Don's Photography Blog

Fountain of Love

2013-06-14T15:39:00.000+01:00

Fountain of Love
Cliveden Estate, Buckinghamshire.

Cliveden is an Italianate mansion and estate at Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. Set on banks 40 metres (130 ft) above the River Thames, its grounds slope down to the river. The site has been home to an Earl, three Countesses, two Dukes, a Prince of Wales and the Viscounts Astor.

As home of Nancy Astor, the house was the meeting place of the Cliveden set of the 1920s and 1930s—a group of political intellectuals. Later, during the 1960s, it became the setting for key events of the notorious Profumo Affair. During the 1970s, it was occupied by Stanford University of California, who used it as an overseas campus. Today owned by the National Trust, the house is leased as a five-star hotel run by London & Regional Properties.

Cliveden means "valley among cliffs" and refers to the dene (valley) which cuts through part of the estate, east of the house. Cliveden has been spelled differently over the centuries, some of the variations being Cliffden, Clifden, Cliefden and Clyveden.The 375 acres (152 ha) gardens and woodlands are open to the public, together with parts of the house on certain days. There have been three houses on this site: the first, built in 1666, burned down in 1795 and the second house (1824) was also destroyed by fire, in 1849. The present Grade 1 listed house was built in 1851 by the architect Charles Barry for George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland.

The Rose on the wall

2013-06-07T13:49:00.000+01:00

The Rose on the wall:

Survival Against The Odds...

As I was visiting a friend today in London, just off a very busy main road down a side street when I noticed a row of lovely cottages. Here the residents are making the most of town living by allowing nature to do what it does best; show off. The roses appear to be growing out of the concrete and the lovely flowers too.

It's fantastic how roses can do that, cling onto life in the most unbearable places. It spoke to me of how human beings can adapt to living in terrible circumstances. I was thinking about all those poor illegal immigrants who were recently caught in Moscow, living in an illegal underground city. It was like a whole sub-terranean town full of people, shops, casino and work places, etc... I can't imagine what life must have been like for them. Although, I know what it's like to live below the surface for months on end. I was a Submariner for over 15 years and sometimes we were underwater for weeks on end, without ever surfacing, we just got used to it after a while. But people have an amazing capacity to adapt to the conditions in which they are forced to live and like the roses clinging to life on the wall, can even flourish. My thoughts a with them now, we'll probably never know what's become of them, but I hope they'll experience joy, peace and success in life.

I captured these on my iPhone because I didn't have a camera with me, but I've made a mental note to go back when the light is better to capture them again.

When I saw this story on the BBC News, I can tell you I cried for the people living like this.
Link to Story: Illegal Immigrants in Underground City
Video Link to the story: Video Underground

Don's Fine Art Portfolio on FAA

Don's Artwork on RedBubble...

I Know It WAS the Blood

2013-05-31T12:13:00.000+01:00

I Know It WAS the Blood...

"There's something about the Blood of Jesus that can make a man or woman free today."
I said, "There's something about the Blood of Jesus that can make a man or woman free today."
Ohhh, I said, "There's something about the Blood of Jesus that can make a man or woman, a child or anybody, free today."

A Holy Communion still life:
Camera: Nikon D700 with Nikon 20-300mm Lens. ISO 100, F/11.0, 2 sec exposure. Tripod mounted.

I know it was the Blood: Listen to this amazing recording as you contemplate this wonder that Jesus gave to all who would follow Him.

"As often as you gather together, do this in remembrance of me"

Blue, Blue Cornflowers:

2013-05-17T13:36:00.003+01:00

The magical magic of the Blue, Blue Cornflower.

I'll never forget the first time that I saw a cornflower in a wild field in Scotland. It's an amazing little plant, that I first thought was a thistle without spikes. They are of course a lot bluer than thistles. I love thistles too of course...

In years gone by you could see whole fields of cornflowers where they used to grow, like poppies do today, amongst the harvest. Now, because of all the fuss about yields etc, farmers have almost eradicated the native British wild cornflowers. However, in some places they still do manage to survive. You can find them on the edges of fields of wheat, on the cliff-tops and in the gardens of those who treasure their blue beauty.

It was so wonderful when we moved into our house here in London in 2008 to discover a small clump of them in the garden, since then I've taken the seeds each year and spread them around, now my garden is full of stunning beautiful blue cornflowers.

They are so easy to grow and come back stronger every year, almost like lovable weeds. They are hardy annuals and put down roots in the autumn and they can survive the coldest of winters, they keep on producing amazing blue flowers all summer long, you can cut them back and they'll bloom again.

Wouldn't it be great if we could see fields in the countryside full of these magical blue, blue beauties?

Cornflower Capture: These images were captured on a bright cloudy morning, just perfect for flowers, because the sky acts like a massive softbox.

TIP: If there is no cloud cover you can produce your own softbox with a see through reflector or a large piece of white paper.

More from my morning venture into the garden.

Fuji HS50exr Review Continued.

2013-05-17T03:23:00.001+01:00

Peace, Perfect Peace.

I'm discovering more really cool features on the Fujifilm HS50exr every day. Yesterday I found that the Black and White is soooo nifty and gives wonderful smooth tones.

Video shot with Fujifilm Finepix HS50exr camera.

