My Photographic Blog

Looking 'wild' at Lytham

2011-12-18T13:00:00.002Z

A quick shot of impending poor weather (what's new) on the way home from my Dentist!

Rawstorne Singers choir photo

2011-12-18T12:30:00.003Z

A Black & White conversion of a photograph of the choir, having just performed a concert of Christmas music for the 'Friends of the Harris' Museum and Art Gallery, in Preston, 8 December 2011.

First attempt at HDR

2011-12-18T12:27:00.003Z

I thought I might as well jump on the HDR band-wagon and 'have a go' - this was taken under one of the bridges at the Miller and Avenham Parks, in Preston, using three individual exposures.

Preston at night

2011-12-18T12:22:00.001Z

In the city centre, from the steps of the Minster Church of St. John...

And down at the Marina (Preston Docks)...

A 'dark' day

2011-12-18T11:55:00.001Z

Only in the weather stakes! The heavens were just about to open well and truely!

Why I do photography!

2011-12-18T11:03:00.002Z

Over the summer and autumn of this year I attended a creative workshop for budding artists and poets. I have steered clear of most things 'arty' having been advised, in a school art class (a LONG time ago), 'not to give up science'; and pretty much the same from my English teacher. Photography was a much simpler bet.

Anyway, the time came in these workshops where I could not get out of picking up a stick of charcoal and 'having a go'! My pathetic attempts (in negative form to match the blog background) are shown below....

'A Night Drive'

2011-12-18T10:49:00.003Z

With DSLR securely strapped to the dashboard with duct tape, intervalometer set to take a six second shot every 30 seconds, at f11 and 17-85mm zoom set at around 20mm, the camera was prefocused and the LCD back display covered with a black scarf (to avoid the temptation to 'take a peek' whilst driving) and I set off for a 10 minute drive round the block.

This was one of the better shots.

Ink Drop experiment

2011-12-18T09:44:00.003Z

Confined to the kitchen, due to extended bad weather, and looking for things to photograph, I set up this shot using a vase of water and a range of inks and food colouring and off-camera flash.

Around the Harris Museum & Art Gallery 3

2011-12-18T08:38:00.002Z

A bit of trick photography - well, not really - using a strobing flash to freeze sequential positions of Foucault's Pendulum - only really had one chance to take the shot!

Around the Harris Museum & Art Gallery 2

2011-12-18T06:37:00.003Z

Another artwork...this time a bronze from the second floor.........

Around the Harris Museum & Art Gallery 1

2011-12-18T02:20:00.004Z

Just a few shots taken over the last year on visits to the museum and art galley...'a spooky night at the museum'.

A bust of 'Clite', displayed on the stairway......

Milo - "Superdog"

2010-09-02T18:26:00.004+01:00

Just could not resist Paint Shopping the 'S' cape onto this animal. The Jack Russell was captured whilst exercising with a greyhound and, I might add, was keeping pace rather well!

Coming in fast and low . . . . .

2010-08-13T10:16:00.002+01:00

Again, in Haslam Park.

Kestrel in the hover

2010-08-11T18:50:00.001+01:00

Seen over Haslam Park in Preston - looks like lunch is almost ready!

My new friend!

2010-05-27T14:54:00.002+01:00

A natural model ........

Cuerden Valley Park

2010-05-25T00:54:00.003+01:00

I decided to brave the heat today and head off to Cuerden park. Unfortunately, it was over-run by untethered dogs, being allowed to run free, in and out of the stream and surrounding banks, making it virtually impossible to find a 'virgin' patch of undisturbed wildlife.

That said, I did manage to find a Banded Demoiselle (Damselfly), which I ended up stalking with my 55-250mm lens at full zoom, and got a few shots (unfortunately never from the desired angle).

Whilst taking a break, resting on a bench seat, I spotted an orange speck on some foliage about 3 metres away. On closer inspection I found it to be a Ladybird (7 spot variety). It was fairly motionless (probably baked in the sun) which gave me ample time to switch lenses to a 100mm Macro f/2.8 and get in fairly close, with the result below.

Longton Brickcroft

2010-04-13T13:54:00.005+01:00

A very short trip to the Brickcroft before the weather turned rather ominous and all wildlife was scared away by a number of dogs and there walkers 'bounding' round the site (the dogs, that is!). One day I will buy a book to help identify some of the plants, but until then I shall just have to grab the odd photograph, and guess that this is a Common burdock.

