Brogborough Busy on the Lake – Minimal Wind

The weather was warm and sunny, and with a lack of a brisk wind, I knew that the activity would likely mainly be Paddleboarding, but due to my arriving well into the afternoon, that was drawing to a close and a few windsurfers were taking to the water, amongst them André who was out on the latest upgrade to his own creation of hydrofoil, and I learned he was getting aloft more frequently, as he both gained experience of both the hydrofoil design and the handling of his craft.

For that reason, I have created a general gallery as well as two smaller single pages devoted entirely to his activity in order to help him assess his performance:

Click here for one, and here for the second.

As always, clicking the text headline takes you to the main gallery of thumbnails

I hope that the three give an account of the afternoon’s activity. I also managed some shots of some of the wildlife, swans, a cormorant and Canada Geese. In order to maintain as low a viewpoint I was once again using the Benbo tripod, which affords a really stable platform from which to shoot using the 7D MkII on a gimbal head, absolutely necessary since André was only able to find sufficient wind well away from the shore, so I was using the lens almost entirely at the full 600mm.

Stevington to Harrold-Odell Nature Park

Originally setting off to look for areas close by where abandoned quarry pits, might now be accessible and offer sitings of indigenous wildlife I surrounded one such area close by Stewartby, but it was surrounded by established hawthorn bushes, with no access, and even less chance of seeing what might lay beyond, so I ventured north towards Harrold-Odell Country Park, a Nature Reserve run By Bedford Borough Council.

On the way, I came across a small layby with a descriptive board describing local features, notably the reason I pulled over which was the distant sighting of a windmill. This was near Stevington, so I took out a camera and two lenses, and put on boots to make my way along the nearby path through long grass, and abundant nettles heading for the windmill, I had spotted a van close by, which seemed to render any photos from a distance out of the question. Once I finally arrived at the structure there was even less chance for a shot at this time as it was very much a work in progress, as the van belonged to Dorothea Restorations, a company that took its name from initial work the fledgling company undertook at a quarry in Wales, not as I imagined; the forename of an entrepreneurial lady who founded the company! There were steel guys supporting the structure outside, and a mass of steelwork supporting the entire mechanism within as this is an example of a Post Mill, where the main structure is supported on a single post, allowing the structure to be rotated around this central post.

Much of its vital woodwork has rotted, which is why it is being repaired to preserve it for future generations. The siting of the mill is very picturesque, and as I walked up to the building the wind came up and stayed for the entire time I was there, which meant it was not simply in that place for its visual appeal!

I returned to the car having taken a few pictures and headed for my original destination which was still some way further, and being a weekday was very quiet upon my arrival with only a handful of visitors, and even fewer cars, it would seem it is a natural destination for the area’s locals especially those with dogs. I went through the steel kissing gate away from the nearer lake to see what I might find and it was a pair of geese, that so far I have been unable to put a name to, it was the male that attracted my attention as it seemed somewhat haughty for a bird that seemed ever so slightly scruffy around the neck. I soon found it was not alone, and I edged ever closer to get shots that might later allow me to name the species.

Later still, I came across a lady with two dogs, the younger of which definitely had a passion for swimming for thrown balls, so I grabbed a record of its antics, but kept my distance when he came ashore, since he also loved a good shake, and I valued my kit!

Once the gallery is up, I shall take another look to try to ascertain the name for the geese, because my cursory glance through my references failed to find a match.

Stewartby Lake – Powerboats in their Element

Sunshine always brings out the best of Water, reflections off the surface, ripples, when disturbed, and when really exercised – Spray, and Spume – Powerboats tear water apart, and create the drama for those who watch from the shore; armed with my camera, a long lens and a robust platform from which to capture the excitement that the performers are enjoying, I spent the afternoon trying to do justice to what the participants are enjoying in full.

I parked up at the far end as close to shade as I could find, and put together my tripod, the Benbo and gimbal head, and my 7D MkII and the Sigma 150-600mm. Wanted to get as low as possible to gain clearance between the hulls and the water when possible, which meant setting up the tripod where there was a chance of my finding a sound footing for the tripod legs and a raised bank behind to allow me to sit, so that the camera and I was as low as possible, but the foreshore is an unstable jumble of bricks, so this was not as easy as I had imagined, but in the end I found three different viewpoints that were satisfactory, though the first was marred by a very powerful odour.

