Uploads from fen_snapz, with geodata

Tulip fields

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Sun, 05 May 2013 15:14:23 -0700

fen_snapz posted a photo:

Well, I couldn't afford the flights to Keukenhoff so had to make do with what I believe is one of the remaining tulip bulb fields in the UK, these fields in Norfolk grow the bulbs just for the bulbs, the heads are superfluous to requirements!

I was fortunate enough to time my visit just in time, as the Queen of hearts was there "off with their heads" and the mower was there and chopping away frantically, leaving their heads in the furrows next to them.

It was quite a trek to find the fields, but oh so worth it, Such a beautiful but very transient sight.

A Handy fence

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Sat, 04 May 2013 10:59:15 -0700

fen_snapz posted a photo:

Had a day in Cambridge today, went hunting macros in the Botanic gardens, but failed miserably! Instead this caught my eye on my way in.

Steamtrain panorama

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:04:35 -0700

fen_snapz posted a photo:

I acknowledge I have become somewhat of a trainspotter of late. I really do rather love steam trains and the romance of them.

Peacock

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 11:42:44 -0700

fen_snapz posted a photo:

Peacock at Flamingoland in Pickering N Yorks.

Flooded Wicken

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:18:27 -0800

fen_snapz posted a photo:

A lovely day out at Wicken yesterday afternoon, not sure anyone told Wicken about the draining of the Fens, it was somewhat waterlogged, so pictures were limited.

Stonehenge

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:06:43 -0800

fen_snapz posted a photo:

On the way home from Lyme Regis we did a bit of a zigzag tour, visiting Chesil Beach, then Cerne Abbas (note to others... do not take two teenage boys to see the Cerne Abbas Giant, it causes much sniggering)

We then headed for Stonehenge as the boys had never seen it before.
Well what a place that is to try to photograph, this was the third time I have been there and tried, but they very cleverly close before sunset, and the fence is positioned so high that you can't really shoot over the top easily, and the mesh on the fence is so small that you can't get a lens through to take a pic unobstructed. Nightmare!!!!

I had the tripod on full extension all legs out, neck up.. to about 8ft high to get over the fence, but then couldn't reach the settings, I was having to jump to set live view so I could see what I was taking, so as a result... sharpness was a huge issue, and I had to settle for a silhouette as the foreground was so messy with markers, information posters, netting, observation platform that black was the only way to go!

All in all though, a thoroughly good weekend.

Cobb

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 13:43:54 -0800

fen_snapz posted a photo:

A spontaneous weekend away to Dorset this weekend with the kids, after discovering Premiere Inn was doing a special deal for £19.99 a room! with breakfast for 3 on top for £8.. you don't argue, you just get in the car and go for it really. Well, we did, and so did the weather, and my word did the weather come with us! torrential rain which caused flash floods, hail which was setting off car alarms in all the parked cars, and the carpark we were in was filled with an inch deep of hail within 10 minutes, visibility was about 5 meters in front of us, so we couldn't go anywhere and the water running down Cobb Road towards the sea was like a Tsunami, it was somewhat daunting so we sat it out.

Today... couldn't have been more different, blazing sunshine, blue sky, ok it was still about -1 but it felt so much warmer, we sat on the beach, the kids built sandcastles and I.. went and got sunburnt! only I could get sunburnt when its -1 and I am covered in hats, gloves, scarf etc, what a muppet forgetting to pack the sunscreen when snow was forecast.

I had been wanting to visit the Cobb for ages after seeing lots of images of it, I haven't yet decided if it was worth it, or if it is worth a return attempt, but Lyme Regis itself was stunningly beautiful, we loved it!

I know the whole 10 stop thing is such a cliche now, but the Cobb is incredibly popular, and in an hour of standing there, there wasn't a single point where someone wasn't walking along it. So there was no alternative than to do a 30" exposure.

Falls of Falloch

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 08:56:21 -0800

fen_snapz posted a photo:

A dreary rainy day again, and I didn't want to travel too far. I had spotted a sign for the falls of falloch on the way to the cottage, and it was within a couple of miles, so it was perfect. Normally just a small trickle into a pool, the rain had ensured it was a raging torrent! A lovely location with the 'literally' saturated Autumn colours.

Dochart falls

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 10:24:56 -0800

fen_snapz posted a photo:

Dochart falls in Killin. Not the usual angle of taking it, but the other way was just too messy and the full sun was shining directly at me, so couldn't manage the exposure very well. This side had the better Autumn Colours though and somewhere easier to stand to not get hit by the traffic that seemed to dislike the photographers.

Opposite this is the Falls of Dochart inn www.falls-of-dochart-inn.co.uk/ which I can highly recommend to eat at! it is a bit slow.. but wow the food is worth waiting for! Best meal I have had in a very very long time.

Lochan Na h-Achlaise

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 15:10:53 -0700

fen_snapz posted a photo:

I couldn't believe my luck seeing all the snow on the distant mountains this week, there got more and more as the week went on. Twice we saw the snow plough so I think we left at the right time. I love this location, as does everyone else.
Albeit It is the loch without the tree now.

