Snow, the moon, and the usual ice...

One of the dominant topics in the UK for the last month has been the weather.  The arrival of snow seems to paralyse this nation - we're never ready for it, we can't cope with it, and we like to grumble about it as much as possible.  The cul-de-sac that we live on is located on a slope, so even the smallest hint of wintery weather can have a big impact on the residents.  Luckily, the residents in our cul-de-sac are pretty public-spirited when it comes to crappy weather, which is why I've now got many more hours of snow-shovelling experience under my belt!

Having the snow on the ground can present some great photo opportunities, but only if the weather plays ball.  We've all seen some beautiful snowscapes, with virgin snow shining brightly under a blue sky.  This doesn't happen in Stoke On Trent.  Overcast skies and dirty snow are the norm here when it comes to winter!  But there are a couple of residents who enjoy running around in the snow - Lucy and Lola, who seem to relish in exploring their winter wonderland.  Or at least they do until they get bored and trudge back inside to the warm!

Regular readers will know that I have a fascination with photographing the moon.  Before Christmas I picked up a Tamron 500mm f8 reflector mirror lens, something that I've had no experience of before, and I thought I'd try it out with a moonshot.  On the plus side, the 500mm lens gives a larger image of the moon, which is a definite bonus.  However, the notion that the lens needs an adaptor to fit onto my Nikon D90 means that no matter how sharply I set the manual focus, it'll never be as sharp as a dedicated Nikon lens.

I'm still pretty pleased with the results I can get from it, and maybe there's something in my method that I could adjust to get better results, but compare the above shot to this one that I took with a Nikon 70-300mm lens on the same camera:

One day I'll take the perfect moonshot, but until then....


The hockey season continues on throughout the winter months, what with it being a winter sport.  So as per usual I've been pointing my lens at the action and hoping to capture some moments worth capturing.  Yolanda, Lauren and myself are getting more coverage these days, with a new avenue having recently opened up - the Manchester Evening News are carrying match reports in their print edition, so we've managed to get our photos in print.  Which is nice!

Shooting the hockey is still as enjoyable as ever, and so long as it remains enjoyable then I'll carry on doing it!

Thanks for reading!

Sleepy Moggies, Snails, and Shootin' Nazis at Tutbury Castle

It's been a busy weekend with the camera, with a couple of small unplanned shoots on Saturday and a trip to an outdoor event on Sunday.  Saturday's impromptu shoots occurred during the hot weather as Yol and I tackled the garden, and the cats sought out places to hide, sleep and keep cool!

During the clearing out of the rocks from the garden (long story, suffice to say that I think we had lazy builders when it came to getting rid of rubble when the house was built) we uncovered some snails who'd been setting up home (well, mobile home) in a wet trug full of slab parts.  So, when they were set free to roam very slowly in the grass, I grabbed my camera and +4 magnifier adaptor, and got this shot:

Sunday saw the main photography action of the weekend, with a trip to Tutbury Castle with Yolanda.  The castle was hosting a 1940s themed weekend,  and so we loaded the camera into the car and off we went!

The population of the castle that day were really getting into the swing of things, plenty of people in 1940s costume and military uniforms, with vehicles and tents pitched up on the castle's lawn.  Before we'd even entered the grounds we were being watched from the castle walls by re-enactors in German military uniforms:

We also bumped into friends and fellow snappers Glyn and Claire Wade, who'd also chosen to visit Tutbury Castle and document the day's events, and so for various parts of the day we were shooting people mob-handed!

The castle itself consists of three sections of ruins, two of which are still accessible and can be climbed, and a newer section called the Great Hall.  All of the sections are somewhat photogenic!:

The main attractions of the day though weren't the venue itself, but the people in the various uniforms and costumes of the era.  Whether re-enactors or veterans, the military influence was everywhere, from the Gatehouse to the Castle. All of them were willing to stop for a photo, a real blessing for a portrait photographer:

The highlight of the day's proceedings was undoubtedly the battle re-enactment, with the German forces holding the castle and the Allies attacking across the grass.  A full safety briefing was given to the crowd beforehand, and then it was all kicked off with a bang!

The full set of photos from the day can be seen here on Flickr: 1940s Weekend at Tutbury Castle

Thanks for reading!