Only once I was settled did I realise, I was right in front of the family I had met on my last visit, and also later their mother when she arrived was parked alongside my car! On this occasion, I did not have my spare telephoto with me, but I need not have worried as he was shooting movies on this occasion.

The reason for the differing viewpoints was also related to the lighting angle and to vary the shots as much as possible, but the available angles were still somewhat limited, by  both the distance and that the enclosure itself limited the choices, so overall coverage is limited to one corner. On this occasion due to having been before, the number of shots is fewer than before, and I was more ruthless in what I accepted.

I hope that I have captured the spirit of the afternoon, and I hope the other inhabitants of the lake; the swans, their cygnets and the grey lag goose capture the overall atmosphere of the place.

Bedfordshire Outing in Excellent Light

Warm sunshine and crystal clear blue sky was ideal weather to spend an afternoon taking photographs, so I was easily tempted, and I found an abundance of different subjects to make it worth my while and create a gallery with a span of interests. It also proved to be a day with my meeting and chatting to several others, a couple of other photographers and villagers with whom I encountered along the way.

The verges along the country roads I travelled were all well-covered by having grown fast due to recent rainfall and a distinct improvement in the weather thereafter, which meant it was not easy to pick a spot to park as any potential hazards were hidden, so with no place to park when I wanted to take my first shots, I pulled into a farm to see whether I could stop for a few moments. This action proved to be fortuitous as it was the location of a car repair facility with a specialist spray booth, and in speaking to the only man present, he said the boss was not around, but if I was quick he was sure that would be fine. It looked a very professional outfit, and so I enquired whether there were possibilities of photographing their work and I left a card for the owner’s return.

As it so happened, my return trip took me past the same location, and I was able to meet the owner, and there does seem there might be possibilities; it turns out he was for several years employed by the Maclaren team, and I had a promising chat when meeting him.

The first shots were of a splendid house and its surroundings alongside a road that dropped from a hill down a dip before rising. Later I spotted signs to a village which might have been named in a romantic novel: Newton Blossomville, and I had met the name before, but never visited the village, so I put that right. On the way I spotted a pair of very ramshackle roofless cottages, and decided they were worth capturing, and I actually met the guardian and had a lengthy chat with hime and learned a bit of their history, and it would seem that after lengthy processes will finally be replaced and let.

The rest of the trip was spent in several locations involving shots of a vast field filled entirely with solar panel arrays, and another area of energy production; a series of Wind Turbines, set against young Oilseed Rape fields, and finally I parked in Newton Blossomville and spent the rest of my time with varied subjects from buildings, flowers, walls, knotted wood, to birds – altogether a very enjoyable afternoon of photography.

Dulwich Arts Week - Ben and Pip Rice Joint Exhibition

I have known and worked for Photographer Ben Rice over several years, and was invited to come to the Private Viewing Evening, being held at a wonderful venue at Bell House.

It is quite a trek on a Friday afternoon to head down to be there on time when coming from mid-Bedfordshire. I chose to use the M25 and then the M4 and thence through the southern suburbs to come in via the South Circular road. It certainly is not an unfamiliar area to me since I lived in Bromley many moons ago, and the route from Central London often took me through Dulwich, which this week celebrates the eponymous Arts Week.

However, the changes wrought since those times made this a very much slower and congested journey. However, one particular memory from a mere thirty years back sprung immediately to mind as I was driving along the afore-mentioned South Circular, and it was a scene of absolute destruction of Reliant Robin, which brought a wry smile as I remember the scattered fibreglass remnants of it, but it was obviously not as amusing to the unfortunate owner all those years back! What was surprising was that I should recognise the specific site having never been back to this area since; normally nowadays I cannot remember why it was I went upstairs!

I arrived at the appointed time and took out my camera before even entering Bell House to capture something of the area in which Bell House is situated, having ascertained that Ben did not mind my taking pictures of his and his wife’s exhibition. I was warmly welcomed by a tap on the shoulder and Ben darting behind me, before offering me a drink. Everyone I met was equally friendly, and considering Ben was the only person whom I knew, I was made to feel totally at ease, and became involved in numerous conversations with several of the other guests, and though there was one person who recognised me, sadly I failed to recognise him, which always makes me ashamed.

