Owner: Dave's Photo Blog URL:http://davelicence.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Mon, 21 May 2007 15:48:57 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: My favourite photos as I take them from my travels and general life, plus various musings Site statistics:Click here
Light graffiti 2007-02-13 03:09:00 Graffiti on a light in a footpath tunnel on one of Milton Keynes' RedwaysNikon 60mm, f6.3, 1/350sec, ISO-800
Eden Project - Inside 2007-05-26 11:54:00 A couple of shots from inside the Eden Project
buildings. First, inside one of the biomes, and secondly, inside the Core Centre.
Eden Project - Outside 2007-05-25 15:54:00 The Eden Project
in Cornwall is on the site of an old quarry. Back in 1998 it really was just the remnants of the quarry - an open pit devoid of anything but mud and stagnant water. By 2001 the pit had been transformed into a lush valley full of plants and two odd looking structures called the biomes.The biomes are huge, bubble-looking things that are fully climate controlled in order to create an environment suitable for the plants inside. One biome is full of Mediterranean flora, and the other is much hotter and more humid, containing what could literally be called a jungle.Below are some photos of the biomes, showing their construction and just how large they are. Read more:Outside
New look 2007-05-29 17:19:00 I've had a couple of comments on the site redesign - thanks to Neil and Asian Butterfly. I'd been thinking about trying to make things look cleaner for a while when I saw the latest Buzz post on how to add a header picture to a standard blog. I tried it and kind of went a little crazy. A few hours later and the old three column template (adapted from 'Minima Dark') has been changed back into a two column template with colours and a style I really like.Just in case you are wondering about the photo used in the header, its a view from the ferry between Wellington and Picton in New Zealand, on an overcast, rainy day in November 2005. Here's another couple from the same day - both taken with my old D70 and the 18-70mm kit lens I had back then.
Eden Project - Flora 2007-05-28 11:10:00 You may have wondered from the last two posts why I went all the way to the Eden Project
- basically a glorified garden - and, up until now, only posted pictures of the architecture. Truth is I actually found that more interesting.While I enjoy flowers and plants for their aesthetic qualities, I don't hold much interest for learning their names or for spending too much time growing and nurturing them. I do like a nice tidy looking garden, and have spent some time mucking around in my own, but I would much prefer for it to handle itself.I didn't completely ignore the flora at Eden though. Here are my favourite shots from the day out - an orange flower (see, no idea what its called and no qualms about that), an Arum Lily (my absolute favourite photo from the day) and a fern leaf.As usual, click the thumbnails for a larger version of each.
Pixel Peeping 2007-04-23 10:38:00 Some people like to analyse pictures a bit too far, expanding the image beyond 100% so that they can look at individual pixels and complain about some small problem. I prefer to see the whole picture, rather than zoom in on a small part of it though. For those who do like looking at pixels, here are some - a shot of some text on a white background on my monitor using a macro lens. Each pixel on the screen is made up of a red, a green and a blue element, and this shot shows that pretty well.Nikon 105mm Micro at f9, 1/160sec, ISO1000 Read more:Pixel
, Peeping
Nuts!! 2007-02-23 07:34:00 All the squirrels I saw last weekend were digging around in the soil, trying to remember where they buried their nuts last year. This is the only one I found that was nut-less. Sorry about the annoying twig in front of it - I had to take the opportunities as they came before the little fellas scarpered, and this one turned out well, despite the slight obstruction.Interestingly, I looked up the origin of the word scarper after writing the last paragraph - turns out it comes from good old Punch and JudyNikon 18-200 @ 170mm, f5.6, 1/15sec, ISO-400
Fuzzy Blossom 2007-02-22 04:10:00 I found this tree in the Botanical Garden in Bath. I have absolutely no idea what type of tree has spring blossom that's fuzzy/furry like this. The whole tree was covered in it though - it looked like a Buzby toy I used to own.Nikon 18-200 @ 200mm, f8, 1/50, ISO-400 Read more:Fuzzy
, Blossom
Bath Botanical Gardens - Part 2 2007-02-20 12:26:00 More shots from the Botanic Gardens
in Royal Victoria Park in Bath, showing that spring is well and truly here, after the false start we had a few weeks ago Nikon 18-200 VR170mm, f11, 1/30sec, ISO-400 95mm, f8, 1/60sec, ISO-400 Read more:Botanical
Bath Botanical Gardens - Part 1 2007-02-19 16:56:00 Within the BotanicalGardens
in the Royal Victoria Park in Bath. Even though its still early in the year and not much is flowering at the moment and most of the beds are just mud, its still good to walk around this area - aside from the friendly squirrels, there are loads of crocuses and other spring flowers, and even some tree blossom already.Nikon 18-200 @ 18mm, f5.6, 1/60sec
Berry husks 2007-02-14 06:15:00 Not entirely sure what happened to all the berries on this tree. I thought birds ate the whole berry, but perhaps they have just taken the juicy middle out and left the skins. Or maybe the cold, snowy weather has something to do with it.Nikon 60mm, f6.3, 1/1000sec, ISO-800 (by mistake) Read more:Berry
Crocus, Crocuses, Croci 2007-02-12 03:20:00 On one of the roads in my estate there is a huge number of crocuses (or croci?) that pop up every spring. These were all buried in the snow last week, but they seem to have survived relatively unscathed. Nikon 60mm, f8, 1/800sec Nikon 60mm, f9,1/250sec
More wildlife 2006-11-06 03:34:00 Wow, it was a busy week last week. Didn't get a chance to post more pics from the wildlife
park before now.I was actually hoping to have something different to post today - fireworks. It having been November 5th yesterday, we strolled down to Cambell park to watch the pyrotechnic delights and I took the camera down. We've lived in Milton Keynes three years now and never been before so didn't know where they would be exactly - I think we ended up standing a bit too close to get pictures covering the whole area, and I really didn't choose the right settings for the camera. I think the whole lot are useless! If there is anything I can salvage I'll post it later in the week, but don't hold your breath.In the meantime, here are some others from the park I promised. Eventually I'll post these and more on my website. Click the photos for larger versions.
