A new year, a new photography thread! Thanks to everyone who's participated in these threads, whether as a photographic contributor, a commenter, or as someone who just pops in from time to time to admire the latest offerings. The Soul Source photography thread now enters its sixth year (well, technically it started life in April of 2013, but who cares?), which I think is amazing.

As I mentioned in the last post of the 2018 thread, its longevity is entirely down to you and your continued involvement, so thank you one and all for making this a real highlight for so long. Cheers, and here's to another photo-filled year!

 

 

1 minute ago, tomangoes said:

Action speaks louder than words.

In case of a sudden increase in import duty on Belgium medicinal beer, I thought I better stock up...

Ed

Ed. What you going to do after the weekend 

A bit like this guy ... but maybe this is the wrong thread  

9 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Ed. What you going to do after the weekend 

Start looking for Monasteries closer to home that can produce very strong beer that tastes ok... and it's a shame because there used to be plenty before Henry the 8th got his knickers in a twist. 

Bloody religion and politics.....have a lot to answer for...

Anyway here's an update on stock levels.

Ed

 

Bittern. In the classic beak to the sky pose

Edited March 24, 20196 yr by Winsford Soul

I'm trying to identify the track in the thread below but I've posted it here as well as there's one piece of camera work in the film that may be of interest to those on this thread. It's from 3.35 to 4.00. To be filming through the bottle in 1969, impressed me.

 

Edited March 25, 20196 yr by Guest

Just visited a hidden gem of horticulture in North London as advised to by my son whose stated doing an Arborist qualification at the Collage .

Capel Manor in Ealing .. 

Spectacular with lots of variations of gardens for the visitors as that’s where they experiment in garden design .

Pictures taken this past weekend , so imagine when it really starts to bloom. 

   

And the garden full of ruins , well , they can all be bought and rebuilt in your stately mansion for maybe the cost of a couple of copies of The Sweets . 

59 minutes ago, stevegods said:

Just visited a hidden gem of horticulture in North London as advised to by my son whose stated doing an Arborist qualification at the Collage .

Capel Manor in Ealing .. 

Spectacular with lots of variations of gardens for the visitors as that’s where they experiment in garden design .

Pictures taken this past weekend , so imagine when it really starts to bloom. 

   

Looks good. Mate. Just needs moving I up norf and it will be sorted. Would even visit it myself. That reminds me, think it's time for my first visit of the year to Ness and bodnant garden's 

Steve 

A rather uninspiring looking car in my opinion, but regardless of such, an unusual sighting in Redhill, Surrey. It's a Chevrolet.

Out with the camera and on the bike today - two things that don't happen enough on their own or in tandem (deliberate pun!). Headed to the Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam woods) to visit Bloesempark (Blossom Park) where the cherry trees are presently in full, glorious bloom.

It might have been an early afternoon on a Wednesday, but that didn't stop the place being absolutely packed with visitors who clearly had the same idea as me. 

Here are a few pics...

 

Great pictures Russell and great your out and about with the camera again 

With a desperate need to get away from the thronging crowd that was enjoying the short-lived blossom, I took a cycle to a couple of favourite spots in quieter parts of the woods. By this time the light was pretty bad (photographically speaking), but I still managed to get a few reasonable shots.

That said, half of these pics are heavily cropped as the subjects were just too far away for the limited range of my Nikkor 55-300mm lens. That aside, it was, I have to say, a very enjoyable day out on two wheels - and long overdue. I just hope my legs aren't like jelly tomorrow as there's a record fair in Amsterdam I'm hoping to get to (but not by bike).

Great crested grebe

Frog (sorry, can't be any more specific than that)

Great spotted woodpecker

Buzzard

How much of the Amsterdam woods looks...

A distant egret spotted on the journey home after I cautiously squeezed between two highland cows that were blocking the narrow cycle path (I braved it - although a man much younger than I didn't have the nerve and headed back on his bike the way he came, which would have resulted in something like a 5km detour). Just behind the farm buildings is the outer perimeter of Schiphol Airport.

6 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Great pictures Russell and great your out and about with the camera again 

Cheers, Steve. It's definitely been a long time. Really enjoyed it - both the photo taking and the cycling. I really need to get out more for the sake of my health. At the back end of last year I developed a major thrombosis in my leg. Being too sedentary for too long and not doing exactly what I did today lies at the heart of that.

But now the brighter weather is here, there's no excuse... 

Blossoms in Capel Manor last weekend . 

Do we need to go to Japan ... maybe but it does make you feel good to be alive 

Melvin Davis...

Brian Davis. Powerdice. Photo's from a commission to me by Rob Wiggley. 

Edited March 28, 20196 yr by Pablorally
Grammar

Redshank. Pennington Flash

 

En route to Bournemouth one sunny morning last week 🙂

In Prague a few weeks back on business... last visited in 91, it’s chsnged a tad!!  But the architecture is still stunning 🙂 

More from Prague, and the bottom one is a customers magazine stock of returns... print business isn’t  what it used to be... 

