CAPTURE NEW HORIZONS

The warm weather we've had in the UK recently has meant that some insects that would normally be dormant at this time of year have become active.  I was out in the garden and spotted a group of Seven Spot Ladybirds (coccinella septembpunctata), which are native to this part of the world. I borrowed one of the group for a quick photoshoot, using a flowering orchid as a prop.  I used my Nikon 60mm f2.8 Micro, which is one of the sharpest lenses on the market, and a ring flash to provide the light. I spent about 15 to 20 minutes taking photographs before returning the Ladybird to where I found it in the garden. Nikon D300S - Nikon 60mm f2.8 Micro - Delta Ring Flash - 1/60 @f22  Nikon D300S - Nikon 60mm f2.8 Micro - Delta Ring Flash - 1/60 @f22    Nikon D300S - Nikon 60mm f2.8 Micro - Delta Ring Flash - 1/60 @f22    Nikon D300S - Nikon 60mm f2.8 Micro - Delta Ring Flash - 1/60 @f22    Nikon D300S - Nikon 60mm f2.8 Micro - Delta Ring Flash - 1/60 @f22    ALL

In my capacity as the Media Delegate of the FIA World Endurance Championship I had the pleasure to attend the unveiling of the Aston Martin Vantage V8 at the Royal Garden Hotel in London on Friday.  The car, resplendent in the famous Gulf livery,  was flanked by Darren Turner, Stefan Mucke and Adrian Fernandez, the three drivers who will compete in the LMGTE-Pro class in the FIA WEC this season.  The first race of the year will be at Sebring in Florida on 17 March. 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

Following on from last week's blog post we packed up the equipment at Redmile and decided to travel five miles to the ridge above the village of Stathern, which on the OS map looked like a likely spot for some shots of rolling hills. We parked up and walked the last mile to a snow covered valley with the tower of the local church poking through the trees in the distance.   The Church at Stathern Nikon D300S - Sigma 50-500 f4/6.3 at 500mm The weather continued to be kind and the sun broke through the clouds to provide some dramatic light as the afternoon wore on. As we walked back to the car the low sun across the fields provided us with a couple of opportunities with the rutted track we were walking on. A very productive day in the snow covered Vale of Belvoir, a place we'll return to in the coming weeks as winter finishes and Spring approaches. ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT

I was in Paris this week for a meeting at the FIA and was able to head out to some of the famous sights around Paris at night.  This shot taken from across the Seine towards the Eiffel Tower was a favourite shot from the evening. Nikon D300S - Sigma 10-20 F4/5.6 at 20mm - 30s at F11 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

As a motorist I hate it when it snows but as a photographer I love the effect that the 'white stuff' has on the landscape.  Last week, after some snow had fallen two days before, I took the opportunity to head off into the Vale of Belvoir and started at Redmile, just 5 miles from Grantham.   Things didn't start so well as the Vale was shrouded in mist and the light was grey and flat.   Walking along the Grantham Canal I decided to look for some details to focus on while I waited for the fog to lift.  I spotted some footprints in the snow left by a Moorhen or Coot that led through the reeds to the frozen canal.  Putting the legs on my Slik tripod on their lowest settings I was able to get a series of shots looking along the line of footprints. Nikon D300S - Sigma 10-20mm f4/f5.6 at 14mm - 1/25 @ f11 Meanwhile the mist had begun to lift and the church spire at Redmile could now be seen.  I set the tripod up with the canal and reeds in the foreground and a ND grad

I love sunsets but last night the one over snow covered Grantham was one of the best I've ever seen.  After a large snow fall the night before I grabbed the camera bag and headed up the hill above Grantham Cemetery to get some snow covered Grantham images for my portfolio.  The sun went behind some clouds as it began to set and I was about the pack up and head home when I noticed a break in the cloud below the sun.  Low and behold the sun reappeared with cloud trails across its face. With the camera fitted with the Sigma 50-500mm telephoto I framed the shot with the tower of St John's Church in the foreground. The advantage of using a telephoto lens is is compressed the perspective and makes the sun appear very large in the image. This shot is as it happened and is not an HDR or composite image.  I used a neutral density graduated filter on the camera and in post production I darkened the sky further and boosted the contrast. However the image is essentially as I saw it

This shot was take on the recent trip into the Vale of Belvoir (more about this on Monday).  I spotted this lone tree on the hillside, backlit by the sun that had just come out from behind the clouds.  A perfect subject for a Black and White image. 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

We've just had our first serious snow of the winter and I took the opportunity to grab to get out and about with the camera.  The weather was far from perfect, with Grantham covered by a grey mist, so landscapes were not the order of the day.  We live near Grantham's cemetery and the area closest to the road contains the oldest headstones, dating back to Victorian times. The snow had transformed the whole area and looks so different from it does normally - it is quite magical.  Here are a few shots I took during my walk - 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

As we sit in the depth of winter and a cold wind is blowing in from Russia, my thoughts turned to spring this morning and I remembered some pictures I took last year of the laburnum tree in the garden in full bloom.  Each year the tree is a riot of yellow flowers for a few weeks and attracts numerous insects.  Just over two months before it blooms again! 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