hi folks its been a while since i wrote a blog, i had no plan to stop writing but felt it time to return and try and get back to my writing again. I have lots of news but will start with the camera news. My mate and Workhorse Sony A7R4 Died on me about 5 weeks ago with no warning at all. It was out of warranty and after the insurance company messed me about i had no choice but to get a second hand Sony A9.
Loosing half my resolution going from 61mp to 24 is a loss but the speed of the A9 has opened a new world for me, people that follow me know that i love flight shots or any action shots, so the A9 has given me a better hit rate.
The time on site has been very busy and instead of going down to the Hide i have been concentrating on the river for the Kingfisher and up on the moors looking for the Short Eared Owl.
Sitting waiting for hours pays off as other wildlife comes to you without any effort, this will become a big part of the gallery and add some lovely species of bird to my already huge gallery.
Aims this year have been the Kingfisher, Brown Hare and Red Fox and i am glad to say i have met all my challenges spending hours waiting for the image. Together with Bullfinch and Dipper, baby Curlew and many more its been a great season up to now.
Please enjoy the gallery and feel free to ask any questions.
Last Aim of the year is to film the Short Eared Owl and that will make the season complete.
Bubbles float down the river, Oystercatchers sound frustrated by the Heron flying in to fish, the Female Mllard swims by with her remaing ducklings calling to them all the time to stay close. The sun shines on a new branch i found and looked a great place fot the Kinfisher to land. Foolish was i that i put my extender on my lens and soon as i did the Male came in and landed for a minute or so turning bothe left and right and straight at me. I was ell hidden but i could kick myself, the extender was playing up so my images were all soft meaning the detail goes from the bird. I have to post as its the best encounter i have had with this my second favorate bird.
After getting my first images of the Kingfisher i went back this afternoon to the river and set up in some shrubs near the river bank. I had heard the Dipper flying past fast but i could not see if the bird was carrying any food for the young. I waite ages and just as i was about to move the Dipper landed opposite me on a small rock then flew to another one. Sadly i had used APS-C mode so the resolution is not the best but its a first and more to come.
The Dipper feeds under water catching creatures for the young, its great to watch it dive below the water and swim up stream ctaching things and rising out of the water with it. I will try and film it if i can so people can see how good it is at fishing.
Settings for users who follow my blog, for the image below are as follows
Sony A7r4
Jpeg Extra fine
F8
ISO 1000
Shutter 1/2500
Metering Multi
Focus area Centre
DRO Auto
High Speed Burst Plus.
Auto White Balance
Sony 200-600
Steadyshot on mode 3 at 600mm
The Sparrow sat on the hedge in Sunlight so could have gone lower ISO but this image was fine and needed no Noise reduction or Sharpening. I find that at f6.3 the image is sharp but at f8 it’s Extra sharp.
This is for anyone who wants a Full Frame Camera that can keep all its Image quality even with an Ext fitted Crop until your hearts content and produce an image like this.
Great news this morning i went over in high winds to my location where the Barn Owls are located. When i arrived i had no idea what i would see at 7.30am on a wind gusting morning with a wind chill factor that made me shiver. I sat in a shaded location where i could observe any movement and after i drank my coffee i sat and watched a couple of Stock Doves going through their mating ritual.
Just as i was getting up i caught sight of a Barn Owl at the end of the small overgrown field on one post i had sighted weeks ago. Then to my surprise another Barn Owl appeared but it was very dark in colour. After an hour of observation i took some images from my car and another location more to see what sex they were and if i recognised them form the feather detail.
It is clear there both ringed and look very different to the ones i was filming the last 6 weeks, so they may be another pair, and could be using the nest box that someone has sighted.
The image below is the closet i have of a Barn Owl and if viewed on a big screen or good tablet you can see the markings on its feet and the talons look so sharp and clean. Its not good to see them out hunting through the day unless the male is bring in voles for the young so i do hope the they make it to breeding and have a family
Windows, Google, software. Snapspeed or Pixlr, and many others that are free can do the job when it comes to thinking about editing your snaps, images, pictures, photographs, digital image, capture.
I edit a image everyday of the week and after years of paying for software I have noticed something very important that the photographer is not told by the Big Software Manufacturers.
Technology has come a long way from when I started photography in 1975 and today the principles of capturing a good image haven’t change, but the camera has.
After using all the big names in Photo Editing and paying thousands of £s I can say with confidence that if you get a camera today and go out with it it on Auto you will get a great image of some sort.
So if that image is in focus and has all the things you wanted to capture in the photo why do you need Softeare. Today you can send your image out in the field or country straight to your phone and post it all within a couple of minutes.
I think that is a true image captured by you and not messed about with on your phone, laptop or tablet.
You can Crop in your gallery or even Crop in your camera like my Fuji XT30. It even gives you an option of a preset. Natural Golden Hour Black and White and so on.
But it is the Norm as we say here in UK to have a Brilliant All Singing All Dancing Editing Software that you can remove a branch or wire out of the image with the touch of a button.
Say that was my image then it would get Deleted.
What the Software Manufacturers are not telling us is that Processors are so advanced now that the image can be Processed in Camera with no need of Waiting to get home and playing about with the Image until you have created a Fake File.
Ask yourself some questions and answer Honestly:
What are you trying to achieve
Are you just doing it for fun
Is it a hobby.
Who sees the image
Do you like it.
Are you doing it to show on Social Media.
Do you want negative criticism
Do you want lots of comments
How many likes can you get.
Have you dedication and passion for photography.
Do you know the Exposure Triangle.
Will you print off your images for your wall so you can see what you took.
Do you have to have the best Tripod
Do you have to have the Best gear.
Have you researched what makes a good photographer.
How does the Rule Of Thirds work.
There are many more questions you could ask yourself. Will you continue to perfect your skill for years to come because you get get satisfaction from your photographs.
At the age of 13 I picked up my camera and took it everywhere around the globe. So 46 years later I still have my Camera next to me ready for any action I can capture. Its not in a fancy bag collecting dust. It doesn’t hide away to keep nice and clean. It’s my Tool of my trade that has given me amazing images that I can write about for people to enjoy.
One thing I have learned is never say your a Good Photographer, let other people tell you, and when they do you will know your Good.
So why did I write this, well as the few people I talk to and help will know is I like sharing my knowledge of anything that will help other people. I learned the hard way why should other people have to when I have Worn The Shirt.
Blackie.
This is a file taken from my camera. Just cropped in a free software program on my phone.
This time of year the Swan protects his nest and surrounding area like a Soldier guarding his camp, anyone who comes within a large area while his lady swan is sitting on her thrown is dicing death.
While i observed the Swan last year it was clear that the young Canada Goose and Greylag goose are both favorates for chasing even when ther no wher near the nest site.
What is clear is that once the Swan picks out a goose it will persist in chasing around the whole lake even when clear of the nest site, its is just nice that the goose can take off within a few feet so can quickly take off and land.
The Swan above is full attack posture ready to pounce at any minute.
Rons life through the lens 