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
Posted in architecture, hdr, skies.
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
Posted in architecture, hdr, landscape, skies.
The Newtown Linford entrance of Bradgate Park in Leicestershire is packed with stuff to point the camera at. The difficult bit is getting there when the light is right, because it’s in a pretty tight valley, and you don’t get good light for long.
This was taken on an afternoon out with Andy, who got this lovely shot at about the same time.
I relied on the wonderful water repelling abilities of my crazily high hiking boots, and stood in the middle of the stream with my tripod to fire this off. I like it’s dreamy quality - I don’t get enough pictures of nice water, really… I always find it hard to think of where there are streams nearby. Must go out with that in mind more often.
Technical info: ISO 100, f/16, trpod, 3 shot HDR process in photomatix
This is a spot in dovedale a couple of miles up from the car part at the south end (between Thorpe and Ilam) where the valley gets so high sided the path temporarily moves to a wooden walkway above the stream.
I include this picture not because it’s one I think is fantastic (although I do quite like it), but to illustrate a cheeky way to save a photograph that you like but that is ruined by some exposure problem. Even in a HDR, the sky was way too blown out here - the picture looks terrible in colour. So, I converted it to greyscale, twiddled with the contrast a bit until it looked nice, and added a faint colour cast. I do tend to much prefer colour pictures, but sometimes a black and white picture can work, and if you want to save a broken colour image, it’s worth considering. See this image that I did the same thing to.
Sometimes, cheats prosper 
Technical info: ISO 100, f/22, 20 second exposure, tripod.
Posted in landscape.
I go camping every year with some friends, and we found a gorgeous campsite near Chepstow, right next to Offa’s Dyke, a great frontier earthwork built by Offa, King of Mercia from 757 to 796 A.D.
It’s a splendid campsite with an honesty box, looking out over a gorgeous wooded valley. I wouldn’t be surprised if we return next year.
We had a great time, and I earned the mockery of my campmates by taking my camera along and getting up at dawn with my tripod to take pictures of the site.
Later on, I redeemed myself by getting this picture of Little Dave failing to catch a ball in quite a spectacular fashion:
Pic 1 Technical info: iso 200, f/11, tripod, 3 shot HDR processed in photomatix pro
Pic 2 Technical info: iso 200, f/4.5, 1/800s, handheld
On the one hand, this image is sickmakingly saccharine, but on the other… the colours are nice and I like the odd composition. It’s me and Ali, at the top of Helvellyn (the third highest mountain in England) this February.
We had to climb along Striding Edge to get there:
Which for a man who doesn’t like sheer drops, was a somewhat eye opening experience. I was crawling across it like Gollum, whilst Ali virtually skipped along. We then had to contend with a 45 degree (or more - bloody steep anyway) slope covered in snow with a cliff behind us to get up to the very top. It’s a miracle I didn’t just crouch down and start rocking to and fro like a mentalist.
Summit pic: iso 400, f/17, 1/1000s, handheld.
Striding Edge: iso 400, f/17, handheld 3 short HDR processed with photomatix pro.
Posted in lake district, landscape.
There are lots of nice old bridges like this on the stretch of canal between Loughborough and Barrow. If you go down on a weekday, it’s common to travel the whole stretch without seeing another person, which is always a joy.
Loughborough itself isn’t the most attractive of towns, so it’s gratifying to be able to escape into some proper countryside with about 10 minutes cycling.
Technical info: iso 100, f/22, tripod, 9-shot HDR processed in photomatix pro.
One from my recent holiday in Saint Ives, Cornwall. I got my feet a bit wet when taking this one, but I think it was worth it.
Technical info: iso 100, f/32, tripod, 3 shot HDR processed in photomatix pro
Another picture taken on the track leading from Wetton in Derbyshire down to Thor’s Cave and Manifold Valley. The sun was just sinking down towards the hills and poured such a delicious golden light over the ancient rutted track that I had to try and capture it. The photograph is far from perfect, but does have a pleasant atmosphere to it I think.
Technical info: iso 100, f/17, handheld, 3 shot HDR processed in photomatix pro
Manifold Valley is a lush green valley near Ashbourne, Derbyshire. You can park in a village called Wetton (near a good pub) and walk down a track to Thor’s Cave - an awesome cave overlooking the whole thing. Me and my friend Chris went down there to take some pictures, and oddly this simple tree turned out to be the nicest one. You never can tell.
Technical info: iso 100, f/17, tripod - 3 shot HDR processed with photomatix pro.
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