Ha...Sunshine !

Murcia - 30.10.19

This time tomorrow I'll probably be sat in some seaside bar enjoying a nice beer happy to be back in the sun, that's not to say currently we're note enjoying sun at home but it's a bit chilly 8 degrees in the UK not 30 degrees that's alway beneficial to a dip in the sea.

To start the trip off here's a few images of a Kentish Plover one of the birds I always look on my return to Murcia, so watch this space

Kentish Plover

Autumn Colours

Cheshire - 23.10.19

After a late night attending the presentation by the renowned BBC cameraman Doug Allan up in Burnley I thought I'd have a lie in this morning, but all good plans can change. Opening the curtains it's looks like sunshine all the way today, then I reminded that the Red Deer rutting season won't last for much longer...Mmm, fifteen minuets later I'm loading the gear in the car and I'm on my way to a Red Deer site locally.

When visiting this location I always like to head out to the less busy wild end which flanks the perimeter of the Park, here the ground is rough long grass and woodland, but it's a bit of a slog getting there.

Work in progress....

Red Deer - stag

It's Early & Still Dark !

Scottish Borders - 12.10.19

It's a short ten minuets drive from the digs to the location where a couple of Water Rail have recently been putting in an appearance, it's still not 7.30am and barely light ! surely not enough light for photography, but I'm always I'm prepared to give it a go.

The Canon 5D Mk IV with the 500mm MkII image stabilisation is working overtime, wide open at f4 and 250/sec to get as much light as possible it's bumping 12,800 ISO....wow !!...that's not looking good for getting any decent images, fingers crossed I click and hope as they say.

A couple of Water Rails are hogging the side of a small channel and to get a shot I'm actually having to be in the water sat on a metal frame, the rails move into open water and thats when you have the opportunity to get an image of this normal shy sulking bird. Complete daylight is still a little way off and to get the exposure somewhere near on the rail it gives the image background a very dark look, no trickery with photoshop this is how it is.

All too soon I have to move on but it's my intension to return in a couple of weeks when the weather is a little colder spending a longer session concentration solely on these quirky rails, in differing light conditions providing a variety of differing images that's difficult to replicate at any other locations.

Watch this space as they say.

Water Rail

Now it's getting light changing the look of the image, I quite like the dark look I think it looks more dramatic.

In this last image it's now pasted 8.0am and the daylight much better the background becoming visible, personally I like the dark background image which looks more dramatic so long as the camera can handle the high iso and resulting digital noise. 

A Pheasant Time For All

Scottish Borders - 12.10.19

Have you ever had one of those days when it's gone all quiet and your just waiting for something to happen then out of the corner of your eye you see something that catches your attention...a Pheasant, or a Common Pheasant to be precise. 

It's the first one I've seen at this location and it slowly walks across a mossy bank in no particular hurry content just to look around as it slowly moves on it's way....and it's gone.

Common Pheasant

What A Cracker

Ringford - 12.11.19

Work in progress....

Sparrowhawk - male

Oh What A Night !

Galloway - 12.10.19

Tonights I've arranged a session in one of Alan Mcfadyen's Pine Martin hides, a first for me never having seen this generally scares nocturnal mustelid, so with some anticipation I'm looking forward to getting images only possible north of the boarder.

With only about forty five minuets of daylight remaining I have to drive around ten miles and be in the hide before it gets dark, time to crack on. Now in the hide and the camera set up it's a waiting game, I'm told the animal usually appears around 8.0am so with some time to spare a good opportunity to check out some of the camera settings before the action begins.

The set comprising a small platform in front of the hide dressed with some rocks lit with several LED's, to the right a ramp to the ground disappears off into the darkness of the pine forest which is blacker than black. It's a bit eerie sat in the darkness with the wind blowing through the trees and the odd calling Tawny Owl for company, an hour as passed and it's started raining....surely not much longer to wait !

All eyes are focused on the ramp to the right of the set the direction the Pine Martin is expected to appear...wrong, all of a sudden from the left out of the darkness the Martin jumps up like a spring onto the set. Not wanting to spook the animal it's single shot silent mode only and the action begins, I think the animal is aware of our presence probably as it can hear the camera shutter occasionally disappearing to the safety of the forest only to return as it can't resist the free offerings. The action doesn't last long the Pine Martin finally disappears permanently into the darkness not returning for the remainder of our visit.

With the rain now having stopped and local food outlets closing shortly it's a good point to call time. It's been a very interesting session and I continue to learn shooting with LED's. If you get the chance book a session in one of Alan's hide you won't regret it.  

Pine Martin

It's A Kingfisher

Cumstoun - 13.10.19

The weather isn't so great this morning, grey with some light rain so me and another Photo Tog are spending a couple of hours in Alan McFadyen's Kingfishers Hide after time spent in another location earlier, I don't know what to expect as I understand the KF was a "no show" yesterday, but it gets us undercover.

We're chatting away not really concentrating when someone says....Kingfisher...initially it's machine gun technique getting some images in the bag but the Kingy seems quite happy just to sit, initially on a Hawthorn branch and later on a staged sign post shooting across a river with a clean uncluttered background, it's the type of location you would expect from Scottish Hides and worth a visit if your  after cracking images at close quarters, go fill your boots time !

After some fifteen minuets the Kingfisher is still sat on a post surveying the swollen river, then with a single call it's off bullet down the river disappearing out of sight, and that's our cue to move on, time for a spot of lunch, now what's next !

Kingfisher - male