(very) Amateur Photography
section
This new section is where I'll put some of my
best pics at higher quality - but let's be clear I'm no
expert - it's just me having a go at taking better
pictures. Feel free to send (preferably constructive)
criticism!I'll
put more here when I've time (and when I take more
decent pics) but here are my favourites for now...
Yosemite National Park California

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Full size (4256x2832 - 10MB)
Taken on holiday in
Summer 2008. It was the first time we'd been to the
American west, and this is just one of the breathtaking
views of the Yosemite valley. This picture shows the
Royal Arches on the left, the village at the valley
floor in the centre and "Half Dome", which
rises 4,737 ft on the right.
Camera information: Nikon D3; Lens
24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S at 29mm and
Aperture f/22; Shutter speed 1/50 second; ISO
equivalent 400.
Tenaya Lake California

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Same holiday in 2008 -
on the way out of Yosemite on the way to Death Valley we
very briefly visited Tenaya Lake for a paddle. I think
the clarity of the water comes out well in the picture -
and that's my daughter Kayleigh getting her feet wet.
Camera information: Nikon D3; Lens
14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S NIKKOR at 14mm and
Aperture f/22; Shutter speed 1/125 second; ISO
equivalent 400.
Grand Canyon

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Full size (4256x2832 -
10MB)
Again, same holiday in
2008 - and the Grand Canyon needs no introduction.
Camera information: Nikon D3; Lens
24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S at 34mm and
Aperture f/22; Shutter speed 1/30 second; ISO
equivalent 400.
Shamu (Sea World, Orlando Florida)

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Full size (2734x1997 - 5MB)
Watching the Killer
whales at Sea World is one of my favourite parts of
visiting Florida - this picture was taken in August
2005.
Camera information: Nikon D100;
Lens at 135mm and
Aperture f/4.5; Shutter speed 1/1250 second.
Red
Arrows

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(1504x1000)
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I've been to a couple
of air shows and these two pictures are amongst the best
of the RAF Red Arrows display team
The one above was taken
at Southport in September 2005.
Camera information: Nikon D100;
Lens at 300mm and
Aperture f/5.6; Shutter speed 1/2500 second.

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(3008x2000 - 4MB)
This one taken at RAF
Waddington in June 2004.
Camera information: Nikon D100;
Lens at 200mm and
Aperture f/5.6; Shutter speed 1/1000 second.
Formula 1 (Silverstone)

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(3008x2000 - 4MB)
Taken at the British F1
Grand Prix at Silverstone in 2006, one of the least
blurred ones!
Camera information: Nikon D100;
Lens at 190mm and
Aperture f/4.8; Shutter speed 1/1500 second.
Coola & Grinder

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5MB)
The next four pictures
all taken on holiday in Canada in Summer 2006. This one
is of a couple of bears in a sanctuary on Grouse
mountain in British Columbia. We could have watched them
for hours (from the safety of an observation platform!).
Camera information: Nikon D100;
Lens at 165mm and
Aperture f/4.8; Shutter speed 1/640 second.
Air
Taxis (Vancouver Island)

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Air Taxis / floating
planes at Nanaimo, Vancouver Island.
Camera information: Nikon D100;
Lens at 62mm and
Aperture f/5.3; Shutter speed 1/2500 second.
California Sea Lions (Vancouver Island)

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California Sea Lion
colony on Vancouver Island.
Camera information: Nikon D100;
Lens at 300mm and
Aperture f/5.6; Shutter speed 1/1250 second.
Lake
Louise, Banff National Park, Canada

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5MB)
We were fortunate
enough to stay at the Chateau Lake Louise Hotel in Banff
National Park - with this spectacular view of the lake
and glacier. Easily one of the most beautiful places
we've ever been.
Camera information: Nikon D100;
Lens at 35mm and
Aperture f/11; Shutter speed 1/400 second.
Baby
Elephants, Chester Zoo

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5MB)
Two baby elephants
playing in the water pool of their new enclosure at
Chester Zoo in England, taken in May 2005.
Camera information: Nikon D100;
Lens at 220mm and
Aperture f/5; Shutter speed 1/1250 second.
Clematis

This was taken in the
garden in May 2004 in bright sunshine.
Camera information: Nikon D100;
Lens 35-80mm f/4-5.6D set at Focal Length of 60mm and
Aperture f/5; Shutter speed 1/320 second; ISO equivalent
200.
To view larger
picture (1024 x 681) compressed to 115KB at high JPEG
quality, click on the picture or here
Hawk

This was taken at the
Rancho Texas theme park in Lanzarote - the bird is
flying in to snatch the bait that the keeper has just
thrown into the water. Couldn't believe my luck when I
saw I'd captured it with its talons outstretched!
Camera information: Nikon D100; Lens
80-200mm f/4.5-5.6D set at Focal Length of 200mm and
Aperture f/5.6; Shutter speed 1/750 second; ISO
equivalent 200.
To view larger
picture (1024 x 681) compressed to 175KB at high JPEG
quality, click on the picture or
here
Dolphins

I know this isn't that
good technically as it was taken through thick glass in
the underwater viewing area at Sea World Florida, but I like it for the
composition and surreal colour.
Camera information: Nikon
Coolpix 880; Lens
at Focal Length of 8mm ( x4.75 = 38mm in 35mm
equivalent) and
Aperture f/2.8; Shutter speed 1/172 second; ISO
equivalent 100.
To view larger
picture (1024 x 768) compressed to 167KB at high JPEG
quality, click on the picture or here
Malham Cove

Taken while walking at
Malham in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Camera information: Nikon
Coolpix 880; Lens
at Focal Length of 8mm ( x4.75 = 38mm in 35mm
equivalent) and
Aperture f/2.8; Shutter speed 1/156 second; ISO
equivalent 100.
To view larger
picture (1024 x 768) compressed to 315KB at high JPEG
quality, click on the picture or
here
Bee

Taken in summer 2001 in
our garden - the bee had stopped on the garden chair
next to me and was preoccupied cleaning itself. You can
see the pollen caught in its hairs.
Camera information: Nikon
Coolpix 880; Lens
at Focal Length of 20mm ( x4.75 = 95mm in 35mm
equivalent) and
Aperture f/4.2; Shutter speed 1/156 second; ISO
equivalent 100.
To view larger
picture (1024 x 768) compressed to 195KB at high JPEG
quality, click on the picture or here
Hawk - flying

This was taken on the
same day as the Hawk picture above - at the
Rancho Texas theme park in Lanzarote. This time a
different bird was caught flying across the audience
just below my eye-line. Although I'm pleased with the
shot I can't help feeling that it would have been 100
times better if I'd managed to catch it without cropping
the near wing and tail.
Camera information: Nikon D100; Lens
80-200mm f/4.5-5.6D set at Focal Length of 200mm and
Aperture f/5.6; Shutter speed 1/640 second; ISO
equivalent 200.
To view larger
picture (1024 x 681) compressed to 101KB at high JPEG
quality, click on the picture or
here
York
Minster Photomerge

One of my first
attempts at a photomerge - this made up of 9 separate
photographs. Merged in Photoshop Elements - I haven't
decided whether it looks better with unmatched edges (as
here) or I should spend more time correcting the
perspective. I'll settle on this for now.
Camera information: Nikon D100; Lens
35-80mm f/4-5.6D set at Focal Length of 35mm and
Aperture f/4; Shutter speeds between 1/1000 and 1/2500 second; ISO
equivalent 200.
To view larger
picture (1056 x 953) compressed to 297KB at high JPEG
quality, click on the picture or
here
More
soon...
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