comes from the Co.Down coast. The Little Egret and the Grey Seal.

Thank you for visiting.

George

Black and White Wednesday

Posted on October 3, 2018 Posted in Black and White Wednesday.Tagged Black and white, black and white photography, Buddha, buddhism, monochrome, monochrome photography, nikon, Nikon D7200, nikon lens, Portmeirion, religion, Sigma lens, statue, travel photography, WalesLeave a comment

The Buddha of North Wales.

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Thank you for visiting.

George

The Peak District and Yorkshire.

Posted on September 9, 2018September 9, 2018 Posted in motorcycling, Motorcycling travel, outdoorsTagged 1853 Gallery Saltaire, David Hockney, landscape photography, motorcycle touring, motorcycling, nikon, nikon D750, North Wales, overlanding, Peak district, photography, river Aire, Salts Mill, Sigma lens, Skipton, Tamron lens, travel photography, Travelling, Wildfowl, Yorkshire8 Comments

So after leaving Wales I headed over to the Peak District in mid England.

The ride across to the Peak District was an enjoyable ride with a few detours due to road works. When time is not a problem I love detours, on the motorcycle I just take any road and see where it takes me. Sometimes I do this just for fun. I have seen great little gem’s of the country side by doing this or ended up in dead end’s or farm yards. It’s still great to explore to little roads.

So my destination was The Royal Oak in Hurdlow, Nr Buxton, SK17 9QJ,

This was home for two nights staying in the Bunk Barn.

The bunk rooms are up the stairs, they are clean and also have a small shared Kitchen area if you wish to cook or just make coffee, tea etc. Toilets and Showers below them has seen in the photo. Because the barn is built into a slope the bunk rooms are at ground level on the other side of the barn.

Last year I camped here before going up to tour Scotland, saying it rained is an under statement. I never seen any of the Peak district. This year the ground was burnt with no rain for a couple of months.

Where most of my meals where had and a few pints of ale enjoyed. There was a large music festival due to start a few miles down the road. So it was busy and no shortage of people to chat to, it’s the thing I love when touring alone. The people I meet, local and others travelling. Some great true stories, and others boasted by too much ale. You have got to love it.

An old Ford Transit motor home owned by a family of festival goers.

Red tailed bee and a few shots around the Peak district.

The Royal Oak sits on part of the National cycling network route. I walked around 10 mile of it in the evenings. With it being based on old disused railway lines in this area, it was enjoyable to walk and not have any traffic. While walking I left the camera, just enjoying the walk for what it is. Before leaving the Royal Oak I would like to say, Having stayed here twice I would highly recommend this place, staff and service is great and the ale worth trying.

My next stop is in North Yorkshire in the Market town of Skipton. It’s here I have to apologize for no photographs from this part of the trip. When replacing the SD card in the camera, I didn’t push it fully home and it was not till I was in Skipton I discovered it. So a full days photos in some scenic parts where lost, plus photos of a place I want to see for years. the town of Holmfirth in Yorkshire. Where the longest running British television sitcom was filmed. ‘Last of the summer wine’ the series run from 1973 to 2010. I always want to get a cup of tea in Sid’s cafe, a place in the sitcom. So I made it there and got my tea and thought I had my photographs, So it will be another trip back to see Holmfirth and another cuppa.

Skipton in Yorkshire is a place I have been to a lot, I was going to visit friends there for the weekend and do some walking but the weather there was thunder and lighting storms so with the bike parked for the weekend we went to Salts Mill a few mile from Bradford. About Salts Mill

The Church where a wedding was taking place.

Something different from the wedding cars you normally see.

The sign at the old police station.

Hockney 1853 gallery , Some views of the work on display in the David Hockney gallery. Here’s Andy adding scale to the famous Hockney chair.

In a gallery being artistic with slow shutter speed.

Heavy weight reading here in the book shop, detail from the slinging hook used in the old mill. It was nice to see how a lot of the old mill has been restored or just used has it was, like the old stone flooring and other features like the windows and doors.

A coffee in one of the coffee shops and it was out into the sunshine.

The mill chimney from different views.

Beside the mill runs the canal where we where going to walk but just has these photos below where taken the storms moved in.

some off the local wildfowl coming to greet me.

then ignore me.

Others check the camera out.

Looking across the River Aire beside the Canal.

It was a drive back to Skipton and enjoy the rest on the weekend with dear friends who always look after me with five star treatment, love you both. I left Skipton with heavy storms looming has I set off for Scotland to catch the ferry back to Belfast. Just made the ferry with minutes to spare, like the last one on board. Supper on the ferry and a mild crossing I rode into Belfast around 11pm and another half hour till home.

Hope you enjoyed the end to my trip ‘Short tour of Wales’ It was a good trip with kind weather and good friends, old and new. Remember a adventure does not mean travelling around the world or cost thousands. It can be a few mile away and with planning, cost’s can be kept down. So what ever you are into get out there and explore, meet new people and the most important thing enjoy life.

Thank you,

George.