A Day at the Musicals

2010-03-19T07:49:00.003Z

Attended a University of Central Lancashire production of 'The Witches of Eastwick', staged by third year Performing Arts students - and it was BRILLIANT! The young lady, introducing the show, clearly stated that 'Flash Photography was NOT allowed'! Fair-game then for non-Flash Photography, I thought, and so rattled off a few (50 or so) frames during the performance - flash OFF; silly 'electronic shutter sounds' OFF, monopod at the ready.

After the show, I did mention that I had taken some photographs, in full view of the cast (they were only 2 metres away at times), and I was 'advised' NOT to publish them - hopefully by creating a low resolution mosaic of a few of them (and additionally blurring faces, à la Google Street View), they are sufficiently indistinct not to cause offence, whilst still giving some taste of the occasion.

Lytham in the snow

2010-01-06T23:33:00.009Z

Two weeks after a tooth crown falling out, I manage to pick some of the worst weather to drive the 12 miles to Lytham (to have my root canal filled and the crown reset). A drive that would normally have taken half an hour, took nearer an hour and a half, but at least on the way home I managed to get this wintery shot of Lytham Windmill (before the anaesthetic wore off!!!). It is actually in colour!

Unseasonal - but too good to waste!

2009-11-29T01:12:00.004Z

Just found this on an SD card in the bottom of my camera bag and, whilst not exactly seasonal for the end of November, I thought it was just too pretty not to share - it might even cheer some of us up after the weather we have been having lately.

Bill Posters

2009-11-25T00:47:00.009Z

If I could be bothered (which is possible if this torrential weather keeps up), I could probably combine these three partially removed posters into almost one whole one!

Tatt's All Folks !

2009-11-21T00:44:00.005Z

What more is there to say......it's a Dying Habit !

2009-11-15T00:43:00.003Z

Another day indoors (must buy some waterproofs!).

2009-11-13T21:02:00.006Z

With the weather dismal, and forecasts for severe winds and 20-40mm rainfall over the next 24 hours, our workshop stayed indoors (again) and we made the most of taking abstract/macro photographs of the artwork available to us in "The Space", Cannon Street, Preston.

Here are just a few of my shots (credits to the original artists will be added next week!).

In and around the City (1)

2009-11-13T00:20:00.004Z

Our photographic Workshops have kicked off again, this time based (for now) in central Preston.

The first expedition from The Space (Cannon Street) only saw a few of us venture down to Cross Street, and up Guildhall Street, looking for subject material.

I settled on the building architecture - geometrical shapes, colours and details.

Stained glass windows

2009-11-05T02:59:00.003Z

A couple of stained glass church windows in Leyland.

Christmas card design?

An update

2009-09-06T15:01:00.006+01:00

Anyone reading this blog will have noticed a distinct lack of entries over the last couple of months. Truth is that I have not been out taking photographs since our Workshops came to an end in July. I am putting it down jointly to losing the security of the group setting AND the increasing influence of the "I'm a photographer, not a terrorist" movement that has, as far as I can tell, made the lone photographer stand out even more from the crowd than before!

For the photography I want to take - cityscapes, streets, buildings (architecture) - where I don't particularly want people wandering through the scene, going very early in the day (or late at night) could look even more suspicious. I don't particularly want to be harrassed by the Police or, worse still, mugged (and these days, more likely knifed) and relieved by my photographic equipment.

With autumn approaching, and the days getting shorter, I will have to content myself with studio work and macrophotography until I join another group. But until then here are a couple of archive shots to be going on with......how the artistically challenged youth of Preston express themselves.

Rain, as usual!

2009-07-05T08:02:00.000+01:00

This was the last photographic workshop of the summer, run on behalf of Bluestreak Arts by local award winning professional photographer Denise Swanson ABIPP. Typically, for our Friday afternoon sessions, it pelted it down with rain leaving little option but to brave the elements camera bag over the shoulder, umbrella in left hand, camera in right!

This was my favourite shot that came out sufficiently sharp, in the dimly lit one-handed conditions, to show here.

A Day of Flowers

2009-06-26T23:40:00.004+01:00

Text to follow . . . . .