One day a very wealthy businessman observed a fisherman sitting relaxing by his boat. He asked the man if he was a fisherman, the man said "Yes". He then asked him why he was not fishing. The fisherman replied, "I've caught all the fish I need for today." The Business man asked him why he didn't catch more fish than he needed. The fisherman asked "What would I do with the extra fish?" The businessman said, "You could sell them and make more money, buy a bigger boat, get stronger nets, go out deeper and get even more fish and more money when you sell them. Soon you'll have enough to buy more boats and have a fleet of fishing boats and be rich just like me" The fisherman then asked, "Then what would I do?" The Business man said, "Then you could relax, take life easy, put your feet up and enjoy life". The fisherman said, "What do you think I'm doing now?"

Contentment: Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

The Fujifilm Finepix HS50exr may not be the best camera on the market today. It doesn't even come close in quality to even the most basic DSLR, however, what it lacks in image quality, it more than makes up for in ease of use, almost instant focusing, awesome zoom reach (bringing the most distant objects soooooo close, you can almost touch them.)... and amazing picture taking pleasure with the tiltable rear LCD screen. Couple all that with outstanding film simulation modes and effects and you've got a great little travel camera with an arsenal of photographic potential in one body. You don't need extra lenses. You don't need a kit bag full of gear. You don't need anything else but a smart, intelligent camera that thinks for you in an emergency. You'll get the shot!

Click Here for more of my Hand's-On Review
Click Here for more on my Key Features of fuji HS50exr.

Peace in my garden in South London, 16th May 2013, in the late afternoon sunshine:

Fujifilm Finepix HS50exr: 1/850th sec, f/4.5, ISO 400, Handheld.

Fujifilm Finepix HS50exr: 1/800th sec, f/3.5, ISO 100, handheld.

Peace, Perfect Peace, is the gift of Christ the Lord.

It's NOT ready yet

2013-05-12T23:55:00.001+01:00

My Grandchildren Playing.
I'm posting the video again on Youtube, seems much better quality than on Blogger upload.

It's Not Ready Yet!

I was taking a few candid shots of my grandchildren Ami and Leila with my new Fujifilm FinePix HS50 EXR Camera yesterday and decided to try out the film modes. I'm not really into film, more of an arty photographer, but with each new iteration of a camera comes some new features that you've just got to try.

Here they are: They were busy making "Mushroom Salad" A strange mixture of grass and pebbles... you've got to have a child's imagination to play this game.

The quality of the video here, for some strange reason, is not the same as it is on my Facebook Page. I'll try and figure that out???

Each and every time I see this video I can't help but laugh out loud.

Fujifilm Finepix HS50EXR Hands on Review.

2013-05-12T17:20:00.002+01:00

The Fujifilm FinePix HS50 EXR Review.

WOW! My Fuji HS50 arrived yesterday and I've been having some fun playing with it.

Updated my review with a Movie Here

Fujifilm Fine Pix HS50 Specs and Stats

The great day has arrived, I've just got my hands on my brand new FujiFilm HS50 EXR Camera. After unpacking and charging the battery, putting on the strap, lens hood and attaching the lens cap, I'm ready to give it a good thorough testing.

First impressions: It's very light. I'm used to lugging my D700 around all day, and in comparison the Fuji HS50 feels like a feather. It'll be great for travel photography.

After the battery was fully charged which only took a few minutes as it had obviously been charged up before packing, I placed it in the camera. Oh I forgot to mention I also ordered the newest 16GB Fuji HS SD Card to go with it.

A B&W from the Fuji HS50exr:

Comparison:
I thought I'd just test my brand new Fujifilm Finepix HS50exr and compare it with my old Nikon D40x camera. I was amazed, surprise and not very impressed with the fuji cameras performance.

Here I set both cameras to their best setting: Both in RAW mode at ISO 100 and f/8.00.

First the Fujifilm image:

Fujifilm HS50exr Camera made in 2013: ISO100 f/8.0 RAW. Tripod Mounted. Available Light.

Next the Nikon D40x image:

Nikon D40x Camera made in 2007. ISO100 f/8.0 Tripod Mounted, Available Light. Basic 18-55mm Lens.

Here is a Close Up Crop of the Images
First Fujifilm HS50exr image:

Next the Nikon D40x Crop:

You don't have to be a pixel peeper to see the old Nikon wins hands down.

I wanted to be as fare to the Fujifilm as I could possible be, so I did the test again, trying my hardest to get the best quality from the camera. Here is my second attempt with the Fuji and Nikon again.

Fujifilm Finepix HS50exr Camera:

Fujifilm Finepix HS50exr. ISO 100, f/8.0, Tripod Mounted.

Nikon D40x Camera:

Nikon D40x Camera: ISO 100, f/8.0, Tripod Mounted.

The Nikon's ten megapixels do seem to produce a much better image than the sixteen megapixels of the brand new Fujifilm HS50exr's. This reveals to me that even over time, with all the supposed advances in sensor technology, that sensor size really does matter when it comes to quality. I'm now going to take a shot with my Nikon D700 just to compare with the Old Nikon D40x to see if there is any difference. Remember the D700 is also over five years old and I've had it since new, it's taken thousands of shots.

D700 Pictures:

Nikon D700, ISO 100, f/8.0, Tripod Mounted.

