Clouds and a Castle

Continuing with my series of photographs that were taken in Northumberland, the first two pictures are coastline shots, taken during some very stormy weather, whilst the last is a photograph of one of the many iconic buildings that can be found in the county

INCOMING SQUALL
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF18-55 F/2.54-4 R LM OIS

The first photograph has got some very interesting clouds shapes, under which there were showers out to sea. This squall never really reached inland, but at one point the wind did gather apace and we thought a deluge was coming. The clouds are, for the most part, as they were seen, aside from a little bit of dehaze added on a graduated filter from the top of the frame down to the horizon.

STORM PROMISE
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF18-55 F/2.54-4 R LM OIS

The second image was taken a little further down the coast and depicts the sky getting really dark over the grass-covered sand dunes, promising some dire weather. Once again apart from a little burning-in, the clouds are virtually untouched.

CASTLE IN THE NORTH
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF18-135 F/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

The final picture was taken on the path up to the iconic castle at Lindisfarne. The fence made a useful lead-in tool guiding the viewer up to the castle. This image was taken the day after the first two, and as you can see by the sky, it was a lovely day. That’s the UK weather for you.

Out with the X-T1

I went for a walk yesterday through the very cold Warwickshire countryside. I took my Fuji X-T1, used it for the first time since June and really enjoyed it. It feels completely different from the X-Pro2 (obviously) but apart from the ergonomics of the controls for a left-eye dominant photographer it really is still a superb camera. After about 5 minutes, it was as if I had never put it down. Okay, a still have problems with the AF-L for back-button focusing, and still managed to smear my glasses with my knuckle, but that aside it is an excellent piece of kit.

THE MARCH
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF18-55mm F/2.4-4.0

CREEPING IN
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF18-55mm F/2.4-4.0

MAN-MADE AND FRIEND
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF18-55mm F/2.4-4.0

Winter Challenges

I go to Batsford Arboretum two or three times a year. I can usually find something to photograph whilst I’m there. In winter some of the trees are not looking their best so I try to look for details or other views to photograph.

The first image is of a leaf that I noticed on the ground. Morning dew had formed over it and its light yellow colour stood out against the vegetation on the floor. I deliberated whether to make this a colour or mono image and I decided on the latter. Taken with a short telephoto lens the zone of focus is quite narrow but it works.

CAST DOWN
Nikon D7100, Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5- 5.4G

The second image was also taken at Batsford. The Buddha statue was in a shaded spot but the weak winter sun lit it and the bushes behind with a soft light. Although we are in the middle of the Cotswolds, at a quick glance the statue could be in Asia.

PLACE OF CALM
Nikon D7100, Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5-5.4G

The last photograph is of Earlswood Lakes near Birmingham. I was still using my Nikons at the time and I tended to try and use the Fuji in the same way. This caused me a lot of confusion and irritation with buttons and the WYSIWYG viewfinder on the X-E2. I know it shouldn’t have but it did.

WINTER CHILL
Fujifilm X-E2, Fujinon 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0

Countryside Studies

Last post I showed three colour images that I took whilst out on a walk near my home. This week, I have another three photographs from the location but processed in black and white.

The first is a landscape which shows tractor tracks disappearing into the mist across the field. I got down low with the camera and ensured that one of the tracks is coming from a bottom corner of the frame. Once again there was such a magical light through the mist that the photograph almost took itself.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Nikon D800, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

The second is a close-up that is firmly based in the minimalist camp. The fence wire was placed on the top horizontal third and the drop of water is placed left of centre in the frame. I used f/5.0 to throw the background out of focus and selective sharpening was carried out only on the wire and water droplet.

ONE MORE DROP
Nikon D800, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

The third photograph is in my favoured square format and is of some woodland plants that are obviously suffering from the offset of winter. I took the image with a Fujifilm X-E2 and 18-55mm zoom lens which I was trying out at the time.

STRANDS OF LIFE
Fujifilm X-E2, Fujinon 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0