Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[majorbloodnock]

I remember some time ago someone asking about camera bags, so I know I'm not alone (or at least wasn't then). As for now, do we have any photographers out there? I'm primarily talking about anyone who is interested in using a camera to create an image for its own sake rather than simply as a pictorial record - a photo rather than just a snap. Of course, that's all subjective and I'm not interested in applying any kind of quality threshold; I just wanted to know who among us is interested in this kind of pastime. If so, I'd be keen to hear a bit about what you do.

[Luvachicken]

Don't know if this helps but I posted this one other time when someone was asking about camera bags :

 

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/lowepro/nova-160-aw-black--75407/show.html

 

My daughter chose this one.

She is 22 and she has similar camera stuff to you.

She said it also comes with a handy waterproof cover

 

Mind you my daughter is 25 now so I don't know if Jessops still sell them.

[Cat tails]

I love photography! Although I have to say, I haven't really had the time for it lately. Did buy myself a Pulse, which is a device I can attach to my Canon and use my phone to programme it. It's ideal for HDR, long exposure and stuff like that.

[Luvachicken]

D'oh, sorry, just re read your post and you didn't want to know about a camera bag did you

[Charlottechicken]

I like photography, I'm interested in taking photos which are well balanced and constructed, it drives the OH mad! I don't digitally enhance photos (don't know how anyway!) and love Villager Jim for his nature and weather shots. I don't have a great camera but the quest fot the perfect photo with an imperfect camera keeps me on my toes!

[majorbloodnock]

He, he. You're right, luvachicken; I wasn't enquiring about bags. However if you or your daughter have any stories to swap about what you put in said bag, I'm all ears.

 

@cattails & charlottechicken, in the spirit of this forum category (arts & crafts) are you working on anything particular at the moment? Do you have any subject preferences? And do you have any examples you're willing to share?

[majorbloodnock]

Oh, and @charlottechicken, I'm convinced the quality of the camera is largely irrelevant when set against the quality of the eye behind it. What some have achieved with an iPhone proves that to me. Someone once said, perhaps a little tritely, that the perfect camera is the one you have with you when you need to take a shot.

[Cat tails]

I agree on the camera. You can make great photos with just about any camera.

 

Here are a few favorites:

The Duomo in Firenze

 

Recognise this? It's a scan of a photo of years ago, but I do like the effect.

 

And this one?

 

I love photography nature most I think, but do look for different views/angles etc

 

My previous cat Amy:

 

These are all quite old, as my more recent photos are on my computer (I'm on my iPad right now) and haven't added them to photobucket. If I feel up to the photobucket struggle, I'll get up some others soon.

[Charlottechicken]

A lot of mine are on my blog, we've just had a holiday in the Cotswolds and to my delight there was lots of fog and frost

 

I took a photo of Maisie mid shake and only her head and feet are in focus, I thought it was clever at the time!

 

Will see if I can get photobucket to play with me and post some.

[Charlottechicken]

Here's a random selection of mine, I take photos of anything!

 

The OH, framed by layers of decaying walls at Witley court

 

 

Sun shafts

 

 

Damselfly wings on wrought iron gate

 

 

Sorry, got carried away

 

Now saving up for a bridge camera or anything that doesn't have dust stuck in the lens!

 

As I can't resize to a smaller size I've deleted a few to save space

Edited January 14, 2017 by Guest

[Blackrocksrock]

Dunnett Caithness

Snow 2011

 

[Charlottechicken]

Ooh, forgot about snow shots, I do love snow.

Edited January 14, 2017 by Guest

[majorbloodnock]

@cattails, I followed your link to your photobucket album and you have some crackers in there. My favourite is the silhouette of the bird on a handrail. Also, when I saw the Duomo photo full screen, it worked really well, and the buildings to either side somehow channelled the eye.

 

@Charlottechicken, it's those shafts of sunlight that really got me. It'd almost get me digging for faery gold....

 

@Blackrocksrock, the way the light is falling on that final snow scene is really unusual, but it gives it almost a snow-globe feel. Real picture postcard stuff.

[Blackrocksrock]

Quote="majorbloodnock"]

 

@Blackrocksrock, the way the light is falling on that final snow scene is really unusual, but it gives it almost a snow-globe feel. Real picture postcard stuff.

 

 

Thank you, view from my back door, was unreal the amount we had.

[Cat tails]

@cattails, I followed your link to your photobucket album and you have some crackers in there. My favourite is the silhouette of the bird on a handrail. Also, when I saw the Duomo photo full screen, it worked really well, and the buildings to either side somehow channelled the eye.

 

Thanks!

I took another look at the photo you mentioned. I actually think it's a church in Helsinki. I went there when I was about 14 with school. That's were the shot of the trees on the water is taken too.

 

I love the damsel fly wings on the gate too! So unusual!

[Charlottechicken]

I love the damsel fly wings on the gate too! So unusual!

 

thank you, I like close ups, it was actually stuck to the gates of a church crypt.

 

I love your Giraffe close ups, I can almost touch him!

 

I would like a better camera, I've missed so many birds because the camera is slow to focus, and I have a love of taking photos looking into the sun and the dust in the lens just creates strange shapes. My camera is of a much lower quality than the one on OH's iphone so I think I'm due for an upgrade

[Blackrocksrock]

Love all the photos - particularly the chooks and the pussycat!

[Charlottechicken]

I've just noticed you are right up in north Scotland Blackrocksrock, do you get a lot of snow to photograph?

 

I love snow, love the blue tinge you have in your photos and the fact that it is untouched, I'm jealous!

 

Are you a pro photographer majorbloodnock? Or just an experienced amateur?