In and around the city centre . . . . .

2009-06-25T15:16:00.005+01:00

A few shop signs along Cannon Street in Preston City centre, just along from The Space Art gallery.

'Reflections on a guitarist', or 'Reflections of a photographer', the choice is yours. This idea was scuppered, in some part, by the gallery windows being double glazed. A 'brush stroke' effect has been added in post-processing.

Colourful wall with broken first floor window, above a former (?) Mexican Restaurant in Preston.

Caught this chap, at full zoom, last night (in a grave yard) - this is also quite a tight crop.

Grange Community Park . . . .

2009-06-22T16:00:00.000+01:00

. . . in Ribbleton, Preston. This is the site of the foundations of the former Ribbleton Hall, built in 1865 and demolished sometime before 1955. Typically, for a Friday afternoon, the clouds soon rolled in!

A mixture of colour before the rain . . . . .

Anybody want to buy a Fuljifilm S8100fd 10 megapixel digital camera whose Japanese designers thought it would be a brilliant idea to disable manual focussing in 'macro' mode?!!!

Just a few more 'wild growing' flowers . . . .

2009-06-16T19:39:00.003+01:00

taken last Friday, at the Grange Community Park in Preston, Lancashire.

A few more grasses and wild flowers . . . .

2009-06-09T21:34:00.006+01:00

Trifolium pratense – Wild Red Clover

Anthriscus sylvestris – Cow Parsley or Pimpinella saxifraga – Burnet-saxifrage?

"Dead Bike" aka tooo-hot "Hot Rod" collection!

2009-06-05T21:21:00.000+01:00

Sunny morning, clouding over, rain expected!

2009-06-05T14:31:00.004+01:00

As hoped, the weather held out until mid afternoon allowing me to make a 'scheduled' (but lonely) visit to the Grange Community Park (or rather, close to it) in Ribbleton, Preston.

The name Ranunculus is Late Latin for "little frog", from rana "frog" and a diminutive ending. This probably refers to many species being found near water, like frogs. Well this Buttercup was nowhere near any water and shows the before and after condition (flower and seed head) - this is probably Ranunculus acris – Meadow Buttercup . . .
This next oddity takes me back to my school days, crawling over the sand dunes at Lytham (before anyone illegally bulldozed any away to improve the view!), during Biology field trips.

Plantego lanceolata - the name will never leave me - or Ribwort Plantain (or even English Plantain) is actually a weed - but quite pretty!

P. lanceolata is used frequently in tisanes and other herbal remedies. It is also used in many beverages (e.g. organic teas) and even tarts.

And the last in this sequence, some wild grasses . . . . .

The start of summer ?

2009-05-30T16:53:00.003+01:00

May ended with April's showers - typically! Could not decide between these two photos - not sure if the sweet wrapper in the second detracts or adds more interest....

May update

2009-05-23T01:48:00.003+01:00

My attempt at trying to be 'art-y'.
The last of the Cherry Blossom, in Moor Park, Preston.
An afternoon in the broadcasting studios of Preston FM, Community Radio Station. Ten of us were foolish enough to volunteer for a 10 week training course with the aim of achieving an NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Radio Production. We'll see! Only 4 of us remaining by the end. At least we four have now broadcast 2 one hour shows although, being total cowards, both of these were prerecorded.
This is my favourite view in Avenham Park, Preston, of the Japanese Gardens. Tried here to give it a bit of a different approach. Has it worked?
A large knot in a bitumen coated telegraph post.

Bit of a winter break...but I'm back!

2009-03-23T23:46:00.005Z

In and around Avenham and Miller Parks, Preston, Lancashire.....

Some more....

2009-03-23T23:30:00.001Z

I will be glad when Spring arrives!

2009-01-16T23:13:00.000Z

Tribal mask

2009-01-04T17:34:00.001Z

Is it my imagination, or does this tree bark look like an African tribal mask. . . . .

A freezing desolate place?

2009-01-02T15:55:00.000Z

First Post of the New Year - a freezing and grey day, this grave offers a glimmer of colour for the Spring ahead.

Just a few 'stocking fillers' from the last couple of weeks.....

