Conkers

Posted: October 27, 2016 | Author: Eileen Thompson | Filed under: macro, Nature, photography, Still Life, Uncategorized | Tags: autumn, conkers, macro, nature, photography, reflections, still life | 1 Comment

Another reason I love autumn is for the conkers …. but I don’t seem to have any in my immediate surroundings, nor have I seen any at The Pond, so I got my son to have a scout around further afield for me and he brought me these.

I thought I would try some low-key shots of them ….

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I arranged some on my black glass-topped desk. I think the reflections have added a sort of abstract look to the image. I like the contrast of textures ….

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I think I may try out some more ideas with them today though ….. bye for now, Eileen

Hedgerow Finds

Posted: October 26, 2016 | Author: Eileen Thompson | Filed under: Flowers, macro, Nature, photography, Roses, Uncategorized | Tags: autumn, berries, Flowers, macro, nature, photography | 8 Comments

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Either side of the path leading to, and going around the lake [Ifield Pond] there’s a mixture of trees and hedgerows and in autumn it’s the bright little things among the bare branches that catch the eye – the variety of God’s creation is amazing and I’m always thanking Him for my hobby and these treasures and pleasures ….

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More tomorrow I hope ….. my thanks for viewing and if you feel inclined please leave a comment, take care my friends, Eileen

Leafy Captures

Posted: October 25, 2016 | Author: Eileen Thompson | Filed under: Nature, photography, Plant Portraits, Trees, Uncategorized | Tags: autumn, leaves, nature, photography, trees, yellow | Leave a comment

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I have the utmost confidence in saying that everybody loves Autumn [ I think !! Lol]. I went over to the Pond especially to seek out leaves that have changed to their autumn glory.

There were quite a few that had got caught up among other trees and shrubs on their way to the ground, and some were still attached to their parent tree, but without exception , they were all yellow! These pics are all in situ as found …. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

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I’m getting a bit like Busses – you don’t get any posts come along for a while and then you get several at once …. more from my autumn walk very soon, take care all, Eileen

Teasels

Posted: September 30, 2016 | Author: Eileen Thompson | Filed under: macro, Nature, photography, Plant Portraits, Uncategorized | Tags: art, close up, macro, nature, photography, teasels | 1 Comment

Better late than never – so here are my belated Teasel pics. Taken over the Pond. In my ‘flower arranging’ days when I entered lots of competitions, teasels were a great favourite – especially at Christmas time when they looked great sprayed silver or gold.

I don’t think I’ve ever caught them when they first come into bloom so I must make a mental note for next summer to look out for them again.

The first pic does show some flower but the actual shape looks a bit deformed ….

Teasel in bloom

spiky teasel

Artistic Fun

The Ifield Mill

Posted: September 21, 2016 | Author: Eileen Thompson | Filed under: Flowers, History, macro, Nature, photography, Roses | Tags: Buildings, close up, colourful, nature, outdoors, photography | 3 Comments

The Ifield Mill

Here are some more pics from my visit to the Mill. I’ve converted this one to a black and white image – it seems to suit this old Mill which dates back to the 1840’s. However – the first mention of a mill in Ifield was in 1274. I can’t quite make out from the Brochure exactly when the present [restored] Mill was built, but there are recorded mentioned owners throughout the 1600’s and 1700’s. Volunteers have done a wonderful job of restoring it from 1973 onwards , with the waterwheel being restored in 2008.

The next few pics are from the hedgerows along the path leading to the Mill.

Wild Rosehips

Wild Rose

Time to say au revoir and see you soon dv, Eileen

…And Swans

Posted: July 17, 2016 | Author: Eileen Thompson | Filed under: Nature, photography, Uncategorized, Wild Life, wildlife | Tags: birds, close up, nature, photography, water, Wild life | 1 Comment

The Feather

What’s That?

Whoops!

Ducks, Geese and Swans

Posted: July 15, 2016 | Author: Eileen Thompson | Filed under: Nature, photography, Wild Life | Tags: birds, Ducks, Geese, nature, outdoors, photography, Pond, Wild life | 4 Comments

Being Mum

There was a lot of activity over at the Pond the other day and it was a lovely sunny day too. I took my Stylus1 camera with me as I’m more familiar with it for ‘landscapes’ than my new E-OM10 , which I tend to use for my indoor macro efforts. It has got a kit 42mm kit lens but my Stylus is more flexy. I can use the 60mm macro lens for ‘normal’ stuff, but ,although it’s still quite small and lightweight, it would be just that little bit more difficult to hold steady and I can’t cart a tripod around with me. Arthritis can be such a frustrating nuisance!

The Stylus has quite a good zoom on it too.

Don’t Go Too Far now!

This is a Domestic Duck that was ‘dumped’ [ together with two others] over the Pond last year and I worried no end about them cos a lady told me that they were unlikely to survive in the wild as they wouldn’t know how to forage for themselves and it was likely foxes would get them ….. well – I hadn’t seen them the last few times I paid a visit, so I was so pleased to see this one and overjoyed that she had three babies with her!! Don’t know where the others are though.

It’s always a problem photographing white birds on bright, sunny days to avoid the whites being ‘blown out’, so it helps when I remember to adjust the exposure dial.

A Cuddle of Ducklings

Another Cuddle

Wotcha Lookin’ At ?

Taking the Plunge

These Greylag Geese kept charging up and down this slope for some reason or other – there was a chap at the top of the bank feeding them all …. maybe they just wanted to show off for the camera eh?

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What Shall We Do Now?

I was going to post some swan pics here too but I think this is enough for one post! Will save them for next time …. see you soon I hope, Eileen

Macroland

Posted: June 9, 2016 | Author: Eileen Thompson | Filed under: digital, Flowers, macro, Nature, photography, Roses | Tags: colourful, creative, Flowers, macro, nature, photography, water drops | 4 Comments

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I’m loving using my new camera and lens and the hours fly by as I get lost in my happy Macroland. Been experimenting a bit with back-lighting etc. – all indoors of course!

These are pics of a shrub rose called Rhapsody in Blue that’s growing in my patio garden. Friends bought it for me a couple of years ago – it always makes a lovely show.

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This is a Lisianthus from a bunch of flowers I bought … gave it the ‘soft’ treatment.

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Till next time …. Eileen

Creative Macro

Posted: May 3, 2016 | Author: Eileen Thompson | Filed under: Abstract, effects, Flowers, macro, manipulations, Nature, photography | Tags: abstract, Flowers, lilac, macro, nature, Tulip, water drops, yellow | 7 Comments

Yellow Haze

Thought I would get a bit more ‘arty’ this time and go for a softer look. This is the centre of a yellow tulip.

I Got the Blues

Same image – different colour. I use a prog called ON1 sometimes and the title of this is taken from one of their effects.

Shades of Yellow

Back to normal tulip colour for this one.

Variations

I hope I’m not flogging the water drops on petals to death here! But I do enjoy playing around with them as you never know what gems you’ll end up with ….

Shades of Lilac

I really liked the colour of this one ….

Variations 2

The weather is supposed to get really good this week so I’ll be visiting the Ifield Pond again. I went last week in bright sunshine and forgot to adjust the exposure number on my camera – which spells disaster when photographing swans as their pure whiteness gets blown out and un-rescuable [if there is such a word?] Plus – I wore sunglasses and I ended up not knowing what I was viewing while trying to juggle specs and camera – daft ‘apeth! The swans have 6 babies now and I did get some adequate shots of them, but overall I was disappointed and disgusted with myself…. I hope I can learn from my mistakes though.

till next time, Eileen