However, apart from image quality what does the Fujifilm HS50exr have in it's favour? More later.

Key Features of Fujifilm Finepix HS50 Camera

2013-05-12T17:15:00.000+01:00

The Fujifilm Finepix HS50 EXR Review:

Key Camera Features.

by Don Davis Photography.

May 2013.

About this Review: I'm not a technical expert, but a photographer and I'll be relating my experience of this camera from that perspective. Experience, I've been a enthusiast photographer since 1982 when I first purchased an SLR camera and developed my negatives and exposed them in a makeshift darkroom at home. All that has moved on since the invention of the Digital Camera and now I'm developing in Lightroom, instead of a Darkroom, tweaking in Photoshop instead of dodging and burning.

Fujifilm Finepic HS50 EXR... The amazing features on the Fujifilm Finepix HS50 EXR will blow you away, because there are just so many amazing things you can do with this brilliant little camera from Fuji. I'm discovering more all the time and will share them here with you here. Let me just say at the outset I'm really impressed with some awesome features, but also disappointed in some respects with the quality of images captured.

16 megapixels: First it's a massive 16 megapixel optical zoom camera. You only really need about 6 megapixels for a great image, so with all those extra MPs you can crop away to your heart's content. For more detailed information about the sensor and the science behind it click here (Fuji EXR CMOS SENSOR). However do the claims of the science and spiel deliver in the real world of everyday photography?

42x Zoom. Equivalent to 24mm to 1000mm. WOW!

All-in-one-lens with no electronic interpretation, and you can also get some more electronic zoom as well. That's truly amazing. Imagine a 1000mm lens on a Nikon or Canon camera, they'd weigh a ton and cost the earth, but it's right here on this tiny camera from Fuji.... Does the Lens on the HS50 EXR deliver? You can be the judge of that when you check out the pics here to see just how much it zooms...
I've been amazed at how quickly this camera focuses at the 1000mm setting, it's near instant every time, even in quite low light.

3" inch LCD (Vari-Angled). You can swivel and twist and use it to view the scene over the heads of the crowd or down low in the ground without getting muddy. Brilliant. It's also adjustable brightness so you can see the screen in the brightest sunlight. Those 920.000 dots make the pictures on the LCD amazing too. Now you can get the images from weird angles without getting yourself in a knot to do so.

ISO Range: 100-12,800. As you'll see in my test shots, there is an incredible amount of noise from the tiny sensor in this camera, and it begins as low as ISO 400, but that's OK, because at least you'll never miss a shot. Noise adds character. However, in my tests, this camera doesn't live up to it's claims. The software producing the images in the camera has a strange way of smudging. So, in theory, you could use this camera almost in the dark and still see an image, but don't expect the same quality as you can get from a DSLR (My old Nikon D40x from 2006, produced seven years ago, and Nikon D700 from 2008, five years old now, are even better in low light than this Fuji Bridge Camera.) However you'll also see that for normal outdoor shooting at ISO 100-200 the image quality is stunning.

So the useful ISO range for quality, noise free shots is only ISO 100-200, from there you'll get noise and lots of it or strange smudges if you use the EXR software.

Movies: You can record stunning Full HD Movies at 1080p @60fps Frames Per Second. There are other movie modes, I really liked the fast frame mode, which when viewed back produces a slow motion movie. The grandchildren loved watching themselves dancing in slow motion.

Movie: Grandchildren Playing.

360 Sweep Panorama: With an intelligent and brilliant sweep panoramic setting amazing vistas are sure to be captured.

Q Button: (Quick Selector Menu) With this button and the selector wheel you can quickly set almost any parameter on the camera for the mode you are in. This is one of the features I really like.

SP1 and SP2 Settings: (Even my Nikon D700 can't do this.) It remembers the setting for say Landscapes or Portraits and with one quick twist of the mode selector you are all set up for your favourite in a moment. Best of all, the camera remembers what you've set even when you turn it off or take the battery out.

Arts and Crafts Movement

2013-05-07T09:14:00.003+01:00

Standen Estate: East Sussex, England.
Arts and Crafts: William Morris.
Bank Holiday Monday 6th May 2013 Visit.

You can see all the images (Large) by clicking one and scrolling through them.

My wife and I had a wonderful day out yesterday at the Standen Estate, owned by the National Trust. We arrived early and had to wait for 15 mins before they opened the gates. However, as we were the first to arrive for Bank Holiday Monday, we also got to see the whole place and had it to ourselves for a while, that's why there are only a few people in the pictures at first. As the day progressed, there were hundreds of people arriving and by the time we were leaving there was a line of cars half a mile long, waiting to get in. I'm so glad my wife prompted me to get ready and on our way out of London before everyone else got out of bed.

Standen House: The House is decorated throughout in the Arts and Crafts Style. There are William Morris textiles everywhere; Fabrics, Tiles, Wallpaper. Even the electrics are the original fixtures and fittings from the 1920s...

Standen Estate Gardens: The Gardens were a treasure: All made up of little compartment gardens and each turn is an adventure in itself. I loved the views overlooking the reservoir in the valley below and would definitely love to visit in the early morning light.

For more information on the history of Stenden House and Estate visit the National Trust web site.

