Wicken Fen

Here are some photos taken on Sunday at Wicken Fen. We were hoping to see Owls and Harriers. No Owls and only Harriers in the distance. We did see Konik Ponies, Highland Cows, and Homo twitcherii

Homo twitcherii

Wicken Fen Infrared Photography

Yesterday, Sunday 8th January 2017, Sue and I met up with about 8 other members of the Cambridge Camera Club at Wicken Fen National Trust and National Nature Reserve. We went looking for Owls and other birds. Having just purchased an Infrared Camera from my friend Ian (A Canon 20D) I decided to take it along too.

I have been reading a fine eBook by Alexandra Morrison ' The Photographer's Digital Infrared Recipe Book' (you can buy a copy at http://nature-photography-central.com/infrared-photoshop-tutorials.html - There is lots of other information too).

I love the Blue Tome photos that come out of the camera but sometimes 'swapping the channels' to get the pink toned images can be very appealing. Add to this the amazing monochrome conversions that can be created from an IR Image there is just too much excitement !!!

There is no one right conversion, after all working with a Digital Infrared Image is a creative process. I am only scratching the surface at the moment.

So below you will see images

• from the camera, the blue tones although some of these have had a Luminosity Blending Change on a monochrome layer to bring out more / different detail.
• You will also see the pink toned images from Chanel Swapping in Photoshop (again most of these are with the Luminosity Blending change on a mono layer) 
• and Mono conversions using NIK Silver Effects.
• The first of the three photos of the Konik Ponies has also had a Bleach Bypass Effect added from NIK Colour Efex 

Waddesdon Manor Lights

Traveling back from Swindon just after the Christmas stay with Nicki and her family. We all decided to visit Waddesdon Manor. Sue and I initially were not going to stay for the evening display of festive lights but we changed our minds. I decided just to take my Olympus OMD EM1 for the visit, if I had realised that we were staying on for the lights I would have used the Canon 5D mike which has a much better high ISO performance. Having said that I have some very pleasing images, all hand held and some at at 6400 ISO.

Angle Wings - Paternoster Square, London

One of the stops we made on the Gaslights and Alleyway Workshop was at Paternoster Square near St Paul's. We split into two groups and one went of to a dark alley way nearby while the other half visited this sculpture called Angle Wings. Its a beautiful modern sculpture by Thomas Heatherwich from 2000.

Its in the top 10 Abstract Sculptors in the City of London (well in one persons view I am sure). See the web site 

https://inspiringcity.com/2015/09/13/a-free-walking-tour-around-the-top-ten-abstract-sculpture-locations-in-the-city-of-london/

Angel’s Wing (2000) by Thomas Heatherwick, Paternoster Square (nearest tube St. Pauls)...... Angel’s Wing in an alcove of Paternoster Square. The square is at the opposite side of the Cathedral from Carter Lane and is accessed via the old Temple Bar gate which once stood on Fleet Street but which is now here. Through the gate, an little alley on the left will take you into the alcove and there is the Angel’s Wing. 

Needless to say there’s loads of other sculptures to see around the Paternoster Square area as well so take time to see those but the Angels Wing one is pretty impressive taking up the majority of the footprint of where it stands within the alcove. Standing up to 11metres high the work actually doubles as cooling ventsfor an electricity sub station. 

In true 'Badcock' style I failed to take a photo showing the two wings  in the same photo :(((