My G9ii Journey

This was another "Old Geezers" day out. It was a testing day for cars when drivers/owners pay to use the track for testing purposes while the public can get in to watch free of charge. The weather forecast suggested rain at lunchtime and that turned out to be the case. Rather than get wet, went to the catering facilities where I enjoyed a good fry-up. The packed lunch I'd taken was left until after I got back home - a no-cooking day for me. Another bonus! 🙂 Not long after we'd finished lunch the rain stopped and a bit later the sun started to shine, taking some of the sting out of a cold breeze. Photographically most of my shots were panning shots - using a slow shutter speed while tracking the car with the camera, This technique is designed to give a sharp image of the car with a blurred background. While I'm pleased with some of my shots, I feel I need to try some different approaches, I'm just not sure what they might be yet. Thanks for looking at my bl...

After our last trip to London, today couldn't have been much more different. Five of the OGs went to Wandlebury Country Park, just outside Cambridge. It's a place I hadn't visited before but I do intend going again. The house isn't particularly attractive but the extensive grounds were very nice to explore.  One unexpected sight was a view of Ely cathedral, several miles away and only just visible through the haze. On our way back for another coffee before leaving, we came across a hide from which we were able to watch some of the local birds. It was another good day in the company of some good friends. Den

Today, the U3A Photography Group visited the Water Mill at Hatfield. Unfortunately any catering facilities they may have were not open today so we met in the nearby Tesco cafe for the almost essential coffee before going to the mill, ready for some photography.    The inside of the mill was lit by sodium lamps. They might be good for the eye but not for colour photography.  To avoid those problems, I processed these images in black & white and then added a sepia tint which I thought suited the subject. And finally, my personal favourite of the day ... Thanks for checking my blog   🙂 Den    

Today I went to Hamerton Zoo with my friend P. Because we had time to kill before they opened, we treated ourselves to a Tesco breakfast - at the St Neots store because the cafe staff at the Bedford store hadn't turned up. With most children at school, the zoo was pleasantly quiet. Less helpful was the mesh screens between us and the animals. Obviously the public have to be kept safe but it seemed to me there was much more screening than there used to be. And for larger animals like tigers, a sturdy 6 inch mesh would surely be enough without a small 1/2 inch mesh that spools the view and makes photography difficult. Oh well ..... Anyway, we did our best. Here are some of my images, starting with the obligatory Meercat  🙂 While walking around the zoo, I noticed several Red Kites looking down on the zoo, presumably looking for any left-over or discarded food. Then I noticed a very different bird, one I'd never seen in our skies before .....  We asked one of the keepers and lear...