One of the first species that sprung into my mind when I was planning a trip to the Galapagos was the Iguana.
It is fair to say that it wasn’t very long before I came across Marine and Land Iguanas. In fact, I saw both species on my very first landing…
Of the two I prefer the Land Iguana given the more extensive colour palette. The Marine Iguanas were more abundant but were mainly lacking in colour and spent their time amongst the dark volcanic rocks. The lack of colour made for some great monochrome images but when given the choice which Iguana to photograph I nearly always opted for the Land variety.
Here is one photographed on the Island of Seymour in the Galapagos.
A Land Iguana running on the coral sand…
March 28th, 2013Canon 300mm F2.8 L IS lens – THIS LENS IS NOW SOLD
March 17th, 2013It is time to sell my Canon 300mm F2.8 L IS lens.
I have owned the lens from new and reluctantly I am now offering it for sale. This lens is in excellent condition with just one or two very minor scratches in the usual places. The lens has spent the majority of its life inside a protective camouflaged cover which has kept it very clean and tidy.
I say “reluctantly” for sale because this lens has been without doubt my fastest and sharpest piece of glass. A good proportion of my large birds in flight images were taken with this lens as were a good number of my mammal pictures as well.
I will only sell this lens to a photographer in the UK. The lens is being sold complete with the front and rear cover, the rigid travel case, the manual and the carry strap that were supplied when the lens was new. If you have any questions then please contact me via the CONTACT section of my website.
The lens is FOR SALE at £2900 plus and post any packing costs.THIS LENS IS NOW SOLD.
“Wot no voles…” A Short Eared Owl hiding in the rocks
March 10th, 2013One subject I wasn’t expecting to photograph in the Galapagos was the Short Eared Owl.
I have spent a lot of wasted hours this winter sitting and waiting for the Short Eared Owls to appear at their normal hunting grounds close to my home. Compared to the previous winters it was a washout with very few good sightings and even less pictures. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to find this accommodating Owl on Genovesa Island, Galapagos last month.
The Owl had sunk itself down in between some volcanic rock. With a bit of careful re-positioning I was able to get myself down between the rocks allowing me to photograph the Owl at eye level. I wasn’t very comfortable but when I saw the resulting images I was pleased with the result.
It reminded me a little bit of the “Wot no …” cartoons that I used to scribble on my text books…
Lancashire Walks and Wildlife Front Cover = Lancashire Little Owl…
February 24th, 2013I am delighted to announce my first Front Cover of 2013.
This is not only my first Front Cover of the year, it is also the magazines first EVER Front Cover. The first edition of Lancashire Walks and Wildlife will be on the newsstands in March 2013. This brand new magazine is looking to encourage people to get the most from their region’s countryside. The publication will showcase countryside walks and explore local wildlife, while also offering advice, reviews and competitions.
Although I have lived in this region for over forty years, I still find myself visiting the same old favourite locations week after week. I am certainly looking forward to reading about new walks and locations that I have overlooked in the past.
Lancashire Walks and Wildlife are offering attractive subscription rates which can be found on the Walks and Wildlife website
Here is the Front Cover featuring one of Lancashires Little Owls…
A White-necked Jacobin hummingbird in flight…
February 16th, 2013Firstly apologies for the lack of posts over the last few weeks. I have spent the last three weeks with my cameras in Ecuador and then the Galapagos Islands.
To kick start this series of posts I have chosen this White-necked Jacobin hummingbird that I photographed in Ecuador. When I planned the Galapagos trip I decided to give myself several days in and around Quito before the final flight on to the islands. It was partly a safety measure in case any of my flights were delayed but also an opportunity to see the rain forests and have a go at photographing hummingbirds. The ultimate small bird in flight.
My “small bird in flight” project that I have been running in the UK for over a year now certainly gave me a good understanding of the basic skills needed to record these beautiful birds in flight. In an ideal world I would have liked a lot more equipment with me to really freeze the movement in the wings of these very fast moving birds.
With the limited equipment I had available I gave it my best shot.
