Tring Reservoirs — Life Abounds

My initial intent was to visit just one of the four Tring Reservoir Lakes, but upon arrival in the area, I ended up by visiting every one of the four lakes in search of subjects to photograph. This was made possible by my not selecting the heaviest and stable of the tripods, and using my newly acquired long lens Acrotech head to support the Canon EOS R with the 60-600mm Sigma Sports lens with the Sigma 1.4 Converter. The versatility of the camera and lenses is shown, by my taking close-ups of tiny bugs, birds in flight, young aquatic chicks and landscape shots of the Canal and lock activity. Making no changes of equipment throughout.

Before the advent of digital imaging, to contemplate the range of such subjects and at the quality of the results would have involved definitely more than a single lens, and proved tricky at the least. It is also quite a relief, when I consider the kit that I carried in my early days as a photographer in the Sixties — the kit alone when I started for location work never proved less than three separate items, a tripod, a camera bag or box, and frequently a case of double dark slides. And the majority of the work was in black and white, and after the shooting, I would be in a Darkroom, processing the negatives, then later, back in a different darkroom making prints. At least when printing that was under low light, orange or yellow!

Nevertheless, the thrill of the challenges of taking pictures has never dimmed, the equipment for my most challenging work is still heavy, because much of the subjects that I love to take photographs of involves long lenses. I still cover motor racing, which now tends to be at Goodwood, I live close by lakes that host powerboat racing, and windsurfing, and every so often my kit is way lighter, when I photograph flowers, leaves and insects such as butterflies, hoverflies and bees. My daughters both have artistic skills I simply cannot emulate, but replace a brush with a camera, I can try to get close. I do however enjoy retouching, where the tools allow me to attempt artistic challenges.

I do love to capture beauty, and I find it in all the many subjects I point my lenses towards. This particular afternoon was not the most inspiring of days, but I enjoyed the recording of what I saw. The wren, the scrawny young of the Coot, the bug on the Poppy, the heron in flight, and the chicks of the Mallards, the behaviour of the magpies, and the serenity of the Grebe, all made for an afternoon of pleasure.