Bee’s and butterflies

Posted on August 4, 2018November 26, 2018 Posted in General, macro, outdoors, wildlifeTagged Bee, bee's, bugs, butterflies, close up photography, flying insects, garden wildlife, macro, macro lens, Marco photography, nikon, Nikon cameras, Nikon D7200, outdoors, Photographing bee's, photography outdoors, sigma, Sigma 105 lens, UK wildlife, wildflowers, wildlife, wildlife photography18 Comments

It’s been a while since I last posted, I had planned to stop this blog due to a number of things. Number one on the list was no motivation, so now having rested and with the support from friends plus followers from the blog, let’s continue. Thank you all.

Bee’s and Butterflies.

We have had a hot summer here in Ireland, not much rain. Hosepipe ban’s and a lot of native people with a tan. Both rare in Ireland. With all this sunshine the butterflies are around in large numbers. The other thing I have been photographing is bee’s. Not to hard a subject has they flirt with the Blackberry flowers in the hedgerows.

I liked the fly which was captured in this shot.

This is a Ringlet which is getting a little worn looking.

So I decided bee’s flying would be a good subject to try, have you ever tried to photograph them in flight. It great fun and the hours disappear. So armed with a Nikon D7200 and a Sigma 105mm Macro lens fitted, a nice sunny day to keep shutter speeds up into battle I went.

Why do bee’s always take off facing the wrong way, this kind of shot was the flavor off the first hour or so. I don’t give in easy. A coffee break and it was back to the front line. I started to notice bee’s lift the rear end up slightly before take off. Which didn’t help when they are going the wrong direction. So in between the bee’s I got some other close up’s ( these a chopped in post).

Hover fly.

Clover flower caught in a light breeze. Yes it’s the effect of the slight movement that I like in this shot.

Not a hundred percent on this plant but I think it’s English Plantain. These plant shots were taken by lying on the ground with the camera. Focusing in live view, use the self timer and press the shutter release. Right back to the bee’s.

After about two hours my success rate way getting better. I enjoyed this little challenge and will give it another try. Might try flash the next time. Now on to some butterflies. The next shots are Large Cabbage whites.

The large cabbage white from different angles. Was going to try shooting these in flight but did not get one sharp shot. Bee’s are easy compared to butterflies.

For the final photo I’ll leave you with my favourite, a close up of one feeding.

Thank you for joining me in the garden, please feel free to comment. I would love to hear your thoughts or tips on shooting these subjects.

George.

Ring Necked Pheasant.

Posted on June 17, 2018 Posted in wildlifeTagged bird photography, County Down, Ireland, Irish wildlife, mating call, nature, nature photography, nikon, Nikon D7200, Northern Ireland, outdoors, pheasant, Pheasant call, Ring-necked Pheasant, sigma, Sigma lens, wildlife photography, Wildlife uk12 Comments

Had the pleasure one evening watching a Ring necked Pheasant as it and a couple of hen Pheasants fed while crossing some scrub ground. While the hens kept under cover in the longer grasses the cock remained in the open, like me was keeping watch.

Here he stands in the warm evening sun light showing off his well tailored suit and face markings.

They make a range of sounds has they communicate with each other, from crowing to beating there wings. Sometimes both at the same time.

The above sequence of shots show the wing beating without the crowing. Below a couple of photographs from him crowing Pheasant calling

These Photographs where taken over a half hour period where I used a fence post has a make shift tripod. Shot with a Nikon D7200 and a Sigma 150 – 600 mm Telephoto lens. Processed and cropped in Lightroom. My last shot of the evening was where I caught him crossing a break in the ground cover and the warm light on his back.

I put the camera down and spent the last ten minutes just enjoying the scene.

Hope you have enjoyed seeing this beautiful bird with me and thank you for visiting.

George.

Portmore Lough

Posted on May 20, 2018May 20, 2018 Posted in wildlifeTagged bird blind, bird hide, bird photography, Bird watching, Black-veined butterfly, butterfly, common terns, damselfly, gulls, irish birding, irish loughs, Irish wildlife, lough, nesting rafts, nikon, Nikon D7200, Portmore lough, red damselfly, RSPB, Sigma lens, Sparrow, terns, water fowl, wild birds, wildlife photography5 Comments

Portmore lough is in County Antrim here in the north of Ireland. It is one of the RSPB nature reserve’s I like to visit Portmore a few times a year. Spring time brings in the Common Tern to the nesting rafts on the lough and so on a hot sunny spring day ( note these are not words we use a lot in Ireland ) I arrive at the reserve. With only a few cars parked up it meant the hide by the lough would be quiet. The walk to the hide showed butterflies and damselflies were out, but a breeze blowing made closeups difficult.

Blue Damselfly. Getting a shot of this was hard work, even this one could have been sharper.

Yep it’s a red Damselfly. These seemed to land on the ground which helped with the wind, but hard on the knees.

Black-veined white butterfly. This one is a little battered, it was the only shot I got plus a workout. Then it was into the bird hide or bird blind depending when you are from. Two women were there and after a short update on what was seen I set up the camera. There are three nesting rafts and has well as Common Tern’s there was Blacked Gulls nesting.

A Common Tern bring in lunch. I sat and watched the coming and goings around the rafts for an hour. I find by spending time studying these birds, patterns arise. This helps to get photographs, so lets meet the Common Tern and Black Headed gull.