Apple Trees Bursting Into Life.....

All the apples trees bursting into life in the garden today. After trying with the XT2 and only getting mediocre images decided to revert to the Nikon D800 with the 105mm Macro and ring flash and the results were loads better.

After processing this image decided to use Flaming Pears Flood 2 Plugin to make it a bit more interesting. Love the flexibility of this plug in.....

For more images from the garden check out my Flickr pages via the link on the right.

Lots of intersting lichen shots from the same tree:-

New Fuji XT2 Firmware version 2.00

The New Fuji XT2 Firmware Version 2.00 has arrived today.

Rumours suggested this was due 3 days ago on the 27th, but it was definitely worth the wait.

Once again Fuji has provided some great improvements. This company not only listens to its users suggestions, but it puts them into action and provides Firmware Updates free of charge.

Included with the update are the 24 new and updated features which I'll include at the end of the blog ( see read more).

Otherwise for more detailed information the PDF manual is available here:-

FUJI XT2 Version 2.00 Manual

I downloaded and installed the updatethe earlier and already love the following:-

The Voice memo feature allows the recording of a 30 second memoir for each saved image. Simple push and hold the front command dial and away you go. Let go once the recording is added and its saved as a WAV file with the same file name as the original image.
Having imported the image to Lightroom there is no direct way of accessing the file Yet but it is easily found along side the image. Im a Mac user and clicking on the file plays it back via iTunes.
I wasn't very keen on this so have downloaded the "Simplemp3playerlite" a free app which allows easy playback of mp3 files. 

The full version is available for £2.99:-

The other exciting feature related to AE Bracketing which is especially useful for HDR photography. In the last Firmware 3 photos could be taken at the push of a button. Now it up to 9, with the ability to under and over expose in varying degree from 1/3 stop up to +/-3EV with each shot, more than enough to produce HDR images in the most demanding of conditions.

Full list of Features included with the update:-

The Frogs Return

With the arrival of spring the pond was today full of frogs laying frogspawn. Unfortunately this had to be removed quite quickly as the fish were desperate to eat it so I now have a fish tank full of spawn safely away from the fish.

This image was taken with a Fuji XT2 which is about to be updated with the new Firmware.

The processing was care of Lightroom and Photoshop via Creative Cloud membership.

Crooked House Of Windsor

Amazed to find this old shop close to the entrance to Windsor Castle. At first glance it looks as though the camera is tilted, but no this shop is actually leaning and the door just as it appears. I assume over the years the door must have been replaced to fit the frame as the shape changed. 

A quick Google search and I found this link

Crooked House Of Windsor

As you will see in the image it has obviously been repainted recently and changed from a Tea Room to a Jewellers.

In another link below the building is advertised For Sale for £1.5 million. This dates from 2015 so presumably was the time its ownership and decor changed.

Crooked House For Sale

I think in all honesty I prefer the black and white decor.

Starling Bathtime

Produced with a little help from Photoshop and one of my favourite Plug-ins called Flood from Flaming Pear.

This clever little addition to Photoshop allows the simple creation of water below an image with sliders to adjusts blur, ripple, waviness etc.

Secrets out......

The above was made with Flood Version 1, but I've just discovered that Flood 2 is now available via the link below. Having now upgraded I have been able to produce an even better fake below in which the reflection extends beyond the bird.
I thought a good title for this series would be after the flood.

Flood Plug-In

Garden Macros

Playing around earlier in the garden with a couple of extension rings attached to the cheap Fuji kit lens. Both of these are of an old apple tree which is just starting to shows signs of life after the winter.

Not sure how good the lichen is for the tree or whether it is a signs of its increasing age, but there is certainly a good variety to choose from.

The image was hand held at f22 and there is some obvious distortions at the edges, but overall I was quite pleased with the results.

The rings I have predate the now available Fuji ones. The links below shows the 16mm on Amazon which is significantly more expensive than the ones I have. I've also included a link to the 11mm as well which is surprisingly more expensive.

Fuji 16mm Extension Ring on Amazon

Fuji 11mm Extension Ring On Amazon

Rainbow Fountain At Hampton Court Palace

Recently I was lucky enough to visit Hampton Court Palace in London, home of Henry VIII and a few other monarchs since then.

Although only March the weather was great with blue skies. In the garden which was quiet I came across this large fountain and pond. As the sun came out a rainbow appeared in the spray which I was pleased to capture in the above image. I didn't notice the couple on the bench at the time, but I love the way the rainbow goes over their heads. 

For years I've been a fan of Lucy Worsley and was hoping I might have met her on the day, but despite having a good look around there was no sign of her.

Misty Morning

Misty morning over Ambleside with the last of the Autumn colours.

Song Thrush In Grasmere

Great to see a Song Thrush in Grasmere today, quite a while since I've seen one.

Love the way his chest appears to be covered in inverted hearts all pointing towards his head.

Had to smile when I discovered the Latin name for this species... Turdus philomelos

Otters In Windermere

Last day of a weeks holiday in Ambleside today so decided to go down to Waterhead Pier and take a few shots of the boats and the lake.

Not many people around and weather not too great o feeling a little fed up when suddenly heard a splash below and say this fellow swimming around in the lake.

