A New Year means a new Soul Source photography thread! Starting in 2013, "Show us your great photos" has proved to be a long-lived favourite - all because of the continued contributions and involvement of its enthusiastic participants. Here's looking forward to yet another year of fab photos - and don't forget that you don't need to be a photographer to post up pics. Whether taken with top-of-the-line gear or the camera on your smart phone, if you've got interesting pics, please feel free to share.

To kick off, here's a batch of pics I took today while out on a cold and misty walk in a place called the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen. I'd not heard of it until just very recently. Apparently it's a natural water table from which Amsterdam gets most of its fresh water. At the same time, it's a nature reserve, so now that I know of its existence, I'll have to make a point of visiting regularly.

It wasn't a good day to be out with a camera, especially with a zoom lens. The light was poor, it was misty (heavy fog overhead - we could hear geese flying over but could barely see them, even though they were quite low), and it was cold. Hopefully conditions will be better on my next visit.

Here's wishing you all a happy New Year and lots of happy shooting across the next 12 months.

12 minutes ago, Davenpete said:

Love the waders pic especially - sorry I'm useless on the species when it come to waders (they're my LBB).

Dx

Dave. Thanks for your kind comment.  The birds are Snipe. Superb camouflage.  

Steve 

Another sundown in Kirkbride...

Edited July 13, 20204 yr by Davenpete

2 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Just entered the maximum of three photos into the BBC country file calendar competition . Not expecting any response but you can't win  if you don't enter . 

 

Oh I just love Puffins❤️
 

Enormous luck with the BBC Calendar Ste. 🤞

27 minutes ago, Davenpete said:

Another sundown in Kirkbride...

That is stunning Dave 👍

Thanks Ali  for the good wishes

Puffins 

And a lovely swans heart Just for you X

 

 

Edited July 13, 20204 yr by Winsford Soul

4 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Thanks Ali  for the good wishes

Puffins 

And a lovely swans heart Just for you X

 

 

Oh my goodness they’re stunning Ste ❤️
 

I’m going aww, aww, aww at the Puffins. They’re funny little birds. I only got to see one in real life about 3 years ago at Bempton near Bridlington. 
 

The Swan picture is lush ❤️ Dopey me didn’t realise until recently that Swans are mates for life unless of course one comes to harm and dies, & then the other has been known to die of a broken heart 💔 

Cheers for the fab photos Ste 👍x

Well I'm finally getting out tomorrow visiting a couple of nature reserves for the first time since March.  Barn owls, Sedge Warblers possibly water voles at one and waders at the other, tide dependant. 4 am start.  

32 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Well I'm finally getting out tomorrow visiting a couple of nature reserves for the first time since March.  Barn owls, Sedge Warblers possibly water voles at one and waders at the other, tide dependant. 4 am start.  

Looking forward to the photos 👍

First time out on the bike for me today since I don't know when. In actual fact, possibly first time this year.

I went out specifically to see if I could get some decent macro shots in the Amsterdam woods. What a pain it turned out to be. Not used the macro extension tubes on the current camera, but have used them successfully on the previous one.

Couldn't get the camera to work with them - the thing wouldn't focus properly, meter readings made no sense, and the shutter seemed to open and close for as long as it felt like it. Not being one to give up easily, I found somewhere to sit and thought I'll take my time and see if there's something I'm doing wrong.

After much faffing about, I worked out that where all settings had to be manual when using the macro tubes on the old camera, with the current one that's not necessary. So, I took loads of shots of blooms, bugs and berries - the perfect macro subject matter in the height of summer, of course.

When I got home and loaded what was well over 100 shots onto the computer, I was doubly frustrated to find the majority just weren't anywhere near sharp enough. Some, mainly the handful posted here, are just about acceptable after a bit of post-process sharpening.

Here's part 1:

 

 

And here's part 2. Not brilliant by a long chalk - really do wish I could afford to upgrade my kit, but that ain't happening - but hopefully you get a sense of what I was trying to achieve if the focus had been much better so the pics were pin sharp.

 

Pilot boat in quite rough seas  off Hightown, Liverpool Bay at 6.30 am.

 

Managed to see but not photograph Barn Owl, Peregrine, Buzzards, Kestrels and also seen for about a second the fastest declining mammal in the UK.  The Water Vole and now i know where they are i will be returning on Monday evening with Apples to try and coax them out into the open. This is the first time in probably 40 years that i have actually managed to even see one.