A grand day out 2006-10-29 12:12:00 Boy (pointing): What are those mummy.Mother: They're Zebras.Boy: No, those, lying down.Mother: Those are logs.Yes, I went to the zoo a few days ago, during half term week, and a laugh was had by all.Well, when I say zoo, I actually mean the Cotswold Wildlife Park. A wildlife park is like a zoo, but instead of bars separating you from the animals there is a fence, a ditch then another fence. The height of the fences, and the amount of electricity going through the second one varies with the likelyhood of the animals inside eating you given the chance, but generally I think the view you get is better and the animals have a lot more room than they would at what you would normally consider a zoo.Last Christmas I adopted a penguin for Helen as a gift - or at least I gave a bunch of money to the park in her name, they sent her a certificate, and they have some penguins, which is almost the same thing - so we were mostly interested in seeing these guys. I didn't really realise how much else
Isolation 2007-06-01 16:57:00 A bench sits alone, facing out to sea at The Lizard, the most southerly point in the UK.Nikon 18-200mm VR at 105mm, f10, 1/250sec Read more:Isolation
Seal Sanctuary 2007-05-31 15:31:00 I mentioned the National Seal Sanctuary
(in Gweek) the other day, because they also have Asian Otters.Surprise, surprise, there are also seals at the seal sanctuary. While we were there we saw the feeding - including a cheeky fish-stealing heron - and I thought I took a load of photos. After we left I was reviewing my images though and realised I really didn't take too many. Oh well, never mind. Here's my favourite from the day out.Nikon 80-400 VR at 220mm, f/5.6, 1/250sec
The Lizard Lifeboat Station 2007-06-05 16:47:00 A couple of shots of the lifeboat station at Lizard
head - built in 1914 according to the sign above the door.With it's lighthouse, famous pasties and at least two tea rooms claiming to serve the most southerly afternoon tea in the UK, this spot is a magnet for the tourists. Even when the weather is bad it is fairly busy here. This particular day was very windy and overcast, but we were fortunate that it was still clear enough for a fantastic view. Nikon 12-24mm14mm, f/18, 1/125sec 22mm, f/13, 1/125sec Read more:Station
Cliff flowers 2007-06-04 14:29:00 The last two posts of the cliffs around The Lizard in Cornwall have shown an area that looks pretty bleak. However, the hostile conditions don't stop things from surviving there. These flowers cover the cliffs here and at other places in Cornwall, including Land's End.Nikon 18-200mm VR at 130mm, f/6.3, 1/250sec Read more:Cliff
Inhospitable 2007-06-03 11:54:00 A shot of the cliffs at The Lizard. Converted to black and white it really gives a sense of how overcast and windy the weather was that day - there weren't many other walkers about to enjoy the views with us.Nikon 12-24mm at 12mm, f14, 1/500sec
Shipwreck 2007-06-11 13:41:00 A shipwreck, seen from Land's End in Cornwall. I could be wrong, but I think this is the RMS Mulheim, which ran aground in March 2003.This is the only decent shot I got at Land's End from our recent visit due to bad weather (the only outdoors shot anyway - some from the Doctor Who exhibition coming soon). A shame as we quite fancied a stroll along the cliff side path.Nikon 18-200mm at 170mm, f/9, 1/125sec Read more:Shipwreck
Doctor Who - The Bad Guys 2007-06-18 15:08:00 Yesterday I posted my first picture from the previously mentioned Doctor
Who Exhibition at Land's End. I'm not one hundred percent sure why there would be a Doctor Who exhibition at Land's End, but due to the rain (and the fact that Doctor Who is just plain great) we decided to take a look. It doesn't take long to wander around - and there is a bit of a gap towards the end, where they are obviously waiting for some Series 3 paraphernalia to arrive - but it's good fun none-the-less. You can get really close to the exhibits, and although probably against the rules you can even touch things like a Slitheen and the Cyberman.Below are some of the baddies the Doctor has encountered - a Clockwork Droid (from The Girl in the Fireplace), a Cyberman and a better view of the Dalek from my last post. Nikon 12-24mm
Do Not Touch The Dalek 2007-06-17 13:10:00 I don't think this photo really needs an explanation - hopefully everyone knows what a Dalek
is and shouldn't need the warning.Nikon 12-24mm at 24mm, 1/60sec, f/11, flash
Boat Jumble 2007-06-21 16:38:00 While walking along the beach/harbour front in St. Ives, Cornwall I spotted this pile of upturned boats and the mixture of colours and weathered textures caught my eye.Nikon 12-24mm at 16mm, 1/400sec, f/8
Doctor Who - The (Robotic) Companion 2007-06-20 15:08:00 The last couple of posts have both included only Doctor