Ben was displaying numerous very large Prints, whilst Pip had a loop running in one room showing the making of some of her pieces, as well as another with her work either hanging or mounted on the walls, and was on hand to discuss how they were achieved.

Amongst Ben's photos two that were vertical caught my eye, and I felt capturing one person looking up to its full height told the story, I also spotted some who peered right up to them to check detail, andI bent the ear of one lady, by mentioning that for many photographers, how close they come when looking at a photo, is only limited by the length of their nose!

I will let the photographs I took during the evening tell their story, and for those attending, I hope they feel that my coverage does reflect the pleasure that all the guests felt towards the work on display by the two very disparate elements of the joint exhibition; I hope that it will be visited by numerous attendees of the Dulwich Arts Week who will share in the enjoyment of both the work on display, and the house that hosts the display of Pip and Ben’s work. I certainly did, and was very pleased I made the effort to accept the invitation and the travel involved. I can enthusiastically recommend that it is well worth the visit. I wish Dulwich Arts Week every success.

Bank Holiday Monday – Brogborough Lake Bright, and Busy

           I decided that I’d like a relaxing day just seeing what I could capture around the lake at Brogborough. I knew that without even the slightest zephyr, there would certainly not be any windsurfing activity on this bright and ultimately hot Bank Holiday Monday. I reckoned there might well be those who would take to the water on Paddle Boards, and on this I was correct; I was surprised how many would be taking to the water, and certainly I did meet a couple of people whom I would normally associate with windsurfing, but in the main the visitors today were young families.

          I decided that I would take a panorama, but as My bracket which would have allowed me to use a tripod, was carefully stowed back at the house, so I would have to take the shots hand-held as to get any height to the final image the camera has be in a vertical format. So this was my first set of images, and only when I was at the computer would I know how successful the composite image might be – it was certainly not perfect, but definitely it was usable. It was was assembled from twenty single images in RAW format in Lightroom. Later I might well put it into Zoomify, so it can be seen greater detail, but for now that is not the case.

          I had used the 5D MkIII with the 24-70mm lens for those shots, but swapped to the 100mm Macro thereafter to photograph anything I felt was interesting; in the main I was looking for insects, and found an unusual bee-like one that I had only rarely spotted before it tapers from an oval body to what would appear to be a fixed proboscis, and unlike normal bees it is able to hover, and it seemed to favour a clump of white flowers, but it was often very nippy, so I would lose it frequently.

          There were a few hoverflies, flies, ladybirds, and one such looked as if it were heading for a feast of Aphids, but then headed off in another direction, but in the background a hoverfly was considering an ambush! There were a couple of swans, so not a vast array of exciting images, but a challenge to capture, with a lot of watching and waiting! Altogether a very relaxing way to spend time with a camera in the great outdoors.

Ashridge Landscapes by Martin Evening

Reminder — The Exhibition is on this weekend, for those who missed it last week!

          Photographer Martin Evening Mounts an Exhibition of his photographs over several seasons, called “Ashridge Landscapes” – This exhibition takes place over two Weekends; this Bank Holiday Weekend and the following weekend only.

          Martin captures this fascinating Estate, its atmosphere and varying colours over several seasons covering his time since he left London to live in this rural idyll. The range is hopefully covered by my series of the gallery as he puts the final touches to mounting his panels, and in walk a couple who are one of the first visitors meet up with him just as we are leaving having completed the removal of his tools; it turns out this is not the first exhibition of his that they have attended, and the warmth shown by them as they enter is obvious, hence my capturing their meeting before packing away my camera, having lent a small hand to help Martin finish before the onset of the early visitors.

          I took images from several angles so that the gallery though small, shows how Martin has displayed his work to greatest effect. We later, whilst grabbing a tea and sausage roll before leaving, are greeted by members of his cycling friends who had broken off to take a view before continuing their ride; all were hugely impressed, and before we both went on our separate ways took one last look and it was obvious that the exhibition was attracting considerable interest from members of the public, despite the pull of all that warmth and sunshine outside!

Visit to Tring Reservoirs in Blossom

            I knew late morning was hardly the ideal time to be considering taking meaningful wildlife shots down at Tring Reservoirs, but nevertheless put out a call to Tringford’s Water Bailliff, to learn what activity there might be down at the lake, and he felt there might well be some interest. I indicated that therefore I would head on down on that offchance; I learned he was off to London to pick up his wife from hospital, but would be down later. A short while passed and whilst en route, I got a call back from him, that he may inadvertently left a gas bottle without switching it off – would I check, and remove it.

