Right Place Right Time

Everyday I wish for that one satisfying shot , I wait patiently by the Weir . Scanning around me watching the birds behaviour . Nesting time is very stressful for the parents , not knowing if their young will hatch and continue the blood line . Male Swans patrol the area , moving anything that gets too close to the nest . They puff their feathers to each other making them look bigger . One Swan stands on the top while the other male is below him . My finger is waiting on the the shutter press.
When all of a sudden from the side of the one on top of  the Weir another male comes charging toward it . Right in my line of sight . I click away having set the camera to Continuous Focus , F 5.6 , Shutter 1/640 , 300 mm , ISO 100 . Below is the result.

Parkland

In Leicestershire we are very lucky to have many Parks and Woods which attract many visitors to the area . Bradgate Park is one of them , situated between Cropston and Newtown Linford , it is very easy to get to
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The scenery is stunning , with old Ruins and many Deer , you are spoiled for choice . My favourite walk is from the Newtown Linford end along the path toward the Cropston Reservoir . The image below was taken from that path . Using a Nikon 35 mm F 1.8 , Settings F 2.8 , Shutter 1/8000 ( I was experimenting ) , ISO 100 .

The Beauty of Nature

Around us are wonders to behold . Nature is full of colour and variety . One of my favourites are Butterflies . The intricacy of their wings and the patterns on them amaze me . Along the bank near the Weir on the Grand Canal I spend many hours sitting watching nature pass me by .  With the Sun on my back , I set my Tamron 300 mm to the Macro setting and click away . Setting for this shot was F 5.6 , Shutter 1/2000 ,300 mm , ISO 1/1400 .

Re-enactment

The Victory Show 2015 held at Cosby in Leicestershire every year. If you get a chance to go it's well worth it . So much to see and do . People and machines from the  World War II . Flights of planes and Battle re enactments . Lots of explosions and smoke . A great day out for all .

 Settings Nikon 200 mm , F 5.6 , Shutter 1/1250,ISO 100

 Nikon 200 mm , F 4.5 , Shutter 1/1250,ISO 100

Spring Colour

In Spring you can see colour poke it's head from the frost bitten earth . Marsh Marigold  Daisies are one of the first to show against the drab canal . Bending down I take a close up of the flowers . Settings were
Nikon 200 mm ,f5.6 , shutter 1/320 , ISO 100.

Bird Photography

Capturing Birds in flight is a favourite of mine. Getting it right is difficult and takes lots of trial and error to find the settings that suit a particular situation . Take plenty of shots as the bird fly by . A fast shutter usually gets the job done , all depends on the lens you use a f2.8 will be so much faster than a f4.5 . Many zoom lens are f4.5-f5.6 . Expensive one's are F2.8 , buy one that fits your budget , an expensive lens doesn't always guarantee a spot on shot . Try to pan with the bird as it moves in front of you taking shots as you move . This technique takes time to learn ,so practice and don't be disappointed with the results . The image below was taken as the Heron was coming into land on the canal .My settings were Nikon 200 mm , F8 ,shutter 1/250 ,ISO 250 .

Horsing Around

In Aylestone Meadows , Leicester , there are many animals ,and plants to see . From tiny insects to horses . The paddock holds about 8 horses and foals . With my trusty Nikon 35mm 1.8 , I wandered along the path until I reached the gate into the field with the horses . Setting f3.5 , shutter 1/640 , ISO 125 , Manual Mode .

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