autumn colours

Took some shots of these fallen leaves this morning and combined them to make a triptych...just a little project now I have no university study to be doing (although I'm sure I should be doing stuff for school - ah well!). I haven't been able to get many shots of the autumn colours - we went to Bradgate Park over half term but the trees were still resolutely green in the main part:

It was a nice day though, and we hunted down this white stag to get a shot of:

Obviously we didn't ACTUALLY hunt it, and it didn't seem especially bothered about us being near it...! Most of the deer were in the (restricted-unless-you-pay-£30) deer park, so couldn't get many more shots without fear of being shot ourselves - and not with a camera.

Back to work tomorrow, so photography likely to take a back seat again until Christmas. Unless it snows. Or is nice and frosty. Or misty. Or...

oh well

I didn't win anything in the Matlock Bath competition...ah well. Life goes on(!). AND I have one exam done, and only one to go. That's only 3 hours that stand between me and FREEDOM. I did get out with the camera the other day though, trying out my ND (neutral density) filter - it's like sunglasses for the camera...took these shots at Swarkestone:

I think they're nice...I want to use the filter to get some shots of moving water - it lets you blur the movement so it looks all milky and ethereal. Of course, I'd have to find some picturesque moving water first - in short supply around Derby to be honest! And I'm not sure Melissa will accompany me to "the country" (must be said with a look of pure horror on your face) any time soon.

But her, half term is in just a few short days, and I'm hoping to get out to Bradgate Park for some of the autumn colours, and maybe even a few shots of the deer rut - here's hoping!

first frost

The first frost of the year is quite beautiful...I couldn't resist getting out early and firing off a few shots...

These were of the top of the car...I was glad I'm not off to work this morning, because I haven't bought this year's de-icer yet, and scraping ice sends shivers through me(!). I then crawled around on the floor looking at little stuff:

There was a spider's web in the grass, but the limitations of my camera (and my skills) meant I couldn't quite get it in focus...the dew drops were pretty though. Next I attacked the neighbour's flowers (not literally...):

And finally I saw this massive drop of water nestling in a leaf...very pretty (although I admit, not actually still frost...):

I had fun...and it put off doing revision for an hour or so(!). I must get back to it now...but photos are much more fun than infectious diseases. Mind you, MOST things are more fun than an infectious disease :)

shortlisted!

For a photography competition. A real one, with real judges and everything(!). Admittedly it's the Matlock Bath Partish Council annual competition, but hey, I'll take anything at this point (I currently have nil point in the weekend competition on the DCW website...). The photo they chose was this one:

In my opinion, this is a pretty average shot...but then I'm not gonna complain at this point :D The potential grand prize is (wait for it) a massive...£75!!!!! But it's all about the prestige, right?!

clawing back...

...a little time to take photos. I took this of some roses I bought Melissa at the end of the week:

Pretty, eh? Yellow roses are her favourite...

I got in with the competition last week (subject: 'surrealism') with this shot:

It was pretty rushed, and I only received one vote, but I was glad to have been able to enter the competition at all, to be honest. This week's theme is 'something old, something new' and I'm in with this:

The old medal was my great-uncle Joe's from the second world war. He won 5 medals in total, and I took them from their house after they died - they were in a little wooden box that was going to be thrown away, and I couldn't bear to see that happen. It would have seemed like such a waste. Who'd have thought that one would be featuring in a digital photography competition, eh?!

Revision continues to rule my life, so that's it for this weekend I think...2 weeks and it's all over. Gulp.