BLUEBELLS (AGAIN) AND MORE!

After not being entirely happy with the  images taken on my previous visit to the bluebell woods I went back for another go. The only mistake I made this time was to go on a Sunday, even at 8am. the place was rammed full of people!

But first a bit of a rant!...Bear in mind that these people have made the effort to get up early on a Sunday morning to go and see the stunning beauty of a woodland  floor covered in a carpet of bluebells...so why, despite the signs asking them nicely not to, do they leave the paths and trample all over the flowers?  And then to get that perfect photo (with their iphones and their ipads) they insist on plonking their babies.. their kids..their girl/boyfriends..their parents/grandparents..their dogs (as well as letting them tear around unchecked)..push their pushchairs/wheelchairs(yes!)..ride their mountain bikes onto any pristine patch of bluebells that they can find!!

 I guess all they're concerned with is their own enjoyment and they're just too ignorant to think of other people?...nature's beauty is just wasted on these morons!!...phew!..rant over.

I managed to get a few photographs but after a short while I got p****d off with dodging all the people and walked to another, less populated!, part of the woods where I could work in peace.

After a while I noticed that there were quite a few other wild flowers out in bloom and waiting to have their photos taken!

Common Dandelion (taraxallum officinale)

Greater Stitchwort (stellaria holostia)

Ribwort Plantain (plantago lanceolata)

Wood Sorrel (oxalis acetosella)

Common Daisy (bellis perennis)

Red Campion (siline dioica)

Cypress Spurge (euphorbia cyparissias)

Despite the morons..er..people I had an enjoyable few hours getting down and dirty with some beautiful flowers!

BLUEBELLS

I went out yesterday to photograph the Bluebells in the local woods. Unfortunately the light wasn't perfect, it was rather overcast and dull... and almost dark under the tree canopy, just to add to the fun it was also cold and muddy!

It's quite a large wood and there were lots of people milling about looking at the Bluebells so a lot of time was spent waiting for a clear shot.

I also got a few funny looks as I was crawling about in the mud and the leaf litter to get the low down shots!

I'm not too pleased with the focusing and the depth of field in these close up shots...I'll go back after the weekend and have another roll around in the mud...er..go!


I also encountered a problem during the processing of these images. When I imported the CR2 images into the Adobe Raw Converter the blue was extremely over saturated and I had a struggle to adjust them back to anything close to the correct colour!...any ideas? 

A GARDEN VISITOR

 A regular visitor to my garden bird feeders...unfortunately the sunflower hearts disappear rather quickly!



Top half ?...

Bottom half ?...

The complete article!...

It may be a greedy so and so but you have to admire it's skill and dexterity!

A JOYFUL AND UPBEAT BIRTHDAY POST

Yes, it's my birthday today and I thought that I should mark the occasion with a joyful and upbeat post...well! the thought was as good as it got.  I think I can safely say that I've reached a stage (note I didn't say age!) where the words joyful and upbeat are now routinely replaced with 'grumpy old man' and 'spritely for his age'!

Perhaps a few pictures will help to explain it a little better....

There's grumpy old man reminders everywhere..

..and the tell tale signs, as things start to look blurred and fuzzy, that my eyesight is not what it once was..

 

..and people, who think they're being kind, put up handrails "it's just to help you walk safely" along your favourite pathway...

..even the birds, who once posed nicely for me, just laugh at my feeble attempts to photograph them...

Willow Warbler

Blackcap

Grey Heron

..or hide their faces, and make out they haven't seen me, in the hope that I'll just pass on by..

Teal

.. or just blatantly give me the 'bum's rush'!

Greylag Goose

So, that's it...Just take note for the next time when you're out and about and you have the misfortune to come across an old duffer who's engulfed in a fart induced haze and soaked in dribble...be kind to him...it just might be ME!!             

Err... I seem to have forgotten what this post was going to be about! ...anyway, have a good weekend, I know I will...Now, there was something special happening, what was it again?.....