Jenny's 52 for 2010 - Flora & Fauna in an English Country Garden - Week 26 - HALFWAY!

[sparrow]

Hi Jenny,
I think looking at your week 25 the woodpeckers just edge in as my favourites but having just looked through your thread I have to say all your photographs are absolutely stunning

 

[jennyb]

Week 24. Funnily enough I've been taking floxgloves as well (my Growing 52 is now 2 weeks behind!) but I haven't had chance to process them yet. However, I don't think the colours are anywhere near like as good as yours - and I like the crop, too. The buttercup - the pin sharp focus on the petal are the front is lovely - so much detail in one tiny petal - but it makes me want to see more of it in focus - it's not often I want more dof, but I think this would be a stunner if the centre of the flower was in focus.

Well done on getting the heron shots - the reflection one in particular is very eye-catching.

'Not her with the camera again' made me smile - it looks as though he's sniffing at the flowering grass. The 'In a Hurry' shot is impressive - well done on getting the action, because I know they move very fast without warning.

Week 25: I totally agree that a shot may not be technically perfect, but is still worth posting. I love the squirrel courtship shot!

Well done on getting your first wood pidgeon shot - they're definitely not easy to capture (with a camera!)

I can't help with the id for the fungus - but it's a very impressive photo - terrific detail.

The calico bush is fascinating - I've never seen one. The flowers are very pretty and I like the way you've got active and fully open flowers in the same shot.

My absolute favourite for Week 25 are the GSWs, father and son. It seems strange that baby birds often seem larger than their parents, but I assume it because they haven't got their adult plummage and their 'baby' feathers are fluffier to keep them warm. :shrug: These shots are terrific - catching the moment when dad is pandering to baby's demands. Brilliant.

Jean

Many thanks for your detailed feedback, Jean. As usual it is very helpful. I will take another look at my buttercup shots to see if I have a better one with more DOF.

Another lovely set Jenny, but that pair of greater spotted are superb.

Nicely exposed on the pigeon, the white is a pain to get right.

I can't help on the mushroom either, but it's a good shot.

Thanks, John. You are are right about white on the pigeon being a pain. I am fairly hopeless at subjects with white bits! I was really surprised that the GSW's did not have the white blown.

Lovely shots, Jenny! Difficult to pick a favourite although I especially like the mushroom. Very impressed with the woodpecker shots, although it would be even better if you could catch them away from a feeder!

As for other suggestions for improvement....none really other than the squirrel shot looks slightly heavy on the sharpening.

Phil

Thanks, Phil. Yes, I would love to catch the woodpeckers away from the feeder, but I have no time to go out watching wildlife. Most watching is done from my kitchen window and I just grab the camera when something interesting crops up. Roll on retirement when I may have some time to actually go out looking for shots and take time to set them up!

Yes, I seem to be very good at over-sharpening squirrels! Must be something to do with the fur. Must take more care next time.

Beautiful as always Jenny.

The squirrels may not be technically the best photo ever, but it did make me smile - and sometimes that's more important than a technically perfect shot

I've never even heard of a calico bush before, let alone seen one - so that shot has been a real eye opener for me.
It's a beautiful photo in its own right, but when you read about the behaviour of the flowers and can see how they act it makes it even more special.

I also love the dad & junior GSW shots. From a composition and subject matter perspective I prefer the first one, but as you said junior is ever so slightly oof. The second one seems to have worked better from a DoF perspective and the central composition and mirroring of the two sides of the photo makes it really pleasing to look at.

Thanks, Sarah. yes, the calico bush is very pretty and quite intriguing. It was already planted when we bought the house and required some investigation to find out what it was.

Glad you like the GSWs. The problem with wildlife photography is that there is usually very little time to decide how to take the shot. You have to act on the spur of the moment and on many occasions I find that I was not using the settings I thought I was using

Hi Jenny,
I think looking at your week 25 the woodpeckers just edge in as my favourites but having just looked through your thread I have to say all your photographs are absolutely stunning

Thanks, Sparrow. As you have probably realised, wildlife is a bit of a passion for me. I don't know how to take photographs of other things!

Jenny

 

[jennyb]

Halfway through the 52 and downhill all the way now (but hopefully not with the quality).

Mixed bag this week. Firstly, a lousy shot but a lovely subject so it gets posted anyway. This little chappie(ess?) was with his Mum and Dad foraging on the back lawn. He still has his spots so is less than 2 months old. I would guess that he is the sibling of the little Muntjac I posted back in January (my best photo ever). The gestation period for Muntjacs is 7 months and the females are pregnant most of the time (that is why Dad is still hanging round Mum, no doubt). This means that there is likely to be another baby at the end of the year.

Pity I could not manage a better photo but he was leaping around (as little ones do).

Next, Mr Green Woodpecker in a very typical pose. I posted this because it shows how their colours become much duller after the breeding season. In the spring they are really colourful.

The flowers all seem to be pinky/purple this week. All of these are wild flowers.

Finally, this has to be the week of the butterfly - there are hundreds of them mostly fluttering around the brambles that grow along the fence. I have seen skippers, ringlets, meadow brown, commas, fritillaries, gatekeepers, white admiral, and even a marbled white. And guess what, I have really struggled to get a decent photo If anyone has any advice about photographing butterflies, I would be very grateful. I am desperate.

I know you are supposed to catch them early in the morning before they warm up and when they are reasonably still. I went out at 8.30 this morning and they were already hyperactive!

This is the best of a bad bunch and before anyone complains, it is impossible to take shots of butterflies on brambles without blowing the whites! One thing that I like about this one is how he (yes, it is a he), has his foot around the bud behind him, to steady himself, I guess.

I will endeavour to brush up my butterfly skills for next week. This is too good an opportunity to miss and the weather forecast looks good.

As usual, comments and suggestions are very welcome.

Jenny

 

[sparrow]

All your photographs are beautiful.

 

[Bruja]

Hi Jenny

What a busy bee you've been. Most of us struggle to post one picture a week and yet every week we get a mini portfoli from you

My favourite from this week is the Marsh Thistle. The DoF is amazing, the composition is spot on, and the colours are great

 

[jennyb]

All your photographs are beautiful.

Thanks, Sparrow. I appreciate your comments.

Hi Jenny

What a busy bee you've been. Most of us struggle to post one picture a week and yet every week we get a mini portfoli from you

My favourite from this week is the Marsh Thistle. The DoF is amazing, the composition is spot on, and the colours are great

Thanks, Jill. I decided quite early on that one photo per week is not enough to truly represent everything that goes on in the garden during the year.

I am surprised you like the thistle. I had trouble deciding whether or not to post it.

Jenny

 

[Tracer]

Yet more gorgeous photos here You manage the lighting and DOF so well. I think my faves this week are the thistle and the butterfly but I find it hard to choose.

 

[jennyb]

Yet more gorgeous photos here You manage the lighting and DOF so well. I think my faves this week are the thistle and the butterfly but I find it hard to choose.

Many thanks, Tracer.

Jenny

 

[jennyb]

My thread now continues here.

Jenny

 

[lightshipman]

I was using a 70-300mm IS. This was taken at 200mm. It was right outside the conservatory window, so I did not need anything longer! I was lucky to get it. I looked at him (her?) and he (she?) looked at me before running off.

It was handheld and I had to be quick.

Jenny

Good job you keep your windows clean!!! Fantastic shots of the Muntjac