Ploughman

I Want To Play.

Thank you everyone.

By: Ploughman

Bit of a Handful.

Many thanks everyone. It amazed me that the guy`s hand was not shaking.

Richard.

By: Ploughman

Splish Splash.

Thanks Alda, taking duck pictures can be exciting. Well sometimes, this is the most activity I have seen for ages.

Richard.

By: Ploughman

Rose.

Many thanks everyone, a rose is my favorite flower.

By: Ploughman

Champ On Ice

Thanks Bill,
Those were the days. Lever up the tin base, fill with lead fishing weights and Plasticine. The would go like the wind with a good push.

Richard.

By: Ploughman

Cute Expression

Very nice indeed, inspirational.

Richard.

By: pronabk

What Is Over There ?

I`ve, just noticed that I have added the wrong lens. This shot was taken with a Sigma 17-70.
Sorry about that.

By: Ploughman

Orchid

Perfect and complementary colours.

Richard

By: ali63

Curlew with Sigma 400 manual focus

Very skillfully done and I will join you for a bacon buttie anytime.
I get to Coningsby airfield regularly and never mind the Lancaster and Spitfires, I secretly go for the bacon butties sold by the guy in the observation area.

Richard.

By: brian1208

Female Black-tailed Skimmer

Lovely shot with fantastic detail.

Richard

By: Ted447

Feeling blue.

Hi Mick,
I`m fairly new around here and have just had a look at your gallery. All dam good stuff. I will be looking out for your pictures.
Pleased to hear you are getting better, nebuliser machines and inhalers have been a big part of my life in the past. Got all that out of the way and now making good progress too.

Richard.

By: mikbee

Storn a Brewing

Thanks Tibetan.

By: Ploughman

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Photo does you credit. I like it very much.

Richard.

By: Jefflor

Cat, Big and Black

Thank you Peter, the dark moody style is what I was after.
Richard.

By: Ploughman

Black Cat

Thanks for your comments Steve,
I am tempted to make up a number and add to the plate. I tried putting the word `JAGUAR` in but somehow it spoiled the whole effect.
Cloning is another idea, may well try it.

Richard.

By: Ploughman

January

Thank you all, you have confirmed my final opinion.
With this 12 months project in mind I have taken shots in several locations. Many I have discarded and now I have a shortlist. This shot however has bugged me, just could not get rid for some reason. I have now
Richard.

By: Ploughman

Blue Boy Meets Purple Heart

Thanks Herman,
enjoyment is what it`s all about. I do photographs as a very small business and then I have to take pictures the way customer requires, although in my opinion, about 75% do not know what they want ! But what the heck, so long as they are happy, - so am I.
When it comes to taking pictures for fun, that is what it is - pure pleasure. I am as excited now as I was fifty years ago.
All those young people just starting out with a camera, have no idea how much pleasure they will get. Providing they really learn how to use it.
Every now and then I have someone to teach. I always start by saying, "Super glue the Scene Modes Dial, you do not need it. Learn to use the camera controls and although you will make loads of mistakes you will have sooooooo much pleasure trying."
I t will be the start of a fantastic journey for them, and their camera will become a passport to many exciting situations. Alternatively if they keep using the scene modes there is a good chance the camera will go into a cupboard after 6 months as they become disillusioned, and move on to something else.

Perhaps what I have written may seem a bit controversial, but I am interested in other people`s opinions.

Richard.

By: Ploughman

Windy Day

Ian, thanks for having a look and your opinion is very welcome.
There are two schools of thought on the question of shutter speed in regard to random moving subjects. Take waterfalls as an example, some people like the cotton wool effect of a slow shutter speed and some like a faster shutter speed to freeze the movement. I personally like the faster shutter speed. It is sort of opposite to the movement of a mechanical subject that definitely benefits from a slower shutter speed, ie the rotating propeller on an aircraft. (nothing looks worse than a flying aircraft with a static prop.) In this case I personally like the slower shutter speed.
Of course, at the end of the day it is down to personal choice, there is no `correct` way for anything in photography.

