I haven’t posted for a few days but I have been busy…..busy getting pictures of our, all too, brief summer. The weather is wonderful.
In my last post I discussed political matters. I was suffering from novelty syndrome. Since Monday I have realised the error of my ways…………they are just as boring as ever. Dithery is dithering (Or to be uncharitable disseminating). Ed Milliband Is Ed. Just another opportunist with the benefit of a really annoying lisp. Nick Clegg is not as vicious as his insect like name would suggest. He is just enjoying his fifteen minutes of fame.
I have been owl hunting…..I’m useless! I now hear tawny owls and little owls when the Tawnies stop the Little ones start. It’s hard walking on ploughed fields. I take the long way round the edge, then commit to the leg breaker. I’ve looked under every likely roost but can’t find any pellets, they must nest in an unlikely one. I will keep looking.
I am in a flat area. Well, flatish. The sky is big and interesting. Here are my blue skies…….. 
I should have cropped the top off this but as regulars appreciate my images are straight from camera…… I desisted in the interests of purity. Okay! I forgot.
Both these were taken last night….Should have stitched them together but didn’t think.
This little valley runs for a half mile or so and it’s where the owls seem to go to. Big old trees, a badger sett , I’d love to build a little eco cabin here. the power lines would have to be re-routed. The wee beck on the left with the willows I would dam. It’s a bit of a swamp so a million pounds or so would see it as a perfect habitat for all the wee creatures, the dogs and me.
This little copse shields a pond. Walking over ploughed land is a real ankle busting pain in the foot and lower leg. There are lots of tiny moths live here. Too small for my camera….They are under 3mm across. Their wings are gorgeously patterned though. The Uma Thurman of the moth world.
The pool.
The sludgy end. I will go with wellies and thick trousers as it’s surrounded by stinging nettles.
Sow Thistle……this was taken with a burst of flash. I was hoping for a stunning image. Flash was at about a quarter throttle aperture very big. I should learn to watch out for nettles on the same focal plane.
This is Rose Bay Willowherb…..Called fireweed by our Trans- Atlantic cousins. This shot with fill flash. It hasn’t worked out too well and the only reason for shooting with it was to stop the beggars moving in half a gale.
The dogs love it here.This is a grass crop for hay….or if it rains again hay-ledge. Like silage but without molasses.
This is clay soil. It retains water. Oh What Fun!.. For a couple of wee white dogs. They really want to be Black.
Karma….West Highland Terriers are supposed to be averse to water. Not mine…..they were either water buffalo or hippopotamus in their previous incarnat…..That’s a really hard word….in previous lives…..(Give me a break. I spelt hypopotamus perfectly the first time…I had to stand up and do hippos and mediteraneans in junior school. I just scattered letters at random….Flok kenw waht I mnaet).
Well don’t panic….I’ll clean my nose.
I titled this post ‘Blue sky Thinking’. I’ll never make a banker or politician. I notice that none of these skies are totally blue…..I’m really, really sorry for disseminating.
I need a lottery win…..Leica have just launched a 50mm f0.9 or something ridiculous lens. Wow! Just imagine the fun to be had from that and all for the paltry sum of eight grand sterling. Wants sticking on an old medium format camera. I have spent a few years trying to work around the limitations of digital….I recall doing the same with transparency film. I’m about to reinvest in posh stuff…..What posh stuff? A Lomo camera is cheap as chips but a load of crap…..folk hark back to it. A ten grand Canon or Nikon lens still needs it’s results processing and about two thirds of this would be spent on ancillaries like the camera body. For me. I’m now thinking of Leica. OH! Oh! Camelot let me take pictures of filthy mucky dogs in perfect definition and punchy colour rendition
Am I right? Lets go back to near perfection.Fuji Velvia+ Oly OM 1. Forget it .My brain is old but if you doubt me look at thirty year old film images shot o’ the top of Everest. No bother to that combination.
Have a great weekend .
Love your sky shots. Everything looks so clear and blue. Hey we're bloggers, we're allowed to rant:) Looks like a really great place for you and the dogs to go walking around....I hope you find those owls. They're very tricky. The hard part about owl searches is that I hear them but can never seem to find them. We almost missed the one on my header a couple weekends ago but once you've found them, they pretty easy to locate again and again over time. So good luck! Love those sky shots.
ReplyDeleteOne would think that with only a hundred likely trees their pellets would be easy to spot. I'll keep looking. Then look up.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots and an amusing (as ever) post to go with them, Your shots may disappoint you occasionally but your posts rarely dusappoint us!
ReplyDeleteThey are par. Thanks though. I realised that looking at your brothers recent posts they lack punch. Your last post looked great. Same camera model if I remember rightly. It's why I love SLRs. Only so much can be done in camera. My Box Brownie was a real dog put me off snapping for months. I was lucky our next door neighbour had an Exacta. My dad had a reflex camera on 120 film. Pain in the ass it was.
ReplyDeleteBridge cameras are small light and relatively cheap. SLRs are a right pain cos I forget to reset them. RAW saves the day. I'm thinking...only thinking....of going back to film. I suspect I'm not alone as Fuji have reintroduced Velvia and more important the brews to develope it. Your Liverpool skyline is a real cracker but will it print for sale? You could be on a winner with that....Keep you in fags for months.
I like the sow thistle and that closing shot. Never mind if the sky isn't blue, it's a beautiful color anyway.
ReplyDeleteAdrian, those skies are superb, and your dogs, muddy as usual.
ReplyDeleteAdrian, those skies are superb, and your dogs, muddy as usual.
ReplyDeleteLovely images, Adrian.
ReplyDeleteI like this post - and your pictures - and your dogs..!
ReplyDeleteWell, you could have called his mud puddles and flowers?
ReplyDeleteYou maybe didn't get blue skies but lots of gray cloud or better yet blue skies with better camera equipment.
Well there's certainly no lack of punch in this bunch and particularly the first two and the last. I know mine disappoint you from time to time Adrian but much as I'd love to achieve some of your results I allocate my time and money somewhat differently. Now if I had an abundance of both then things might be different... I do appreciate it, though, when you have a tweak of some of my images.
ReplyDeleteYour images don't disappoint. They are well composed and always have content....There are so many variables and such a range of them with digital that all images need processing. UV filters and graduated filters are still relevant.......I usually have plenty of time.
ReplyDelete