Photography For Don

I am passionate, my wife would say "obsessed", with all kinds of photography. When I am behind the camera looking through the eye-piece, I feel like I am in the right place, no matter where I am. Photography allows me to be still and just focus on what's in front of me. Everything else around me just fades away and what unfolds before me is all that I am aware of. I am in the moment, and when that happens, sometimes something magical occurs. My Breathing slows down, troubles fade away, calmness washes over me, all is at peace. When finally I press the shutter: Boom:- Peace, Happiness, Elation, Excitement and Joy. It all builds up to that moment. No wonder this photography is what I love to do. For me PHOTOGRAPHY is not just taking a picture, it is the elation of the emotional experience that I seek. It doesn't happen every time, but occasionally people who view my artwork also experience it too. It's important to me that others know what has happened to produce the artwork they are submersed in and can share something of the boom of the moment.

Don's Photography Fine Art

At Don's Fine Art site you'll discover many great works and they are always great quality.

Don's RedBubble Portfolio

See Something on this blog that's not available on my Fine Art sites? Contact me and I'll let you have them.

Chelsea Bridge Sunrise: London

2013-05-02T23:16:00.001+01:00

A Sunrise To Remember.

Chelsea Bridge from Battersea Bridge on the River Thames in London.

Planning an early morning rise to greet the Sunrise is one thing, but actually getting your head off the pillow and out the door is another. For me there really is nothing quite like that sacrifice, but there's also the anticipation and dread that goes along with it. That's because, here in London, we never really know what the weather is going to be like. Oh we can look at the outlook on the BBC forecasts to see what they've said it's going to be like, but I can't tell you the number of times that I've gotten up and out only to be disappointed by the complete opposite of what had been promised.

Today when I crawled out of bed I felt those same feelings of excitement and trepidation. I'd prepared well; the forecast was for clear skies and light wind. I'd planned to be at Battersea bridge in time to welcome the sun and I knew the exact spot that I'd be standing, all thanks to Google maps and the Photographer's Ephemeris program. The rest, as they say, was in God's hands and my skill as a photographer. Praise God! Because today the weather didn't disappoint, the sky was clear and apart from a slight breeze not too bad.

My kit for today was simple: Nikon D700 Camera, Gitzo Tripod, 28-300mm and 16-35mm Nikon Lenses. 16Gb Compact Flash Card and a few filtres if I needed them.

I knew it would be quite cold, so I put on a big wooly jumper, jacket and warm clothing. However, I made the mistake of forgetting a hat and gloves which I'd later regret, because the wind was stronger and colder on Battersea Bridge than I'd imagined. However, braving the early morning cold is just one of the things that makes these early morning sorties into the heart of London memorable, hopefully I'll remember them next time.

In London Be Careful Parking: Parking my car was a problem though, I knew that if I'd parked carelessly, even at that time of the day, I could be clamped or towed away. After driving around for a while I found a spot next to Battersea Park just down from Chelsea Bridge. It was good because I made a mental note to take some close-up shots of Chelsea Bridge on the way back to the car after the sunrise shots. The distance from Chelsea Bridge to Battersea Bridge is only a couple of hundred yards, so was glad that I didn't have to lug camera gear too far.

Finding my spot was easy and it was a delight to walk along the Thames path, I was the only soul out at that time of the day, but that didn't last long as morning joggers began to emerge from their luxury flats close by. I got into position on Battersea bridge at about 5.10am ready for the sunrise at 5.30am. They sky was already quite bright and I could see the beginnings of the orange glow in the sky, I knew it was going to be a good clear shot. I think I would have prefered a bit more cloud in the sky, but never mind.

Camera Settings: Far too often I've forgotten that I'd been shooting in some weird ISO setting only to get home and find a great landscape shot has been ruined by my stupidity. So now I always double check every setting on the camera; ISO, f stop, focusing mode switch, area focusing mode switch, metering mode switch. Also when using the camera on a tripod you won't need lens stabilization so turn it off. Also just check that I'm shooting in RAW, that's so I can recover as much detail from every shot. JPG compresses the files and data is lost.

Here are some of the shots

Click images to see them much larger.

What surprised me today was just how much the colours have changed as the sun got higher in the sky.

Sunrises or Sunsets???

I find both are equally inspiring, but for me a Sunrise is best: Because there is a sense of excitement building, birds begin singing, the city slowly begins to wake and there is the anticipation of a brand new day dawning.

Sunset on the other hand is lovely with warmer colours and a feeling of everything is going to be OK as we curl up in our beds and relax with fond memories and visually calming dreams.

Photography:

Spring Splash London

2013-04-25T15:42:00.002+01:00

Spring Slash in London.

My daughter phoned me yesterday morning and said, "Dad, it's sunny and the kids want to go to Tower Bridge"

Well, how could I refuse to take them? Being a great big soft Papa means I'm never going to refuse, but I made sure I took Niko (Nikon D700) along with me... I knew on a sunny Spring day the Thames and Southbank would be choc-full of people out and about soaking up the atmosphere. It didn't take me long to realise that I was right. My grandchildren, on reaching the mini fountains just behind City Hall, couldn't wait to get wet. So after watching them for a little bit I started taking some shots. There was a guy from the ITV filming the lovely day for the evening news and he asked if he could film the kids splashing and running in and out of the water. He told us it would be on the 6.00pm ITV London News. It was and now all our friends are liking these images on FB too:-)

What a joy it produces within the heart to see young children playing naturally in water on a warm day. Lots of people stopped to gaze and I could see many of them smiling. We've had a long, cold winter and many a heart has been longing for these warmer days. My grandchildren got wet, cold and exhausted, but they had so much fun. Afterwards, we had some sandwiches and juice then headed back on the train to my house. It was cuddle-up to Papa time and the youngest one needed to be carried home at the other end. A couple of hours out of a busy day, to produce memories that will last forever.

