So I'm now unemployed and have finally gotten around to experimenting a bit more with my photography. I've tried to force myself to learn how to use my camera more and not post-process as much as I used to...

First off, I was in Oxford on Friday. I struggled to find anything worth photographing that didn't have a mass of people in front of it, and that possibly hadn't already been photographed a thousand times that day. This is one of my favourites, as I think it kind of looks like a space invader.

Space invader by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

I spent a little time hunting bees in the back garden. They loved the lavender. It was a struggle as it was overcast though. Took a few hundred shots and this is maybe the best. Not necessarily the sharpest of the bunch, the struggle was getting any kind of composition as it literally was a spray and pray approach.

Bee by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

I was in Milton Keynes on Thursday, and experimented in one of the underpasses with taking a long exposure whilst focusing in or out. It reminds me a bit of Half Life 2 driving the buggy through the tunnels.

Motion by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

Milton Keynes, I stumbled into a bit of a greenspace that had a Dovehouse. I knew I wouldn't get a decent exposure, but had a try anyway. Not too happy with it, but think it could have had potential if things were a little different, I like the silhouette effect of the 2 doves looking at each other.

Doves by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

This was taken whilst doing the Bee shot above. I took several of the cat that look like a lot of things (IE, invisible icecream, evil mastermind etc) but the facepalm is the best.

Puz Palm by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

This was at Haddon Hall up in Derbyshire. A long exposure, with some heavy shadows added. I like the textures and colour.

Roof beams by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

And another processed shot (I couldn't help it) - I've not had much success with HDR stuff, I've tried a few times, but for some reason the HDR output always looks a bit flat. However I used a preset in photoshop which gave this overdone effect, but I like it. Pretty sure it's only because it looks dramatic. As far as the image goes I know it's pretty pants.

HDR 3 by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


I did a 22 mile Long Distance Walkers association walk on Saturday, and this triangular tower was along the route.

Tower by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

Trying out a polarising filter here.

Gulp by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Duck by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

Pants image, but it shows the size of some of the trout in this river.

Bigfish by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

Another shot from Haddon hall.

Antler Plants by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

Baby tufted duck.

Tufty 2 by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

The following are all Haddon hall again.

Window 3 by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Tower (3) by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Bridge by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Lily 2 by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

Some good stuff there, the Bee in flight in particular.  With anything like that in flight you've got to spray and pray a bit you've obviously thought about it right though as you've got the flower in there that's in focus as well, you've nailed the focus on the bee's eyes though so well done.

The couple of abstracty shots are good, particularly the roof beams but is it a bit wonky?  Might just be my eyes but it might need levelling out a touch so the beam going across the image is straight.

One thing I will say with the Duck shots is that they'd be better if you could get down a bit but that's not always possible, especially as it usually causes problems with the background.

And that cat face palm

Yeah, the duck shots were from a bridge so it wasn't possible to get low, but I'll try next time

You're right about the beam, though I'm not too bothered as it was kind of a test shot. The room was really badly lit and the photo was taken at high iso, without flash, with f4 I think, I was more seeing if it was possible to get a half decent hand held shot, and it was. I think I might use a tripod next time though if I want to do anything like this again, maybe set it so rather than have the beams at an angle, I have the camera facing straight up from the ground.

Next time get someone to hold your feet and dangle off the bridge, that'll get you a bit closer to there level, maybe a bit under it if your not careful though lol

Well its not turned out too bad for a test shot!  I do that sometimes, go and have a wander around somewhere and think next time I'll take my tripod or do something different but then never go back or if I do totally forget what I've thought of doing lol so don't leave it too long, especially since your an unemployed bum

Great shots mate! 

HEre are the other cat pictures, wondering if anyone else sees what I see in them:


Snigger by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Raspberry by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Ice cream by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Furball by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Farting by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Evil Mastermind by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Coughing by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

For me snigger looks more like he's sneezing


Good shots overall, I really like the overexposed shot of the clouds, they look very ominous.

I like the sky in the processed HDR, but it needs something like a ruined church or castle, or maybe just a craggy rock in the foreground to capitalise on the ominous menacing feel. A processing technique to keep in the bag for when the right shot comes along though!

I love the bee in flight. I've tried that one a few times myself and never had the patience to keep at it long enough to get the shot.

I think I was out there maybe for an hour or so, so long as you kept skill there was no shortage of bees to try and shoot

A few from the new forest yesterday. We had some pretty nasty storms on Thursday, the forest was pretty amazing as large areas had been scoured by flash floods, all the grass etc was bent sideways and there were piles of leaves and twigs etc over a foot deep from water flowing through quite a way from the stream.


Male Beautiful Demoiselle - Calopteryx virgo by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Mushroom by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Linnet (Carduelis cannabina) by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) by Chris_Moody, on Flickr


Mushroom 2 by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

Quote from: zpyder on August 20, 2011, 14:09:04 PM

Mushroom 2 by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

Nice!

I wish I could have used a smaller aperture but as it was the camera was on the tripod extended as far as it'd go and on really leafy ground so was wobbling like hell

Its fine as it is really, don't think it make that much difference using a smaller apperture except to throw the background out a bit more.

Gah, I get confused, I meant bigger aperture, so that I could get the stem of the mushroom in focus too...

What was it taken at?  There's no exif data on the one on flickr.