Got a few Sedge Warbler pictures, not the sharpest hand held ones i,ve ever taken but after a six mile walk in very blustery conditions i was more than happy so it wasnt a total waste of 11 hours

 

 

First proper pint in a pub, the Vine in Dunham Massey, our favourite bike ride pub. We made good use of the decent weather and made up for lost time 🍻🚴‍♂️

Edited July 17, 20204 yr by Soulandy

Today in Sarasota, just sent by a friend monitoring the storms...

Ed

Not so stormy - the late-night balcony view...

Grasshopper wandered into house

Went for a wander on Glasson Moss (a lowland peat bog) - not much more than a mile from my house. I love the utter miles of wilderness of them - there are quite a few locally, but you'd just never know they were there in this area as they're always screened by silver birch woods. They're so primordial I always feel like you could easily be surprised by a Mammoth browsing in the bushes...

Camping at the weekend over Settle way. Friday night and most of Saturday windy and rainy, bloody typical!

Saturday night the weather cleared and we were gifted this.

 

Comet Neowise over Manchester at 1am .

Wish i could have got out in the countryside and featured some buildings or mountains in the picture but a once in a lifetime opportunity had to be taken 

 

Last night's crazy colours at sunset over Liverpool Bay

 

On 20/07/2020 at 11:21, Steve Lane said:

Camping at the weekend over Settle way. Friday night and most of Saturday windy and rainy, bloody typical!

Saturday night the weather cleared and we were gifted this.

 

Camping in Cornwall next week.  Can’t wait !!

Was all messed up today so I went for a walk on Bowness Common - a slightly higher ground peat bog than the nearby Glasson Moss and halfway between where I live now in Kirkbride and the next village, Bowness where I used to live.
Dx

 

Edited July 21, 20204 yr by Davenpete

Just found out why I should always have a camera to hand, I'm back in Spain and just had a juvenile turtle dove on the balcony, first youngster I've ever seen, the adults aren't too common either.  Sadly, my camera is in the UK.

5 minutes ago, Tattoodave said:

Just found out why I should always have a camera to hand, I'm back in Spain and just had a juvenile turtle dove on the balcony, first youngster I've ever seen, the adults aren't too common either.  Sadly, my camera is in the UK.

Never seen either Adult or Juvenile Dave, extremely rare as you know.

Didnt you think to use your mobile mate

 

1 minute ago, Winsford Soul said:

Never seen either Adult or Juvenile Dave, extremely rare as you know.

Didnt you think to use your mobile mate

It was gone in a jiffy, as I feed the birds it may come back.  I've only seen a handful of adults in the last 8 years

10 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Comet Neowise over Manchester at 1am .

Wish i could have got out in the countryside and featured some buildings or mountains in the picture but a once in a lifetime opportunity had to be taken 

 

Brilliant Steve👍 Seen some great photos of the comet over Wales with the mountains and lakes 

10 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Comet Neowise over Manchester at 1am .

Wish i could have got out in the countryside and featured some buildings or mountains in the picture but a once in a lifetime opportunity had to be taken 

 

That’s excellent do you use special equipment to get these shots ?

33 minutes ago, Dylan said:

That’s excellent do you use special equipment to get these shots ?

Thanks Dylan.  Really appreciated.  I used my normal camera Canon 7d mk2   with a 70mm -200mm f2.8 lens. And a tripod for the comet picture

for the wildlife I generally use a bit more of a specialist lens  500mm f4.  

Finally got back out in the mountains of snowdonia yesterday, first since January. Went on the quiet side of the Carneddau where there's always a better chance to see the wild ponies and foals. Weather was overcast but warm

Just received this picture taken from the flats opposite the Casino.  It clearly shows MrM,s in the middle of the photo attached to the main ballroom.  Not sure if I've ever seen such a picture before. 

Edited July 24, 20204 yr by Winsford Soul

Rescued this little fella from the neighbours cat

Had to share this amazing photograph taken by a guy called Mithun H, in one of the national parks of India   he specialises in tracking big cats and has spent four years watching this panther and leopard pair . It took six days following the cats to get this particular one.  Say again this is special 

 

3 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Had to share this amazing photograph taken by a guy called Mithun H, in one of the national parks of India   he specialises in tracking big cats and has spent four years watching this panther and leopard pair . It took six days following the cats to get this particular one.  Say again this is special 

 

Fantastic picture 👍

We've been growing stuff on our small balcony - strawberries, cucumber, spring onions, French beans, tomatoes... and carrots.

Just harvested a first small batch of carrots this afternoon and well, they're not exactly up to standard! Disappointed to say the least, especially as all the other stuff has come on very well. 

