CAPTURE NEW HORIZONS

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 V...

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

My favourite style of photography is the majestic wide angle, usually panoramic, view, taking in the landscape with big skies, sweeping mountains, and long sandy shoreline.  However I also love getting in close and capturing the detail in a scene whether it is people, landscapes or automobiles. The following shots were all taken using a telephoto zoom, invariably on my trusty Nikon 80-200mm f2.8, a lens I've owned since 1996 and is a must when packing my camera bag.  I've also used a Nikon 18-105mm f3.5/f5.6 and a Nikon 70mm-300mm f4/f5.6, both good lenses but not up to the same standard (or price) of the 80-200.  The first shot was taken during the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run International Concours held in Regent Street, London.  The event celebrates a country of vehicle manufacture from the early 20th Century and this particular year the celebrated country was Belgium.  The Band of the Royal Forest St Hubert provided a colourful and tuneful centre pie...

One from the archive.  Taken in November 2006 just after the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run had finished on Madeira Drive in Brighton. It had been one of the warmest November days for years, 17 degrees, which had brought out record crowds to watch the 110th anniversary of the world's longest running motoring event. 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