CAPTURE NEW HORIZONS

In just over two weeks time we will head up to the Highlands of Scotland and visit our friends on the Isle of Skye.  Weather permitting the trip will present some good opportunities for landscape and wildlife photography. This shot was taken in June 2012 and is of 'Bla Bheinn', or Blaven, and some of the other Cuillin peaks reflected in Loch Slapin on the road near Torrin.  The image was originally shot in colour on a Nikon D300S and Sigma 10-20mm f4.5/5.6 ultra wide lens.  The file was converted to mono using NIK Silver EFEX Pro2 software. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY VISITING THE ADVERTISERS ON THIS PAGE By clicking on the adverts you are helping support this blog - thank you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MAC...

Nikon D300S - Sigma 18-50 f2.8 - 1/250 @ f7.1 - ISO200 The is a shot of Duart Castle on the Isle of Mull taken from the Oban to Craignure ferry. Duart Castle is a significant place for me as it is the home of the Clan MacLean and was rebuilt in 1911 to its former glory as one of the greatest Highland fortresses when the Lords of the Isles reigned supreme in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Duart stands guard at the Eastern end of the Sound of Mull and stands proud on top of a rocky outcrop.  I look forward to seeing Duart once again at the end of May.  Here is a blog I did on Duart Castle last year. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION If you like what you see on this blog please visit our  Facebook  page and click 'like' MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIE...

With the weather starting to feel more spring like here in the UK I thought I would post another shot from the archive of the Clematis that grows in our garden at home. This shot was taken on a Nikon D300S with a Nikon 60mm f2.8 AF-D micro lens at 1/60 @ f32 400ISO. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION If you like what you see on this blog please visit our  Facebook  page and click 'like' MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIEWED ON  FLICKR  AND ON OUR  WEBSITE

A camera armed with a macro lens opens up a whole world of opportunities for photographers.  A lot of cameras sport 'macro' functions or a lens will say it has a 'macro' facility but unless a lens can reproduce a lifesize image (1:1) or better then it isn't a true macro lens. Macro photography is described as extreme close-up photography, usually of very small subjects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is equal to or greater than life size. These shots were taken on a Nikon 60mm f2.8 AF-D micro lens, which does give the magic 1:1 reproduction.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION If you like what you see on this blog please visit our  Facebook  page and click 'like' MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIEWED ON  FLICKR  AND ON O...

With the UK going into hyperactive overdrive over the approaching snowfall, with news reports of impending doom, I thought, as I wait here in Grantham for the coming onslaught, I would post one of the pictures I took in 2012 the last time it snowed heavily. This was taken from the hill above Grantham looking west towards the setting sun above the town.   Hopefully I will be able to get some more snowy images over the coming days, but as I write this at midday, the snow hasn't started to fall yet. Image taken on a Nikon D300s and a Sigma 50-500 f4/f6.3 lens ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION If you like what you see on this blog please visit our  Facebook  page and click 'like' MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIEWED ON  FLICKR  AND ON OUR  WEBSITE

April saw us visiting Mull for the second time in four months, we just love the place.  This image of Lismore Lighthouse in the Sound of Mull was taken from the Oban to Craignure ferry on our way back from a shopping trip into Oban. Lismore Lighthouse - Nikon D300s, Sigma 18-50 f2.8, 1/200 @ f8, ISO200 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION If you like what you see on this blog please visit our  Facebook  page and click 'like' MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIEWED ON  FLICKR  AND ON OUR  WEBSITE

March saw the first of eight FIA World Endurance Championship events around the globe, with the first taking place at Sebring in Florida.  Flying from Miami airport at the end of the eight day stay gave me the opportunity to visit Key Biscayne and Miami Beach, with its famous art deco architecture. This image is of the Beach Patrol Headquarters building just behind South Beach and is typical of the period architecture of this part of the world. Beach Patrol HQ - Nikon D300s, Sigma 10-20, 1/800 @ f11, ISO400  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION If you like what you see on this blog please visit our  Facebook  page and click 'like' MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIEWED ON  FLICKR  AND ON OUR  WEBSITE

One of the advantages with my day job is working for a French company.  This means I have to travel to Paris and Le Mans for meetings which gives me ample opportunity to take the camera for a walk.  This shot was taken during the first of five visits to Paris this year. The River Seine at Night - Nikon D300s - Sigma 18-50 f2.8 - 15s @ f8 - ISO100 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION If you like what you see on this blog please visit our  Facebook  page and click 'like' MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIEWED ON  FLICKR  AND ON OUR  WEBSITE

