Digital photography has introduced millions of people to the pleasures of creating beautiful photographs. More recently HDR photography allows anyone to create images that would have been impossible to create only a few years ago. This site is my attempt to show my best efforts as I try to improve my own photography, and to help others out along the way where I can. I also have a Photomatix discount code available for anyone to use, which is the splendid software I use to create my HDRs.
I came to photography quite late - too lazy and cheap to deal with film - and when digital came along I was one of the first on the boat. Until 2006 I was just messing around with digital compacts like the Canon IXUS - but after buying my first DSLR (the Canon EOS 350d/Rebel XT) I became hooked.
This blog is my attempt to showcase my best photos, and hopefully to give me a kick to produce more interesting images. I don't wish to set myself up as an expert - I'm completely open to criticism, suggestions etc. Also, I'm entirely open about my methods - photography shouldn't be elitist. If you have any questions, just ask - I'll be happy to help.
Anyway, I'll shut up and let the photos speak for themselves - hopefully you'll find something you enjoy in my patchy gallery of Digital & HDR photography.
I took a lot of pictures today at the Waddle, a 5 mile road race in Wymeswold, Leicestershire. They’re all basically the same picture - I tried to get each runner as they crossed the line, with the timer in the corner as a record of their run.
I didn’t get all the runners - I had Arthur on my back, and the area I was standing in gradually filled with finished runners, so I had to call it a day after the first 200-ish. Still, that’s 200, which isn’t bad going.
There’s so many pictures, I’ve put them in a special little gallery. I haven’t uploaded full resolution versions of all the pictures, as my hosting would go over its limit, or done any fine tuning on the pics - a lot of them will need some straightening and a touch of cloning for a dust spot on the top left. If anyone wants a larger version of a pic, either leave a comment on this post, or email me and I’ll gladly send you a link to a huge cleaned up version. Make sure you tell me the name of the file you want - it’s on the enlarged popup, eg. “ducks 023 (custom)” is the picture above.
Hope someone finds the pics useful, anyway. We were very lucky with the weather and it was lovely to see everyone having so much fun.
For the last eight months I’ve been teaching myself objective C and trying to get my head around programming for the iPhone and iPod touch, and this is the result:
It’s an original puzzle game - lord knows if anyone will like it or not, but if you’ve got an iPhone or iPod touch, please give it a try!
I’ve started a little blog about it here: Axis Puzzle
I *FINALLY* got round to taking some more pictures of something other than my family. Escaped for a weekend with Andy and Shaun in Malham in the yorkshire dales. Stunning place.
This is probably the only HDR from the trip - I concentrate on filters and normal photos nowadays, but I liked the way this one turned out. This waterfall is above another waterfall that you have to climb up - it’s like something from Jurassic Park up there - really weird environment.
Techical details: iso 100, f/11, tripod, 3 shot HDR processed in photomatix pro
I’m really enjoying exploring the footpaths around my new home - it’s very close to where I grew up (Barrow upon Soar, 5 miles away) but up in the “wolds” (a sort of slightly hilly area) so has a different feel to it. This is a lovely time of year for colours, as you can see. I went out on my mountain bike, took this, and was back in 20 minutes. Hooray for moving house
Technical details: f/6.3, iso 200, 1/160s, handheld, graduated ND filter used (although I could probably have got away without it, as the light was just right)
Had a lovely walk around Wymeswold with Andy this evening. Explored the fields and lanes around here - it’s lovely. I stupidly left my ISO on 1600, so the pics were all grainy as anything, but this one was still a keeper. Technically it’s probably a bad picture of something good, but hey ho, I can but try.
Technical details: f/13, iso 1600, 1/160s, handheld
I’ve just moved house to a little village that has a lot more pleasant surroundings than my old house in Loughborough. I finally had enough time to go out with the camera last night (with Andy and his kids) and found a lovely meadow a few hundred yards from my house. Had a nice few minutes messing around and dodging cowpats - I always enjoy being in meadows, you don’t see that many of them any more.
Technical info: iso 100, f/4.5, 18mm, graduated ND filter to darken sky
Bradgate park - hooray! First weekend that we’ve really taken Arthur outdoors and let him see how the world works. Normally he just looks at it from his pram. He was happy as larry.
Apologies for the slew of baby photos. Life is so busy with the nipper I have little chance for “Proper” photography, so most of my best pictures are baby centric at the mo. I realise it’s a bit dull, but it’s nice for me to have a record of them on here!
Techical details: iso 400, f/11, handheld, graduated neutral density filter used to darken sky
Managed to get out yesterday for the first proper little photography jaunt since Arthur was born. Nice weird day too - weather very moody and changeable. This was the only keeper though, really. Trying to leave off the HDR at the moment and concentrate on using my ND filters properly. This is just with a graduated filter to darken the sky a little, and then a touch of post processing to lighten the trees, as they were a bit too black.
