Blog 159

This is a photograph of the Purpleman of York, for a small consideration he carried out this special pose. He has a website too: here

Blog 158

A selection of leaves and flowers with water droplets, taken at the Derby Garden Centre on Wednesday 18th May 2011.

Blog 157

These are my competition images entered in the Derby City Photographic Competition on Monday 16th May 2011.

The first one, entered in the themed competition "Up Close" is a seed head from the plant known by its common name Jack go to bed/sleep at noon, because the flower head closes at noon, or Goatsbeard (Tragopogon pratensis).

It is a ten shot differentially focussed set of images, the sharpest parts blended in Photoshop to give this image. I used Topaz Creative Detail Accent to accentuate the detail and finally used Silver Efex Pro High Structure to convert it to a monochrome image. Scored 16/20.

The second image "So Tired" was taken at Elvington Yorkshire Air Museum at a re-enactment by Battlegroup North, I couldn't resist taking this photograph. Knowing what competition judges are like and mostly their lack of understanding about differential focus, a friend suggested that I sharpen the hands somewhat.

I am glad I did as this image was the winner in the open competition scoring 20/20. The combined scored made me the winner overall in that competition.

Blog 156

Colourful characters at the Chatsworth International Horse Trials 13th May 2011.

Blog 155

I took these photographs of this amazing horse whisperer at the Chatsworth International Horse Trial on Friday 13th May 2011.

Jean François Pignon, with his famous grey horses from Calvisson in southern France. His website here

Blog 154

Items from yesteryear. The first item is that (in)famous carbolic soap. Those who are familiar with it with have their nostrils filled with it's particular smell.

Visit this website, "Bringing History to Life" for more information.

Blog 153

Some of the characters that I met at the Battlegroup North event at the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington on Sunday 8th May 2011. Website here

Blog 153

Some of the characters that I met at the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington. Battlegroup North event.

Blog 152

These lovely Clematis blooms growing in the garden, unfortunately the label is missing so I cannot name them.
Thank you Janet for providing the name: 'Fairy Blue' (CRYSTAL FOUNTAIN)

Blog 151

These are a few photographs from a visit to Elvaston Parish Church on Wednesday evening 4th May 2011, with members of Aston on Trent Local History Group.

Dramitically lit organ loft

Musket ball holes in the north wall of the church. Fired by Cromwell's parliamentarians

Carved fronts in the choir stalls

Carved lid of an oak chest

Paneling at the front of the pulpit

Harrington crest on the entrance to a under floor vault

Jane Lady Crawford's vault in the nave

Linenfold carved cupboards in the vestry

On the south side of the chancel is a beautifully-executed recumbent figure, by Westmacott, of Algernon Russell Gayleard Stanhope, who died in 1847, aged nine years.

Blog 150

A selection of photographs from a visit to Alstonfield and Wolfescote Dale on Tuesday 3rd May 2011.

Blog 149

I wandered in and around the Highcross shopping mall in Leicester, my project today was to photograph reflections, here is a selection.