I've just arrived back from Le Mans.  It was a great event, if a little tiring, but congratulations to the nr1 Audi R18 of Benoit Treluyer, Marcel Fassler and Andre Lotterer on their second consecutive victory.  Also congratulations to the other class winners, Starworks Motorsport (LMP2), AF Corse (LMGTE Pro) and Labre Competition (LMGTE Am). I'm off for a long sleep  to try and catch up on what I missed over the weekend (I'm not as young as I used to be) but I thought I would post a couple of my favourite 'arty' shots from the event. Hitting the Apex The first is a shot I saw while working trackside and instead of focusing on the car as it approached the corner I focused on the kerb, which is where the drivers look.  I then had to wait until a car positioned itself in the frame perfectly, as the nr99 Aston Martin Racing Vantage V8 did in this shot. Corvette Flash The second shot is a very slow shutter speed shot taken at the Dunlop curve using the N...

After a classic race at Le Mans it was an Audi 1-2-3 on the podium with Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fassler retaining their Le Mans crown and making history for scoring the first win for a hybrid LMP1 car at Le Mans.  The weather stayed dry for the entire 24 hour race.  These shots were taken during the overall podium celebrations and the press conferences. Audi Sport boss Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer   Andre Lotterer Marcel Fassler Olly Jarvis (3rd) LMP2 Winners - Starworks Motorsport Tom Kimber-Smith LMGTE Pro Winner - Toni Vilander (AF Corse) LMGTE Am Winner - Pedro Lamy (Larbre Competition) 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  AND ON OUR  WEBSITE  

Today is the day of the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans.  The build up for this event has been fantastic but nothing compares to the atmosphere in the hours leading up to the start, it is electric. The warm up was followed by two support races before the drivers gathered on the grid for the traditional group photograph. Meanwhile the cars are placed on the grid in 'Le Mans Style' start formation before all the countries represented on the grid have their national anthems played.  With all the patriotic fans in the grandstands plenty of singing and cheering are heard during this part of the build up. With the grid cleared the race procedure can begin in earnest.  First the drivers take part in a dummy Le Mans start and they come back round the 14km circuit to form up on the grid in 2x2 formation.  They then head off on their formation lap and as the Rolex clock hits 3pm the race begins to the roar of 56 engines and the thousands of people watching in the packed grandsta...

Friday at Le Mans and it is now less than 24 Hours to the start of the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Today was a quiet day with no track action.  The drivers had autograph sessions in the pitlane before heading off the Le Mans city centre for the drivers parade, but I decided to give it a miss due to commitments at the track. I only took one shot today for the website and this was of a Michelin tyre for an article on Michelin.  The shot was taken on the D300s and 50mm f1.4 lens and the shot clearly demonstrates what a stunning lens the 50mm is.    Tomorrow is race day and it begins early with a photo briefing at 8:30am, warm up at 9am and then the race itself gets underway at 3pm. 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  AND ON OUR  WEBSITE  

Qualifying at Le Mans and the crowds just get larger.  Attended a few driver meetings, including 'Meet the Driver' at Audi which allowed me to test my newly purchased 50mm f1.4 on a FX D700 that I borrowed from Nikon Professional Services who are at Le Mans.  Using the lens wide open the effect is even more dramatic than the 50mm produces on my D300s, where, with the 1.5x crop factor, it is a 75mm f1.4. Audi driver Loic Duval (Nikon D700 - 50mm f1.4) Allan McNish For the final session from 10pm until midnight I wandered up to the Dunlop Chicane to get some night shots. For more information visit www.fiawec.com or www.lemans.org 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  AND ON OUR  WEBSITE  

Day four saw the first track action of the week with Free Practice and the first Qualifying Practice sessions and it was the hybrid Audis leading the time sheets at midnight. In my role at this event as the Photo Delegate I took the opportunity to travel out to the far end of the circuit to have a look at the problems the photographers face in getting around this massive 14km track.  A lot of the areas are on public roads and you need to travel on public roads to get to the various parts of the track.  Logistically it is more like a rally than a circuit when trying to get around to the various photo positions. I also borrowed a Nikon 600mm f4 and shot some images on my D300s during the Free Practice session.  Here are some of the results from yesterday using this lens and the others I brought with me. For more information visit www.fiawec.com or www.lemans.org ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FO...