Black and White Wednesday

Been a while since I posted a Black and white photo on B&W Wednesday. So time to get started again.

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A Hover fly shot in the evening light with a Nikon D7200 and a Sigma 105mm macro lens.

Thank you for visiting

George.

Black & white Wednesday

This week its a B&W butterfly the Pieris rapae, small white or Small Cabbage White.

This was shot using a Nikon D7200 and Sigma 105 macro lens. Converted to B&W in Lightroom.

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Thank you for visiting and please feel free to comment, like or dislike.

Have a great day,

George

Bee’s and butterflies

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.

 

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I liked the fly which was captured in this shot.

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

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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.

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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).

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Hover fly.

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

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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.

 

 

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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.

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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.

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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.

 

 

The Red Fox.

While out visiting the other evening we were seated in the kitchen having a coffee. “Look there’s a Hare in the field” my host said. Sitting in the evening sun was an Irish Hare, I had my camera in the car so I nipped out and got it hoping the Hare would remain in his present spot. Nope he was moving away from me down the field and I watched has he disappeared into the lower lying ground. Left standing at the side of the garage looking at the country side, feeling the warmth of the sun and the sound of the birds I thought ‘ better finish my coffee ‘ when movement caught my eye. Coming from the lower ground where the Hare went into. It’s returning was my first thought but when I looked through the camera it was a Red Fox walking straight towards me.

I stood still close to the garage and got a few shots off.

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These were taken on a Sigma 150 – 600 mm lens and chopped  in editing.

Most animals detect movement rather that detail, so he was getting closer has he stopped to mark his territory every twenty feet or so. Turning to my left he stopped and looked where I was standing.fox-3335.jpg

At this point we were around 25 metres apart and I think he caught my scent. But seeing no threat he continued on.  Crossing some marsh he was now heading away from me, a sound from higher ground made him stop and gave me a chance to get another shot.

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A few moments later he disappeared into some shrub and was gone.

I waited around for a few minutes and the source of the noise he heard showed it’s self.

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It was a hen and cock Ringed-necked Pheasant, I shot these has they walked across the field and up into some wooded land on my right.fox-3372-2.jpg

Here’s a better look at the hen with her duller marking that help her to blend in to her environment while nesting. They can fly in short fast bursts if in danger and give a loud alarm call. They had left my line of vision for a minute or so and I heard the alarm call. Watching the line of the wood another fox came to view. This time crossing my right to left. I got a few shots but this time at a longer distance.

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This was a different fox, it’s markings and the first had a slight limp from its front leg marks them apart. I know the first was a Dog or male fox by the way he marks his  territory but at no time did I see this one do that. Which makes me think it was a vixen (female fox), I was in the open taking these and when it spotted me it stopped briefly and ran off into the lower ground from which the hare gone.

I shot many more photos that shown but just to see them was great. The Red Fox is Ireland’s only wild dog.  Given they were shot for their fur these animals are very shy of humans.

A quick note on camera and lens: Nikon D7200 camera and the Sigma 150 – 600 mm telephoto zoom lens.

Thank you for visiting, I hope you enjoyed the post and feel free to comment, good or bad.

Take care,

George.

Little Egrets and the Mourne mountains.

So the first skiff of snow covered the ground when I woke up this morning. Sitting looking out at it with a hot cup of coffee in my hand it was where will I go to today. With the sun breaking through I headed for Dundrum inner bay. A quick look at the tide tables lot me know the tide would be out. With the mud flats clear you never know what will be about. This morning was going to be about landscape shots and some close ups. I love walking the shore and looking for any  interesting subjects, the feel of the sea breeze on my face. I reality it was a biting  wind that chilled you and the sun that looked great lying low in the sky but gave no warmth.

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Dundrum bay with the Mourne mountains in the background.

The stone embankment on the left is the remains of an old railway line which is now a short walking trail running along the shore of the bay.  A place I have walked many times over the years.

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One of the stone and brick bridges that the railway run over.

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Spotted this shell on a rock and loved the contrast in the white against the green on the rock. the shell was about the size of my thumb nail. I shot this with a Sigma 105 mm macro lens.

I sat down on the stone embankment to just watch the bay with the sound of the birds on the flats and a buzzard calling somewhere behind me. I spotted not one but three White Egrets feeding in the river that run across the flats when the tide is out.

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This were still a fair distant away and has I watched one flew off. While looking else where I discovered another one had gone. Scanning the area I soon spotted it, there around 50 feet away feeding. Right in front of me, these birds will usually flee not come closer to humans. So very slowly I put a mono pod on my camera and was rewarded with some of my best Little Egret shots to date.

 

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Leaving the flats and climbing up onto the trail I got this shot.

 

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A Trush feeding on the trail which is grass cover most of the way.

From here I drove into the Dromara Hills which lay north of the Mourne mountains. I was hoping to get a few more bird shots but it was not to be. Where it was cold on the shore it was freezing here in the hills. the winds stronger and a storm front making its way in. I took a few images from a view point called the Windy Gap which believe me was living up to its name today. These are all looking into the Mourne mountains. Most taken at 150 mm using the car door has a tripod.

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this last one taken on a 24 mm lens.

So thank you again for joining me here in the north of Ireland. Take care.

George.

Good bye 2016

Going to leave 2016 by posting a couple of photographs, some like to go out on the town. Some a night in front of the television or to spend it with friends. This year I will sent it on it way with a mug of coffee beside me and this post.

First up is a photograph taken a couple of weeks ago in Lisburn in County Antrim. It shows the old coal quay  on the River Lagan where the barges use to unload there wares. With the Union bridge in the background and the newer weir in the foreground. This was taken early in the morning while a light mist hung over the low laying valley and river and traffic was light on the roads.

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This next photograph is the last one taken in 2016. It’s a macro shot of two Beech leaves. I love the leather textured look of these leaves in winter.

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Which leads me on to a new project in 2017. I enjoy motorcycling and traveling. I discovered that every county in Ireland has a song relating to it. So I will pick a song from each county and photograph the place in the song. If no place is named then I will pick a spot in that county. So over the year I’ll be visiting all 32 county’s and hope to discover a few new places I’ve yet to see. But be warned there are some terrible songs out there.

With just over an hour left in this year I wish for peace across our world, food in the hands off the hungry, homes for the homeless and send love and compassion to all beings.

Happy 2017 may it be a good one.