ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Saturday 24 August 2013

I NEED A GOOD KICK. (24/08/13)

I’ve just spent six idle days in Kinlochewe. The weather has been very mixed but not mixed enough to account for the lack of pictures.  All these are from last week and taken suffering from, mist, rain and the little midges.

I see our leader Dithery has been on the Isle of Jura but he’s got a bad back so had to forsake his deer stalking. I bet the Gillies were delighted. I can’t imagine anyone relaxing whilst he is in charge of a lethal weapon._MG_1177_8_9_tonemapped   I woke a few days ago and was surrounded by mist. Off we set up the hill but when I got high enough to see Kinlochewe the mist had dispersed.

_MG_1166    Ben Eighe.

_MG_1171_2_3_tonemapped     Slioch with her head in the clouds.

_MG_1186     Mountain Ash or Rowan. It is a magical tree.

_MG_1189     Devil’s-bit Scabious. I hope it is.

_MG_1198    A Golden Ringed Dragonfly. I spent a desperate half hour watching these defending their patch before the Midges drove me away.

Yesterday I drove down to Cannich. It is another beautiful place. I’m only here for three nights as I’m getting desperate for a proper re-provision. Fort William is the nearest, I could have stopped in Inverness but intend being back here in October to try and catch the autumn colours.

I’m off out now for a look round and to do my bit for the midge population.

Have a good weekend.

47 comments:

  1. La libélula es sensacional ADRIAN, la has pillado con las alas abiertas del todo.
    Que tengas fin de semana :))
    Un abrazo.

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    1. Laura, la libélula siempre se sienta con las alas abiertas. La doncella se sienta con las alas cerradas.

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  2. Message from Midge Control: "Prepare for attack! Juicy sixty three year old Englishman approaching with receding hairline, swinging cameras and canine companions. Tastes like Wensleydale cheese and bacon bits. We need a full blanket assault involving 3.5 million troops. Now line up for inspection! Malcolm Midge? Martin Midge? Michael Midge? Muhammad Midge I? Muhammad Midge II? Muhammad Midge III?....etc. etc. Now go out and take him down. Enjoy the feast!"

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    1. YP, I stuck it out for an hour and a half. I'm not a wimp.
      I had hoped that a fellow 'DeDa' would offer support for me and not the Midges but recall that you aren't a proper 'DeDa'. Had you been born a yard or two further east you'd have been a herring.
      I am busy and you don't deserve this link but DALIANA has posted some wonderful images and I'm trying to work out how she managed it. There are two I found very appealing.

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    2. Busy? What surfing the net looking for images of young women diving into swimming pools? I'm thinking Dave Lee Travis...Stuart Hall. My advice - stick to the feathered version unless you want to risk arrest when crossing the border back into Olde England.

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    3. Busy? What surfing the net looking for images of young women diving into swimming pools? I'm thinking Dave Lee Travis...Stuart Hall. My advice - stick to the feathered version unless you want to risk arrest when crossing the border back into Olde England.

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    4. Busy? What surfing the net looking for images of young women diving into swimming pools? I'm thinking Dave Lee Travis...Stuart Hall. My advice - stick to the feathered version unless you want to risk arrest when crossing the border back into Olde England.

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    5. Busy? What surfing the net looking for images of young women diving into swimming pools? I'm thinking Dave Lee Travis...Stuart Hall. My advice - stick to the feathered version unless you want to risk arrest when crossing the border back into Olde England.

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    6. Mr. Pudding, I'm a huge fan of coffee and drink at least two pots a day but, jeez! You've overdone it. You really should get rid of that barrel and go back to making it in a regular size pot.

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    7. YP, Daliana is an artist....so these are art.

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  3. Yorkshire Pudding-you missed out on Midge Ure the singer/biting insect! Or is he staying behind to entertain the troops?
    Shame you can never get a gun to backfire at the right time :(

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    1. Douglas, I'm sure I get more entertainment from the comments than I do from composing a post.....Composing that's a bit pretentious..Throwing together is more like it.

      It is unfortunate that the aristocracy don't take guns out unsupervised.

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    2. Nice one Dougie! ...Midge Ure? He was kind of irritating! Perhaps all other midges seek too imitate him.

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    3. Nice one Dougie! ...Midge Ure? He was kind of irritating! Perhaps all other midges seek too imitate him.

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    4. Nice one Dougie! ...Midge Ure? He was kind of irritating! Perhaps all other midges seek too imitate him.

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  4. Adrian, as always they are all pretty. In #1 I have to take your word, which of course I will, of what is in the valley. I can't really make it out. I can make out what is in the background in #2 and the contrast is stark, almost unbelievable because I can't get a sense of the distance to it. #3 I love. The sun on the grass and trees reminds me of honey and the background for it is just great!

    What is magical about the Mountain Ash? It looks like a tree to me. #4 is pretty but I don't understand the name even after looking it up. Maybe the coffee is ready.

    Once again, I'll have to take your word for the dragonfly defending its patch. No dragonfly fight? I'm a bit disappointed but not much. If he were big enough, he could certainly defend against me.

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    1. David, it was one of those weeks. The valley is crap. There is a tiny village in the valley and a campsite.

      Distance is about a mile or twenty minutes walk.

      You Christians...wash your mouth out with soap...THE ROWAN
      Yes they do defend but don't fight, they sort of test each other by flying around. Like a WW II dog fight. Then one buggers off. I don't know how it knows to.

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    2. PS. It's a Wiki link if you have trouble with it just Google Rowan.

