Week 46 – Harvest/Autumn

There are some fields close to me, the harvest is almost completed.

Canon 600d EFS-18-135 f14 @ 1/60 Sec ISO 100

I did get a few strange looks walking around the field with my camera from the cars as they went past!

Week 45 – Happy

Its been a while!  But here we are.

The theme this week is Happy.  You know you're doing OK when the theme Happy brings a range of choices.  I have been blessed by a lovely wife and awesome children.

However I expect that most people will use that so I thought I do something different.

I have recently started doing some night photography.  One of the things that makes me happy is learning new things, pushing myself across new boundaries.  That sense of achèvement when you accomplish something new - that has been a challenge.

This picture was taken using my telescope.  This was also the first time I shot in  RAW.

Week 36 – Back To School

Well its been a few weeks since I have been on here.  Partly because there has been a lot of summer topics and here in the UK there has not been a lot of summer!

Anyway here is my picture for this week.  This is my two youngest an their way to school

Cannon 600d - 50mm f/4.5 1/400 sec ISO 100

Really pleased with the picture.  You have no idea of the plea bargaining that was required for this picture.  It is not usual for them to hold hands like that I can tell you!

Anyway - thanks for the tips from the Life With My 3 Boybarians  photo blog.

Week 28 - Summer Treats

We have had little of summer this year so far in the UK.  Lots and lots of rain!

Anyway, summer treats - how about a nice bowl of Strawberries?

Nom nom!


Well I'm probably last through the door this week - must try harder!

Week 27 - KaBoom

Here in the UK we don't really celebrate the 4th.  However fireworks can sometimes bring a look of wonder to the faces of children.

Sparklers just seem to mesmerize them!

So I've been a little lazy over the last few weeks with this so need to get back on it!

Week 26 - Schools Out

ooops, missed this weeks.  I will add a picture here later.. :-(

Week 25 - Fathers

So I found this one difficult.

As the father i the family I have had an aversion to having my picture taken since I was at primary school.  As a result of which there are few pictures of me around.

I have one that my daughter took of me but decided that that was not in the spirit of this.

I I have taken a different tack here.  My father passed away in 2004.  While I have found being a father an amazing thing there are moments when I stop and miss him.

Cannon 600d - 50mm f/4.5 1/200 sec

So my picture for this theme is the stop and think a moment one - for those fathers who have fallen by the wayside, these are not the only markers that they were once here.

Week 24 - Sunlight

Once again here in the UK it has been a bit of a struggle with the weather. There has been s distinct lack of sunlight! However the other evening there was a nice clear sky, as the un was setting.
 

Canon 600D  18-138mm f/5 1/2500

I've been playing with sunset pictures a little over the last couple of months and have been enjoying the challenge the lighting brings.

I like this picture as it has a little golden foreground detail too.

Now looking at the weather forecast - next weeks picture could be a challenge!

P52 ~ Week 23 - Water

Well its only Wednesday this week and I am ready.

On my walk in to work I walk over a footbridge.  On nice quite calm days the water has little ripples on  and the water looks almost velvety

iPhone 4s 4.3mm, ISO-64 F/2.4 1/1042 sec

This morning the sun finally appeared after several days of heavy rain and dreary grey skies.  The river looked lovely this morning.  So I stopped and took out my iPhone.

Hopefully the weather will stay like this or next week's theme could be a challenge!

P52 ~ Week 22 - Playtime

Again I've left it late but just got in in time.

This week I have chosen a picture of my son going out to play football. Its June and the weather has been appalling. This did not deter Rhys though.. Still he wanted to play.

Canon 600d 50mm, ISO-200 F/2 1/2500 sec

Next I will try to get my picture on Earlier!  Honest, this week was a little rushed!

P52 ~ Week 21 - Favourites

Week 21 is here and I'm still on board, just.

This week is favourites (yup with a 'u' in).  I had to be strict to stick to the rules this week as I was so tempted to use one of my favourite pictures from previous shoots.  I was getting more and more tempted as the week drew to a close and still I had nothing!

But I did.  Earlier this week I was out cycling and saw this field that was totally purple.  It was an awesome sight,  I took my wife later in the day to show her but could not see the field.  Was out cycling a few days later and again there was this awesome field - I carefully noted where it was.

But again that evening the field was just green.

Canon 600d 50mm, ISO-200 F/22 1/30 sec

But as you can see the field is full of really lovely purple flowers.  It seems though that this treat is only visible to people who raise early.  I took this shot on my way to work.

So favourites - this was the favourite picture I took this week.  I was able to prove that I was not going mad on my rides and that this lovely purple field does exist - if you get up early enough.

Well I really hope to get my picture in earlier next week - as this week I have done it with only a few hours to spare!

