Bi-Metal

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Another possibility for 52Frames "Black And White Minimalism" today.
Can't decide between today's or yesterday's shot yet.

Waveform

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This one is probably going to be my submission for this week's 52Frames "Black And White Minimalism" challenge.

Stick The Moon On A Bracket.

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Another backup photo today, I got home from work and crashed out.
It's been a full-on week, and not entirely pleasant in places.

I'm calling it a win that I actually ended up with the energy to cook something recognisable as a meal for dinner, as opposed to eating comparative junk, which I've been doing rather too much recently.

2025-11-13

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A backup photo for today, posted late.
I spent almost all evening making some prototype parts, and ran out of time for photos.

It's The Little Things That Get You

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This caption gets a bit deep, so skip it if you're feeling delicate.

I've been listening to the latest Jack Reacher book over the last couple of days. It's a series that Lucy introduced me to, and one which we used to enjoy listening to together quite regularly, often in the car.

At the end of the book, there is a discussion between the series' original author Lee Child, and the long-time narrator Jeff Harding; several times while listening to it, I had the involuntary, automatic thoughts "Lucy would like this", or "Lucy would be interested by this", or even "I'll have to mention this bit to her", shortly followed by the jarring, unpleasant jolt of realisation that she is no longer here to have these chats with. It is a visceral, almost physical reaction, which is really quite unsettling, and gets you when you least expect it.

A bit heavy perhaps, but this has become almost as much a personal diary as a photoblog now.

Sometimes, People Sit Here

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A backup photo today, shot last week.

The Glitter Machine

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I've spent quite a lot of this evening prototyping a widget for work on my little CNC mill, flinging copious quantities of fine brass glitter all over the place.
To (approximately) quote Blondihacks, "When using a milling machine, the chips are usually confined to" (waving her hands broadly around the workshop) "this general area".
I then spent an instructive few minutes measuring, wherein I discovered that my shiny new 2mm cutter was in fact not 2mm at all, but more like 2-and-what's-a-tenth-or-two-of-a-millimetre-between-friends-mm, and my part is consequently the wrong size.
Trust but verify, they say...

At The Toybox

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This is my submission for this week's 52Frames' "Show us your toys" challenge.

I recently improved my equipment storage setup with a new cabinet, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to show it off.
It's nice to be able to grab the right lens without wrestling it out of the tiny cabinet I was using before, and my flash and grip gear now has a proper home rather than in boxes on the floor.
It's also been a while since I took a self-portrait, so you get to have my ugly mush foisted upon you today too.

Many lighting sins were atoned for with Lightroom...

Please Hold Handrail

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For safety, of course.

Between Two Points

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It seemed like an appropriate title for this photo (a backup shot from last night), and some of the lyrics felt a bit fitting after <rant redacted>.
I've been a bit obsessed with the song since I discovered it a few months ago - Between Two points by David Gilmour and Romany Gilmour.

Foggy Conversations

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It was unexpectedly foggy when I went out for a walk this evening.
I quite like this one.

Bonk!

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A backup photo from my rather damp walk last night.

11 Years

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I met Lucy for the first time 11 years ago tonight.
This place has rebranded from Copper to Gilt in the intervening period, but it looks virtually the same inside, although I didn't go in tonight.

Even at this early moment, we really clicked, and had a proper side-splitting laugh when I talked about a recent visit to a Toyota factory, where a new car was rolling off the production line every 70 seconds. Lucy took this very literally, and pulled a horrified face at the thought of thousands of cars falling off a conveyor belt into a smashed up heap at the bottom of the hill!

I wonder how many cars have rolled off the end of Toyota's production line since...

Copper Plated

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This one's a backup from last night's walk.
I love the colours here.

Lengthening Shadows

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Lovely light this evening, so I went out for a walk.

Meander

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Surprisingly nice weather at times this weekend.
2025-11-01 - late posting this one.

Unplugged For The Weekend

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2025-10-30

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It's a backup today, because I wasn't happy with anything I shot this evening.

Rising Damp

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Lovely light this evening, but I picked this one as I enjoyed the look of the mist coming up.

Take A Bite

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I actually set up a shot this evening.
I used actual effort, and everything!

My parents brought me this apple back from a trip to Barnsdale Gardens, where I got married. It's a nice apple, and it's a nice reminder of the best day of my life.

Slightly Uphill

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Another backup, because the only photos I took today were at work - first of a blown-up distribution board (a rather novel start to the day), and second, of a temperature rise test we ran (which I can't show you, because I would prefer to remain employed)

Of Great Utility

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I've been feeling very un-creative this last week or so, so I was struggling to pull anything together for this week's 52Frames "Centred composition" challenge.
I had been assembling some new flatpack furniture, and a screwdriver caught my eye as possibly making for a good centred composition, and the balance in the shot might be a nice nod to the perfect balance that a good quality tool often has in your hand.
I added a little catchlight to one side with the aim of accentuating the shape, and to prevent the shot looking too 2D.

Sail Away

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Another late backup, taken a couple of weeks ago.

Concrete Lace

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Very late, but actually taken on the advertised day. How remarkable.

2025-10-23

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Very Late, Very Backup.

Off Season Is Preferable

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I prefer the seaside when there are fewer people in it... That said, I suppose I prefer most things with fewer people involved!
Must be antisocial or something.

This one's yet another backup photo - for some reason, I'm really struggling to find any creativity or drive to pick the camera up this week.

2025-10-21

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Another backup photo from my trip to Whitby.

Descent

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I've been wanting to capture falling leaves that aren't just a couple of small blobs a handful of pixels across for a while, and this is the closest I've come so far.
I feel there is (much) more to be done on the subject, but this is the first one I've captured that was remotely worth sharing.
It's a composite photo made up of parts of 4 shots captured in a burst.
This one's a sort-of backup, shot yesterday, but meddled with today.