Edited March 31, 20196 yr by Mal C

Just a few wildflower photos from a walk along Gainford Spa NE England 28.3.19 

Far warmer at Gainford than where I live the Bluebells are coming through and a Red Campion.  Lovely white version of Early Dog Violet amongst the purple ones 

This is the spa smells really sulphurous like bad egg 

From a walk along Low Force to High Force watrrfalls.  This is Low Force  28.3.19

A few Robin pics

My view of Tiede right now...

Ed

This is a very old analogic picture from around 1988 (tempus fugit!). My girlfriend surprised me making a photo when I was "SHAVING"… 😎

 

 

Saturday  Mars, 30 I was watching the 6th stage of the "Volta Ciclista a Catalunya", starting in my hometown, Valls:

When I see those modern bikes… my old Colnago - Campagnolo bike seems pure archeology! 😥😥

And here's a "selfie" from the last carnival day disguised as Dr. Jekill… )I dislike the fact that it seems there's an "obligation" to disguise one day per year according to the calendar, but some times friends and family "obligues"…)

 

Took the camera out today, first time since my hernia op in January

Grey Herons

 

1 hour ago, martyn pitt said:

Took the camera out today, first time since my hernia op in January

Fully recovered, I hope. Just out of idle curiosity, did the hernia come about as a result of the monstrous sized lenses you lug around? 🤔😜

7 minutes ago, Amsterdam Russ said:

Fully recovered, I hope. Just out of idle curiosity, did the hernia come about as a result of the monstrous sized lenses you lug around? 🤔😜

Russell.  You missed out the 4 ft 7 inch height which makes the lens as big as Martyn 

Steve 

36 minutes ago, Amsterdam Russ said:

Fully recovered, I hope. Just out of idle curiosity, did the hernia come about as a result of the monstrous sized lenses you lug around? 🤔😜

Yes thanks Russ, of course it wasn’t the weight of the kit 😉

12 minutes ago, martyn pitt said:

Yes thanks Russ, of course it wasn’t the weight of the kit 😉

Weight of the wallet  Russell.  🤣🤣🤣

There was a pair of Black Necked Grebe as well

18 minutes ago, martyn pitt said:

There was a pair of Black Necked Grebe as well

There was a slightly elusive one at Pennington flash but I never got round to seeing it. Managed to get a few pictures of a female Wheatear but from a massive distance 300 metres plus. 500 mms lens with a X2 converter doesn't do the bird justice.  Don't think they're good enough to publish on here. Will have a look when I've downloaded them from the camera 

There was a time when as an ornithological aficionado my only camera was a humble Werlisa compact and I can make this "great" (☺️) photo of a vulture:

Another scanned old analogical pick, my wife in the first 90's in Guara Canyons Park, the natural window that seems a dauphin on Mascún river (prepyrenaican mountains in Aragón):

 

Bryan and Melvin Davis.....

My wife in a very dark slot canyon (Abizanda river, Prepyrenaican mountains in Aragón):

 

Who said you cant see the wood for the tree,s

 

49 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Who said you cant see the wood for the tree,s

Odd framing on that Sparrow Steve ... (I am swaying more towards Sparrow than Reed Bunting, wasn't sure to start with) 

21 minutes ago, martyn pitt said:

Odd framing on that Sparrow Steve ... (I am swaying more towards Sparrow than Reed Bunting, wasn't sure to start with) 

You have got better eye's than me Martyn.  😁😁😁. Just had a pair of Siskins on my feeders for the 1st time ever.  Got a few pictures through the Windows.  Well chuffed.  

Looking forward to seeing you both on Saturday night at Willington mate

41 minutes ago, martyn pitt said:

Odd framing on that Sparrow Steve ... (I am swaying more towards Sparrow than Reed Bunting, wasn't sure to start with) 

Well spotted Martyn !!!  took me ages to spot it, It looks like a sparrow to me 👍

3 minutes ago, Widnes63 said:

Well spotted Martyn !!!  took me ages to spot it, It looks like a sparrow to me 👍

When Steve said “can't see the wood for the trees” I was looking for a Woodpecker 😄

5 minutes ago, martyn pitt said:

When Steve said “can't see the wood for the trees” I was looking for a Woodpecker 😄

Thought It was a Treecreeper myself...... You started it 

Female Siskin. Taken through the window, Still cant believe that I,ve actually had these birds in my garden

 

Edited April 7, 20196 yr by Winsford Soul

And a camera shy Male

 

Another geological wonder: winter in the "Ciudad encantada" ("Enchanted City") in Cuenca. Erosive process on stones with different resistance results on very peculiar forms (natural bridges, windows,…). In many picks my wife serves as a "graphic scale"… 🙂 (she can feel "used"…)

 

 

A first for me a Great White Egret