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Damsels and Dragons
At our local quarry, a number of species of damselflies and dragonflies make their appearance during the summer months. The site has several shallow ponds (some of which dry up entirely in dry weather) and plenty of heather. With patience, it’s possible to photograph insects in the heather and in the reeds at the edge of ponds. The quarry closed in the 1990s and now provides space to allow the development of habitats for wildlife. Fifteen different species of damselflies and dragonflies have been identified in recent years, though they are not often in great abundance. I think I’ve seen 10 or 11 of them over the last two years. Yesterday…
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Exposure, the 18% grey card, and the fluff in my tumble dryer
This article was originally written about five years ago but was never published on my web site, so I have slightly updated it to publish now. It is not a complete guide to exposure, which is a big subject, so I have included some links to simple and clear articles on various aspects of exposure and controlling depth of field on the excellent Cambridge in Colour, Luminous Landscape and other web sites. What is exposure? To beginners, exposure may be just a word, a strange concept that they haven’t come across in the context of their new hobby, so here is a simple definition (based on digital capture): “Exposure is the amount…
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Cumbrian Spring
Most of my friends already know that I don’t manage to get up for a dawn shoot very often…I can think of three or four times is all. Last week I was lecturing in Cumbria and a photo-friend, who lives in the area, offered to spend time with me photographing the northern lakes. No surprise that it was almost 12 noon by the time I was ready to leave Cockermouth. All things considered, we were very lucky, with some lovely mild weather (for March) and calm waters on Buttermere and Crummock Water. The Buttermere pines are a favourite subject for many photographers but it is probably 20 years since…
