CAPTURE NEW HORIZONS

In February I wrote about not ignoring opportunities on your own doorstep and while the North Lincolnshire coast can't really be classed as the doorstep to Grantham (75 miles / 120km) it is a part of the same county I've lived in for 21 years that I've never photographed before. I had the opportunity to visit the Grey Seal colony at Donna Nook (Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust) near Louth and along with John Rourke ( http://www.johnrourke.net/ ) set off from Grantham at 7am.  Following the Sat/Nav north we arrived in the well marked car park next to the beach, which only had 12 cars parked up, but that didn't last long. Suited and booted against the elements we set off and were amazed to find that just beyond the car park was a fenced off public viewing area and in front of this were seals of all shapes and sizes as far as the eye could see.  There are over 2000 seals, including over 800 seal pups, on the beach.    A mother and pup were just beyond the fence, and

This is a wild Grey Seal pup, taken today at the Donna Nook seal colony on the North Lincolnshire coast. ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION. MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIEWED ON   FLICKR

What is it about water that attracts photographers?  Whether it is streams, rivers, lakes or the sea, water features a lot in my images.  Is it a very British thing as we are essentially islanders and are never far from water or is this the same for photographers the world over? I love to feature shorelines and running water as the major part of my pictures whenever I can and here are a few examples - Malcesine, Lake Garda, Italy Loch Tulla, Rannoch Moor Ashness Bridge, Lake District Tobermory Harbour, Isle of Mull ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION. MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIEWED ON   FLICKR

This weeks picture is of a rain drop that was sitting perfectly on the leaves of the Eucalyptus tree outside our back door at home.  The picture was taken with a 60mm f2.8 Micro Nikon lens and ring flash, which brought out the colours and reflections.  The most mundane things can also be some of the most beautiful photographically. ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION. MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIEWED ON   FLICKR

One of my favourite places to take pictures is on the floor.  Honestly, this isn't a joke.  Where do most people take pictures from? Eye level, standing up, is the correct answer. Most of the time this is the best angle but getting low (or high up) can give the picture a much better perspective and more drama to the image.  Here are some examples of getting the low down. Swans on Round Pond, Kensington Gardens, London The old banked track, Monza A stream in the Lake District Bassenthwaite Lake, Lake District All of these images were taken by laying on the ground. By filling the foreground with the subject the eye is led into the image.  If you don't fancy laying down put the camera on the ground and use the view screen to line the shot up.  This method is a bit more hit and miss but it still works. ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION. MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIEWED ON   FLICKR

ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION. MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIEWED ON   FLICKR

I'm a huge fan of big skies in landscapes or pictures of interesting skies in their own right.  It could be pictures of interesting cloud formations or sunrise / sunset pictures but the infinite variety means no two pictures will be the same. Here are some examples - Sunrise in Argentina Audi A4 3.0 TDI Avant Photoshoot on Mull  Sunset off Cape Town, South Africa Boats on Bude Beach ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION. MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIEWED ON   FLICKR