P52 ~ Week 20 - Mothers

Another week of the P52 project and we finally have soe decent weather here in the UK.

This weeks theme is Mothers and I've gone for a slightly different interpretation of this.

We live on this amazing planet and we get some amazing gifts from mother nature.

Canon 600d 50mm, ISO-400 F/13 1/200 sec

Here is the sunset - as my youngest two look on.  Sunsets are truly a gift rom mother nature.  With all the bad weather in the UK I have been waiting for a decent one for quite some time.

A little late getting my post up this week - will try harder for next weeks.

P52 ~ Week 19 - Still Life

So this is really a wow moment,  Its Friday and I'm putting my picture up already.  This is a record!

Still life is this weeks theme.  I must admit that this was quite a challenge this week.  Still life pictures rely a lot on the composition.  This is where I may fall down a little.  I have absolutely no artistic talent at all,  I have a scientific brain so this sort of thing does not come naturally.

Anyway - I had fun today shooting this.  My first still life and my first black and white shoot.  I know people recommend that you shoot in colour and change to monochrome during editing but I am doing this  P52 project photoshop free.  The only edits I will do is the occasional cropping.  However no such editing was required this time.

Canon 600d 50mm, ISO-100 F/6.3 1/160 sec

Hopefully next week I will be just as keen!

P52 ~ Week 18 - Fiesta or Siesta

Nearly didn't make it this week!

This week is the turn of my daughter.  She can sleep anywhere.  When we go out in the car she is usually asleep before we get to the end of the road!

P52 ~ Week 17 - Green

This week the theme is Green.

Lots of ideas this week but the very wet, cold and rainy weather it wasn't really the weather good for going out with the camera.

I managed to get a picture though.  In the woods, a brief sunny interlude!

There are so many greens out in the woods as the world springs to life after the cold winter.  I find the number of greens that are there amazing.

P52 ~ Week 16 - Things that Grow

I've managed to get done a little earlier this week which was nice.

At the weekend we all went for a walk to the woods nearby, that we affectionately call the bluebell woods.  I guess you can see why!

Canon 600d 18-135mm, ISO-200 F/13 1/30 sec

These woods are lovely and especially at this time of year when the bluebells are just starting to appear.  I think that the colours in this picture are very good  with all the blues and greens.

We had a lovely afternoon exploring the woods - just struggled to chose which picture to use!

P52 ~ Week 15 - Sacrifice

I'm very late this week, but just made it.

Good Friday was a driver behind this topic and I had an ideal opportunity for this when our local town had a mock crucifixion of Jesus.  Sadly I did not have my camera and became so enthralled in the performance I totally forgot.

So having missed that opportunity I came up with another idea, the sun.

In days gone by the sun was worshipped and many animals and even people were sacrificed to appease the sun gods.

I took this picture, but was not totally happy with it.  Sadly though the April showers we are currently getting here in the UK have meant that I was unable to get a second chance to have a sunset photo shoot.

I'll have another go in a few weeks - and hope to get something better.

Right, really must get my arse in gear next week and try to get posted early!

P52 ~ 14 - FOOLIN’ AROUND

OK, so I'm very late this week.  I thought I was going to miss it this week but just managed it.

Foolin Around - could have been talking about many things but I took it as that carefree playing you see sometimes, normally in children but also sometimes in pets too.

The picture I chose this week reflected this nicely.  My dog, Darwin, really enjoys playing with his ball sadly he normally chews them to pieces after playing fetch for a short while.

Canon 600d EF-S with 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6: Taken at f/5.6 1/125 sec

The added bonus with this picture is that my son is playing football in the background - another example of that carefree playing....

Next week I will try to get my photo posted earlier.

P52 ~ 13 - Details

Thirteen weeks and still going!  Thankfully we have no gone onto British Summer Time in the UK which means that there is extra light in the evenings for getting out with the camera.

This week is details, I wanted to capture something that you don't normally notice.  One of those things that we can only see because the camera slows the world down fo us.  I was hoping to see one of those things that people would never had seen a hundred years ago!

I set up the camera and hose pipe in the garden, hoping to capture an image of the water just as it hits something - spreading out in an almost jelly like shape.  I really enjoyed the experience and got several really good pictures.

The photo I chose to use though was one taken at the end of the shoot.  Just before packing up my daughter turned the hose on a bush in the garden.  I watched the little drops of water slowly dropping off the leaves.

I turned my camera and snapped a few pictures.  One of these was the one I chose for this week.  You can see the drop of water dropping down off the bush.  But there are other details too.  One some of the leaves there are drops of water almost ready the fal off the leaf.

Those details that we miss.

P52 ~ 12 - Hunger

This year I have given up chocolate for lent. Now I like chocolate nearly as much as I like my coffee so this has been hard. The other day my son had a box of Cadbury's Chocolate fingers which are one of my favourites. I was going to use these as my hungar picture , the box half open revealing the tasty treats waiting for the end of lent.... My son had a different idea though and they were all gone before I had the chance to take the picture.