The park in Loughborough can look really nice at this time of year. I was there today with lots of family from Canada, and sneaked off to take this HDR - it’s under the same trees as this shot taken in the autumn. I liked the lush green boughs and the shapes created by the trees and path. Far from a perfect pic - the movement of the leaves has created quite a few artefacts, but worth an upload I think.
Techical details: iso 100, f/11, handheld 3 shot HDR processed in photomatix pro
Apologies for the baby pics, I realise they’re not as interesting for others as they are for the parents… but I liked this one. Taken with one wobbly hand whilst he lay on my chest (in my tatty dressing gown) messing about.
Technical info: ISO 1600, f/4, 1/60s, 10mm, handheld
Another one from my afternoon out near Coalville with Andy. I had been playing with my old polariser for my sigma 10-20, but got bored and brought out my sigma 70-300, and took a couple of snaps of the distant skyline, not really thinking it would amount to much. I really like the effect here - I can’t help but think of parallax scrolling from old arcade games, which shows me up for bespectacled poindexter I am.
Technical info: ISO 100, f/23, 119mm, tripod, 3 shot HDR processed in photomatix pro
I went out with Andy on friday, to try and get some new pictures for the first time in weeks, and was a little dispirited at the time, as nothing seemed inspiring, and I wandered around wondering what the hell I was doing, and if I actually cared about taking pictures any more. Thankfully, when I got home, I was pleased with enough of what I’d taken to be somewhat heartened again, so I won’t be throwing away the camera just yet
Technical info: ISO 100, f/13, 12mm, tripod, polarising filter, 3 shot HDR processed in photomatix pro
On a bike ride a couple of weeks ago, I noticed the stark patterns created by the heavy ploughing of this field, and as I was snapping away, a break in the cloud caused these lovely sunbeams to appear. This was a handheld HDR, which can come out terribly if you’re unlucky, but photomatix was able to match these up pretty well.
Technical info: ISO 100, f/19, handheld, 3 shot HDR processed in photomatix pro
This is one from October last year. I spent about an hour skulking around in this graveyard as the sun set, avoiding opprobrious glances from passersby. This was a shot I didn’t think too much of at the time, but I just came across it and rather like it (especially if you look at the larger view)
Technical info: ISO 100, f/23, tripod, 3 shot HDR processed in photomatix pro
I won’t deluge you with pictures of babies, because let’s face it, pictures of other people’s kids aren’t ever as interesting to people as they are to the relatives. But I met my 2 day old nephew yesterday, and as you might imagine, was quick to stick a camera in his face. It’s nice to have a DSLR on these occasions, because you can take LOADS of pictures and then keep the ones where they aren’t pulling too ridiculous a face.
Technical info: ISO 100, f/1.4, 1/125s, 30mm handheld.
Not my usual type of photograph this, but I really like the weird shapes and sensation of movement created by the blur. Just playing with my new lens by taking pot shots at the birds just outside my office window, and caught this little chap just launching off.
Technical info: f/5.6, iso 100, 1/15s, 200mm, handheld.
Every year Lakeside puts on a fantastic Chinese new year show with lots of live acts, culminating in a massive firework display. Here are a few of my favourite pictures from this year. If you want to see the whole set, it’s on my flickr account.
For most of the evening, i was just shooting handheld using P mode (basically automatic where you can override certain features - bascially all I overrode was focussing (i like it centre only, so I can plan it) and raw output. The top shot is a 3 shot HDR and the bottom one just a long exposure with a tripod, with some tweaking to brighten up the bottom of the frame in post processing so the crowd is visible.
I had a great afternoon today - the morning was foul weather but it was forecast for sunny interevals in the afternoon, so I went out with Andy and spent a glorious afternoon tramping round Bradgate Park, about 6 miles away.
I’ve been trying to get a good shot of Old John for ages now - you have to get the light just right. I’m really pleased with this one, even though I did almost fall off a big rock taking it and dash my brains out.
Technical info: ISO 100, f/22, tripod, 3 shot HDR processed in photomatix
I had a great day tramping around moorland up near Hathersage in the Peak District (Derbyshire, near sheffield) on sunday. This was my favourite picture of the day.
It was so windy up on the tops that I had to physically hold the tripod down whilst taking this picture, and it’s amazing it came out as well as it did, as the top exposure was over a second in length!
Technical info: ISO 100, f/22, tripod, 3 shot HDR processed in photomatix pro
.jpg "Wymeswold Waddle, 2010")
Recent Comments