One Step Closer...

One day while having a picnic I took the opportunity to take a few shots of the Grasshoppers and Crickets in the surrounding grass, as I struggled with them hopping every which way one came and landed on my friends finger so I took the opportunity and snapped it up,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.8, Shutter Speed 1/1000. ISO: 400,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Dodging The Showers...

This area of White Coppice is a very well recognised area in the local surroundings and even further afield, I have always wanted to try and capture the area from a slightly different angle but I have always just walked past it and thought " I'll do it next time" one day while walking around the heavens opened and I got drenched, taking shelter under a nearby I took the opportunity to take a few shots, this was the best one of the bunch, I hope that you like it,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 18mm, Aperture: F.8, Shutter Speed 1/30. ISO: 400,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Days To Remember...

Well for those of you that don't know or haven't figured it out get, this summer I went on holiday to France, with my partner my best friend and his partner, these were two of the best weeks I've ever had and I'd like to thank Chris for organising the holiday and inviting us, it was an unforgettable two week but in between the two weeks we stayed at a small B&B called "Le Moulin de la Fauvette" this was by far the best, friendliest most welcoming homely bed and breakfast that I've ever stayed at and I will undoubtedly be going back,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 18mm, Aperture: F.14, Shutter Speed 1/400. ISO: 400

The two people that owned then place were called Mike and Amanda, two of the nicest people that you will ever meet, they made us feel so welcome, as soon as we arrived it felt like home straight away, once we had arrived, they let us swim in there pool fish on there lake and greeted us with freshly mixed sangria and after a beautiful meal cook by their son who is trained as a chief see sat around chatting and then finished off the night under the night sky watching shooting stars before going to lovely accommodation,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 18mm, Aperture: F.10, Shutter Speed 1/100. ISO: 400,

If you fancy giving it a try, the link is below, it's a beautiful place in amazing surroundings and with international attractions such as oradour sur glen just down the road, there is plenty to do,

http://lemoulindelafauvette.com/crbst_7_en.html

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Feeling A Bit Batty...

While on the second week of our holidays I was walking around the villa when I saw a lizard run up behind a wooden shutter, to get a closer look I slowly opened the shutter, to my surprise I was treated to a close up view of two pipistrelle bats, not wanting to disturbed them I took a quick snap then left them alone,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.6.3, Shutter Speed 1/250. ISO: 800,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

My Last Little Lizard...

Another little lizard taken in France, one of the thing that I really miss from been on holiday,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.6.3, Shutter Speed 1/800. ISO: 800,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Lazing Lizard....

While looking through my pictures from France again, I came across a few pictures that I hadn't uploaded so I will be doing so in the next few blogs,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 180mm, Aperture: F.6.3, Shutter Speed 1/640. ISO: 800,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Starting To Bug Me...

Starting to Bug me, I saw this beetle in France and haven't been able to I identify it yet so any help would be welcome,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.6.3, Shutter Speed 1/200. ISO: 800,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Hornet...

I'm not a big fan of Wasps or Hornets but I spend quite a bit of time by this one to try and get a good picture and in my mind I think it paid off, I hope that you like it,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.14, Shutter Speed 1/200. ISO: 800,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Well Earned stop...

This picture was at a service station, after a long journey from Dover to Birmingham, we stopped for some tea, half way through my Burger King I noticed this Sparrowhawk at the side of the car park, with a fresh kill, trying to swallow my food whisper "LOOK AT THAT" and grab my camera all in the same millisecond was quite a effort but I managed to get a half decent shot,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.8, Shutter Speed 1/800. ISO: 800,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Little Egret...

We finished off the day with this beautiful Little Egret, even thought they have only been common place for the past 5-10 year, people are already over looking them which I think if awful but it is natural as the bird become more common,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.8, Shutter Speed 1/800. ISO: 800,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Red Deer,

This Picture was taken at Leighton Moss From Grisdale Hide, one of the better places around the reserve to see these secretive animals, I call them secretive but when I took this photo they were just lying around in the open,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.8, Shutter Speed 1/800. ISO: 800,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Back to the Birding And A Year Tic...

Well after a MASSIVE break from birding and missing all the recent excitement with Pectoral Sand and the winter wader starting the encroach back in, I managed a day out to Leighton Moss which apart from three Black Tern was very quiet but it enjoyed it none the less,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.8, Shutter Speed 1/800. ISO: 800,Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Last But Not Least...

You'll be happy to hear, this is my last picture from Chester Zoo and I left this one till last because I can't help but love it, technical the picture is not that good because of the Meerkat in the foreground with it's back to the camera but the two youngsters are to cute to be left out,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.8, Shutter Speed 1/800. ISO: 800,Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

The Morning After The Night Before...

