Tripod

Today I received my tripod which I ordered online I went for a Bentro travel angel tripod made of carbon fibre.

Its an early Christmas present.

Digbys walk

Digby

Diggys not well. Poor thing has been vomiting all day and is not his usual self. He has not eaten all day.

photo framing

Faststone photo resizer is a free download for framing photos for posting online

Jersey Cows.

Jersey Cow

On the way home from Digbys walk I stopped to take these few photos.

Another day. A little more practise.

St. Catherines boat yard.

The above two photos were taken one day apart.

Archirondel Tower

After leaving St. Catherines I stop off at Archirondel.

Three of the photos were taken from a car park situated above Archirondel.

Whereas, the first two i needed to go down steps which led from the car park to the left side of the tower.

I'm wondering if Chris noticed my ever so subtle hints I've been making on how having a tripod would be nice?

We don't usually bother getting presents for each other at Christmas so maybe it would be better waiting for January sales and seeing what happens then.

Sunrise

Sunrise

Once again I went out early in the morning to practise taking some Sunrise photos. It was windy, cold and dark. I was struggling to keep my hands steady.

This slipway, in the first photo was directly off the main road. Digby jumped down to the right hand side of the slip onto the beach and was then trapped with the tide coming up the slipway.

Okay, He could of got back on the slip by going in the water but he just looked at me as if to say what do I do.

Luckily a man pulled in with his car. I think he was birdwatching he had binoculars, anyway he pointed me to some steps further along that I was able to walk too and call Digby. Whilst this was going on I was concerned about missing the sunrise.

Back to the photos. The problems I seem to be facing, are, when I get home and look at the photos I find Ive been tending to under expose the majority although I am aware of this whilst taking the photos so I have been increasing the ISO.

The two lenses I have are the 18-55 Image stabilizer f/3.5 - f/5.6. I sold the kit lens that came with the camera to buy the IS version. I also have the nifty fifty 50mm f/1.8 11

I don't mind under exposing slightly as it give me a dramatic sky but I dont want them too dark.

The photos were taken just before reaching Anne port beach after leaving St. Catherines.

I think you can see the under exposure in the above 2nd and 3rd photo. I posted the 3rd to show how a wider angle lens would of enabled me to include the tower with the sky that was shown in photo 2.

The two photos below; were taken from above Archirondel. The Sunrise was now more or less fully risen.

Technically I am not sure how these look. I did try and straighten a couple of horizons in Picassa, other than that they are straight out of the camera.

These are my best two from the morning.

Queens Valley Reservoir

Queens valley reservoir

Walking with Digby this morning round the reservoir it was totally different
to our last visit.

The water levels are still low but on the right track.


Queens valley reservoir

In my earlier post and photo of this little boat, it was sat on dry land.
Today it had these three ducks in it.

Queens valley reservoir ducks.

Autumn leaves.

Archirondel

Archirondel Tower

I stopped at Archirondel after leaving St. Catherines on my way home.

St. Catherines

St. Catherines breakwater


St. Catherines boat yard


Sunrise over St. Catherines Crop photo


Sunrise leaving St. Catherines on the way towards Anne port.


Red door in the hillside.

This morning I drove to St. Catherines with Digby. Here's a few samples of my best efforts.

Archirondel Tower.

Archirondel Tower.

A group of us stayed here for a week with a youth club when I was a child.
The girls slept on the ground floor and the boys on the floor above that would be roughly 1973-74 ish

The youth club leader had a sailing boat which was used during the day.
I remember we would wade in from the shore in the morning with nets catching prawns. And then them, being a lovely bright pink once we had cooked them.



Digs, once again placing himself right where I did not particularly want him.

I had intended to find a landmark or subject to the front of the sunrise, unfortunately I didn't see one and as Digby ran in to make himself the subject .......... I took the photo. I think he is going to become my signature.




I drove here at six in the morning. It is no further than 10 - 15 mins from my house.

I was hoping for a great sunrise as the morning before, I noticed the sky was a fantastic red as I looked out of the kitchen window.

It was a little creepy at that time and deadly quiet whilst I was walking and wondering round the tower and rocks. Then I felt some rain.

I was ready to drive off as I noticed the sunrise.

I sat in the car shivering watching Digby, watching me, patiently waiting for me to get out of the car to throw stones.

When I do get out of the car he plonks himself right in front of me.

It is hard for me to take any photo. It is strange he has the empty beach yet he sits bang in front of me I throw a stone in the water which gives me all of 3-4 secs to take a photo then he is back lying down staring and waiting.

Well just a few rambling from a tiny period of my day.