Lincoln

Well, last weekend we had a nice break in a stunning part of the country. Saturday we visited the National Trust property Belsted House - where Pride and Prejudice was filmed. Big house, large gardens and huge grounds which incorporated a Lake.

The House was very grand but a lot of the interior was mock i.e. marble interiors were actually painted. The Chinese room was trimmed with bamboo door frames and dado's - this was wood painted to look like bamboo, very effectively. It show that all is not as it seems sometimes.

After spending the night at a Hotel in Lincoln the next day was spent exploring Lincoln itself. Great place. The Cathedral is majestic on top of the hill. And the 'Steep Hill' leading up to the castle and cathedral quarter, is in itself a quaint feature. With old shop fronts, cobbled streets and spectacular views of the city.

With this picture of the cathedral I tried to capture its vast size and imposing towers. I was very pleased with the result.

Easter Bank Holiday

Well, its Easter Bank Holiday once more...and even more chocolate to eat !! Mmm...

I woke up this morning and the sun was out and it was extremely warm. I am sitting here in a T-shirt and three quarter length trousers, this is the first time they have been out of the wardrobe this year...not that I want to start talking about the weather.

Anyway, after completing a few household chores this morning, the intention was to sit in the garden or go for a walk and take my friend - 'the camera'. Hopefully take some pictures of the countryside bathed in glorious sunshine. Not to be. It is now cloudy and a little cooler, though I am determined to keep these clothes on and revert back to the winter woolies.

Anyway I did grab this quick picture in the garden this afternoon during a brief sunny spell. It was taken using Macro setting, and cropped tightly using a new piece of software that is free to all - Google Picasa 3 - and framed using PhotoFiltre. By the way Picasa 3 is extremely easy to use and also creates this Blog.

Now, where did I leave my chocolate....!

Second Entry: Ickworth

Its so nice to get out and about after, what always seems to be a long winter. I for one can not wait for the clocks to go forward. Lighter evenings, earlier sunshine streaming through the window when you wake up. It makes for so much brighter, crisper colours in the pictures. Ok, you don't want every picture you take to have clear blue skies and vivid colours but it does look good.

I am starting to experiment with different lighting conditions, but the winter skies of overcast grey, agian doesn't make for a very dramatic backdrop. I will be looking for early morning light, which is naturally warmer in colour, with perhaps a bit of mist / fog in the air. Or an impressive storm cloud on the horizon. The late evening sunset, with very long shadows makes for dramatic pictures, but equally difficult to capture as the lighting has to be just right. Plus you need to be in the right place.

Having said all that the picture of Ickworth House, nr Bury St Edmunds was the first time I had used my camera in good lighting conditions and produced strong, bold colours and a great blue sky. Very pleased with this one.

First entry: Day One

I have created this Blog to share with those, who may be remotely interested, my passion for photography. I thoroughly enjoy taking pictures. I am not one of those that intends to specialise in any one subject. The thrill I find is being able to try and create high quality pictures, better than the average snap shot, of any given subject. Although I personally do not feel comfortable in a front of a camera, trying to force a smile, and perhaps that is why I prefer to try and take candid pictures of people and not to put them through the painful experience that I try and avoid at all costs.

Anyway, I have recently purchased a new camera Fuji Finepix S100FS and I have been busy experimenting with a variety of subjectsm exposures, settings and just trying to become familier with it so as to capture those special moments.