 

I used to have a lovely old practika camera, and enjoyed the manual focus and thinking about focal lengths and shutter speeds, modern cameras make you lazy to a degree but I'd love to upgrade the compact snap camera to a bridge at least.

 

Found a snowy shot at last!

 

Junction of Stratford and Worcestershire canals

 

Edited January 14, 2017 by Guest

[majorbloodnock]

I would like a better camera, I've missed so many birds because the camera is slow to focus, and I have a love of taking photos looking into the sun and the dust in the lens just creates strange shapes. My camera is of a much lower quality than the one on OH's iphone so I think I'm due for an upgrade

 

Two obvious questions; do you have a budget in mind and what do you want from the camera? You mentioned earlier you were considering a bridge camera, and my son replaced his a couple of years ago with a DSLR, so I've had the chance to compare extensively side by side. Pros and cons both ways depending on the mix of compromises that suits you regarding portability, quality, flexibility and price.

[Charlottechicken]

Thanks for the reply, majorbloodnock

 

Budget is as near to £120 as possible, I need at least the same megapixel as an iphone, so I believe around 20 would be nice, and I take photos of anything, but am now selling clothing online so close ups (or the ability to be enlarged) and good colour representation are needed. The next camera will be a business buy as I need it for the clothing.

 

I've seen some interesting ones at around £120 (pre Christmas) just need to get my head around a bridge. Actually, I've just seen a Canon powershot 20mp bridge for £120, which looks good. I'm using an older Canon powershot now so I should be familiar the operating of it

 

Edited to add: Bridge cameras look huge! Might be better off sticking with a compact

[majorbloodnock]

Are you a pro photographer majorbloodnock? Or just an experienced amateur?

 

No, I'm not a pro. Although I have the odd optimistic iron in the fire on t'interweb it's not my reason for taking photos. Another photographer once suggested I'm a bit of a romantic, and he's probably right because the common theme throughout all my shots is an attempt to capture the beauty of the world around me. I'll admit, however, to a distinct preference for wildlife and countryside subjects, and a tendency to try capturing fleeting moments rather than careful composition.

 

I used to have a lovely old practika camera, and enjoyed the manual focus and thinking about focal lengths and shutter speeds, modern cameras make you lazy to a degree but I'd love to upgrade the compact snap camera to a bridge at least.

 

Don't forget that a bridge camera is to all intents and purposes a digital SLR camera but with on flexible lens rather than several interchangeable ones. If you want to shoot entirely manually, you can. My son's photography came on leaps and bounds once he learned how to do that, because suddenly he was in control rather than just pointing a fancy box of tricks.

 

Found a snowy shot at last!

 

Junction of Stratford and Worcestershire canals

 

 

Lovely shot. Personally, I'd rotate it slightly so the canal is actually level, but that's only a detail. The sun behind the trees really adds to the character, and somehow emphasises the coldness (strangely). **EDIT** Actually, I've taken another look, and the rail posts and corner of the house show the shot is actually perfectly straight already. My bad.

Edited January 15, 2017 by Guest

[majorbloodnock]

Thanks for the reply, majorbloodnock

 

Budget is as near to £120 as possible, I need at least the same megapixel as an iphone, so I believe around 20 would be nice, and I take photos of anything, but am now selling clothing online so close ups (or the ability to be enlarged) and good colour representation are needed. The next camera will be a business buy as I need it for the clothing.

 

I've seen some interesting ones at around £120 (pre Christmas) just need to get my head around a bridge. Actually, I've just seen a Canon powershot 20mp bridge for £120, which looks good. I'm using an older Canon powershot now so I should be familiar the operating of it

 

Edited to add: Bridge cameras look huge! Might be better off sticking with a compact

 

Best thing is to go into a camera shop or two and try them. Yes, a bridge camera is larger than a compact point and squirt, but does offer a more flexible approach. It is possible to get flexibility in a small package by looking at CSC cameras (sometimes known as micro four thirds) which are small, but with interchangeable lenses. However, they are certainly significantly above your budget. It's that eternal (and in this case paraphrased) cliché; cheap, good, flexible - pick any two.

 

I will, however, post below one of my son's shots when he was using a Fujifilm HS30EXR. That should give you a good idea of what you can expect if you go down that route.

 

[Blackrocksrock]

Yes we sometimes get quite a dump of snow - but not for a few years - its about 3 inches right now and melting before it goes back to frost tonight - its nice though.

This was at my front where the car should be able to get on to the road! Helpful snowplough!!!

[Charlottechicken]

Lovely shot. Personally, I'd rotate it slightly so the canal is actually level, but that's only a detail. The sun behind the trees really adds to the character, and somehow emphasises the coldness (strangely). **EDIT** Actually, I've taken another look, and the rail posts and corner of the house show the shot is actually perfectly straight already. My bad.

 

Thank you for the comment. Odd, isn't it?? I have a feeling that the right side of the canal is actually nearer than the left, which makes it appear to be going uphill I actually thought I had taken a wonky shot, I'm quite good at those, and put it down to the fact it was a long walk on a minus 10 day and being trigger happy with all the snow and low sun. I was more than pleased with the blue hues I got that day, as shown in blackrocksrock's photos.

 

On reflection, I think I will stick to a compact, I really like the Canon I have, although it does have too many functions for my liking, so will look for something of that ilk. I would prefer something small and the bulk of those bridge cameras compared to the amount of time I get to play with a camera it doesn't add up.

 

Your son's shot is the sort of thing I used to take with my SLR, I like to see the hairs on a bees knees, lovely photo!

[Cat tails]

I unearthed some more of my favourites:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on them for a bigger version.