2008-12-16T00:39:00.002Z

This photo, taken outside Blackpool Railway Station in December, has NOT been manipulated in any way (OK, I've deepened the blue of the sky - but NO combinations of more than one original shot!).
This one is a little bit deceptive........it is actually upside down!

Grange Park Community Gardens, Ribbleton

2008-12-10T22:43:00.002Z

WWT Martin Mere

2008-12-08T17:00:00.002Z

A 'planned' visit to the Wildlife and Wetlands Trust at Martin Mere, by some members of the "ePHOTOzine" website, was marred only by the fact that I was the only member that went!! Absolutely freezing, some of the smaller ponds offered only an ice rink surface for the waterfowl!

The "Rawstorne Singers" at Blackpool

2008-12-07T23:32:00.001Z

The Rawstorne Singers, a Longton based choir that I am a member of, were invited by the 'Railways Chaplain' to sing Carols on Blackpool North railway station on Saturday 6th December 2008. Here is one photo and a short video clip of our performance (I am obviously not in the shots).

A day at the Museum - Part 1

2008-11-30T15:49:00.002Z

Glorious afternoon spent in and around the Harris Museum and Preston Flagmarket.

Front of Museum and Library

CenotaphCenotaphMuseum ceilingBust of The Earl of Derby

A day at the Museum - Part 2

2008-11-29T23:04:00.005Z

Museum and Library Foyer from the second floor balcony

'Her Head' by Dhruva Mistry (b.1957)

Bust of the nymph, Clytie, by George Frederick Watts (c. 1867-68)

Pair of bronzes

'Flying Mercury', original by Giovanni Da Bologna, ~1564

Just some more 'macros'

2008-11-21T23:53:00.000Z

Another Sunday - more views of the Marina

2008-11-16T18:35:00.011Z

Another glorious Sunday and some more shots of changing light conditions down at Preston docklands Marina....

Reflections

2008-11-14T19:15:00.003Z

Back to the Avenham Park in Preston, after a down pour, looking for abstract images and reflections. Here are just a couple of shots.....

Marina

2008-11-13T21:21:00.004Z

A few more views around Preston Marina . . . . .

Cityscape

2008-11-12T23:15:00.002Z

A view of the Preston City skyline from the docklands marina.

A 'spooky' day in the Park

2008-11-10T21:01:00.004Z

Whilst taking some photographs in a local park last week, under far from ideal conditions of lighting (and having what little light there was blocked by trees), I had set my camera on a tripod to photograph an avenue of autumnal trees when a cuclist pulled up beside me and said that he didn't want to ruin my shot. Thinking that he might add a point of focus to the shot I told him he could go on his way, forgeting the camera was set to f=11 and 1 sec exposure (ISO160). Below is the result!

Shutter speeds

2008-11-08T21:00:00.005Z

The dull autumnal weather had left me having to cart a tripod around with me or risk camera shake at 1/30 sec and longer exposure times. Given that, I stopped the lens down to f=11 on this shot, to allow the shutter to expose at 1/4 second thereby blurring the water from the fountain.

Riverbank

2008-11-06T20:01:00.002Z

This shot was looking a bit weary until a touch of post-processing improved the brightness, contrast and colour saturation.

Macro work

2008-11-04T18:38:00.003Z

Another dull and wet day and nothing for it but to hit the 'macro' button and search my flat for interesting subjects. With musical concerts on the horizon (yes, I sing in a choir), I had numerous musical scores to hand and, with my trusty 'choir pencils', decided to set up a 'still life' study, illuminated entirely by daylight coming through my lounge window.

Demon squirrel

2008-11-02T23:01:00.004Z

A lesson in always being prepared - as I turned a corner in the park and set off along a little footpath I heard a rustle in the fallen leaves to my right side. Turning, and switching my camera to 'shoot mode' at the same time, whilst also trying to find the pop-up flash button ,the first shot (in 'manual mode' from my last shot) just served to scare my subject into bolting for the nearest tree. My second and final shot before he vanished into the undergrowth (this time on 'auto') is shown below (the whole episode lasted no more than 5 seconds). It was greatly underexposed but I was determined to extract something from the shot.

Disused railway track

2008-10-30T01:22:00.001Z

The now disused Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway line crosses the River Ribble, at Preston, at the bottom of the Miller Park. The first shot below shows some detail in the side panelling of the viaduct spanning the river and the second, an archway over the cycle track and footpath.