Well it's the day after the night before and I feel as rough as he look but still there is nothing wrong with over indulging from time to time, when watching this bird, even though it was magnificent I couldn't help but think "if only it was wild" it could do so much more good out there,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.8, Shutter Speed 1/800. ISO: 800,Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

21 and Premature Baldness,

today is my 21st and I'm feeling a bit old so I thought this would be an appropriate image, this picture was taken in one of the bird houses at Chester Zoo, not the bonniest bird that I've ever way but beautifully unique in their own way;



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.8, Shutter Speed 1/800. ISO: 800,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

PENGUINS!!!!!!

I must admitted I do love Penguins, I thing there fantastic,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.6.3, Shutter Speed 1/2000. ISO: 800,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Elephants Don't Like Water???

This Shot was taken at Chester Zoo during the Elephant talk,apparently the Elephants don't like going in deep water so they threw pieces of fruit in to entice them, hence how I got this snap;



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 116mm, Aperture: F.8, Shutter Speed 1/500. ISO: 400,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

I Want To Be Like You ou ou...

This was taken at Chester Zoo in the Orang-outang enclosure,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.8, Shutter Speed 1/800. ISO: 800,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Snake....

This was taken at Chester Zoo in the Reptile house...



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.6.3, Shutter Speed 1/50. ISO: 800,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Giraffe...

This picture was taken at Chester Zoo just after the Giraffes had been feed, I thought it was a comical picture, I hope that you like it;



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 98mm, Aperture: F.6.3, Shutter Speed 1/250. ISO: 400,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

In The Dragons Den...

Sorry for the long delays on these next few pictures but I have recently moved out have been struggling with getting the internet working, since my last blog, I have had a day out a Chester Zoo so most of these pictures



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.6.3, Shutter Speed 1/20. ISO: 800,

I would never usually shoot this low when photographing animals but as it was so dark, I had to make exceptions,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Chester Zoo, Butterfly House...

This beautiful butterfly was taken in the butterfly house a Chester Zoo,

The technical information of how I took this photograph;

Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 65mm, Aperture: F.6.3, Shutter Speed 1/160. ISO: 800,

Red Sky At Night...

This shot was taken while on a recent fishing holiday in Lincolnshire



The technical information of how I took this photograph;

Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 65mm, Aperture: F.20, Shutter Speed 1/60. ISO: 200,

After I had taken the picture, all i did was add a small gradient boarder then blogged it,

I hope that you like my picture,
Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Black Tailed Skimmer...

This was quite a special moment for me, on my way back from France, we stopped at a fishery, as we sat eating our butties and we watch two dragon flies flying up and down together, quite quickly we relised that they were courting, eventually they settled down mated and then the female began to lay eggs which is were I got this picture,



Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.6, Shutter Speed 1/1250. ISO: 800,

Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Oradour Sur Glen...

This shot was taken while walking around oradour sur glen, I can't go into detail on this post but it is an amazing place to visit and if you haven't heard of it, please look into it...



The technical information of how I took this photograph;
Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 18mm, Aperture: F.14, Shutter Speed 1/160. ISO: 400,

After I had taken the picture,

I hope that you like my picture,
Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Heaven...

This shot was taken while in France, I'm not sure of the name of this place but it was a beautiful church at the end of our road,



The technical information of how I took this photograph;
Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 18mm, Aperture: F.10, Shutter Speed 1/500. ISO: 500,

After I had taken the picture, I added a boarder and frame,

I hope that you like my picture,
Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Eye To Eyes...

This shot was taken while n holiday in France...



The technical information of how I took this photograph;
Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.8, Shutter Speed 1/800. ISO: 800,

After I had taken the picture, I upped the sharpness and shadow slightly to increase definition and detail, then added a rounded boarder,

I hope that you like my picture,
Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Curculionoidea weevil (phyllobius pomaceus)...

This shot was taken whilst walking around



The technical information of how I took this photograph;
Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.7.1, Shutter Speed 1/400. ISO: 800,
I wouldn't usually shoot on an obscure F. like this, I would usually shoot on F.8 or 6.3 but here I am in the middle,

After I had taken the picture, upped the shadow to increase the facial definition then added a rounded boarder,

I hope that you like my picture,
Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

Shadows Of Summer...

This shot was taken while walking around White Coppice, this is by far one of my favourite places ever to walk and no more than 5 min away from my home,



The technical information of how I took this photograph;
Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.8, Shutter Speed 1/1600. ISO: 800,

After I had taken the picture, I upped the shadow which gave a large contrast between light and dark because I liked this effect I decided to have another play around with the colour splash, once I had finished with this I added a black gradient boarder,

I hope that you like my picture,
Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.

A Little Something People Usually Skip Over...

This shot was taken while on holiday earlier this year on the east coast, around Bempton Cliffs



The technical information of how I took this photograph;
Lens: sigma 18-200 @ 200mm, Aperture: F.6.3, Shutter Speed 1/1250. ISO: 800,

After I had taken the picture, I upped the sharpness and shadow slightly, then added a white rounded boarder,

I hope that you like my picture,
Thanks Lee Harrison, Happy Days and Happy Snapping.