things that might have been otherwise

Daily photo #106 snowdropdewdrops, originally uploaded by johnfitzg.

Rachel tipped me off to an ‘easy’ daily photo opportunity this morning. Easy because they were right outside the front door. Not as easy as I thought, however! Snowdrops are very tiny, so I needed to do the old ‘poor man’s macro’ trick of reversing a prime lens. Nifty but awkward to hold… I also needed some bright directional light to bring out the dewdrops, so I balanced my flash on the ground a few feet away – it’s a bit powerful for macro. It took a few attempts to get it right, as the flash kept toppling over, and focus is hard to find with a reversed lens. I was pleased with the result though.

#105 black, originally uploaded by johnfitzg.

A close-up of the piano. This is also a weekly challenge photo; each week a friend and I hope to send each other a word as inspiration for a photo. Mine this week was ‘black’.

#104 Beeston Priory, originally uploaded by johnfitzg.

Caught the evening light at Beeston Priory, an ancient abbey not far from the house. It was founded in 1216, and existed until 1538 when King Henry VIII banned the Catholic religion and ordered the dissolution of the Monasteries and Priories. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeston_Regis#St_Mary.27s_Priory_an… for more history.

#103 Rachel, originally uploaded by johnfitzg.

Was experimenting with off-camera and bounced flash today. Rachel kindly sat for a portrait. I hardly use flash at all, so it was good to be able to experiment to get some nice soft lighting.
Strobist info: Metz 45 bounced off white wall to camera right set to auto f/4, camera on manual at 1/250th @ f5.6, ISO 200

#102 swooping seagulls, originally uploaded by johnfitzg.

Very windy on Sheringham strand yesterday. Only had a compact with a 28mm lens, so not ideal for bird photography! But the seagulls had to fly quite low because of the strong wind, so I got this shot.

Daily photo #101 rear window full speed ahead, originally uploaded by johnfitzg.

Driving back from Derby to Norfolk, we had grey skies ahead and bright skies behind. This uncropped shot also included a serendipitous telephone pole both ahead and behind and a speed camera!

Daily photo #100 door into the dark, originally uploaded by johnfitzg.

A bit of a moody shot, was hoping for an industrial landscape this afternoon but rain and a packed boat-viewing schedule put paid to that!

#99 boat on wheels, originally uploaded by johnfitzg.

A grab shot taken as we speeded up the M6. We spent the day looking at narrowboats, but didn’t find any we liked. It was funny to pass this boat on a lorry as we headed to a boatyard…

#98 tree and clouds, originally uploaded by johnfitzg.

A lovely walk in the Derbyshire hills today with A. Jean. I liked the way this bare tree stood out against the bright sky.

#97 lights out, originally uploaded by johnfitzg.

Staying with a relative near Derby – a very comfortable room! Thought the lighting on the bedside table did a good job of conveying the comfort at the end of a day of travel.