In search of Water

Out and about again this time walking around Calke abbey equipped with my Camera, Tripod empty memory card and fully charged battery, My objective was to come home with some great shots of Betty's pond and surrounding area.
The day was bright and sky was blue but there were a few clouds forming so I knew I might be getting wet!!
I have looked at a walking route and planned to do the whole circuit which would lead me around betty's pond and The Calke Abbey estate as well as some of Foremark Reservoir.

The Main Entrance reminded me of a Photo that I had  seen before, I have forgotten the photographers name!!

Iso200 F10 1/10

I then wanted to try it in Black and white.

The following three shots I thought would look good in a sequence. we threw an acorn into Betty's pond. I cropped them to bring out the droplets of water and used black and white filter on Picasa.

Iso200 F32 1/5

Iso 200 F32 1/5

Iso 200 F32 1/5

The below picture I really liked as I loved the droplets that were formed after throwing acorns into betty's pond, However the leaf spoils the shot and maybe I could have moved it out of the shot or took the photo in a different place with no leaves.

This is Betty's pond. Iso200 F22 1/25. Tripod used to get a softer look on the water

It then rained as suspected, but to my advantage, the biggest rainbow I had seen for a long time appeard and I couldn't believe my luck, but how could I capture the beauty of this rainbow?? I had thought that I may need filters but I havent any yet so I took my chances and the shots are ok. The photograph below I put into a black and white shot then added colour using Picasa. I like the way it shows off the fabulous colours of the rainbow.

Iso200 1/60 F29

I loved how the Rainbow framed the Abbey in this Shot, but I do feel that I

 need to invest in a wide angle lens.

Iso 200 F22 1/250

The following Two shot are taken leaving Calke abbey, the second shot I have edited in Picasa, I changed the shot to black and white it brings out the raindrops.

Iso200 1/200 F29 black and white tint.

The walk to Foremark, I felt with this picture I would have benefited on having a better zoom, the colours in the phesant were beautiful and really the shot doesn't do justice to the view. 

Iso 200 F29 1/50

I took more photos of Foremark Reservoir and new I had the Camera on the wrong settings for the light but I quite liked the way it has shadowed the water.

Iso200 F29 1/160

I found this nature reserve and will have to go back!!

Iso 20 F5.6 1/250

Out and About

It started as a really clear day and I decided to head to the peak district to take some photographs, I had researched some places and had spoken to two very helpful ladies in the tourist information bureau so with my fully charged battery clear memory card, tripod and camera set off.
The first Place I head for was Buxton, I had visited there in the summer and remembered a really nice park with a stream and fall.
I liked the colours that were being exaggerated by the light and blue sky.

Iso 200 -F5.6 -1/320

Iso 200 -F5.6 -1/125

My attention then shifted to the small fall at the end of the steam. I really wanted to capture the flow of the water but wasn't feeling too confident as I knew it was gonna be tricky. I had to change the settings and check on the view screen as to the effect I was getting was what I wanted to acheive and I have come up with these shots. I am quite happy with these but they are not exactly what I wanted ... More practice required!! with better use of shutter speeds.

Iso 200 -F5.6 1/60

Iso 200 -F5.6 1/160

Iso 200 F18 -1/18

I then edited this picture in picasa to black and white.

Iso 200 f18 1/15

I then headed further into the high peak and took some shots at Lady bower reservoir, I was very disappointed, as there was a special photograph I wanted to recreate but couldn't as it only happens when the dams are flooded as explained by a very knowledgeable chap in the information  shop!

Research came to mind!

Any way as I was here I was going to make the most of it and found some places to take a few photghraps but left feeling that I had wasted my day and my ideas and inspiration had dwindled away.

Iso 200 F 5.6 110

Iso 200 F 5.6 1/25

I have showed below a photoghraph before and after editing . I changed the contrast in picasa.

After

Iso 200 F5.6 1/320

Iso200 F5.6 1/250

This I put into black and white, I put a tint onto it to bring out the reflection of the sun in the water.

I took some pictures of the surrounding areas and could resist putting them on here.

Iso 200 F16 1/125

I then edited it, i cropped it and put it into black and white.

I like this...

 

Woodland Walk

After reading a Joe Cornish book, A Photographer at work, I found that I really liked the work and the photos started to inspire me.

I have ideas about sea scapes and the book has given me a few more places to look at going too, but to start with I thought I might try to replicate a picture that joe took in Lundy Bay woods in Cornwall. I wasn't going to be able to get to cornwall straight away so a local peice of woodland came to mind.
I made sure that my camera was fully chrged and that I had pleanty of room on my memory card.

I got a bit closer to the bridge this time, but I couldn't help wondering how to get to the bridge and what was on the other side,

Still in with the water theme, there was a small fall which was feeding the small stream.
Then I wanted to try it in black and white.

 I waited a while for this, I wanted to create a look of curiosity, up or down .

 I found this discarded pipe in the pond but liked the look of it, I thought it was a bit ironic being a water pipe.

Then onto the the intended theme.

Then I wanted to try the black and white approach.

 Iso 200 F5 1/250

A build up of inspiration

As the weather had been a bit grim i was excited to see the warm glow of Autum sunshine on saturday.
I felt a burst of energy  and decided a route along burton canal would be good.
I visualised the Autum reflections in the water along with the lock gates and barges and decided to get on my bike,quite litarally!
I ensured my camera was fully charged and that I had plenty of space on my memory card and packed it all into my bag, I decided not to take my Tripod on this ocassion and off I went.
The light was bright but soft and as I rode along I wondered why I hadn't come this way before.
The photographs I have choosen are loosely tied with my choosen theme of water within landscapes, However I was yet again destracted by various objects along the way and my ideas were constantly changing.
I have edited some of the photographs with picasa to change them to black and white and have also croped some to group together.

I didn't like this photo at all the light was  wrong so I decided to crop out some water and edit it in Picasa I quite like the absract effect that I have come up with.

  I took this shot without really looking at the surroundings/composition, so I had to crop the bridge  out.

I added contrast to the picture to bring out the colour. 

 Then I tried this in black and white and liked it.

Which led me on to editing and cropping more images to make a series of pictures.

I then wanted to try some in black and white.

I looked on the internet to see if there were any photoghraphers that specialised in waterways and found a photoghrapher called Rodger kid who is from wolverhampton he is taking part in a project called Geograph and is photographing up and down the country and he to took photo of Dallow lock.
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 By Rodger Kidd -Geograph.