I decided to go with the theme of details of the natural world. A small selection of photos from 2020.
The green moss and orange lichen on a limestone boulder caught my eye on a walk in the spring.
Early summer saw me experimenting with the monochrome options on a mirrorless camera. Variegated Hosta leaves in monochrome.
Summer also saw me experimenting with photographing flowers and plants with various unusual lenses. A Coneflower photographed with a fast portrait lens wide open.
Late summer saw the leaves starting to change colour. This solitary orange Maple leaf caught my eye when I was walking past it.
This is my contribution to the Friendly Friday: Unique prompt.
I was struggling to come up with a post for this challenge until going for a walk on Saturday morning.
I used the latest version of my home made sling type camera strap. Anyone who followed me here from my earlier blog may remember the issues I had with camera straps.
A bit of background. In the mid 1990s I designed and prototyped a variety of straps and carrying systems for a company making and selling camera accessories for outdoor photographers.
As a result I wasn’t happy with any of the commercially available straps I tried in the digital era. So I decided to design my own sling type camera strap.
The strap itself is just an adjustable loop worn bandolier (or cross body) style. I made it adjustable to allow for wearing the strap over a thin shirt in the summer and a thick coat in the winter.
Edit: I added a second post detailing the webbing loop.
This is the strap attached to a small mirrorless camera. I replaced the triangular split ring with an oversized circular split ring. The split ring is attached to the strap using a locking S biner. The S biner is attached to a 1 1/2 inch hard plastic O ring. The oversized O ring allows the camera to slide up and down the strap without binding.
This is the strap attached to a DSLR. The slotted camera strap lugs are fitted with Op/Tech Adapt-its which convert the slotted attachment to an eyelet. The lockable S biner takes a second or two to attach and lock but is very secure when locked.
This is my contribution to the Friendly Friday Challenge: Splendour in the Grass prompt.
I had a couple of ideas for the challenge and decided to keep it simple and local with two very different photos of grass taken a few yards apart on my walks around the neighborhood.
Remains of grass in the snow in winter. First light on some grass seed heads in early summer.
Having got interested in photography in the mid 1970s, studied it in the late 1970s and working as a professional from 1980 some of my essential tools date back decades.
My Tenba Pro Pak P595 in the snow in the early 1980s. Having purchased a Tenba P595 when they were first imported into the U.K. I have grown to appreciate camera bags with easy access to the equipment. It makes them quick and easy to work out of.
My Domkenstein F-6 in the snow a couple of years ago. Tenba stopped making the Pro Pak bags in the mid 2000s so when I needed a smaller bag a few years ago I picked up a Domke F-6. The reason I call it Domkenstein is because it has a Ciesta padded insert divided up with Tenba dividers and a third party memory foam shoulder pad.
One of my UNI-LOC tripods and my Domke F-10 JD on the Colpoy’s Bay shoreline at sunrise. I am a habitual tripod user with a selection of models used in different situations and conditions. My newest tripod is now 24 years old. The UNI-LOC dates back to mid 1990s, I’m not sure if the company is in business anymore.
