The killing field
On a bed of fallen Oak leaves, hidden away in the corner of a forgotten field somewhere, lie numerous spent shotgun cartridges of different colours along with the skull of an unknown four-legged mammal. Judging by the rusted brass bases of the shells and the rooted mosses covering the weathered bone, whatever the reason may have been for this killing, it has been lost to another generation a long, long time ago, leaving us with nothing more than a scattered memory to be found lying on a bed of fallen Oak leaves, hidden away in the corner of a forgotten field somewhere…
*Shot on a Canon 600d 18mp dSLR using a Tamron 55-200mm f/4-5.6 Di ll LD lens with settings at ISO-200, aperture at f/5, spot metering mode and an exposure time of 1/40 seconds*
(Alternate picture-based Blogger layout at www.stretchthehorizon.co.uk if anyone’s interested.)
Frosted Fern
The effects of an overnight frost, crystallised upon this browned Fern that had the misfortune to wither beneath the shadow of a Rhododendron bush, where the weak warming rays from a Winter Sun just cannot hope to penetrate.
*Shot on a Ricoh GRD ll 10mp enthusiast digital camera with settings at ISO-200, fixed lens set at 28mm, aperture at f/6.3, centre weighted meter mode and an exposure time of 1/25 seconds*
(Alternate picture-based Blogger layout at www.stretchthehorizon.co.uk if anyone’s interested.)
Horizon (slight return)
Fluffed Cumulus clouds drift past on the wind as their ragged white forms battle to contain the brooding slate of imminent rainfall, while all the time the grasses below such a Heavenly sky of Lazuli blue just keep on growing, oblivious to the role they play within this canvas of Life…
*Shot on a Canon 600d 18mp dSLR using a Tamron 55-200mm f/4-5.6 Di ll LD lens with settings at ISO-100, aperture at f/5, spot metering mode and an exposure time of 1/4000 seconds*
(By the way, if anyone is interested I have another version of this blog at Blogger under ‘co.uk’ using a tile layout for better access to all the photos I’ve uploaded – click www.stretchthehorizon.co.uk to see it for yourself.)
Lightly dusted
A hand-held macro shot of one of my overhead kitchen light clusters, revealing not only the superb detail that the nearly-five-year-old Panasonic Lumix LX3 can still manage to render in its captures, but also a need for me to buy a feather duster as soon as possible!
*Shot on a Panasonic Lumix LX3 10mp enthusiast compact camera with settings at ISO-80, aperture at f/2.8, spot metering mode and an exposure time of 1/2000 seconds*
Quick as a flash
If all buses (appear) to travel this fast, then why do we seem to find ourselves waiting for them to arrive at Bus stops in the cold Winter weather?!
*Shot on a Canon 600d 18mp dSLR using a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 mkll lens with settings at ISO-100, aperture at f/5.6, spot metering mode and an exposure time of 1/3 seconds*
Between the barbs
A youthful-looking sprig of pale Oak leaves strives for the Sunlight and takes advantage of this convenient gap between two barbed wire strands.
*Shot on a Canon 1d Mkll N 8.2mp professional dSLR using a Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM lens set at ISO-200, aperture at f/7.1 and an exposure time of 1/40 seconds*
Watch out, there’s an Alpaca about!
This Alpaca was spotted loitering on its own in a field in Royton (not the most exotic place in the world to find free-roaming, domesticated South American Camelids, I grant you) oblivious to the adjacent ‘Home Watch Area’ sign and its implications: can you imagine the bemusing telephone call to the Police from a concerned neighbour whose happened to catch a glimpse of this woolly mammal?!
(Which of course shouldn’t be confused with a Llama – half the size and with straight ears, not curved, so thanks to Wikipedia for that info!)
*Shot on a Samsung WB500 10mp compact camera with settings at ISO-80, lens set at 42mm, aperture at f/5.8, centre weighted average meter mode and an exposure time of 1/500 seconds*
Weathered Cherub
With its eyes closed in mournful contemplation, this stone Cherub statuette has certainly witnessed the full effects of the elements over time, which has resulted in a slight quandary for the observer: was the original colour of this Angelic form alabaster white or mottled grey-green…?
*Shot on a Ricoh GRD ll 10mp enthusiast digital camera with settings at ISO-80, fixed lens set at 28mm, aperture at f/5.6, centre-weighted meter mode and an exposure time of 1/12 seconds*
Horizon
The distant, panoramic horizon beckons us to continue striving onwards…
*Shot on an Olympus E-P1 12mp micro 4/3 system digital camera using a Sigma Super Mini ll 28mm f/2.8 macro lens set at ISO-200, aperture at f/2.8, centre weighted metering mode and an exposure time of 1/1600 seconds*
Faded stencil
Many a tyre and rider have rolled across this bike lane stencil over the years, resulting in the industrial-strength paint’s subsequent fracturing and disintegration.
*Shot on a Fujifilm F60d 12mp digital compact camera with settings at ISO-100, aperture at f/6.4, spot meter mode and an exposure time of 1/60 seconds*
Stretch the Horizon 