johnloguk > Small Things

I've been AWOL from this group for a while, nothing sinister about that, just been so busy with a commission for the local Tourist Board. One of my photographic passions is wildflowers and getting right down to ground level to shoot. There is an irony here because I don't possess a macro lens, but my bog standard Nikon 55-200mm zoom does capture some creamy bokeh and works well as a substitute macro.

I got quite damp taking this shot, the grass was wet and not a little muddy. I also got a few strange looks from passers by, but my thick skin dealt with that! For some reason my uploader loses the exif data when I use layers to apply a vignette to images like this one. The exact data doesn't matter a lot though. The relevant info is that I was shooting at ISO 800 because the light was generally very low in the undergrowth, and I didn't change it when this brief shaft of light shot through the trees. I was using a wide open aperture for a shallow dof and to isolate the subject from the background. The ISO gives a grainy texture that I think compliments the lighting and bokeh, giving an almost impressionistic feel. But the main lesson from this is simply to get down real low and shoot into the light occasionally.
johnloguk > 8.12.09 - Get Down!

I had almost given up on finding any natural colour in December, but in reality I had just stopped looking properly. A local cafe had agreed to stock some flyers for my work, and on the way back to the car I walked through the Arboretum for the first time in a few weeks. There were plenty of bright berries, even a few small Winter flowers, but the real beauty was a small patch of dead leaves. It was very dark down in the wet grass, but for a few seconds they were illuminated by a shaft of light slicing through the trees. The best way to show them off was to get down and wet, but I think it was worth it. There are some more shots here;   http://www.lightanddreamsphotography.com/Nature/THE-ARBORETUM/6049364_a8pPu#735846472_YQuXX

I was going to add a dark vignette to frame this, but the more I looked at it the more I realised that it already had a natural one. I was shooting at ISO 800 because of the low light, but the sudden shaft of light gave a fast shutter speed in the end. I increased the contrast slightly to bring the colour back, and an unsharp mask adds to the natural grain and impressionistic feel.
johnloguk > 30.11.09 - November

11 down, 1 to go :)
johnloguk > 15.11.09 - Still Autumn :)

It has been a beautiful day here today. I spent the afternoon at Whisby Nature Park admiring the last of the Autumn colours. I thought it had all gone, but as you can see from the gallery there was plenty left to keep me busy:  http://www.lightanddreamsphotography.com/Nature/WHISBY-NATURE-PARK/5283916_hXRBX#714254123_qLnSE
johnloguk > 2.11.09 - Shadowlands

This just seems to sum up my life at the moment, it has been a very strange day. Very little went right apart from the weather, and even that turned nasty this evening. But tomorrow is another day.
johnloguk > 1.11.09 - October

Last month might not have been as spectacular as October 2008 for Autumn colour, but it was still pretty good, and some of the reds and golds are lingering into November.

The calendar so far is here;  http://www.lightanddreamsphotography.com/Nature/NATURE-COLLAGES-CALENDAR/8057142_2Tkfp#524865489_gekpy

I've already done a collage for November last year, but the OCD in me means that I'll probably make another one this year, watch this space :)
johnloguk > 22.10.09 - Golden

The sun came out for a little while this afternoon, luckily I had my camera with me and was close to this little oasis of Autumn colour. On a housing estate where every other street is named after a literary figure (Browning, Shelley, Marlowe, Burns, Chaucer, Scott, Swift etc), The Oval is an oddity. Houses are arranged around this central area of scattered trees, and at this time of year it is quite beautiful. I'm still not convinced that I've done the colours justice yet this year, but hopefully I have a week or two left.

A special thank-you today to the people who have taken the time to explore some of my other galleries. Lord knows that I've been struggling to even comment on the Dailies, but there are some kind souls out there who regularly delve into the heart of my website and leave wonderful comments scattered throughout.
johnloguk > 20.10.09 - Calm

Despite the traffic calming measures on this quiet residential street the scene was anything but "calm". Today has been bitterly cold with a biting wind. The experts tell us that we have another week until the Autumn colours reach their peak, but if this wind keeps up there won't be many leaves left on the trees.

It's been a while since I did one of my "watercolours", but this image was certainly lifted by it. It's also been a while since I posted a Daily taken in daytime, a sign of the times I suspect :)
johnloguk > 16.10.09 - Fallen

I'm not convinced that the colours are as rich as last year, but I still love Autumn. I almost used another B&W image today, but there were so many leaves by the roadside just begging to be used instead. I liked the original of this image, but found that the addition of the vignette tended to direct the eye more towards the central leaf.

TGIF, it has been a heck of a week, I just might sleep most of the weekend!
Small Things

I've been AWOL from this group for a while, nothing sinister about that, just been so busy with a commission for the local Tourist Board. One of my photographic passions is wildflowers and getting right down to ground level to shoot. There is an irony here because I don't possess a macro lens, but my bog standard Nikon 55-200mm zoom does capture some creamy bokeh and works well as a substitute macro.

I got quite damp taking this shot, the grass was wet and not a little muddy. I also got a few strange looks from passers by, but my thick skin dealt with that! For some reason my uploader loses the exif data when I use layers to apply a vignette to images like this one. The exact data doesn't matter a lot though. The relevant info is that I was shooting at ISO 800 because the light was generally very low in the undergrowth, and I didn't change it when this brief shaft of light shot through the trees. I was using a wide open aperture for a shallow dof and to isolate the subject from the background. The ISO gives a grainy texture that I think compliments the lighting and bokeh, giving an almost impressionistic feel. But the main lesson from this is simply to get down real low and shoot into the light occasionally.
johnloguk > Small Things

I've been AWOL from this group for a while, nothing sinister about that, just been so busy with a commission for the local Tourist Board. One of my photographic passions is wildflowers and getting right down to ground level to shoot. There is an irony here because I don't possess a macro lens, but my bog standard Nikon 55-200mm zoom does capture some creamy bokeh and works well as a substitute macro.

I got quite damp taking this shot, the grass was wet and not a little muddy. I also got a few strange looks from passers by, but my thick skin dealt with that! For some reason my uploader loses the exif data when I use layers to apply a vignette to images like this one. The exact data doesn't matter a lot though. The relevant info is that I was shooting at ISO 800 because the light was generally very low in the undergrowth, and I didn't change it when this brief shaft of light shot through the trees. I was using a wide open aperture for a shallow dof and to isolate the subject from the background. The ISO gives a grainy texture that I think compliments the lighting and bokeh, giving an almost impressionistic feel. But the main lesson from this is simply to get down real low and shoot into the light occasionally.
Small Things

I've been AWOL from this group for a while, nothing sinister about that, just been so busy with a commission for the local Tourist Board. One of my photographic passions is wildflowers and getting right down to ground level to shoot. There is an irony here because I don't possess a macro lens, but my bog standard Nikon 55-200mm zoom does capture some creamy bokeh and works well as a substitute macro.

I got quite damp taking this shot, the grass was wet and not a little muddy. I also got a few strange looks from passers by, but my thick skin dealt with that! For some reason my uploader loses the exif data when I use layers to apply a vignette to images like this one. The exact data doesn't matter a lot though. The relevant info is that I was shooting at ISO 800 because the light was generally very low in the undergrowth, and I didn't change it when this brief shaft of light shot through the trees. I was using a wide open aperture for a shallow dof and to isolate the subject from the background. The ISO gives a grainy texture that I think compliments the lighting and bokeh, giving an almost impressionistic feel. But the main lesson from this is simply to get down real low and shoot into the light occasionally.
See photo in gallery

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LIGHT and DREAMS
LIGHT and DREAMS
By John Bennett
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