Reflections

2008-10-18T19:12:00.005+01:00

The shot below was taken during a coffee break whilst undergoing treatment at an NHS (National Health Service) facility in Preston. I looked across the road, outside the building, only to notice the centre's sign reflected in the windows opposite. Being a reflection, the original text had been reversed - which I have re-reversed so as to be legible!

Just a couple of 'Portraits'

2008-10-16T22:57:00.000+01:00

Close to the Fishergate Centre

2008-10-15T23:03:00.004+01:00

These photographs were taken around the Fishergate Shopping Centre in some of the more affluent areas! Large Victorian houses and roof-top apartments.

Well, you can tell it isn't Sunday!

2008-10-14T21:40:00.001+01:00

Torrential rain, again! So, some more shots of Preston Marina......

2008-10-13T22:42:00.005+01:00

This coot looks like it can't make its mind up whether to take the plunge or not!

What is it with Sundays?

2008-10-12T18:30:00.004+01:00

Almost every day in the last two weeks has been dull, wet, cold or windy - except the last two Sundays, when there has been sunshine!

Today, after my weekly haul round the local Supermarket, I had a wander to the Riversway Marina to check out the boats and seaguls. Was this pidgeon envious of the seaguls' and coots' mastery of the water or contemplating ending it all?

Autumn

2008-10-11T20:00:00.002+01:00

Flowers are easy - this time of year they just shrivel up and die. Tree stumps are a different matter, as these two groundsmen with their mechanical grinding/cutter demonstrate!

Avenham Park, Preston

2008-10-10T17:10:00.003+01:00

Another day where the weather held off just long enough to get out and about - this time to Avenham Park and the Japanese Gardens, probably not at their best in October.....

Lancs County Council

2008-10-09T22:05:00.004+01:00

Just opposite Preston Railway Station is County Hall - the offices of Lancashire County Council, who have apparently just donated £10,000,000 to the Icelandic Banking economy! Here are just a couple of views of, and from, the area.

Another day in Preston

2008-10-08T23:51:00.002+01:00

Today was spend wandering around Preston City centre, namely in the area of the Railway Station and surrounding buildings. Trains have never really done anything for me since the removal of the steam locos years ago and, thankfully, there were none of the electric ones in the station at the time I was there!

Preston Minster

2008-10-07T22:49:00.000+01:00

True to form the rain is back! Discovered today that my camera cannot take CF memory cards larger than 2 GB (having had the counter staff open 2x 8GB, and 1x 4 GB cards that would not format!). I do not expect to use the video capture facility on the camera but it would have been nice to know it had the memory capacity should the need ever arise. Anyway, back to Sunday's trip to Preston Minster with some shots of the spire and clock.

Manky Monday

2008-10-06T21:59:00.004+01:00

Well, yesterday's sunshine couldn't last. Bright, early this morning, but then dull, overcast and cloudy with cold winds from lunchtime - not photography weather for an aging softy! I am most grateful for the weather yesterday for the arts festival as, even in glorious sunshine, the church interior was cold and dark. The photograph below shows the Deputy Mayor of Preston, Cllr Christine Abram, opening the procedings.

Sunny Sunday

2008-10-05T20:24:00.004+01:00

Where did the rain go?!!! Six days of torrential rain and drizzle, then today GLORIOUS!!!

Granted, temperatures around these parts were down to 4°C last night, with an expected high today of 12°C - felt more like 18°C in the sunshine. Having gone this afternoon to the opening ceremony for Preston Arts Festival at St. John's Minster, in Preston city centre, I found this chap 'recovering' from his liquid brunch in the grounds of the church - that grass must have been pretty damp!!!

Just going for a leek !

2008-10-04T23:00:00.000+01:00

This weather is chronic - just constant drizzle interspersed with rain!
So the photography is all indoors, on macro or 'super' macro..........

I am rapidly running out of fruit and vegetables with photogenic properties so here is one of the seeds in a red pepper. (I really must switch the crock-pot on and eat some of this stuff!).

Still wet out - try some fruit !

