But this time I used a cheapo wide angle lens screwed onto the front of my trusty S5600.
Tested the 15 secs exposure capability on my battered but trusty S5600. As you can see, it does an admirable job of it.
Saw these contrails while on my way to work and an idea sprang to mind. So I pulled over and got myself into position with the camera . . . and got this image.
Had to process the photo slightly to bring out the colours but this was all done in one take! I will admit to seeing something like that in a newspaper and wanted to try it out for myself . . . then the opportunity presented itself this morning.
Part of my DVD collection close up. I've had this collection of Worzel Gumminge DVDs for years but it was only today that I saw a photo opportunity in it!
An image taken in the Great Summer of 1976? Somewhere at Ethiopia? Maybe I've just been to the Colorado Desert? Nope, this is someone's back garden at Folkestone taken TODAY . . . the result of having had no rain whatsoever for nearly three weeks. And it's only April!
And very overdue it was too. It's been ages since I last got to see this type of weather. I have been wandering about that area for ten minutes and discovered how perishing cold it was in that mist.
I couldn't press the camera shutter button anymore towards the end as my fingers went numb with the cold
I'm still waiting for that "fiery" type sunrise/sunset type set up, but have captured this nice hued sunrise while on my way to work at 6 am.
I'm now convinced that it's actually the volcanic ash that is PREVENTING those "classic" fiery red type sunset/sunrises from occuring. Oh well, plenty of time for that.
While I've not been seeing any "decent fiery" sunsets and sunrises as a result of ash being thrown up by an eruption at Katla (Iceland), the yellowed sky caused by an upper-air layer of volcanic dust is clearly noticeable as this photo shows. This was taken at 7 pm, about half an hour before the sun was due to set.
. . . to be British.
The props are something I got from a boot fair earlier on today, only costed me £1.50 for the lot.
I set it up in my hobby room and then placed the normally uncooperative Chad on the stool.
I expected it to be a frustrating affair where the cat wouldn't play ball . . . but whaddya know, it worked!
Had to tempt him with extra Go-Cats though, and even then he allocated 3 minutes of his life before he really got fed up and made his move.
I absolutely love this photo, even though it is technically flawed. One of my best work, I reckon.
This is the sun gingerly breaking through a fog bank, taken at 6.15 am while on my way to work this morning.
Folkestone Harbour taken yesterday (the same time as the urban decay exploration session). While wandering about the place, I thought I'd make good use of the gorgeous blue sunny sky at that time. Whenever you visit the town, you will notice that just about every postcard will show this scene, and why not? It looks decent enough, and there's very little wonder why this location is one of the most favoured spot for vista-type photography.
That would make for a nice start to anyone's day. I actually took this one yesterday but got around to putting it in here today.
This morning I took myself down to the harbour armed with my D40. I got snapping away as I wandered about the place. This was actually my first proper "urban decay" photography session!
All of these photos have been processed in one way or another but have avoided the HDR thing (apart from one photo) as I'm not really a big fan of it (that's another discussion for another day).
And here's the funny thing. I've lived in Folkestone all my life (I'm 42) and in the same house right next to the now-disused harbour in the last 28 years - and I have never been into the actual harbour . . . until now
Seem to have developed an obsession for them. Well, gotta do something to make these extra morning early starts more bearable!
Taken while on my way to work at 6.15 am.
The manager of the Sex Pistols and various other artists lost his battle with cancer. While I wasn't into punk music, nor did I get into DJ-mixing type music I seriously loved this one - the 1982 single released "Buffalo Gal", I was 15 at the time. Kept playing it over and over (just played it now!). That "this jumper is making me itch" sample gets to me every time.
One way to spend the school holidays! This is young Ben (Emma Hogben's eldest son) having fun on the local ski slope.
Let "Lawnwatch 2010" commence. As you can see, spring has finally kicked in good and proper with warm temperatures and unbroken sunshine so I got down to doing the garden.
But let's hope it stays green for longer this time round (and nothing like last Summer's horror story, when it all turned into a dustbowl.
Man, can't stop admiring it. Feels like I could cut my eyes just by looking at the straight bits.
. . . what IS it about them?! Here is one half of Emma Hogben's twin boys, debating on whether to eat it or wear it. Thankfully he opted for the latter.
The bottom photo is the other half of the twins, looking concerned for his brother's health!
I captured this rare cloud formation just as the sun was about to rise above the horizon this morning. It is rare because it usually caused by wind shear (as upper winds travels faster than surface wind, and a cloud layer gets caught up in a shear-line). Usually it only lasts a minute or two, hence the rarity of it.
While the one in this photo isn... See more't the most perfect example of kelvin-helmholtz wave clouds (or KH clouds), this is pretty close. And it's nice that it coincided with a lush sun rise anyway.
The photo has been completey un-processed - straight out of the box (apart from the crop and border, of course).
Even my workplace, which is normally the last place I want to be at, is capable of producing some beauty. This was taken dead on at 6.30 am this morning (Apr 6th).
The three crosses which symbolises the crucification of Jesus Christ are placed on Sugar Loaf hill every Easter.
As luck would have it, they were still there while on my way home from work earlier on today.
I took this from quite a distance using high zoom lens as I was too knackered to climb the hill to get close to them! Besides, I think it does look effective this way anyway.
Captured this all too brief but colourful sun rise while on my way to work this morning.
Location is the now-disused Folkestone harbour (trains no longer run along that viaduct and ferry services ceased a few years ago - it's now nothing more than a parking space for private fishing boats).
Does exactly what it says on the tin. However, these "classic" daffodils spotted outside a country house earlier on today actually came into bloom three weeks later than normal. This is due to an unusually cold winter that inhibited plant growth.