The only time Ive ever seen an otter before was years ago in the sea in Islay in Scotland.

He was quite hard to photograph as he was swimming around at great speed.

Before long another appeared and then a third.

Looking into the water there were loads of small fish which had obviously attracted them.

Storm brewing Malaysia Style

Pina Coladas, cold beer, chicken satay and lashings of fried rice topped by a fried egg was the mainstay of my diet during the 7 days in Redang. Luckily its just the type of food I enjoy and since arriving home 2 days ago I've quite missed it all.

Todays shot shows one of the many amazing storms which occured over the rainforest of Redang. The rain was torrential and in combination with temperatures in the high 30's meant that most of the time the Island was like a sauna. Yesterdays clam lived just under the water in front of the island featured in today image.

Giant Clam in the waters of Redang Island, Malaysia

Returning to work after three weeks away is always likely to be a struggle. With the addition of Jet Lag, a seven hour time difference, and the heat of August, it is far from pleasant. The holiday was a fantastic though and there being no alternative, it is a small price to pay to have seen and experienced so much.

Todays image is a macro shot of a Giant Clam, of which there was no shortage just off the beach in Redang. The colours as exactly as they were and not the result of post processing. This guy was blue, others were green, grey, red and a whole range of sizes. Rather shy creatures many simply closed up as I approached so I was lucky to get a shot like this.

Skelewags

For a period of around 5 years in the early 1980's I was lucky enough to be a pupil at Lutterworth Grammar School, during that time I would have visited the local church on a number of occasions, most of which I probably spent dreaming about local girls and the next night out at the pub. Many years later I returned this time to look at the Medieval Wall Paintings above the nave. With there deep rich red colours and haunting images of skeletons I cant believe I hadnt noticed them before.

Peterborough Cathedral

Fisheye lenses arent everybody's cup of tea and thier use generally can be quite limited. In some cases though the effect can be fantastic.

Another Happy Monday

Back to work today after a weekend off which included a trip to the cinema to see Disneys "Christmas Carol" in 3D. What a great film, made all the better by the whole 3D experience. Throughout the film though I kept thinking to myself, what would Dickens have made of this. So much has changed in the past 150 years in the world around us yet the story is still not only very popular but very relevant. Having said that the way Scrooge was dancing around singing and giving away money he'd probably have been sectioned today and medicated :-))

Todays image is of a stained glass window from St Andrew's Church in Letheringsett, Norfolk, not quite as old as "The Christmas Carol", a great piece of workmanship.

After The Rain

Weather terrible over the past few days with floods in parts of the country, yet suprisingly mild for this time of year. First thought is this all related to global warming with the end of the world just around the corner or is it simply seaonal variation. At least when its horrible outside its a good excuse for processing images on the computer.

Todays image is of The Old House in Kibworth Harcourt, Grade 1 listed its probably the best house in the village. This was taken just after a rain storm evidence of which is the puddles and water lying in the road. In retrospect it would have been nice to have moved closer and used then to capture reflections of the house.

Here are a couple of alternative versions of the same image created by adding a texture layer.

Buckfast Abbey, Devon

Sorting through some old photographs today and came across this image of Buckfast Abbey in Devon. The image was taken just after a major rain storm leaving the sky very dark and the Abbey lit up by the sun. As is often the case time was a limiting factor as I was on a family day out and it was getting late in the day so little time to explore. The lighting was absolutely perfect as can be seen in the image.

Lyveden New Bield, Northamptonshire

Renovation Time at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

The Royal Leicestershire Regiment, Newalke Houses Museum, Newalke, Leicester.

Harlyn Bay Coastal Path, Cornwall

Absinthe For Sale

I cant say I've ever tried Absinthe but would like to if I ever get the chance. Having said that I've never been a big fan of spirits, prefering instead a good Real Ale or Cornish Cider. This shot was taken opposite Kings College home of the Choir and Attracted my attention because of the the sign and bike.
A little computer magic was required to get this effect which my wife would hate, telling me I'd buggered it up, but heh I see photography as art rather than simply documenting things as they are, as such I'm more than happy to remove unwanted artefacts like streetlamps and signs.

Memories of James Herriott

Yesterday I mused about Absinthe but then admitted I actually prefer a good real ale, well here is a great place to sample just such a tipple. Made famous by James Herriott in the 1980's it was the setting for many epsiodes of the TV series. Siegfried Farnham played by Robert Hardy was probably my favourtie character, someone who I would imagine would also enjoy a good pint.

This shot was taken in the spring when it was quite cold outside, note the large log fire which made the place even more cosy.

Cromer Pier on England East Coast

Highcross Shopping Centre, Leicester

As a Leicester lad I must say the City is somewhere I only visit every now and then. Old, tired and run down was probably how I would have described it for years. As a teenager I would visit after dark and boogie the nights away in night clubs, especially as I recall Mr Kiesas above the Haymarket, but at other times it had little to offer.
All change in 2008. The old Shires shopping centre was repalced with the state of the art Highcross, large areas made pedestrian, everywhere cleaned and tidied and a new arts quarter developed which included the grand Curve theatre. Guess what its now somewhere I visit alot more often.