Day #181

Title: Bottoms Up!
Location: Hanningfield Reservoir
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 100-400mm EF f/4-5.6 L IS USM
Notes: After all the time I’ve had to spend in front of the PC this weekend, restoring numerous websites after the server crash, I thought I’d get out for a bit of fresh air this afternoon. So I went to Hanningfield Reservoir, armed with my longest lens, to see what I could find. Generally the birds were quite a long way off, but this Coot swam nearby and I caught it just as it dived under the surface. Perfect for this week’s 366 Theme, “A Phrase or Saying”. So this is “Bottoms Up”. Cheers…

Day #63

Title: Protection
Location: Near Greensted, Essex
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Went for a lovely walk this morning - the sun was out, fluffy clouds in the sky. Forecast was for hail showers! So I thought I'd get out early. I visited the ancient Log Church at Greensted and then did a circular 4 mile walk around the locality. This rose branch was poking out of a hedge as I passed it - and the sun was in a perfect position. I loved the burgundy red stalk contrasting with the blue sky behind.

Day #56

Title: Nature's Telephone Cables
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Sunny when I woke up, so I went into the garden and played for a few minutes before breakfast. These are two tendrils of the Passion Flower which grows around my garden gate. It looks a bit sad at this time of year, but some of last season's growth made some interesting patterns in the morning sunlight. I like the way the top spiral has grown one way, then back on itself; it reminds me of how curly telephone handset cables used to get in such a mess!

Day #54

Title: Blowing In The Wind
Location: Galleywood, Essex
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 17-85mm EF-S f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: Before vegging out in front of the telly to watch 3 games of Six Nations rugby, I went out for a walk this morning to stretch the legs and try to take a shot for the day. The weather was grey and miserable again, but at least it wasn't raining. I was surprised to find this Dandelion Clock sitting under a hedge. When first picked, it had it's full head and I was hoping to bring it home to photograph with my macro lens. But the rest of the walk was quite windy, and I noticed the seeds were beginning to fly. I found a suitably dark background and held up the clock in front, watching the seeds blow away. By the time I got home, the rest were gone.

Day #26

Title: Waving In The Breeze
Location: Dawes Farm, Handley Green
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 17-85mm EF-S f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: I found these Pampas Grasses near a set of ponds between Handley Barns and Dawes Farm, during my 4.5 mile walk around Mill Green, and I deliberately chose 1/30th shutter speed when taking the image, to show the grasses blowing about in the breeze. But I was struggling with the light today - there was only weak sunlight and thin, high cloud which meant things looked OK in reality, but as soon as a scene was committed to the camera, everything looked pale and washed out, with little contrast. Some fiddling with Photoshop has helped.