Macro continued...

So my new found love for macro photography continues. In fact I haven't taken my other lens out the bag since this new technique was thrust upon me. Bit of a mixture here but there has been no need to leave the garden yet as there is just so much going on in the land of the small. If you look closely at the photo of the honey bee you might see an angry Chinese man (as my mother put it). Enjoy...

Another spider of which I don't know the name.

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)

European honey bee (Apis mellifera)

Macro...

These shots were taken using the reverse lens macro technique. I was told about this technique from a friend on flickr and it has opened up many new doors for my photography. I have always wanted a macro lens but my wallet wouldn't let me. Reversing the lens gives the same effect but without the cost. The lens used for these shots was my 18-55mm. You can by ring mounts but these were taken just holding the lens up to the camera. If you want to try it yourself check out...

http://www.e-dat.info/MacroSetup.aspx

Gotta Love Devon...

These next photos are all scenic shots that I have taken in and around Devon. I have lived there since I was six and it will always remain my home wherever I end up. Some of these shots are from a while ago and some are taken with my new filter ND filter (newest first). I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking them...

The Black Bridge, Culmstock Disused Railway (ND Filter)

Field, Somewhere in Devon (ND Filter)

Gammon Head, East Prawle

Culmstock Beacon (HDR)

En Fracais...

Here are a couple of shots from my holiday in France. Only spent a few days out with the camera as there was lots to do but was pleased with these three. The hedgehog shot was a real treat and the little guy was fairly tame and almost willing to be apart of the photoshoot. The purple flower is probably my favorite flower shot I have taken so far but I do not know the name of the plant. I even asked my mum and she could not remember. Anyway hope you enjoy...

I can now tell you the purple flower has a name and it is an agapanthus. Thanks to Izzy from flickr.

Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)

Lily Of The Nile (Agapanthus praecox)

White Tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

The day before my filter arrived...

Ordered a new filter a few days before hand and was hoping it would arrive sooner rather than later. It's a ND filter and it changes form 2+ to 8+. I would not recommend however as its really not very good. Anyway, took these photos before it had arrived and I just wish i had it as they would have come out considerably better. Will post some using the new filter soon.

Plants that fight back...

Went out with a few of my mates to an area with a lot of green. Managed to get a few shots of some stingers and thistles. These plants are ignored for the majority of the time until they sting ya but under closer inspection they're actually quite pretty.

Blue Tits...

Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) were the first birds I could properly identify. I'm not sure if it was because of their funny name or that there was a nest of them in our garden - most likely it was a bit of both. They are now one of my favorite little birds for no other reason than they are extremely cute and fluffy. These next few shots were all taken the other day in my back garden using my brand new bag hide (go to My Kit for details). Enjoy...

Garden Birds...

The best thing about taking photo's of wildlife is that is can be so accessible. Even when living in an urban area all you need to do is take one step outside into your garden and with any luck, there will be something wild to take a photo of. Here are some of my favorite shots of some common garden birds...

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba)

Mammals...

The milk producing fauna of the world... The Mammals. There are not so many of these creatures left in the wild here in the UK so my mammal shots are very sparse. Here are a few that I like. Points go to anyone who can guess which ones aren't native to these lands. :)

House Mouse (Mus musculus)

Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

Eastern Bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus)

Rothschild Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi)

Robins...

A few shots of the British garden's most familiar bird... The Robin (Erithacus rubecula). Robins are very tame compared to most garden birds. You can get them to feed out of your hand and a friend of mine even had a pet robin for a while. This makes it a lot easier to photograph them. 

Black Headed Gulls...

Here are a few of my favorite Black Headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) shots. You may have noticed that none of them have black heads. I haven't miss identified them, these photos show them in their winter plumage.

 

Flowers...

Here's a few of my favorite flower snaps. I don't spend too much time trying to get nice 'angiosperm' pics but it nice to get down in the mud and see what you come up with.

Swans...

Here are a few of my favorite shots of Swans (Cygnus olor) from the past year or so. Enjoy...

So it begins...

I have started this blog as a way of showing off my photography and documenting my journey as I search for my niche in the industry. This is just another step (all be it a small one) in becoming a free lance photographer and film maker.

So, lets kick things off with the first photo I was truly proud to have taken...

This shot was taken is some woods near Cardiff, Wales and it managed to get a sneaky appearance on the BBC website...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/natureuk/2010/12/autumnwatch-meets-winterwatch.shtml#more