This is where I learned my lesson the hard way, this is another one of those shots on Rannoch moor where you can see the tripod marks from the millions of other landscape photographers who have gone there before to take "the shot", and the lack of marks from the other photographers who thought it was too cliche to shoot.

I fell into the latter category in some respects (albeit lazyness was the other reason), and figured I would capture "the tree on the island" shot at another occasion when I found a way to make it more unique.

I hadn't factored in Mother Nature blowing it down! so all the other photographers who ignored the critique of.. "don't do it, it's a cliche" and got the shot, captured a moment in time that won't now be repeated.
This is the same as the other dead tree stump on Rannoch which blew down, which I also didn't shoot when I had the chance because the ground was too boggy.

I therefore will enjoy a scene and regardless of whether it has been done to death before, will shoot it myself so that I have had the pleasure of it in my own portfolio.

You never know when nature will do what nature does best and will be unpredictable, when Durdle dor arch will become just a pile of rubble, or any other natural wonders will be changed.

My new catchphrase will be "carpe imago" (Sieze the image) and enjoy it, tripod marks and all.

Loch Tulla

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:09:24 -0700

fen_snapz posted a photo:

Another lovely day in Scotland, with snow on the mountains.. what more can you ask for?
Lovely Autumn trees, nice reflections in the loch, a surprise discovery of some Scottish fudge in my pocket I forgot I had bought.. and you have the makings of photographic bliss.

Oh and the welcome company of the Kirkintilloch camera club who also were enjoying the scene and were most considerate in trying to not get into my shot. A huge thank you to them.

Pink

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:54:12 -0700

fen_snapz posted a photo:

I love.. converging verticals and I love flowers. I am working towards a full rainbow of coloured verticals in my stream now! :) these smelt beautiful too.

disa-pier

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 12:18:28 -0700

fen_snapz posted a photo:

Well, the weeks holiday was something of a landscape photography disaster!! The weather was totally not on our side, we had a full assortment of snow, wind, fog and coldness, but not once did we see the sky or any sunlight, except for the one day we couldn't get out shooting. Typical, however, this just means I need to plan the next one sooner rather than later ;)

This particular day was so foggy you could barely see the end of the car bonnet, what stunned me in particular though about this extreme fog was the number of people overtaking and not having headlights on! a deathwish for sure.

By 4pm I had cabin fever and decided we had to go out, whether we could see or not, and I had in mind the pier disappearing into the distance of the fog, alas, the only place where there wasn't dense fog was at the end of the pier!

Red, White and blue

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:45:54 -0700

fen_snapz posted a photo:

Patriotic houses in Staithes

Staithes Dusk

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 14:09:33 -0700

fen_snapz posted a photo:

Staithes Harbour at dusk, I wanted to wait until twilight to capture this lovely harbour with the streetlights alight. It doesn't appear that many people were home though as hardly any of the houses had lights on! perhaps they are all holiday cottages and I am one of the only nutters coming to Yorkshire for a Holiday at this time of year. Brrr it is rather bracing, quite pleased to find an easier way of accessing this location than up and down the hill as we did it last time.
There probably won't be a great deal of images coming out of this holiday though, as driving across the moors in the dark is proving a little challenging.

Cliche Snow Shot

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:20:00 -0800

fen_snapz posted a photo:

Well, I adore snow.. and it has certainly been stunning these last few days. But, could I get to anywhere to make the most of it properly? Why does it only snow and make lovely photo opportunities on a work day!

I drove past an orchard on my way home from work on Monday, and had my compact camera on me only, I couldn't resist this carefully set up and composed shot (or otherwise known as... slowed down car, put hazards on and snapped out of the window when nobody was coming) I do love a well thought out photo.

Frosty morning

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 12:02:38 -0800

fen_snapz posted a photo:

Isn't it always the way, that the most spectacular hoar frosts and sunrises, or snow, or fog or any other scene of perfection that would be a delight to a photographer always happen when you are due at work at 9am!! Not only that, but when you haven't taken a camera, which is intentional in truth as if i stopped to snap a quick capture on my way to work with the proper camera, I would be half way through my working day before realising the time!

Today was beautiful, I got up earlier, took the kids to school earlier, and took a half mile diversion through the nature reserve to try to capture some of the frost, the nature reserve is a beautiful place to photograph, it has lakes on both sides of a road, and so there is a photograph whichever way you face.

Today there was a lovely mist coming off of the lake, parts were frozen, the sun was burning through the fog fast and shining through the frosty trees. It was lovely... I got this on my mobile phone... and made myself 10 mins late for work in the process! oops.

Fotheringay tree

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 07:57:17 -0800

fen_snapz posted a photo:

Autumn wood

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 06:25:11 -0800

fen_snapz posted a photo:

I love the colours of Autumn, and particularly loved this wood with the green moss on the trees and the various shades of orange and yellow.

Ballachulish Church

nobody@flickr.com (fen_snapz) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 09:54:52 -0800

fen_snapz posted a photo:

Always loved this Church whenever I drove by it it grabbed me, I couldn't resist taking a picture of it with the lovely Autumn colours and snow behind it.

St.John’s Episcopal Church at Ballachulish