JohnP

POLO

Just treated myself to a new and hopefully much better Hoya polarizing filter. I have been using a much cheaper polarizer and I have often been disappointed with the results. Talking about filters in general, it has always annoyed me that most filters have the glass held in by a sort of circlip and the glass is never a tight fit and I've often found that dust gets (heaven knows how) on to the back of the filter glass and even the main lens. I don't know if it's only me that has this problem. The glass on my new Hoya polarizar is sealed into the metal frame so hopefully I won't have the dust problem now. The frame is extremely slimline and light weight compared to the old filter, hopefully we will have some nice sunny days with blue skies soon so that I can get to try it out.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/hoya/hd-filters.htm

Brilliant... in more ways than one.

Good choice... very cute.

I would have been disappointed if any other image had won. Thoroughly deserved

Me too... :bow:

SPACE

Thanks to my friend John Powell, I finally found one of my favourite photo sites, TIPF! After numerous attempts at "logging in", John mentioned that the site was "under new management" and that I would have to start over by registering. As a "yank" I never felt an outsider on this site; I was welcome from day one Glad to see you, mates and thanks John!

Welcome back Richard... nice to see ya.

lovely shots, i particularly like the castle one !

Considering the photos were taken through the canopy I think they came out OK.

Lovely shots. My daughter lives in Ross, but has lived in Ledbury, Stoke Edith and Hereford, so they're interesting to me on a personal level.

Kate... that large building in the centre of the Ross on Wye shot is Morrisons supermarket and filling station.

It's only tiny but it's there.

wow that looks fun and a little nerve racking at the same time

I would do it again... and again... :skydive:

Eastnor Castle, Nr Ledbury.

Nr Ledbury, Herefordshire.

Ledbury.

It does make one wonder what's safe and what's not these days, there's also a problem with Skype at the moment. As soon as there's a fix for one browser there seems to be a security problem with another. There are an awful lot of sick and weird people out there who seem to delight in causing trouble. Shame they are never caught and ... well I'd best not say on here.

Phil... you should try hot air ballooning, that's fun too. This is Ross on Wye taken from a balloon.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28

1/125s f/2.8 at 4.8mm iso100

As I've had no time to take any new photos this week I've been digging something from my files.

Jabiru Aircraft Ltd is an Australian aircraft manufacturer that produces a range of kit- and ready-built civil light aircraft, back in 2004 a friend of mine purchased one of the companies kits. In 2006 he finished the build and obtained all the necessary paperwork regarding airworthyness etc and started to fly the craft. As I had shown quite a lot of interest during the build he thought it right to ask me to go flying with him and I didn't give it a second thought... I went for it. The plane is very small and is little more than a microlight really and it's very cosy sitting side by side... (was going to put a smilie but they aren't working).

Here's some shots.

Canon EOS 350D, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

1/500s f/14.0 at 33.0mm iso400

Me about to risk my life.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20

1/60s f/2.8 at 6.0mm iso100

Ledbury... my home town.

Canon EOS 350D, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

1/200s f/11.0 at 28.0mm iso200

The British Camp or Herefordshire Beacon... an Iron Age Fort.

Canon EOS 350D, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

1/125s f/11.0 at 35.0mm iso200

STICK

Lee... Exposure is the difficult bit, if it's a bright sunny day you can end up with the aircraft under exposed, + exposure compensation and the sky is over exposed. I have found it's best to leave exposure compensation at 0 and use fill flash in post editing to bring out detail in the aircraft, that way the sky will be correctly exposed. On a dull day this problem is much less. As you will be taking shots of propeller driven aircraft you need to aim for some propeller blur, there is nothing worse than a static propeller. Use shutter priority and experiment with speeds around 300th - 400th sec and pan. If you photograph jets you will find it easier, just use a faster shutter speed. I hope this helps but it is a bit trial and error, just take plenty of shots and change setting a little and don't expect every shot to be a keeper. I remember taking about 1,300 shots at Cosford airshow and keeping about 100...

Here's a shot of the Lancaster complete with settings.

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

Canon EF Extender 1.4, 1/320s f/14.0 at 270.0mm iso200

I remember watching Later with Jools Holland years ago when these guys played for the whole program. My type of music... Oh yes.

This is one number from that night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8qeacBZGA4

BUTTON

WILLIAMS