fordy's photo blog

Tree Fella

Nikon D80, ISO 400, f11, 1/1000 sec, 450mm efl, Photoshop Elements 8.

Seen today in the Botanic Gardens where they are felling trees who's roots have been weakened by the earthquake on Feb 22nd.

Surfer

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f8, 1/750 sec, 630mm efl, Capture NX2 & PSE 8.

Star Trails

It was a clear night last night and time I tried out some 'star trails'. Nothing artistic here, just an experiment and the realisation that stars come in a multitude of colours!

Nikon D80, ISO 800, 30 sec (80 exposures), f5.6, 22mm efl, exposures combined in "Startrails" v1.1 and processed in PSE 8.

Ron Mueck

The Ron Mueck exhibition is currently showing at the Christchurch Art Gallery. They permit photographs, but bellow I have tried to show only part of a work or my stylized interpretation of the work; if you wish to see the works in all their Mueck glory, get yourself along to the Christchurch Art Gallery pronto :-)

Nikon D80, ISO 800, f5.6, 1/3 sec (hand held), 70mm efl, PSE 8

Nikon D80, ISO 800, f5.6, 1/20 sec (hand held), 135mm efl, PSE 8

Nikon D80, ISO 800, f5.6, 1/15 sec (hand held), 52mm efl, PSE 8

Nikon D80, ISO 800, f5.6, 1/10 sec (hand held), 78mm efl, PSE 8

Eclipse of the moon

Nikon D80, ISO 400, f8, 2 sec-1/60 sec, 300 mm efl, PhotoshopElements

Horizon cloud obscured the covering of the moon which only apeared for its uncovering. This sequence of shots covered just over an hour and was taken in a howling NW gale - not the best conditions for long exposures!

Car Art

Nikon D80, ISO 200, f11, 1/2000 sec, 10mm efl, Capture NX2, Corel Painter Essentials 4

Taken today at the Oxford Spring Cruise; One mean AC Cobra.

Encroachment

Nikon D80, ISO 200, 1.3 sec, f5.6, 42 mm efl, Capture NX2

After a spell of ill health, I went for a photoshoot at an old cottage. The fireplace contained this old Shacklock, Orion, coal range - fire in the centre, hot water heater on the left and oven on the right. The main photo is black and white with sepia tone, but the encroaching ivy and dead leaves were selectively coloured to emphasise the 'past and present' nature of the subject.

Fire-wood

Nikon D80, ISO 100, 30 secs, f38, 277mm efl, Capture NX2, lit by LED torch.

I picked up this piece of wood to throw on the fire and then thought better of it. The shapes, colours and texture all seemed so 'alive'.

Porthole

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f8, 1/125 sec, 135mm efl, Capture NX2

Bad weather this week has sent me back through some old shots to see whether newer tricks can make a difference. This one was passed over for multiple reasons but some serious dodging and burning and work on the vandalised glass, has given it new life and achieved what I had in mind when I pressed the shutter.

Reflecting

Nikon D80, ISO 200, f8, 1/250 sec, 105 mm efl, Capture NX2

Working boat

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f11, 1/90 sec, 120 mm efl, Capture NX2

It's the sort of picture that could spark a thousand stories ... (if you have that sort of imagination).

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)

Fire engines

Canon PowerShot A590 IS, ISO 200, 1/40 sec, f2.6, 35mm efl

Don't ask 'why'; I don't know ... they were just sitting there so I took the shot. Perhaps it was the colours, perhaps it was the shape, perhaps the boy in me just likes fluffy blue slippers with fire engines on them ;-)

In miniture

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f22, 5sec, 57mm efl, Capture NX2, Paint Shop ProPhoto X2

"Can you photograph our model?" they asked. The model wasn't a 'she' - call me old but this was a more interesting challenge. Available light only in a cluttered room. The sky is from "Plays with clouds"

Cycling on the up

Nikon D80, ISO 200, f11, 1/60 sec, 30 mm efl, Capture NX2, PaintShop Pro X2

It's not often that you find a bunch of cycles parked half way up a wall. Taken in Sol Square, Christchurch.

Clear glass

Nikon D80, natural light, ISO 100, f11, 1/30 sec, 75 mm efl, Capture NX2

Still wet outside

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f2.8, 1/60 sec, 75 mm efl, Capture NX2

Through a glass darkly

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f2.8, 1/60 sec, 75 mm efl, Capture NX2

Old meets new

Nikon D80, ISO 400, f11, 1/350 sec, 105 mm, Capture NX2

Sun altar

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f11, 1/15 sec, 87 mm, Capture NX2

Time out

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f5.6, 1/125 sec, 100 mm, Capture NX2

Up, up and away

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f6.7, 1/180 sec, 42 mm, Capture NX2

Heavy metal

Nikon D80, ISO 400, f20, 1/125 sec, 150 mm, Capture NX2

Hitched

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f4.5, 1/250 sec, 72mm, Capture NX 2

Red Hot

Nikon D80, ISO 400, f18, 1/125 sec, 135mm, Capture NX 2

Mix up

Nikon D80, ISO 200, f7.1, 1/800 sec, Capture NX 2

Colour fall

Nikon D80, ISO 100, f8, 1/20 sec, 112mm, Paint Shop Pro