Day 31 - Monday 31 May 2010

Castle Terrace. Another great beach day... unusual for a bank holiday! I spent much of the day out on the water in my canoe wishing I had a waterproof camera. For today's picture I had to wait until late afternoon when I returned to the beach and found a row of sandcastles made by a very industrious child...

...Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm, 1/250 @ f5.6, ISO 100

Day 30 - Sunday 30 May 2010

Buoy. Another beach day today but with sunshine this time. The stiff breeze from yesterday was still there but it was nice if you could find some shelter. The sea was freezing though so if you notice my voice is high and squeeky next time you see me you'll know why! This yellow buoy is one of several that mark the boating area on Aberdaron beach. When the tide is out some are left high and (almost) dry...

...Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm, 1/500 @ f8, ISO 100

Day 29 - Saturday 29 May 2010

Fishing. After raining all night and most of the morning, the weather finally cleared enough in the afternoon to risk a walk along the beach at Porth Neigwl (Hells Mouth). The wind was fierce and the light flat and mist obscured the scenery. These seagulls fishing in the surf were the only interesting subject on the beach...

...Sony alpha200, Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3, 1/1000 @ f10, ISO 200

Day 28 - Friday 28 May 2010

Bluebell. We arrived in Aberdaron safely after a long drive, ready to spend a quiet bank holiday weekend socialising with old friends. Debs and I went for a walk along a country lane where these bluebells were growing en-mass in the hedgerows...

...Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm

Day 27 - Thursday 27 May 2010

Canopy. A picture of roofs! I've spent much of the working day staring out of the Nottingham station train crews mess room window at a scene very similar to this. The view from the window was very cluttered so this was taken about 20 meters along platform 4. At the top is the silhouette of platform 4 canopy, below that is the station buildings on platform 3, the two light coloured triangles are the platform 3 canopy roof and at the bottom is the roof of a train standing in platform 4. Can you tell I was bored at work today...

...Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm, 1/250 @ f6.3, ISO 100

Day 26 - Wednesday 26 May 2010

Untitled. Because thinking up titles for these images is as hard as thinking of subjects to photograph! I got this one first thing this morning, thanks to a late train which gave me time to wander around the platform at Grantham station. It's the corner of the new stairwell extension to the overbridge. I liked the contrast between the angles and the mottled sky...

...Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm, 1/500 @ f8, ISO 100

Day 25 - Tuesday 25 May 2010

Hoodie. Not the result of a confrontation with a yoof! It's a photoshoot with my 15 year old son, Evan, whose reaction when I explained the pose I wanted him to do was "YESSS...!" Obviously liking the opportunity to stick two fingers up at Dad without getting a bollocking...

...Sony alpha200, Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3, 1/400 @ f6.3, ISO 200.

Day 24 - Monday 24 May 2010

Light and shade. This is the interior of the refurbished centre bridge at Nottingham station. When the sun shines the light creates bold patterns on the floor. The bridge has a wealth of pattern and texture that fascinates me. This is a theme that I'm sure to return too...

...Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm, 1/250 @ f8

Day 23 - Sunday 23 May 2010

FORTY-ONE. Incredibly hot today... got to be around 28 celcius. Definitely too hot for all the little chores that need doing so I spent some (too much, judging by the redness of my skin) time on the deck soaking up the sunshine and reading my current novel, The Amber Room by Steve Berry A treasure hunting thriller based on the search for priceless art stolen by the Nazis during the second world war...

...Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm, 1/1000 @ f8, ISO 100

Day 22 - Saturday 22 May 2010

Sunrise. One of the benifits of working shifts is the wonderfull scenes you see early in the morning or late at night whist travelling between home and work. This morning was misty... the sort of mist that clings to the ground in whispy sheets. The only problem is you need to allow time to stop and take the picture. This morning I was 10 minutes late for work...

...Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm, 1/250 @ f5

Day 21 - Friday 21 May 2010

Odd one out! This is an idea that has been stewing away inside my head for a while now. I think I may have made it too easy to work out which one is out of place though, I could have been a lot more obscure...

......Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm, 1/250 @ f6.3

Day 20 - Thursday 20 May 2010

Sweat. It was a very hot day today... a day I could easily have spent relaxing in the garden with an ice cold beer :D However, there was work to be done... inside! I caught site of myself in the mirror dripping with sweat and wondered if I could capture the shine with the camera...

......Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm, 1/80 @ f4

Day 19 - Wednesday 19 May 2010

Saxifrage. Our rockery is looking particularly picturesque at the moment. Would love to get closer to them (wishing for a decent macro lens again, perhaps I'll treat myself) though I could see what the V1 can do...

...Sony alpha200, Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3, 1/500 @ f16, ISO 200

Day 18 - Tuesday 18 May 2010

Chain-Link. Not too sure if this works. It started out as an attempt to capture the stream leading into the image to the machinery in the background but it was looking rather bland. I decided to step back from the fence and include it in the foreground. The idea being to get the scene and fence sharp... easy enough with a compact, but the auto focus locked onto the fence in macro mode resulting in a de-focused background. I quite like it but I may be alone with this one...

...Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm, 1/250 @ f7.1

Day 17 - Monday 17 May 2010

On reflection. Nottingham station tram stop and some Nottingham skyline reflected in the shiny glass windows of a modern office block...

...Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm, 1/250 @ f7.1

Day 16 - Sunday 16 May 2010

Cone. Another Oilseed Rape picture. There's a lot of it around here! This field is sandwiched between the A1 dual carriageway and Grantham and it's quite scenic with leading lines in the crop and a tree lined ridge in the background, but I'll save that for the Sony alpha200. I took the V1 on my run this morning and decided to concentrate on the detail of the red cone almost lost in the sea of yellow flowers...

...Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm, 1/400 @ f8. There was a lot of cyan cast in this one so I've adjusted the colour balance quite considerably.

Day 15 - Saturday 15 May 2010

Shells. A still life from home today. The shells are from a collection gathered from our favourite holiday beaches in and around Aberdaron. Photographed on a mirror in strong sunlight. Nice to get back to some macro photography :) Must get a macro lens for the DSLR...

...Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm, 1/800 @ f8

Day 14 - Friday 14 May 2010

Location location. The Vale of Belvoir has some really photogenic scenery and as I drive through it every day going to/from work there is a wealth of photographic opportunities to take advantage of. The weather today wasn't conducive to a landscape image and though there was a nice sunset developing, I didn't have time to hang around and wait for it, I had to settle for this old sign at a rural crossroads...

...taken on my "new" (£26 off eBay) camera purchased for this project, Sony V1, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 7-28mm f2.8-4, 1/200 @ f4

Day 13 - Thursday 13 May 2010

Blossom. The trees are in full bloom, so surely spring is here? You wouldn't think it with all the freezing weather were getting at the moment. Not so happy with this one, I don't like the out of focus curving branch in the background as it draws the eye away from the subject...

...Sony alph200, Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3, 1/125 @ f6.3, ISO 200

Day 12 - Wednesday 12 May 2010

H. Brightly painted street furniture. Shame the hedge and grass is a little too tidy. I feel this would look better if the sign were half smothered with overgrown greenery...

...Sony alpha200, Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3, 1/1600 @ f4.5, ISO 200

Day 11 - Tuesday 11 May 2010

Westinghouse. The makers plate on an old signalling switch cabinet recently unearthed following the clearance of lineside vegetation on the walking route between Nottingham railway station and Eastcroft train maintenance depot...

...Orange SPV-E650 mobile phone, exposure unknown.

Day 10 - Monday 10 May 2010

Solar light. Had to wait until the sun went down for this one. This is a cheapo £1 (from Poundland) solar powered garden light. We keep it in a pot with a Yukka Gloriosa plant on the decking. I'm surprised it still works...



...Sony alpha200, Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3, 1/8 @ f6.3, ISO 3200 which explains the heavy noise! Hand held too with super steady shot on.

Day 9 - Sunday 9 May 2010

Dandelions in my back garden! A reminder that the lawn disparately needs cutting...



...Sony alpha200, Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3, 1/400 @ f6.3, ISO 200.

Day 8 - Saturday 8 May 2010

Obsolete. A disused fire switch taken at the lecture theatre again. This time though, the IT was up and running so less time freezing in the corridor and more snooze time inside ;)



...Orange SPV-E650 mobile phone again.

Day 7 - Friday 7 May 2010

Hooked. Interesting set of coat hooks in the corridor outside a lecture theatre where we were waiting for a "death by Powerpoint" presentation. Mercifully, the IT failed...



...Orange SPV-E650 mobile phone, exposure unknown but the usual levels, curves and crop.

Catch-up time!

Been away for the weekend with friends. Had a great time and always a pleasure to socialise with mates. Think I can remember singing karaoke in the Kings Arms and dancing in a kebab shop on Friday! Quite a wild night! Saturday was more sedate with an excellent meal to celebrate Nathan's birthday. So now I'm playing catch-up with the posts. Didn't forget to take my pictures though... well, nearly did but for a timely reminder... thank you Sharron :D Enough rambling... lets get to the pics...

Day 6 - Thursday 6 May 2010

Election day! I wonder who, if any, will come out on top? I saw these railings on the way home from the polling station...



...Sony alpha200, Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3, 1/500 @ f6.3, ISO 200. Monochrome conversion using 50% red and 50% green channels. Cropped and vignette applied.

Day 5 - Wednesday 5 May 2010

St. John The Evangelist. An old Anglican church in Grantham built in 1841. Quite a dull day today so the colours were very flat inviting some 'artistic' manipulation...



...Sony alpha200, Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3, 1/100 @ f6.3, ISO 200. A monochrome layer from the green channel set to 'multiply' and opacity reduced to 60%. Vignette and edge blurring.

Day 4 - Tuesday 4 May 2010

The Kiss. A highly stylised shot of a glass sculpture...



...Sony alpha200, Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3, 1/250 @ f5.6, ISO 200 and a lot of levels, curves, and saturation work in The GIMP

Day 3 - Monday 3 May 2010

This image was taken on Monday 3 May, honest. Although the intention is to take one every day, I can't promise to post them on the blog that regularly.

You know spring has arrived when the fields turn yellow with Rapeseed...



...Sony alpha200, Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3, 1/2000 @ f6.33, ISO 200, just a slight levels and curves adjustment.

Day 2 - Sunday 2 May 2010

Inside out. This could be a picture of the outside of an old building, perhaps an old shop, but in fact is the inside of the main bridge at Nottingham station...



...Orange SPV-E650 mobile phone. Exposure unknown. Levels, curves, perspective correction and monochrome conversion using 50% red channel and 50% green channel.

Day 1 - Saturday 1 May 2010

So here we are, May 1st, day one of my 365 project. Nothing tremendously special, just a potted Pieris from my garden...


...Sony alpha200, Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3, 1/500 @ f6.3, ISO 200. Levels, curves and vignette in The GIMP