A new year and a new photo thread to keep us entertained through the months ahead.

My first addition is something suitably seasonal - a wintery scene taken in the Amsterdam woods.

All contributions very much welcomed, and if the photos we've seen in previous years is anything to go by, we've a lot to look forward to.

Enjoy!

Cake made for my retirement. My former colleagues know me well....Tasted lovely too!

And the wonderful kids at work made this for me (with the help of a professional artist - on Facebook as Smashed Hits: Broken vinyl artwork.). No decent records were harmed in its construction.

 

A rather pleasant female Pheasant 

23 hours ago, Soulfinger said:

And the wonderful kids at work made this for me (with the help of a professional artist - on Facebook as Smashed Hits: Broken vinyl artwork.). No decent records were harmed in its construction.

 

That's great,very impressive ! 

I'd actually love one of those for myself..

I've  just been taking a look at some of the pretty amazing work on the guy's website this morning which is definitely worth checking.   

http://www.smashedhits.co.uk/phone/index.html

Thanks for posting and all the best for your retirement Soulfinger !...

 

Mods please remove if deemed inappropriate to the thread as I say not wishing to hijack the photo thread  Slightly off topic but as someone who appreciates all the wildlife photos posted I was writing for my own amusement a poem inspired by Martyn's great photo of the Pheasant and needed to do a bit of research as to shooting seasons, we all know about seasons for Grouse shooting but I was shocked to see that there are permitted times to shoot Coot/Moorhen and Snipe, I'm neither a birdwatcher nor hunter but for the life of me I can't understand why anyone would want to shoot a Moorhen or some of the other birds that actually have a permitted season. Anyone on here enlighten me as to whether people do actually intentionally shoot Moorhen, Common Snipe, is there a Trophy list amongst the shooting fraternity like there is with Big Game hunters, not trying or wishing to start a debate on the rights or wrongs of Shooting as a sport just interested if anyone has the answer. 

4 hours ago, Twoshoes said:

Mods please remove if deemed inappropriate to the thread as I say not wishing to hijack the photo thread  Slightly off topic but as someone who appreciates all the wildlife photos posted I was writing for my own amusement a poem inspired by Martyn's great photo of the Pheasant and needed to do a bit of research as to shooting seasons, we all know about seasons for Grouse shooting but I was shocked to see that there are permitted times to shoot Coot/Moorhen and Snipe, I'm neither a birdwatcher nor hunter but for the life of me I can't understand why anyone would want to shoot a Moorhen or some of the other birds that actually have a permitted season. Anyone on here enlighten me as to whether people do actually intentionally shoot Moorhen, Common Snipe, is there a Trophy list amongst the shooting fraternity like there is with Big Game hunters, not trying or wishing to start a debate on the rights or wrongs of Shooting as a sport just interested if anyone has the answer. 

I can assure you that as a vegan son of a gamekeeper that people do shoot snipe, and they are considered quite difficult to shoot.  I long for open season on humans, as, while vegan, I'd quite readily rid the planet of many humans.

Happy belated new year :-)

Great photos as always on here and I'll put a few up that Ive got just recently.

Three from a very warm spring like day on Snowdon on Tuesday 13 March. Clear views from the summit, a Chinook flyby and a very still calm reflection of the horseshoe from Plas y Benin that had the photographers out in force. Great day

 

A few birds that come to a feeder at a house I was working at a few weeks back. All taken through the kitchen window. the last one is a Parakeet spotted along the River Mersey in Sale, near to Jackson Boat. First I have seen round these parts but have heard there are quite a few in the area.

Andy. There's Parakeets all over Manchester.  Had them fly over the car in Middleton.  Heard them calling near my house in Blackley.  

Steve 

38 minutes ago, soulandy said:

Happy belated new year :-)

Great photos as always on here and I'll put a few up that Ive got just recently.

Three from a very warm spring like day on Snowdon on Tuesday 13 March. Clear views from the summit, a Chinook flyby and a very still calm reflection of the horseshoe from Plas y Benin that had the photographers out in force. Great day

 

Fantastic picture's mate

Steve

7 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Andy. There's Parakeets all over Manchester.  Had them fly over the car in Middleton.  Heard them calling near my house in Blackley.  

Steve 

Yes Steve, have heard all about them. Lots around Chorlton/sale but a first for me. A mate of mine who works in the pest control has been called out a few times about them. Can cause a bit of damage as well.

 Had 3 Siskins on the feeders in the back garden at 8am.  Never seen them here before.  Well chuffed . Unfortunately no photographs.  Always next time.  

