Today in pictures

[davemac]

Originally Posted by Gremlin

My best lens for long zooms is the Nikon 400mm, viabration reduction and auto focus bla bla .
The workman told me the top of the turbine motor, not blade, was 375 feet and I was stood about that distance away. Working on the square of the hypotenuse the camera was about 467 feet away from the subject. I was sat in the car resting the lens on the window bottom,manual mode including focus.

I had donned a high visibility vest and while on site I had my four way indicator winkers going on the car hoping they would think I was an official, I got away with it. I would not have attempted to go on site in a two wheel drive car, the track was really bad and chewed up with the heavy equipment they were using.

To say I was a bit chuffed with the outcome is an understatement.

I have never been much cop at the nature sort of stuff such as the ones Davemac and others post, mainly because my interest doesn't really cover that, unless there is a tractor or steam engine ploughing a field then I all for it.

Russell, you have put you finger on what gets us out of the house and taking pictures, its having an interest in the subject that is being taken. I spent my working life in and around nature, and as such understand the subject, and hope that my insight displays itself in my output.
This is the same for other subjects such as mechanical things, someone who empathises with engines and other things power driven can see the subject in a fashion that would never be apparent to me, and can photograph them with an understanding of the subject.
So the idea of a theme becomes apparent in the type of photographs that we are all taking, some nature, some engines, some people, some birds, and it is this "theme" that sometimes we are not even aware of that shows itself in our photographs, and to other people sometimes before we know it.

Some photographers have people in every photo, mine have none (usually), so what I am saying is play to your strengths, show us your passion, and each of us should work on the theme that inspires.
I tried taking photos of everything, everywhere and mastered none, now an open question to all contributors to this thread "What is Your theme"

[maxthecollie]

Nature, Landscapes and birds (feathered)

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by Eric

I'm with him.

Hey Eric, I thought you would be on my side()

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by davemac

Russell, you have put you finger on what gets us out of the house and taking pictures, its having an interest in the subject that is being taken. I spent my working life in and around nature, and as such understand the subject, and hope that my insight displays itself in my output.
This is the same for other subjects such as mechanical things, someone who empathises with engines and other things power driven can see the subject in a fashion that would never be apparent to me, and can photograph them with an understanding of the subject.
So the idea of a theme becomes apparent in the type of photographs that we are all taking, some nature, some engines, some people, some birds, and it is this "theme" that sometimes we are not even aware of that shows itself in our photographs, and to other people sometimes before we know it.

Some photographers have people in every photo, mine have none (usually), so what I am saying is play to your strengths, show us your passion, and each of us should work on the theme that inspires.
I tried taking photos of everything, everywhere and mastered none, now an open question to all contributors to this thread "What is Your theme"

Dave I think you are spot on.

Photography is good because it gets you out and about...but you can do it indoors if the weather is inclement.

It is an interest which is so very broad...and has places for all manners of skill...so it is inclusive. No-one is ever going to take the same shot as you so it has a uniqueness about it...and artistic quality


I don't think it matters what you like to photograph, there will always be someone who has an interest in your pictures.
I think you are also right in playing to your own personal strengths and tastes.

For myself I like most subject matter. People, Places, Architecture, Nature and landscapes.light, shadow, reflections......a very broad spectrum.
If I see something and think it might make a good picture I snap it. Most pictures I have in my head...of how I think the pic should look. Sometimes this works and sometimes it does not..but I am happy to give it a try.

[gpick24]

Pretty much anything I think looks nice, mainly landscapes & animals, but if I see a nice car or an unusual aeroplane then i`ll try and get a pic.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by gpick24

Pretty much anything I think looks nice, mainly landscapes & animals, but if I see a nice car or an unusual aeroplane then i`ll try and get a pic.

I'm with you on that one.

[Gremlin]

I enjoy taking photographs of anything anywhere but I have always had an interest in machinery, steam, diesel, petrol, engines, rail or otherwise and I do like portrait photography and have done a few for people.

The photographs here are not "today in pictures" but taken with a film camera long before the digi age.
The chimney was demolished a few weeks after I took that photo, it was the old Barrow in Furness power station and I had the job of removing all the gas oil and transporting it to Padiham power station.
The station engineer asked me to take the photo, he saw my camera and he didn't have one, he wanted a memento of the stack. I was on the job for three weeks so plenty of time to go to Garth's and get it processed.
Others were taken at Ellen road ring mill soon after the engine had been restored to working order, about 1980, the 3rd photo is the Lancashire boiler which has had an automatic stoker fitted.
The scans from the original were almost 2Mb and resizing them has lost a bit of quality.

The camera was a old Ricoh.

The last one is a model I built earlier, it runs well but I doubt it would power 200 looms like the big ones.
Now if the weather improves I am off to take some nature photos and try to match the "masters". Failing that I know a place in Walsden where there are a few motor cars in the process of restoration so I might call and see the chap there.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Love Number one...lovely shot. It should have been in the last comp Russell.

[mobertol]

I think I'm quite similar to Margaret in that I like a broad range of things - I do love taking photos of people going about their business when they are unaware of being photographed -that's when you see them at their most natural.
I think that I want to capture and share what I see as the feel and the beauty of all that surrounds me - as it is, in the eye of the beholder so to speak - in this case in mine!

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Hey Eric, I thought you would be on my side()

Not me ... I always support the underdog.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by Eric

Not me ... I always support the underdog.

I am the underdog!
If I have you given the impression otherwise, then it needs to be corrected here and now.

[Margaret Pilkington]

The other thing which is good about photography is that it brings all manner of people together.....and there are no language barriers. It is a peaceful pursuit...can be solitary or you can roam in groups.

Quite a while ago I took a picture of the texture of a wall on the opposite side of the canal.
There is nothing very special about it......and if you want to see it you can see it here...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/16506530@N07/7501709566/

Every day this picture gets lots of 'hits'...and over the course of the time it has been on Flicker it has been viewed some 1300+ times.

So whatever you photograph...carry on doing it. Somebody, somewhere is getting pleasure from looking at what you have photographed.

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by mobertol

when you see them at their most natural.

Last time I did that I spent 6 hours talking to Plod!

As for subjects, across the board for me but I do like Aircraft & Military. Used to put some up on Panoramio, really wide audience that but haven't done owt in ages.

[Gremlin]

I decided to go to Walsden today to take some nature photographs. I finished up with 225, I was so happy to be around my old haunts again.
No. 1 A very rare plant only grows in the red ground of Walsden, the only photo I got out of the car for in that batch.
No. 2 A black and white tree, location only know to a few, mainly the ones out on day release without a carer.
No. 3 Heading back to the village.
No. 4 Not a bad road for Walsden.


I think that's my 10 for today, more to follow.

[maxthecollie]

Originally Posted by Gremlin

I decided to go to Walsden today to take some nature photographs. I finished up with 225, I was so happy to be around my old haunts again.
No. 1 A very rare plant only grows in the red ground of Walsden, the only photo I got out of the car for in that batch.
No. 2 A black and white tree, location only know to a few, mainly the ones out on day release without a carer.
No. 3 Heading back to the village.
No. 4 Not a bad road for Walsden.


I think that's my 10 for today, more to follow.

Great Shots Russell