fordy's photo blog

Not a photo!

OK, this isn't a phot I admit ... I have been playing with fractal flames and decided to attempt some fractal art. As well as a picture for the wall, I had this one printed on some ceramic tiles.

Pea pods

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f38, 30 sec, 277mm efl. - 'light painted' with LED torch and processed with Topaz.

Memories of shelling peas in my mother's kitchen (or was that my Grandmother's kitchen?) - long before plastic bags and freezers.

Clematis + neglect

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f5.6, 1/250 sec, 277mm efl, Capture NX2

The early morning sun catches this clematis flower and buds. Taken back in October but just now catching up with blog posts. These last months have been busy setting up www.phoxford.com - home of the Phoxford Galleries, which is why there have been few posts here on the photo blog. If you have time, give the Phoxford Galleries a visit and let me know what you think.

Karuhiruhi (Pied Shag)

Nikon D80, ISO 800, f8, 1/750 sec, 460 mm efl, Capture NX2

Willows, Lake Pearson

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f11, 1/125 sec, 27mm efl, Capture NX2

This picture has an infrared quality to it, but it isn't. A yellow filter has turned the deep blue sky almost black while making the yellow grass and red tinged trees, almost white, like the snow on Mt. Manson.

Frosted bramble

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f8, 1/180 sec, 300mm efl, Capture NX2

Brambles seem to lie draped across tracks, just waiting for some exposed leg to walk by, while frost sits on the track trying its best to make you slip and fall. I was surprised to find that these two tramper's foes combined to make such a pretty picture, as the afternoon sun finally found these bramble leaves. Twenty minutes later, the frost was gone.

Nerine detail

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f32, 6 sec, 450 mm efl (macro setting), Capture NX 2

The narines are flowering right now, as if to bid a farewell to autumn and prepare us for the short, cold, days of winter.

Carnation cancan

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f22, 1.6 sec, 280mm efl, Capture NX2

There have been lots of flowers at our home this last week. This was one of a bunch of beautiful carnations, that caught my camera's eye. There ia a similar picture and others in the "Flora & fauna" section of the "Phoxford Gallery".

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Balancing act

Nikon D80, ISO 400, f8, 1/1000 sec, 315mm efl, Capture NX2

This White-faced Heron, must have posed for me for close on half an hour - at least long enough to shoot nearly 200 frames!

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Waiting ...

Nikon D80, ISO 200, f8, 1/1500 sec, 450mm efl, Capture NX2

Taken today on Mill Road in Oxford. Just for a change, we have had a lovely three days of sunshine and perhaps a little more to come (and a few more pictures).

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Spike and sting

Nikon D80, ISO 200, 1/60 sec, f16, 277 mm efl, Capture NX 2

What wonderful design this thistle has; seed pod thoroughly protected by an array of the sharpest spikes possible, yet the flower is hoisted well above the danger where Mr Sting can feed and get covered by pollen.

Kawaupaka

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f8, 1/350 sec, 300mm efl, Capture NX 2

This little fella, "Kawaupaka" (aka. "Little shag"), was a complete poser as he dried his feathers in the sun while keeping an eye on the bald guy with the camera.

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Just one sunrise

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f11, 1/250 sec, 150mm efl, Photomatix Pro 3. Capture NX2

The courgettes were all drinking up the sun this morning, highlighting the colours and textures. It's amazing to think that, by lunchtime these huge flowers had all withered and died - their moment in the sun at an end.

Guardians

Nikon D80, ISO 200, f8, 1/350 sec, 300mm efl, Capture NX2

I was out walking today when this 'Darth Vader' like stone caught my eye. It seemed to be standing guard by the iron gate, but between the hardness of the stone and the iron there were these daisies - little yellow-hearted contradictions.

"If you love me
Bring me flowers
Wild daisies
Clutched in your fist
Like a torch ... " (from "Wild daisies" by Bub Bridger)

Spur-winged Plover

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f8, 1/350 sec, 450mm efl, Capture NX2

Black swan

Nikon D80, ISO 400, f8, 1/125 sec, 400mm efl, Capture NX2

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Finch on green

Nikon D80, ISO 800, f5.6, 1/250 sec, 630mm efl, Capture NX2

It was cold and wet yesterday, but it didn't stop this little visitor. Shot from the warmth of our lounge using a 'dirty window' filter :-). The lovely green background is a very out of focus lawn. Virtually no post processing - levels and curves only.

Blossoms on Burnett

Nikon D80, ISO 400, f8, 1/500 sec, 15mm efl, Capture NX2

The blossom trees are just beginning to shed, these two are on the corner of Burnett and Main Streets.

Poaka

Nikon D80, ISO 400, f5.6, 1/500 sec, 450 mm efl, Capture NX2

Poaka (pied stilt) - one of a pair looking for breakfast on the Eyre River.

Silver Eye

Nikon D80, ISO 400, f5.6, 1/500 sec, 450 mm efl, Capture NX 2

These little fellows are usually so quick, it is difficult to see how colourful they really are.

Pukeko

Nikon D80, ISO 400, f5.6, 1/750 sec, 450 mm efl, Capture NX2

Uh-oh, spotted! Bird does quick exit stage left. There's someting cute about these goofy looking birds.

Lambing time

Nikon D80, ISO 200, f5.6, 1/500 sec, 175 mm efl, Capture NX2

Bee on blossom

Nikon D80, ISO 400, f8, 1/250 sec, 450 mm efl (Tamron 70-300), Capture NX2

Snow, grass, sun

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f11, 1/90 sec, 93mm efl, Capture NX2

Autumn leaves

Nikon D80, ISO100, f38, 8sec, 277mm efl, Capture NX2

It's cold outside; even the aphids enjoyed the ride indoors.

Autumn fungus

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f22, 1/20 sec, 270mm efl, Capture NX2, Photomatix Pro3

Temptress

Nikon D80, ISO 200, f8, 1/30 sec, 200 mm efl, Capture NX2

Just playing around with the Tamron 70-300 in macro mode

High key

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f11, 1/10 sec, 127mm efl, natural light, Capture NX2

Tomatoes

In between the day job and the rain, I've been testing lenses this last week. Here are a couple of baby tamatoes taken with a Tamron AF 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 Di LD Macro. You've gota love that skinny depth of field - even at f8.

Nikon D80, ISO 400, 1/20 sec, f8, 450 mm efl, macro 1:2, Capture NX2

Why is it ...

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f1.8, 1/350 sec, 75 mm efl, Capture NX2, Paintshop Pro

.. that I can wake up with a list of things to do, see something beautiful outside the window and then have my whole day subverted to the purpose of photographing, printing and framing said object of beauty? It was like that when I was sixteen; it is still like that at sixty. I don't think it will change. Is that what it means to be a photographer?

Listening for dawn

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f11, 1/2 sec, 42mm, Capture NX2

River of flowers

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f13, 1/125 sec, 42mm, Capture NX2

Summer leaves

100% Detail from one edge:

Nikon D80, Composite of two shots of leaves heavily processed and layered.

Flyblown

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f8, 1/350 sec, 105 mm, Capture NX2

Hitchhiker

Sony DSC-H2, ISO 80, f4, 1/400 sec, 71mm