Don's Fine Art Portfolio.

Don's Fine Art Store.

The Studio Photography Experience.

2013-04-22T11:21:00.002+01:00

The Studio Photography Experience

Two Sets & Four Models.

On Saturday we were in the studio again, this time we set-up from scratch with two different sets and four models. We also had a few impromptu outdoor shots with the models too.

Learning Studio Photography:

It's so much fun to get together with like minded photographers, both experienced and those like myself, who are complete novices to this environment. It's also great to be involved in thinking through how to set up the studio with backgrounds, lights, stools, props, soft boxes, umbrellas, and getting the light-meter readings etc ready for our models who were being made to look awesome by our resident MUA.

Many thanks to +Richard j a Dawson and +john bellingham the Club organisers and to +Carl Goodwin for his fun sense of humour.

Some of the models were experienced and others it was their first time. It soon became obvious who was who, but by the end of the shoot they'd learned to fluid pose and we'd also discovered afresh that interaction and communication with the model is key to getting great shots.

As usual there was lots of banter between the guys who're getting to know one another better week by week, joking about eating spicy pringles and bananas. You had to be there, but it's these silly moments that really help us to grow together.

Unfounded Fears:

What I discovered this time: People come to the group to learn, but when we are doing it for the first time or even the first few times, we all seem to come with unfounded fears like;

will I look stupid amongst people who know so much more than me?
will I be able to get the model to do what I want,
will I foul everything up for everyone else,
are my questions too stupid,
etc, etc,,,

These are all 'normal' feeling and thoughts, but in this group we try to communicate that there are no 'silly' questions and we understand that it feels awkward and unnatural at first. This seems to help put everyone at ease and we bear with one another and help each other to get great results.

The Group:

We were a much larger group than normal on Saturday, the organisers; +Richard j a Dawson and +john bellingham thought it would be a good experiment in logistics, it worked and it was good to have the two sets and four models to work with. I do think the MUA struggled a bit though and this aspect seemed to take much longer than normal. With 17 photographers, mixed male and female, I discovered much more about how to get different poses and think creatively on the spot. However, my preference would be for our smaller groups of 6 people. These seem to work so much better.

Camera Equipment:

There were all kinds of cameras on the day; Nikon, Canon, Sony, iPhone, which was really interesting, but I took along my D700 with 85mm Lense (later on I wished that I'd taken along a slightly wider angled lens), but most people had a mix of prime and zoom lenses; 85mm prime was the most prevalent throughout the day though.

The Shots:

Here are a few shots of Tanya that I managed to capture during the day. (More to follow soon).

Tanya

Don's Fine Art Portfolio

Don's Fine Art Store:

Developing Still Life Subjects

2013-04-15T22:33:00.001+01:00

Developing Still Life Subjects.

(Please note; All images can be clicked to see them much larger).

There's nothing more frustrating than wanting to take photos, when you can't get out and shoot or even if you are feeling a bit restless and need to do something with your camera. Don't despair my friends, because there's a wealth of inspirations all around you at home. I've been collecting bits and bobs for ages. Sometimes, I'll see something in a junk shop or flea-market stall that grabs my attention. I'll get it for a few pennies and take it home. Quite often, it'll be weeks or even months before I get around to using these items, but then inspiration will strike when I'm least expecting it and I've just got to go and practice being creative. However, I'll bet you've got some things in your home that you can dig out, dust off and give it a new lease of life by being famous in a picture that you've crafted.

I'll find a space in the home that inspires; the dining room in my house is just right. It's big spacious and makes it easy to set up still-life objects in wonderful window light. At other times I'll use on of the spare bedrooms and darken them out completely.

Next it's arranging the table, the backdrop and the objects. I'll also try different exposures and depths of field experiments. What's great about still-life is there's no hurry or rush to get the shots. I can take my time; sorting out the lighting, reflections, until if feel I've got something that might just work. I keep some torches and reflective cards and paper to add or subtract light and glare.

However, it's not over yet. When I get the photos onto my computer, with still-life shots, I'll play around in Lightroom, PS5, and OneOne's brilliant software. The results are endless and so much fun. Doing this really reinvigorates my creativity and excitement.

Here are just a few examples, but I do hope they lead you into being creative and experimenting with your own objects, spaces and software.

Still Life: "K N O W your W A Y"

Objects: Blue Jug (Chinese) cost 50p at a fund raising sale.
Telescope: Purchased on a photography day out at Chatham Dockyard in Kent. (Reminds me of my Navy days).
Bible: My old leather bound Bible that I read every day. It's been all over the world with me, even up to the North Pole in my Submarine when we surfaced through the ice. I've taken it on holiday and photography trips. I'm never without a Bible to show me the way to live.
Brass Candle Holder: Purchased for 75p at a charity shop. I did make a larger donation though, it was a worthy cause.
Red Satin Cloth: Given by a good friend who knows I collect rubbish.

