Kew Gardens

There’s so much photographic subject matter at Kew Gardens that my visit lasting just one day left me feeling frustrated that I couldn’t stay longer. The gardens open at 9.30 am and close at 7.30 pm at weekends during Spring and Summer but the glasshouses close at 5.30pm. Travelling from Brighton, I didn’t arrive until 11.30 so I had to decide which things to see and which to leave out.

I knew that if I started at the Bugs and Butterfly house, I’d probably never leave to see the rest of the place so I walked to the Temperate House at the far end where I encountered this peacock on the way to the Treetop Walkway.

I went through the Mediterranean Garden, replaced my Canon 24-105 mm f2.8 L lens for my favourite 100 mm f2.8 macro, took off a couple of layers of clothing and entered the steamy Palm House. I’ve been keen on shooting ferns and palms lately. They’re great subjects for creating high contrast, graphic images or something abstract and more painterly.

Finally, I got to the bugs & butterflies where I didn’t see any bugs probably because the butterflies were so flamboyant that I overlooked them. I used my macro twin flash, the Canon MT-24EX to increase the light sufficiently to freeze the movement of the butterflies and set my Canon 5D Mark II to manual with an aperture of around f8 and a shutter speed of 1/200 sec to expose for the background. I hand held but with my hands resting on the top of a tripod, providing a bit of support while still allowing me some maneuverability and used Al Servo autofocus to track the eye aiming to keep it in sharp focus.

I’m used to searching for butterflies out in the fields where it’s difficult to get still conditions so it was a treat to shoot this one feeding happily on fruit and barely moving.

If Kew were nearer Brighton, I’d spend a lot of time there. I was disappointed not to have time to photograph the waterlilies in the Waterlily House so intend to return soon. The metal framework casts graphic shadows across the ponds contrasting with the soft lines and pastel colours of the flowers.

Napantao, Sogod Bay, Philippines

This is where I learned to do scientific reef checking with Coral Cay Conservation last month in an Marine Protected Area. The coral was growing close to the surface of the water, right up to the low water mark and fish were swimming around my feet as I was getting in and out of the water. Species were so varied and abundant that each time I dived, I saw something I’d never seen before.

Manila – Philippines

Recently, I stayed in Manila for one night on the way to Napantao where I was going to take part in a coral reef conservation project. I was fascinated by the ubiquitous jeepneys, a cross between a jeep and a bus, the main mode of public transport in the Philippines. The first jeepneys were modified army jeeps left behind by the Americans after WWII. They have been customized by the Filipinos with bits of chrome, religious iconography,cartoon characters from comic books, coloured headlights and adverts. They are now made locally from aluminium and steel but remain faithful to the original design. Often bursting with passengers, crammed in like sardines in a can, they are a cheap way to get around but you can’t see much through the narrow windows.

The Brighton Beach Boys

 

The Brighton Beach Boys and the Psychedelic Love Orchestra performed the Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” and the Beatles’ “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” at St. George’s Church in Kemp Town during the Brighton Festival in May. The award winning 15-piece band consists of musicians with a vast amount of talent. They recreate two of the most revered, iconic albums ever recorded with amazing six-part vocal harmonies and original instruments. They sound amazingly authentic and are breathtakingly brilliant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taken With My 3mg Samsung Phone Camera

Three heads are better than one

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m pleased with these images of friends taken whilst drinking coffee in the Sanctuary last Sunday. I haven’t bothered much with using my my phone camera but it’s useful for a quick grab shot or two.

 

Sue's having trouble seeing through these

Bhav admiring her specs.

Snowy Brighton

Here are some of the images I took of Brighton at play in the snow yesterday. Needing little excuse to go out and have fun, many people had the day off from work as the transport networks, true to form at the sign of the white stuff, collapsed. In the true spirit of Brighton, the city became a gigantic playground and the beach turned into an impromptu art gallery with snow sculptures on the empty plinths that were once part of the West Pier.