Richard

By: Ploughman

cockpit

Hello Jack,
I also reckon your photo is of a Dakota (DC3) cockpit. Recently I was lucky to get up close and personal to a Lancaster a few weeks ago, and enclose these two shots that I have added to the mods.
There are two Lancasters flying in the world. One in Canada and one here in England. Plus this one I have photographed, at the moment doing ground runs at fairly high speed, it looks and sounds fantastic. After a fairly long talk with the guys `that know` I am given to understand that the long term aim is to get it back into the air. The engines are time expired but airworthy substitutes have been located, delivered to the airfield and paid for. Also the undercarriage units and system are `very tired` and need to be replaced. Finally work may need to be done on the mainspar, I would think that takes priority but do not know how things are progressing.

Richard.

By: pics20000

Wanna Play.

Thank you Willie.

Paul,
thanks, it was well worth the effort for me to push to the front of the onlookers to get the shot. Sadly I did not see it fly, however I was told that the ammo chains worked.
Ha, I have had a shock ! I did a check and my 24,000 shots turned out to be 33,641. Hope it keeps going a bit longer. If you have the chance Paul, come to the next champs, they are held in August and are very close to the A1 near Grantham, it really is a fun weekend with fantastic photo opportunities.

Richard.

By: Ploughman

Look To The Right.

Thanks Willie, I had not noticed the distortion of the car. Just goes to show that some of us only see what we want to see, for me it is the new exhaust stacks closest to the camera. Notice how shiny they are compared to the ones on the far engine. I like your idea of cropping to show closely the bit that is interesting to you.
The title, ` Look To The Right` refers to the view from the cockpit on the right side.

Richard.

By: Ploughman

Looking Back

Ah, I`ve made a mistake the lens is a Sigma 10-20mm. Sorry about that.

Richard.

By: Ploughman

Up And Away - Monotone

Alistair,
Thanks for your input. I am unable to get more detail from the cockpit area, perhaps because these aircraft are very modern and have a bubble canopy over the cockpit. However, your idea about cloning the wing from the right machine onto the left machine is brilliant. Not sure if it shows as a botch job or not. Perhaps you would let me know after you have a look at the modification I have uploaded.
These little Pitts Specials are amazing, the displays they do are incredible. I will add a picture in colour as another mod.

Frank,
At the moment the picture was taken these machines had almost stopped. They then fell backwards in a very scary manouvre, they were only a few feet apart and perfectly synchronized. I wanted to portray the lack of motion at that point and also how close to each other they were.

By: Ploughman

Non Identical Twins

Thank you Willie,
For prop aircraft I like to use a shutter speed of around 1/150 - 1/250 sec. this gives a good blur to the prop. On this occasion I was without my tripod so, every shot was hand held. To combat camera shake I worked with 1/350 sec. most other shots that day show a static prop, perhaps these aircraft had faster props.
I will try to remember the colour profile.

Frank, thank you, no such luck, later in the day it became overcast so at least I avoided that.

Richard.

By: Ploughman

7 Hours Old

alistairfarrugia,
Thanks for your suggestions, the animal is a 7 hour old wild seal pup.
Not sure about your modification to the image, it does not look to be an improvement on my monitor. I`m not sure your monitor is calibrated correctly. How do you do your calibrations ?
I had a look at your website, some very nice images there. I particularly like your aircraft shots. My wife and I live on the climb out of RAF Coningsby, the home to The Battle Of Britain flight. By the time the modern jet Typhoons reach us they are very high indeed but, with the Spitfires, Lancaster, Hurricanes and Dakota (DC3) it is a bit different, the Lanc is still on full power and climbing away in majesty. 18 miles to the north is RAF Scampton the home of the Red Arrows, we see them flying regularly.

Focus Man,
Ah, indeed. A closer shot would look good. Thanks for having a look.

Ian,
Thank you Ian, the shot was hand held in a strong wind. I have more and may post another soon.

Ploughman.

By: Ploughman

Wet Day Project

Thank you Mary,
the thing is that I doubt if I could repeat the pp. It has been one of those days where inspiration is sort of, well, missing. i downloaded the image and started to doodle.

Ploughman.

By: Ploughman

Things To Come

Thank you Frank, hope this helps with your lens decisions. I cannot find you upload of the square version, I am new to this site and navigation is still a little strange to me.
Had a look at your website and notice you hail from Liverpool. Nina (my wife) and I went there to photograph the Tall ships in 2007 it was very memorable, especially as I had my first DSLR, a Pentax K100dt on it`s first outing.

Ploughman

By: Ploughman