Camera Settings: Camera Nikon D700, 28-300mm Nikon Lens, Tripod mounted. Set lowest ISO (100) f/16.0 to get everything in focus. Various exposures. Manual focus mode with live view. Remember to switch off lens stabilisation as it can cause noise.

Put them all together and hey-presto::::

Notice Candle without flame.

Some of the pre-processed shots of this shoot.

Black and White Version.

The Original Image

As you can see, from just one set up, and I took quite a few, there's a whole host of different options once you begin playing around with the image. I hope this has inspired you to dig around your home and get playing and being creative.

More Shots: (click to see larger images).

Don's Fine Art Store: Here you can purchase these images in many different formats; cards, prints, framed etc.

or you could also try Don's RedBubble Fine Art Portfolio.

Bursting with L I F E

2013-04-13T21:15:00.002+01:00

Bursting with L I F E.

(Take you time to view them larger by clicking and scrolling through)

I know this is something a little bit different from me today, but I can't help it. I'm a real big softie when it come to flowers and still life subjects. It stems from my school days when I had to draw and paint still life subjects and I can't help but admire some of the old masters and their skills with light, colour and shadow.

These flowers were a gift to my wife at my son's wedding.

Don's Fine Art Store:

April Showers.

2013-04-12T18:31:00.001+01:00

April Showers.

At least something is normal with our weather in the UK now, we've got April showers big time.

I love looking out from the cover of our veranda when the sky is dark, the rain is falling and the sun is shining through our wonderful flower laden bush in Springtime. Some people don't like the rain, but I love it, always have. I remember as a boy skipping along in a really heavy shower in Scotland, getting soaking wet and yet I felt real joy in my heart. Of course when I arrived home I got told off for not wearing a coat.

April Showers: Don's Garden in London.

Don's Fine Art Photography Shop.

The Night Shard

2013-04-10T16:00:00.002+01:00

The Night Shard.

It was like taking a step into the unknown when I visited London at night, so much changes here all the time. Getting to my location was no easy thing either, the way they keep modifying the traffic routes, it almost got me into trouble with the LAW. Where once I could go happily down a street, now, at the end, there was a barricade to stop vehicles going through a bridge. It would have been difficult to reverse and turn around, but fortunately there was no one around, and I could see that my car could just squeeze through the gap in the barrier. Phew...

However, when I eventually wandered onto Tower Bridge the scene before me immediately grabbed my attention and said, "You need to capture me". This I proceeded to do and a few more of my originally intended scene. However, when I got home and looked at the results I was not too happy with what I'd got. Just looked so bland and ordinary. So left it alone, as I sometimes do, rather than deleting them.

Then a couple of weeks later I returned to the file of photos and prayed for inspiration; "what can I do with you I thought?" I knew there was something there. So in Adobe Lightroom I began playing with the settings and low and behold the image you see below. I'll also include the original just so you can see what I've done to it.

It's amazing how a few days apart from your work can give you breathing space and a little inspiration to be creative.

What does the Shard do for the London Skyline?

I was wondering if anyone likes or dislikes the Shard?
Personally, I think it's wonderful. It does tend to dominate, but I don't think it's a blot on the London landscape as some people imagine. I remember when the Gherkin was first unveiled and the City Hall with it's weird off centre shape, but now both of them just seem to be a natural aspect of city architecture. In fact the Gherkin is being dwarfed by other huge box-like buildings that I'm not that keen on. The Walkie Talkie (pictures soon) is a weird building that dominates all around it in an obtrusive way, I'll try and show you what I mean with pictures soon..

Back to the Shard::::

Lightroom Adjusted Image:

Original Image:

If you look closely at the original you'll notice quite a few differences to the final image. For instance, there are quite a few dust spots (must get my sensor cleaned again), must have been changing lenses in a dusty room.

You can purchase this and other works at my FAA and RedBubble Stores Below.

Don's Fine Art America:

Don's Redbubble:

Just got back from Plymouth

2013-04-07T18:54:00.001+01:00

I'm Back Posting Photos Soon.
Just thought I'd let you all know that I'm back again from my travels. We've been down to the Westcountry: Plymouth and Devon. Attended my son Joe's wedding. He's now married to a beautiful bride Laura. Will be posting photos soon.

Lighthouse Collage

2013-04-03T09:13:00.000+01:00

Lighthouse Collage.

Remember you can see these images much larger by clicking on them.

Smeaton's Tower Lighthouse on Plymouth Hoe, Devon.

Returning to one of my favourite subjects today: Smeaton's Tower Lighthouse. It's located on Plymouth Hoe and is an iconic landmark of the City. Today I was playing around with Photoshop and wanted to see what could be done to show the Lighthous off in a unique way. Hope you like this one.

We've got a wedding this weekend in Plymouth and I'll be staying in a hotel close to Plymouth Hoe, so I'll get a couple of days to capture the early morning light. I'm praying for great weather, but you never know in the UK. Must go now and get all my camera gear ready and batteries charged, cards formatted and tripod cleaned. Oh and I must not forget my polarising filter too. Pray for safe travel on the roads, I'm driving down from London with my daughter and grandchildren... Fun and JOY. For the Wedding, we'll be wearing kilts again, and no jokes about what does a Scotsman wear under his kilt? I'll be keep that well under wraps in this cold weather.