I guess self-sufficiency and the 'good life' will just have to wait! 🤣

Not even a great photo but the view over meanporth, Falmouth from tent.  So glad to finally get away.

 

russ we’ve had loads of beans from the garden but so far only ONE tomato.  Good fun all the same.

11 minutes ago, Dylan said:

russ we’ve had loads of beans from the garden but so far only ONE tomato.  Good fun all the same.

 

We had a go at growing tomato plants from tomato slices and it's worked perfectly. We've got two very healthy plants, both with a good amount of fruit that's just starting to take on colour.

We did the same with spring onions and lettuce: you cut off the last inch of the spring onion - complete with root - and just plant it. From that grows another one. Similarly with lettuce, you cut off the end nub, plant it and up grows more lettuce.

 

 

41 minutes ago, Amsterdam Russ said:

We had a go at growing tomato plants from tomato slices and it's worked perfectly. We've got two very healthy plants, both with a good amount of fruit that's just starting to take on colour.

We did the same with spring onions and lettuce: you cut off the last inch of the spring onion - complete with root - and just plant it. From that grows another one. Similarly with lettuce, you cut off the end nub, plant it and up grows more lettuce.

 

 

I usually do well with tomatoes but it was an after thought this year as I’ve been buying plants that will hopefully flower year on year.

 

this is a little project that I believe may take 3 to 5 years to produce its first flower.  A bird of paradise.

 

 

3 hours ago, Dylan said:

I usually do well with tomatoes but it was an after thought this year as I’ve been buying plants that will hopefully flower year on year.

 

this is a little project that I believe may take 3 to 5 years to produce its first flower.  A bird of paradise.

 

 

I'll give you a little clue, don't pot it on when the pot is full of roots, they flower better under stress.  Needs lots of sunshine too.

41 minutes ago, Tattoodave said:

I'll give you a little clue, don't pot it on when the pot is full of roots, they flower better under stress.  Needs lots of sunshine too.

Sunshine could be the problem then.

11 hours ago, Dylan said:

Sunshine could be the problem then.

you can get a daylight lamp if needed, that would work, or put it outside during the summer, if you have one.  They are like weeds in the south of Spain.

Mad coloured clouds from my back garden a minute ago . In fact they where the only clouds in the sky

 

Edited July 31, 20204 yr by Winsford Soul

Sundown on the Solway (again!). I really ought to use my proper camera.
Dx 

On 29/07/2020 at 15:20, Amsterdam Russ said:

We had a go at growing tomato plants from tomato slices and it's worked perfectly. We've got two very healthy plants, both with a good amount of fruit that's just starting to take on colour.

We did the same with spring onions and lettuce: you cut off the last inch of the spring onion - complete with root - and just plant it. From that grows another one. Similarly with lettuce, you cut off the end nub, plant it and up grows more lettuce.

 

 

You should try it with roaches out of the ash tray. Dx

Not sure that this fits the 'great photo' category, but the little thing is sheltering from the rain on my open window. Anyone know the species ? 

4 minutes ago, Lozzer66 said:

Not sure that this fits the 'great photo' category, but the little thing is sheltering from the rain on my open window. Anyone know the species ? 

Speckled Wood, you're lucky it's one of the three or four that I know

Edited July 31, 20204 yr by Tattoodave
stupidity

Thanks for clarifying 

Lorraine 👍

 

Just now, Lozzer66 said:

Thanks for clarifying 

Lorraine 👍

 

No problem Lorraine, I'm more used to seeing Two tailed Pasha, Monarch, Swallowtail and Cleopatra, but I do recognise a Speckled Wood

2 hours ago, Lozzer66 said:

Not sure that this fits the 'great photo' category, but the little thing is sheltering from the rain on my open window. Anyone know the species ? 

As tattodave said, a Speckled Wood. As a side note, this was the million pound question on Who wants to be a millionaire in 2002. As I try to teach my family a few things wildlife, they were ecstatic to get it right and we still talk about the lost million today 😁 Usless bit of info 😉 https://millionaire.fandom.com/wiki/Who_Wants_to_Be_a_Millionaire%3F_(UK_version)/Final_Questions

Looks like heaven has opened it doors .. Sunset over Barnet 

22 minutes ago, Stevegods said:

Looks like heaven has opened it doors .. Sunset over Barnet 

Steve.  Trust all is well and safe mate.

Nature certainly has a way of showing us what colour is. Similar to my pictures from last night 

I did think that Steve when I looked back at some of the other posts .

All good here pal - hope things are all tickety boo in your neck of the woods .