2008-10-03T23:15:00.001+01:00

Pineapple close-up

and even more 'close-up'

Yet another wet day

2008-10-02T23:09:00.001+01:00

More vegetables / still life / macros

Another Wet day

2008-10-01T23:04:00.006+01:00

Mushrooms

October is here and so is the rain - torrential at times - so it has been another 'indoors day' for photography and a selection of still lifes. Fruit and vegetables, to be precise, most at either the 'macro' or 'super macro' lens setting on my Fujifilm FinePix S602 Zoom. Lighting was a few 'warm' fluorescents and all images were recorded at ISO 200, f=2.8 with exposures of 1/8 to 1/30 secs.

Rain !

2008-09-30T23:50:00.002+01:00

Not a very good photograph of not a good day, using an ultra compact AF/AE 10 megapixel Kodak that couldn't decide whether to focus on the distant view or the rain-drenched car windscreen - I was not getting out of the car - the photo was to show the distortion effects of the water flowing down the glass anyway!

Rosehips

2008-09-29T23:23:00.002+01:00

Last of the summer's wild rose hips just as the weather turned damp and soggy again - is this still Summer, or are we officially in Autumn now - hard to tell these days ?!?

2008-09-28T23:58:00.001+01:00

Still not getting out much (although I did go to buy a new 'Freeview' box Saturday). So today was spent looking for something around the flat that might make an interesting shot.

Eventually I noticed that the sunlight was catching on my "Silver Chairman's Award for Innovation" that my former employers had awarded me a few years ago, before terminating my employment with them for repeated absence (due to prolonged medical problems).

Not to dwell on the matter, this 'thing' (about the size of a house brick and made of solid glass) has been 3-D laser etched, internally, with my details and the subject of the award and also with a full 3-D representation of the Globe - see below - remember, this is 'inside' a block of glass - I have 'Paint Shop'd the rest of the glass away .

2008-09-28T00:16:00.006+01:00

Not a very interesting photograph of the car park outside my Flat at 01:00, other than it was at taken at ISO 200, f=2.8 and 1/4 second - Handheld!!!

My Freeview TV receiver literally exploded on Tuesday and of the 5 terrestrial stations normally available without it, this was the only station I have been able to pick up - until I went to buy a new unit this morning.

2008-09-27T00:25:00.005+01:00

These shots were taken on a trip to the Lancaster canal at Ashton, Preston, quite close to where it terminates. The day had begun fairly bright but, as you can see from the 'distance hazing' in the second photograph, a fine drizzle decended which eventually almost obliterated the view of the Tulketh Mill buildings.

2008-09-26T02:41:00.006+01:00

I have not been out and about for much of the last week through illness, so today's photo(s) are of another famous landmark - St. Walburge's Catholic Church from a couple of different angles (one of these actually includes St. Mark's Church in the background - now converted to residential accommodation).

2008-09-25T10:28:00.011+01:00

I can't wait another 24 hours to post another photograph. Anyway, this 'MyFuji' site has some articles on computer manipulation of images, unfortunately for me, using Adobe Photoshop (if I could afford Photoshop I could probably afford to pay someone to do it for me!). Well there was this 'project' to superimpose a sunset over Stonehenge. It all looked very impressive, but I am using Paint Shop Pro 7 - all to do with layers and masks - I normally just use it for cropping and sharpening up camera shake. So none of the instructions directly read across. After an hour of 'promoting layers' and 'inverting masks' it actually worked! But it then took me another hour to repeat the task with another photograph . . . and here it is - a surreal view of the Preston skykine.

My Photo Blog (in pictures!).

2008-09-25T09:45:00.004+01:00

Last night I signed up / registered my digital camera that I have owned for several years but had used very little - so little that I had not even installed the software that came with it and realised that its neat little Calendar function only covers the years 1999 to 2005! Anyway, it is a Fuji FinePix S602 camera and on registration I was taken to the 'MyFuji' website where I found all sorts of handy tips and the notion of 'a photo blog'!! The idea is that you post a photo per day, whether that be of a breakfast muffin (sorry Dietitian, a cup of cabbage soup), my in-growing toenail or the artistic scoop of the year. They do say, however, that 'not every photo has to be a David Bailey masterpiece' --- (just as well really) --- so here goes........

This photograph was actually taken a few months ago when I attended a church service to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the ordination of my former Anglican minister - and we hadn't seen each other for 30 years.

This poor pony was looking fed up at the back of the village car park so I just thought I would take a snap.