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    3. Undoubtedly there will be some people thrilled to hear you've called me a Christian. I'm sure most would, at best, call me a back slider.

      Not sure what's up with that link but Google asked if I meant ROWAN. Maybe it has to be spelled in all caps because it is magical? Anyway, it makes fruit for birds. So do apple trees and you don't even have to capitalize it.

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    4. Try this ROWAN.
      David it's not easy for us druids to embed links. Here is another link to sacred trees.
      Rowan and Mountain Ash are the same thing.

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    5. No worries Adrian. I found it but was a little scatter brained when posting. I think Google asked if I wanted "rowan" to which I clicked okay. I assume it is the same as "ROWAN."

      Truthfully I'm suffering a little eye strain from trying to see the village in the first picture. And really I hate to say this but I'm wondering if you just pulled a fast one on us there. Is there really a village or did you just scatter your garbage down there and then get up on the hill and photograph it? Very clever!

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    6. No worries David so was I but it is dead centre. That's all there is and yes I thought it was rubbish.

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    7. David, click on the image and it should come up full screen. When it does press Ctrl and zero or Ctrl+ to get it bigger.

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  5. You've not been completely idle then Adrian as you did manage to shift yourself to get these images? I like #3 and the light on the 'Scabious is excellent, you must have had sunshine?

    I guess poor old Dave has acquired his bad back from shouldering the weight of all our problems? Perhaps a free holiday on the family estate will have done him the power of good and he'll return fully refreshed and ready to take on the world?

    I'm sure those midges just want to have their photo taken, how about a few close ups?...[;o)

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    1. No Trevor. I'm not idle, I'm careful with energy expenditure.

      Dithery doesn't shoulder the weight of anything but his great fat gut. He doesn't strike me as a worried man. He's no different to all the other idle buggers. Most competent folk don't gain weight and most considerate one's loose their guts and arse when under pressure. He looks like a self satisfied man who couldn't give a shit.

      The Midges are too small Graham aka GB. Has a snap or two.

      I used off camera flash for the scabious. I am a bugger, I cheat. One at about 45 degrees on middling the other on the camera for fill or ETTL. ETTL gives a black background.I quite like the blackish back ground.

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    2. PS. Off camera flash was left at a bit under or around quarter power..The same power of course but 1/4th duration. ETTL on strobes I'm slowly coming to trust.

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  6. That third picture is a beauty. It would grace any wall.

    Afraid I couldn't string 2 complimentary words together about our PM.
    Plenty of uncomplimentary; but this is not the place.

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    1. Keith, dark clouds and the sun behind me usually give me a fighting chance.

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  7. You have a good mix of scenic and insect photos. Both types of photos are great. You've finally come south for enough to have trees. There is heather on some of the shots. I called my wife to come and look as she always talks about the beauty of the heather. she was raised in England.

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    1. Red, I'll try for some heather shots. It can be very impressive at this time of year.

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  8. The Dragonfly is my favourite.

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    1. There were several around but they were a bit lively.

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  9. that Scabious shot is the one for me.


    peter

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    1. It is common up here but still a beautiful flower.

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  10. The Rowans are very heavy with berries in the Glasgow area this year (and possibly in other areas too). You did well to get the dragonfly.

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    1. Graham, yes they have fruited well this year. I hope it's a sign of a cold winter.
      The dragon flies were settling but out in a swamp and I hadn't thought to put my wellies on.

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  11. Your photos are just wonderful...that purple flower, and waspy looking dragonfly are eye-poppingly so. Scenery is beautiful as well. Too bad about the midges!

    Well, I don't know about a good kick, but I, for one, get a big kick out of your commentary ... so big in fact, I found this one of you ...

    I hope the link works!

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    1. Glo, thanks. The link works.....I'll pop it into my next post.
      I have never seen the Golden Ringed Dragonfly in England. They are too big to miss.

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  12. Hi Adrian... Very nice as always, especially like that Scabious, and that dragonfly !!
    Grace

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    1. Grace, I'm going out macroing today. I'll see what I can find.

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    2. Yes, I particularly like these two images today.

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  13. All these are beautiful. I love the mountainous landscapes and the macro. The macros all have very good DOF which is so hard to get. My 60mm is still with Canon. They had to replace a collar on the back of the lens which apparently broke but they had to order it from Japan; apparently they didn't have this part in the U.S.; so I've already been waiting nearly a month for this lens; which is very odd coming from Canon. They usually have very good service.

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    1. Maria, the 100mm is a good lens and sharp at f16. These I suspect were shot at f11. I would have to check.

      Canon are usually a week to ten days for repairs. It could be worse it might have been the front element.

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  14. A beautiful part of the world to find yourself in Adrian. The Rowan is a favourite of mine. If you ever feel the need to have a gardener, give me a call, I don't eat much.

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    1. Gary, living in the camper you would be digging for ever. The Rowans are spectacular this year.

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  15. It is still summer in Romania. I have had a difficult year....
    Next week I will go in a short vacation on an island in Greece. I love your country, landscapes....and the way you show it to us through your eyes.
    Regarding my images ' Human body'....it was a short photo-experiment
    because I have installed a plugin in photoshop called TOPAZ LAB. There you can find a filter called 'Topaz lens effects - filter streak' which
    simulate the movement. Have fun! .

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    1. Daliana, it's still summer here. I hope the rest of your year is better.

      I have used Topaz filters in the past. This one is very impressive. You usually get the best from both software and camera.

      You have a great holiday. All the very best.

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