            On arrival I found two visiting brother anglers, one of whom was attempting, thus far in vain, trying to untangle his line, and so I took a look at the gas cylinder and its valve, and found it switched off, and Bob had asked would I remove it for safety. This proved to be less easy than at first sight to accomplish, but the brain cells of the three of us finally worked out how to achieve this apparently simple task, and for safety to avoid any contaminants entering I then carefully rested the valve assembly over the top. Since one brother was engrossed in line-unentanglement, I enquired of them, the swan Bob had mentioned, that was on the nest. Once Learned it was further along from the jetty at the water’s edge, I enquired whether while on brother was occupied, might I be cheeky and ask for a ride out on the lake to get some shots.

             He was more than happy to oblige, so I brought my carbon fibre tripod with the 5D MkIII and Sigma Sports 150-600mm lens atop the Gimbal head gingerly across from the jetty to the flat-bottomed boat, out onto the lake. We stayed a fair distance off so as not to disturb the swan and positioned ourselves so that we could drift gently by with minimal disturbance to either the swan or my platform, so that I could get some shots of her activity, as she put finishing touches to her domestic arrangements to her birthing reed nest.

Click here for the single page Nesting Swan gallery

            I took a series of shots of her efforts before returning to the shore and gathering my kit for a trip to Marsworth lake to continue my shooting, which later I put into two discrete galleries, one which featured the nesting swan, and a more wide-rang collection of shots at the second of the three lakes that form Tring Reservoirs, whose existence is to serve the replenishment of the lost water to the Grand Union Canal due to Lock use along its length.

            In this second group of images I capture Spring blossom as well as avian activity on the lake, in particular some you chicks, and a swan showing considerable aggression towards one of the more mild-mannered of geese, the Greylag. I only saw one lone Grebe, so, overall not a lot of birdlife activity, though much birdsong in the sunshine, and hardly a breath of wind to ripple the surface waters of the lakes.

            I later returned to Tringford and met up with Bob and the departing visiting anglers.

Marston Moretaine – Front Gardens and Roadside Flower Boxes

             Station Road could be described as the main floral route through the village of Marston Moretaine, especially at this point in time, after the rains and following sunshine. April is renowned for showers, and as I took a walk at lunchtime with my camera, it was because of my observation earlier that a sudden spurt had taken hold of my privet hedge requiring a heavy pruning, that caused me to look slighter further.

            I brought along a small rubberised groundsheet, so that I could kneel to to choose a low viewpoint close to the flowers that were to fill my viewfinder. I had chosen the 100mm Macro, but in case I needed a wider angle lens, I took my camera case along to have access to a 24-70mm and hold the groundsheet.

            I had already asked permission earlier to visit one garden, and seeing a lady tending her garden, and seeing some likely floral colour, I enquired of her too, and she kindly also gave me permission, and having taken a couple of shots duly showed her the results on the back of the camera, I took a further couple of shots and was about to leave when she suggested there might be shots around the back, and there were two more subjects there, so I thanked her after showing those results, and moved further up the road looking for more signs of late Spring sprouting.

            There were a few more stops on the way to the house that I had spotted two days before and where the ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ were where I had already had approval to enter their front garden.

            The resultant gallery from this walk which took me up towards the shops and left, for a few gardens before the return trip to see whether I had missed any items of interest, and with a slight detour via a path to the far end of the Squire Road cul-de-sac and back in to create the gallery, the result follows.

Somewhat Late Stewartby Powerboat Photos

            I have finally found the time to correct a mistake I made in misplacing a whole tranche of images from the Sunday I spent at the Powerboat meeting at Stewartby, I am sorry that it is so late, but as they say: “ Better late than never!”

            I have had a lot on my plate in between, hence the prolonged delay, but I think there are some nice shots, so perhaps it was worth the wait, despite it seeming a long time ago now!

            The majority were in sunshine which always helps, especially when trying to capture water spray, and the new Benbo tripod gave me a chance to be really stable, and be able to shoot from a low angle. Once again I have to thank Sue Tassell for the opportunity to shoot from the shore, and to bring my best lens by being able to come by car.