Another Autumn Walk

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Hooked

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This one's a possible option for 52Frames "Shadows".
Not totally convinced by it though, maybe I'll come up with something better tomorrow.

Hued Huts

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A backup photo today, shot last night.
Apparently, I have an absurd affection for ample application of alliteration, I am ashamed to admit, at least afore an astute audience.
Away with this addle-pated airhead, and adroitly!

All Washed Up

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Late posting this one.
I've got Bailey staying with me for a few days, so I took a couple of days off work and we went to the beach.
Dog tax is after the jump - perhaps not the finest photo, but in my defence, he doesn't stay still for long, so I'll settle for him being in frame, in focus, and cute!

Dark Walks Are Back

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It's getting dark so early now.
High ISO and an f/1.2 lens found a bit of light to make an image from though.

Gateway Drug

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I do like a nice gate photo.
This one is a backup, shot at the weekend.

Recall With Great Enthusiasm

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This appealing little pooch was very well behaved. She went to give the lake an inspection and then took off like a rocket when her human called.
I would have liked a cuddle, but I had to settle for a photo with the wrong lens.
This one's a backup photo, shot yesterday, I spent all day today working and then driving home, so no photos were acquired.

2025-10-12

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A flat, overcast morning light led to this shot looking fairly uninspiring straight out of the camera, but I think with some adjustments and rendered in black and white, it's come out rather nicely.

This was one of a group of nearly-grown cygnets that were stood on the bank preening themselves on my walk today. They were remarkably tame, completely unbothered by my presence.

I don't expect this to do particularly well on IG, based on how B&W shots usually go down, but it's my account, and I like it, so there 😝

The Relentless March

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I very much needed this walk today.
This is my 52Frames submission for this week's "Time" challenge.
I am quite happy with this shot - it's time on a longer scale, but time nonetheless.

)

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We had to say our goodbyes to Eve today.
I don't have many words at the moment, but this poem was read at her memorial, and I think it bears repeating here:

We may look through books for the perfect words
To give form to our feelings, make the thing complete,
Set the matter at rest.

But in the hours of searching, each piece lies rejected:
Too precise, too difficult – too harsh, not relevant,
Implying what we do not wish.

But look into the grey wide sky, and the thoughts will come like this,

Remember me when I loved you most – and you loved me most.
Remember me when I was my bravest – and when I did you right.

Then let that be our secret bond,
And just once let us rise in the morning and enjoy the light,
And know that the bird in the mist is returning to the sun.

- David Lott

Your Food Will Arrive Shortly

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All Clear

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Late, and a backup.

A Corroding Frame Of Reference

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A backup photo today, shot at the weekend.

Reminder

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I was doing a (tiny) bit of clearing up tonight and came across this badge from my MR2.
I badly need to get the car back on the road, and this repaired badge back on the car. It had been a bit of a goal for this summer, but that's clearly not happened.
I really miss driving it - it's not fast, but it's extremely good fun, and a million miles away from my normal car.

This did give me an excuse to use the tilt on the new lens though - much more of the badge is in focus than would have been without tilt. More care and a tripod would probably have helped, but the tripod's in the car and I couldn't be bothered to go and fetch it!

I thought I'd stick in a pic of the car when it was on the road a few years ago (after the jump)

Soar

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I've been pretty useless this weekend, doing very little more than lying on the sofa.
I've had to throw out a lot of food that had gone off over the last week or so due mainly to a total lack of energy to cook - I hate doing this in any case, and it particularly pains me too because food waste was always one of Lucy's pet peeves.
I did at least manage to do most of my washing without breaking or wasting anything, which I suppose is slight mitigation.

Evidence Of Autumn

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I went on a mission to the camera shop this afternoon.
While I was walking, I spotted these leaves and pods drifting down the canal, which I thought made for an interesting shot.

A tilt-shift lens followed me home, so I'm hoping to have something to show from that soon.
It's a very long time since I used a camera with lens movements, and even then, I didn't do very much with it - I borrowed a large format camera from the photography department of the uni I worked at in a previous life, so I have some re-learning to do on the Scheimpflug principle.
I did once own most of a 4x5" large format camera that I was working on restoring, but I don't recall exactly what happened to it in the end - I guess the project just dissipated and I lost the bits over time and house moves.
I do remember learning how to make bellows, and I built myself a controller for a Copal 0 electronic shutter I found on eBay. A kind person in the US who I'd met on a photo forum took delivery of it and forwarded it to me, as the seller only offered US domestic shipping.

Texture In Smooth Stuff

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Another possible option for 52Frames texture.
It's interesting to find texture like boulders even on a smooth surface, when you get close enough.
I gelled the flashes in suitably garish colours to bring the texture out more.
This is a 3.5x macro, and is a stack of 22 shots.
The rest of the stone is after the break.

Sticky Business

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A 2x macro shot of a roll of gaffer tape.
Now I have a pile of equipment to put away again 🙃

Interesting Shapes

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I came across this interesting shaped theatre building on a walk this evening.
It's a possible early contender for 52Frames "Texture"

Looking For The Way Out

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Another backup photo today.

2025-09-29

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A backup photo today.

Some silly muppet trying to manoeuvre their van flattened a fence post at the end of my drive, taking my weather station and a light out, so I had to clear that up this evening.
By some stroke of luck, the actual weather station appears to be largely undamaged.

The Fade Out Line(s)

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This one's my submission for this week's 52Frames challenge, "Soundtrack". The song I'm on about is The Fade Out Line by Phoebe Kildeer and The Short Straws.

The lines in the sand reminded me of magnified vinyl record grooves fading out into nothing.