Canon 600d 50mm, ISO-200 F1.8 1/32 sec.

Later that evening when washing up I dropped one of our plates.  The plate looked like there had been a bite taken out of it - there's your hunger - so hungry that you eat the plate!

This is probably not the strongest picture I have used in this series, so onto next week and hopefully something better.

P52 ~ 11 - The Eyes of March

Each week seems to be more difficult than the last.  Generally I have a scientific mid to this project being more arty is a challenge for me.

I am glad that I managed to get a picture for this week as I was struggling.  I had to wait for the skies to clear - night after night was cloudy!

The Eyes of March is a throw back to "The Ides of March". The Ides in Roman terms was the middle of the month. More famously Julias Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March (15th) The Ides of March was one of many holidays which was sacred to Jupiter, the Roman god of Sky and Thunder.

Canon 600d 18-135mm 30 Second Exposure F6.3 (With Custom White balance)

This weeks picture is the Planet Jupiter which is very bright in the night sky at the moment.  Jupiter i high and bright in the night sky behind my house in Wiltshire.

This was my first attempt at night shooting, I really enjoyed it. The first couple of pictures came out very orange  - due to all the street lighting.  There is a local house that is white so I took a picture of it to get a custom white balance.  The pictures came out  a lot better and the colours seemed more night like.

I really enjoyed experimenting with the night shooting.  This project is really pushing me out of my comfort zone, which is a good thing.  I think I will be taking some more pictures of the night sky!

Anyway, onto next week......

P52 ~ 10 - Be Still

This week I had it all planned and was hoping to be one of the first to post my picture.

My plan was a picture of the sunrise coming up over the park, showing the world all still and sleepy before it wakes up.

Sadly the british weather decided not to play ball.  Every morning was either cloudy or foggy.  Not a sunrise in sight.

So I've had to bite the bullet and change my plans a little.  We still have the world waking pu over the park, but instead of a glorious sunrise we have a misty morning.  Still the world is still and starting to wake up...

Canon 600d - 50mm Lens ISO 100 - F/14 - 1 Second Exposure

On to next week, the eyes of march..  Well I currently have no idea at all.

P52 ~ 9 - A Great Leap

This week for my picture I chose my daughter. A few years ago she was playing on the swings and she managed to break her arm.

Taken on Canon 600d - 50mm f1/8 - ISO 100 f/4 1/200

Initially there was fear, she was scared to go back on the swings.  Slowly though she regained her confidence.  As you can see here confidence seems to have returned - although she does not go on the swing that she fell from, never again!

Unusually for me I'm adding a second picture this week.  

This one is a similar one from the first one but from behind.  I was a little disappointed with the first picture as the sky was totally washed out.  I don't like editing pictures for P52 after they are taken as one of the purposes for taking part in this is to improve my photo taking.  The most I will do is a little cropping!

In this second picture the sky looks much better. 

Taken on Canon 600d - 50mm f1/8 - ISO 100 f/4 1/1000

P52 ~ 8 - Cabin Fever

Here in the UK the winters are generally cold and wet rather than nice and snowy.

Here is my daughter, Amber.  Happily reading through the dull and grey winter in the UK.

Canon EOS 660D - EF 50mm f/1.8 1/50

The book she chose to read was a happy coincidence!

P52 ~ 7 - True Love

Week six is here, and I seem to be a little late - I'm still here though!

This weeks theme is True Love.  I felt myself in the very fortunate place of having several subjects for this topic.

As far as True Love goes there is only person for me to ask to be the star, Lisa,  my wife.  After all she is the one who chose to be here and remains voluntarily.  Sadly though shyness overcame her so I had to look elsewhere.

I have two wonderful children both who would have been very willing, and we have a very cute puppy.  They say never work with animals or children, so I decided to do both ~ this may have been a contributing factor to me being so late this week.  Must try harder next week!

The picture I chose though is of my son Rhys, playing lovingly with our 10 month old puppy, Darwin.

Rhys has Aspergers Syndrome and as such always struggles with displaying his feelings.  Before we got Darwin all his love was targeted towards his favourite soft toy, Mr Dragon.  Mr Dragon would be carried around everywhere and Rhys refused to entertain the thought that he was a toy and would get very upset if his sister suggested as such!

Since Darwins arrival though Rhys has changed massively.  He openly plays with Darwin, telling him he loves him.  Mr Dragon now lives on top of the wardrobe and is only occasionally played with.  Rhys really cares for animals and is fully able to display this.

I know that we are only meant to use one picture but I could not resist adding one of Darwin.

Right, onto next week - must get on to it earlier!