Who baddies. This is because there weren't really many series good guys at the exhibition. This is probably unsurprising - they tend to be played by real people (and I doubt David Tennant would be willing to stand still at the exhibition for eight hours a day), whereas the baddies are generally large alien costumes (which might have people in them in the shows, but exist on their own after the cameras are switched off).There was one 'good guy' there though - K9 - the Doctor's faithful robotic companion.Nikon 12-24mm at 12mm, 1/60sec, f/11, flash Read more:Robotic
, Companion
Donnington Moto GP - Edwards vs. Stoner 2007-06-24 13:42:00 Today I went up to Donnington for the British Moto GP (and managed to stay mainly dry despite the rain). You may have seen some bike racing on the TV, but until you actually go you can't really understand how LOUD the bikes are. Its an amazing experience.Over the next few posts I will be showing some of my photos from today, all taken from the inside of the track, with a view towards the Esses and Goddards corners. Some of them will look a little blurry and I apologise for that - I was standing behind a chain-link fence.The main battle of the race was between Colin Edwards
and Casey Stoner
. Edwards started in pole position and had a good start, while Stoner started fifth and didn't get a good launch. However, within a couple of laps Stoner was back up to the front and the following few laps saw him battling for an overtake. Eventually he got it and Edwards could do nothing to catch the Ducati.Here's a shot taken while Edwards still had the lead.Nikon 80-400 VR at 400mm, 1/640sec, f/
Birds of Prey Centre 2007-06-22 16:41:00 On our last full day in Cornwall the other month we decided on a visit to the Birds
of Prey Centre
, the other side of Newquay from where we were staying.It's a relatively small place, but even though neither my wife or I are especially fanatical about raptors we had a good time. The weather was looking a bit dodgy when we arrived, and it wasn't certain if the flight display would be able to proceed later on. We had nearly an hour, wandering around and looking at all the birds, before it started chucking it down. Instead of the display the owners decided to host an impromptu talk in one of the inside areas. I think I actually enjoyed this more than I would have the flight display - instead of fiddling with the camera all the time trying to get 'the shot' of a bird in flight we actually got to chat with the owners. It quickly became obvious how much they care for what they do and how much regard they have for the birds. They brought a couple of the birds in - a Harris Hawk and a Buzz
Donnington Moto GP - Casey Stoner 2007-06-28 18:05:00 My personal favourite photo from the Donnington Moto GP last weekend - CaseyStoner
navigates the Esses at the Donnington circuit at the British Moto GP. I think this is my favourite because of the line that starts in the bottom left and leads the eye across, up, back and across to the biker in the top right - even though he didn't follow that line, you can almost feel that it was the line that he took to get where he is.Nikon 80-400 VR at 400mm, 1/640sec, f/10
Donnington Moto GP - Capirossi, Barros, Pedrosa 2007-06-27 13:35:00 Another battle for position from last weekend's Moto GP, at least during the first few laps, was seen between Loris Capirossi (number 65), Alex Barros (4) and Dani Pedrosa. The photos below show just how close they were. Unfortunately Capirossi slid out due to the wet conditions, leaving Barros and Pedrosa to finish seventh and eighth. Nikon 80-400 VR280mm, 1/1000sec, f/9 400mm, 1/640sec, f/9 400mm, 1/640sec, f/9
Donnington Moto GP - Valentino Rossi 2007-06-26 06:55:00 Valentino Rossi
started the Donnington Moto GP second on the grid, next to his team mate Colin Edwards, but got a bad start from which he never recovered. Nikon 80-400 VR at 400mm, 1/500sec, f/10 1/1000sec, f/9 1/1500sec, f/9 Read more:Valentino
Delice de France - imported sarnies? 2007-07-04 16:52:00 I found myself travelling home from London slightly late the other night after stopping for a couple of Guinnesses after work. As often happens in this situation I hadn't eaten so decided to grab something from the station. In the past I would have had a Burger King, but I'm going off them (the ones from Euston anyway, plus I had one for lunch!) and wanted something different. The kiosk closest to the appointed platform was Delice de France
so I swung by and ordered a panini and a pastry. As I stood on the train and ate, something on the packaging caught my eye:This produce has been manufactured in France using only the finest grades of flour from specially selected wheats.What? Are they blatantly lying or do they actually make sandwiches in France and drive them over to the UK - a big lorry full of rolls, stopping at every Delice kiosk from Dover northwards until demand outstrips supply? Either they're just being plain stupid and breaking the Trade Descriptions Act or they really a Read more:imported
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