Smeaton's Tower Lighthouse Collage.

To make this image I used a template with blank black boxes and frames.

Smeaton's Tower Original.

Rather than taking in the whole lighthouse, for this shot I focused in on the details. Notice the date the tower was constructed.

Don's Fine Art Portfolio.

Don's RedBubble Portfolio.

Come back soon and you'll see more of Don's great works.

April Fool Oak Tree

2013-04-02T06:41:00.001+01:00

April Fool Oak Tree.

Yesterday, it was sunny, but ohhhhh soooo cold. Though this picture looks warm, the sun was shining, but there was a bitterly cold east wind here in London. Our oak tree in the garden isn't even showing any sign of buds yet. Keeping them ready for the warmer weather. That wise old Oak is no April fool :-)

April Fool Oak Tree

Good Friday

2013-04-02T06:08:00.002+01:00

Good Friday Walk of Witness.

29th March 2013.

On Good Friday Christians from all over West Norwood in London gathered at Tulse Hill railway station at 11.45am. It was bright and sunny, but an unusually cold day so late in March. As the small band gathered, they shivered, greeted one another and prayed and then began singing songs and hymns of praise. The mood was not sombre as you'd expect, but full of joy and happiness. Why were they so happy singing about the death of the Lord Jesus? I asked one man and he said, "It's because Jesus died so that we could be forgiven and set free from sin, satan and death. Praise the Lord!"

More and more people gathered, then, led by the Cross carriers, they slowly made their way along West Norwood Road, stopping every now and then to let the group stragglers catch up. As they processed more and more people joined in the throng and just began singing along with the others. They stopped outside the Salvation Army Chapel and were joined by the Captain who let a short prayer and they all sang together again, their excitement and joy seemed infectious. Next it was up York Hill to All Nations Church where the Pastor was blessed and the church prayed for and again more singing and praise.

As they slowly processed together in the sunshine, I couldn't help but marvel at the diversity in this group; black, white, brown, African, Jamaican, Indian, English, Scottish. There were rich and poor people all walking together and so happy. They ended up in St Luke's Church gardens and gathered in a circle around the cross, prayed for Christians all over the world, prayed for the Nation, the City of London and West Norwood. Then such a moving song of Joy about Jesus dying upon the Cross. Finally they were all invited inside for something warm to drink and Hot Cross Buns to eat together. It definitely was a witness of their faith and trust in their Saviour and Lord, but it also demonstrated so clearly that there is real and genuine love between these people from many different congregations who follow their Jesus Christ: There's a power here!

Don's Fine Art Work.

Dolphin and Lady Fountain; Tower Bridge.

2013-03-25T13:51:00.001Z

The Dolphin Fountain: Tower Bridge, London.

I'm sorry, someone had just pointed out that I should tell you, that by clicking the images on this page, you can see them super-lard and they'll fill your screen. Hope you enjoy the bigger picture.

It's great to visit the centre of London at night. I parked in Queen Elizabeth Street, which is only a 3 minute walk from Tower Bridge and the parking is free. There was a little drizzly rain, but nothing to worry about. After walking over the bridge, I set up my tripod and proceeded to take some shots. I've heard that the security guards in the hotel next to the fountain can be a bit officious, but I don't they they wanted to get wet as I didn't see any. There were a few other people about taking shots, so I had to wait until they'd finished.

I've been to this fountain on a few occasions, but never at night. I was saddned by the fact that the fountain was turned off, but not daunted. After analysing the scene, wanting to incorporate the Shard in the background and get some reflections in the pool, I took a few shots from various angles (see below) Sometimes, it's not until you get home and look at them on the big screen that you know what you've captured. However, I had the blinkies turned on on the back screen of my Nikon D700 and could see that some of the highlights were blown out, so I adjusted the exposure compensation to -.7 stop, then again to -1. Perfect. I knew I could combine several exposures in Photomaitx later, but wanted to get it right in camera anyway.

Here is the final shot that I was quite please with that night. (See some of the images that I also took below).

How I got this shot:

It's a HDR image made up of three exposures of one image set in Lightroom. After cleaning up the image, removing a few dust spots etc, I adjusted the exposure settings and exported to Photomatix Pro. I don't like too heavy HDR and all the weird halos that can be produced, so after tinkering around with the settings, I got something that I liked and saved the image as a TIFF file. Then opened it in Photoshop and adjusted the Levels to bring back some punch. HDR can often leave an image a little flat. Then I adjusted the Noise with a filter in PS5, Sharpend with a high pass filtre and overlay mode. Then finally played around with saturation in Lightroom again.

Dolphin and Lady Fountain at Tower Bridge, London, UK.
Camera Nikon D700 with 16-35mm Nikon Lens. ISO100, 30sec exposure, 16mm, f/22.0.

More Shots of the Dolphin and Lady Fountain at Tower Bridge.

You can purchase some of this fine art work by clicking any image you like on the box below or just take a peek at my portfolio. Always appreciated your feedback and comments.