Steve 

Horizontal snow today, still I needed the fresh air ... and several layers of clothing

Tree Sparrow numbers are up, which is nice to see as they had declined over the last 12 months

Excellent pictures as always mate Bet you looked like a abominable snowman Martyn only a smaller version.  

Steve

Took through my back window (quality not brilliant) about 10 minutes ago, male Sparrowhawk (eating one of Martyn's Tree sparrows ?), was then joined by the female, but she flew off before I could take another photo.

Snowing in the garden . Unfortunately no sparrowhawk for me

Steve 

27 minutes ago, Johnny Jones said:

Took through my back window (quality not brilliant) about 10 minutes ago, male Sparrowhawk (eating one of Martyn's Tree sparrows ?), was then joined by the female, but she flew off before I could take another photo.

Great pictures Johnny

Steve 

Foot deep snow in my garden this morn bit of a shock  baz

4 minutes ago, baz1 said:

Foot deep snow in my garden this morn bit of a shock  baz

Baz . I can't see your foot,  deep in the snow 

Steve 

2 hours ago, Johnny Jones said:

Took through my back window (quality not brilliant) about 10 minutes ago, male Sparrowhawk (eating one of Martyn's Tree sparrows ?), was then joined by the female, but she flew off before I could take another photo.

 

Johnny ... I hope you don't mind, but the quality is actually pretty good, focus is spot on, the problem is that camera light meters assume averages when automatically working out exposure, so they expect everything to be a mid grey colour, which is why most shots of the snow people take look grey, the camera has under exposed, the opposite happens if you were taking an image of a predominately black coloured bird.

Back in the days of film I picked up a handy saying that has always stuck in the memory banks - Add light to white - most cameras have an E/V adjustment option, what you need to do is dial in around +1 possibly +2, (it's digital try one and see), this will correct the cameras metering. For a predominately black coloured subject apply the opposite and apply a -1 to -2 E/V adjustment

You can always tweak it later in Photoshop Elements or something similar that allows basic adjustment.

I spent all of 60 seconds in  Photoshop Elements on your Sparrowhawk, adjusted the levels and contrast a touch, and got this 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 20187 yr by martyn pitt

1 hour ago, Winsford Soul said:

Baz . I can't see your foot,  deep in the snow 

Steve 

Can see the wife a foot deep steve 😂

2 minutes ago, baz1 said:

Can see the wife a foot deep steve 😂

 

Nice touch getting her a shovel to match her top Baz 

1 minute ago, martyn pitt said:

Nice touch getting her a shovel to match her top Baz 

Snow that deep Martyn would be up to you and Carols waist 

Steve 

5 minutes ago, baz1 said:

Can see the wife a foot deep steve 😂

That's class mate. Love it 

Steve 

On 18/03/2018 at 11:25, martyn pitt said:

Nice touch getting her a shovel to match her top Baz 

She's clearing a path to the barbi hut  steak and burgers fo lunch martin 

13 minutes ago, baz1 said:

Can see the wife a foot deep steve 😂

Baz. Is that a spliff in Shells mouth 

Steve 

28 minutes ago, martyn pitt said:

Johnny ... I hope you don't mind, but the quality is actually pretty good, focus is spot on, the problem is that camera light meters assume averages when automatically working out exposure, so they expect everything to be a mid grey colour, which is why most shots of the snow people take look grey, the camera has under exposed, the opposite happens if you were taking an image of a predominately black coloured bird.

Back in the days of film I picked up a handy saying that has always stuck in the memory banks - Add light to white - most cameras have an E/V adjustment option, what you need to do is dial in around +1 possibly +2, (it's digital try one and see), this will correct the cameras metering. For a predominately black coloured subject apply the opposite and apply a -1 to -2 E/V adjustment

You can always tweak it later in Photoshop Elements or something similar that allows basic adjustment.

I spent all of 60 seconds in  Photoshop Elements on your Sparrowhawk, adjusted the levels and contrast a touch, and got this 

 

 

 

 

Cheers Martyn that looks brilliant now. I never get round to faffing with my camera properly, usually point, click and hope for the best (got the dogs dragging me about usually lol). Great advice, going to have a full day faffing when I get time, don't even know what half the settings on the camera are for .

1 minute ago, Johnny Jones said:

eers Martyn that looks brilliant now. I never get round to faffing with my camera properly, usually point, click and hope for the best (got the dogs dragging me about usually lol). Great advice, going to have a full day faffing when I get time, don't even know what half the settings on the camera are for .

Snap to that, no pun intended, 

28 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Baz. Is that a spliff in Shells mouth 

👍

 

She's made me build a snowman march 18th its madness

Edited March 18, 20187 yr by baz1

Looking out over the Menai Strait.....

