David995031

Hi everyone. I have not been around for a few months due to a close family bereavement and all the admin assoociated with such an event. I am once again in the frame of mind (and have the time) to participate but need a bit of technical advice. I have replaced my laptop and need to re-input the size limititation for uploaded shots - maybe someone could help.

I have read the posts and this thread and am inclined to agree with Denis regarding lack of feedback. I am not necessarily looking for plaudits (although they are always welcome) but a bit constructive criticism can be quite educational. Perhaps the ethos of "the friendly forum" makes people reluctant to criticise but from my point of view you can love me, hate me but please don't ignore me!

I also agree with Matt Grey with his Instagram suggestion, potentially exposing the forum to a wider audience.

Also, while this would not expand our membership per se but the occasional awaydays provided a bit of mortar to hold us together. These had to die a  death during lockdown of course but maybe it is time to revive this practice.

That's a beauty, Denis. The sky has the look of a bit of impressionist art about it. The cloud shapes draw your eye into the centre of the shot. Lovely work.

On 05/12/2021 at 05:26, Kobione said:

Nice catch of something we don't see David.

TBH, Dee they are so reclusive that we rarely see them. Which is what makes their visits to be garden so special. I had three at one time last week! The trick is to give them access to ground level food in the winter.

Superb work - both of them.

11 hours ago, Denis said:

....and highlights the birds natural waterproofing nicely David ...and  I'm sure that was really your intention eh?

Yep, all part of the masterplan, Denis! 

We've all used this expression but this morning I photographed the phenomenom. The duck was making a bit of a commition in the water which I though would make a nice shot but by the time I had pressed the shutter button the action was all but over. However I was quite pleased to capture the water sliding off the bird.

Handsome chap - superbly captured.

Nice light and composition.

Tricky things, birds in flight but when they work it is worth all the duff ones.

Blimey - you don't see one for years and now it looks like it may become a regular visitor. It is taken through the window but this time the camera was set at a more sensible 1/200 of a sec.

Thanks v much for this, Polly. I am having a bit of trouble opening the image in the Camera Raw sub programme of Photoshop but I am sure it is just me. I will play around with it. Meanwhile the Jay has come back and I am posting a better shot.

It was a Jpeg, Polly but I have the Raw file so I could give it another go.

18 hours ago, Clicker said:

Are you using the 2022 version  David  or is it one of the older versions ?

I am pretty sure it must be current, Polly - it is regularly updated by Adobe. Following your post I found the noise reduction controls and had a quick fiddle about with it but it didn't seem to have much impact. 

Lovely job, Polly. I have photoshop but really am not au fait with all it has to offer. Thanks very much.

3 hours ago, Paul said:

Lovely bird to get. My garden ain't big enough for jays!

Have you tried Topaz Denoise? It works wonders...

Paul.

Thanks Paul, I am aware of Topaz but not the Denoise. Wouldn't want to spend a fortune on something I would rarely use but I will look into it - thanks again.

Been trying to get a decent shot of a Jay for years but they're so elusive. This one finally took pity on me and posed for  shot in my garden. I didn't dare risk missing the opportunity by fiddling with the settings so this is at a shutter speed of 1/2000 and SOTC was like a shot of a black cat in a coalmine at midnight. However a bit of Lightroom tinkering gave me this.

That's a real beauty, Denis!

What a glorious composition.

3 hours ago, JohnP said:

It might be a Powdered Quaker moth caterpillar (Orthosia gracilis) but I'm really unsure.

Thanks for giving it a bit thought, John.

This little guy was grabbing some shuteye in my garden. No idea what sort of butterfly will develop. Any suggestions?

The mono approach is perfect for these - a truly period feel about them.

Great shots of a truly dramatic coast. Went there years ago and always meant to go back with a camera but it is so far from everywhere!

Seems to be a lot of creepy crawlies around the forum of late so here's my contribution to the bugathon. Garden spider, topping up his tan.

3 hours ago, Denis said:

Well played Sir   Men rely on 'brownie' points to see us through our lives, it takes a very long time, on average 25 years, to amass a sizable portion of brownies. But one wrong word, one wrong look or one wrong deed can wipe the entire lot out in a flash..even to a  point of deficit where it takes a long time before you start collecting brownies again. Wise move David, wise move !

Ah, someone else skilled in the art of walking on eggshells!