Don's Fine Art Store:

After Dinner Delight

2013-03-22T20:55:00.001Z

After Dinner Delight: Tiger Prawns in Chilli...

I thought I'd have a bit of fun with my picture of the day. After getting dinner ready for my wife, and having eaten it in our dining room, I strolled into the kitchen and it was all dark apart from the vent light. This is what dinner looks like after we've finished it.

Menu For Don's 'Tiger Prawn' Dinner Tonight.

Tiger Prawns cooked in sesame oil, chilli and garlic with a touch of smoked paprika. As the prawns don't take very long to cook it's best to begin by frying the chilli and garlic a couple of minutes before to get the flavours into the oil.

Deep fried plantain (cooking bananas).

Salad: thinly sliced courgette and mango, sliced baby tomatoes, with half the juice of a lime, in some yoghurt. Spiced with black pepper and minced garlic, tossed together.

After it's all prepared, combined together with brown rice cooled in running water. Don't forget to add the oil that the chilli and garlic have been cooking in over the top, this will give the dish a great kick with a wonderful nutty flavour from the sesame oil.

What a delight to prepare and it was sooooo yummy to eat with some Tiger Bread and a glass of red wine...

Now: Here's the mess I left in the kitchen. Who's going to clean all that up?
P.S. Don't look at that Heinz Ketchup, I didn't use that tonight.

Cooking for me is an adventure a journey of discovery. It's the first time we've used mango in a salad.

Tower Bridge Light Trails

2013-03-21T10:22:00.004Z

Tower Bridge Light Trails.

After taking the previous shot of the Dolphin and Lady fountain with Tower Bridge in the background, when going back over the bridge to my car I envisiaged a great shot with light-trails heading towards the arches on the bridge. I like the way this one turned out on the computer screen. It's funny how you never really know what you've got until you get back home and look at it full screen.

Tower Bridge Light-Trails by Don Davis Photography 2013.
30 seconds, f/16.0, ISO 100, 16mm.
Camera Nikon D700. Lens 16-35mm Nikon.

You can purchase this work here at Don's Fine Art

Tower Bridge:

London's Tower Bridge (which was built 1886–1894) is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name. It has become an iconic symbol of London and is probably one of the most painted and photographed bridges in the world. Contrary to popular belief, the song "London Bridge is Falling Down" has nothing to do with Tower Bridge, they are completely different bridges. Tower bridge opens and closes to allow ships to pass underneath and up the Thames.

The bridge consists of two towers tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways, designed to withstand the horizontal forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge on the landward sides of the towers. The vertical component of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two robust towers. The bascule pivots and operating machinery are housed in the base of each tower. The bridge's present colour scheme dates from 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue for the Queen Elizabeth II's silver jubilee. Originally it was painted a mid greenish-blue colour.

The History of Tower Bridge:

In the second half of the 19th century, increased commercial development in the East End of London led to a requirement for a new river crossing downstream of London Bridge. A traditional fixed bridge could not be built because it would cut off access by tall-masted ships to the port facilities in the Pool of London, between London Bridge and the Tower of London.

A Special Bridge or Subway Committee was formed in 1876, chaired by Sir Albert Joseph Altman, to find a solution to the river crossing problem. It opened the design of the crossing to public competition. Over 50 designs were submitted, including one from civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette. The evaluation of the designs was surrounded by controversy, and it was not until 1884 that a design submitted by Sir Horace Jones, the City Architect (who was also one of the judges), was approved.

Jones' engineer, Sir John Wolfe Barry, devised the idea of a bascule bridge with two towers built on piers. The central span was split into two equal bascules or leaves, which could be raised to allow river traffic to pass. The two side-spans were suspension bridges, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways.

Don's Photography Website: Click Here.

Don's Fine Art Website: Click Here.

Tower Bridge at Night

2013-03-19T06:32:00.004Z

Tower Bridge at Night.

The Dolphin and Lady Fountain.

I've taken a quite a few shots of Tower Bridge from the Southbank of the Thames before at night, so I thought I'd be adventurous and travel over the bridge and capture the dolphin and lady fountain. I've a few more shots of the bridge on this blog.

I never tire of visiting London's iconic landmarks, but as this is probably the most photographed and painted bridge in the world, getting something unique is never going to be easy. If you do a Google search for Tower Bridge you'll see a few more shots that I've taken, but there a millions. I'm quite surprised that I come so high in the rankings on Google, because there are many more works that far surpass mine. Thanks so much for everyone visiting and sharing this on G+, Facebook and Twitter. Keep sharing my friends.

Tower Bridge:

The History of Tower Bridge:

New chandelier

2013-03-16T17:08:00.000Z

Don's New Chandelier.

We've just put up our new chandelier and now that my daughter her husband and my two lovely granddaughters have moved out, we're getting lonely and want to begin entertaining friends again in our lovely home.

This is the new chandelier my wife just bought to grace the table in the middle of the room, once I've set the table I'll show you some more and send out the invitations for a lovely Scottish treat.

london skyline framed prints

You Can view more works by Don.
Don Davis Photography. Don is a fine art and portrait photographer, based in London. To view portraiture, visit don's website at Fine Art England or Fine Art America. Redbubble or 500px.

You can get some fine art prints of this work from Here.

Visit Don's Fine Art England Store.