 

Somebody is enjoying the snow. 

Ed

3 hours ago, Johnny Jones said:

, don't even know what half the settings on the camera are for .

Johnny.  Neither do Martyn or myself. 

Steve 

21 hours ago, baz1 said:

She's clearing a path to the barbi hut  steak and burgers fo lunch martin 

 

 

Edited March 19, 20187 yr by baz1

1 hour ago, Winsford Soul said:

Johnny.  Neither do Martyn or myself. 

Steve 

Speak for yourself Steve ... 

I told a guy last week that the "P" setting meant Professional 

Sunrise opposite my house, any tips Martyn, is it the same rule you mentioned for sunsets I've taken quite a few but they always end up quite dark like this one

.

I've been trying to catch this moment for ages but by the time I get the camera out and get outside the moment has gone, Windmill on moor opposite my house, it's great when it's misty and they disappear altogether, I have a love hate relationship with them, when they put them up they assured us we would not see any, this was the first one they put up. Suddenly found myself one night at sunset taking pictures of the bloody things s the sun on the opposite side of the valley setting gave them a pink hue, never really managed to catch that colour either... 

 

9 minutes ago, Twoshoes said:

.

I've been trying to catch this moment for ages but by the time I get the camera out and get outside the moment has gone, Windmill on moor opposite my house, it's great when it's misty and they disappear altogether, I have a love hate relationship with them, when they put them up they assured us we would not see any, this was the first one they put up. Suddenly found myself one night at sunset taking pictures of the bloody things s the sun on the opposite side of the valley setting gave them a pink hue, never really managed to catch that colour either... 

 

That's ethereal.  Fantastic mate.

Steve 

50 minutes ago, Twoshoes said:

Sunrise opposite my house, any tips Martyn, is it the same rule you mentioned for sunsets I've taken quite a few but they always end up quite dark like this one

I'm assuming what Martyn said about sunsets applies to sunrise mate. Trouble is that he is so short he would have problems seeing the sun that low on the horizon and have to wait until it's rose higher in the sky.

Steve 

On 18/03/2018 at 12:10, baz1 said:

She's made me build a snowman march 18th its madness

That’s s woman’s work Baz. You should be holed up somewhere warm, with a bottle of decent spirits, barking out words of encouragement. I dunno what this country’s coming to.

🤨

On 09/03/2018 at 19:21, Winsford Soul said:

The bonus from todays trip was this view of Snowdonia across the Conwy valley from where I was 

Steve

 

 

 

 

13 hours ago, Twoshoes said:

Sunrise opposite my house, any tips Martyn, is it the same rule you mentioned for sunsets I've taken quite a few but they always end up quite dark like this one

 

Not for the same reason, but you can add E/V to brighten the image, try +1 or +2 see which gives the result you want. At least with digital you can use a bit of trial and error. 

Sunsets and sunrise are tricky to get right because of the extreme contrast in the scene.

To make the orange hues deeper set the white balance to cloudy or shade.

 

I would recommend the following book to anyone keen to learn the mysteries of taking good images, it is concise and written in plain english so it is easy to follow  Digital Exposure Handbook   

 

.

Edited March 24, 20187 yr by martyn pitt
link added

2 hours ago, martyn pitt said:

 

I would recommend the following book to anyone keen to learn the mysteries of taking good images, it is concise and written in plain english so it is easy to follow

Cheers Martyn just bought one  

 Its taken me a few years to get this picture. All I ever saw was the tail disappearing back into the scrub as in the 2nd picture

Roe Deer buck

Steve

Edited March 24, 20187 yr by Winsford Soul

Robin. Territory song in full blast

Steve

 

Moorhens fighting. If you look carefully you can see another wing underneath the nearest wing and a partly submerged body. They are so vicious towards rival birds fighting sometimes to the death

Steve 

They certainly love a scrap, as do swans, they can be really vicious 

7 minutes ago, martyn pitt said:

They certainly love a scrap, as do swans, they can be really vicious 

Martyn. You forgot to  add Coots to the mix mate.  

Steve 

11 minutes ago, martyn pitt said:

They certainly love a scrap, as do swans, they can be really vicious 

Swans take no messing from anyone, stand their ground & hiss like mad if my dog goes anywhere near, I keep her well away from them (as I should ofc)

2 hours ago, shufflin said:

Swans take no messing from anyone, stand their ground & hiss like mad if my dog goes anywhere near, I keep her well away from them (as I should ofc)

Talking of Swans. Elegance personified

Steve

 

Took this at work earlier this evening as the sun was going down