My Photography

2012-01-01T19:20:00.000Z

The end of a year and a look back at the decades that have past. I used to spend many a weekend in the wilds of Wales. These shots were from near Rhayader.

2011-11-06T20:29:00.000Z

I'm always interested in producing 'Images' rather than just photos. Any fool can get the focus and exposure right and get lucky now and again with composition but it is more exciting to shoot pictures with a finished image in mind.
On the footplate
Zenitar 16mm fisheye
The Manor
My Lubitel 75mm triplet lens

2011-11-05T13:20:00.000Z

I hate doing wedding photography but when one of my Fav models asked me how could I refuse

All straight forward stuff but that is what most people (Inc models) want from wedding photographs. Just make sure you can manage all the reprint orders and the quality is OK for a few 20 by 16 framed pics.

2011-11-02T22:41:00.000Z

A daily event at Devizes. Shot with the Ricoh GRD 1 converted to BW in Photoshop
Do people end up looking like their pets!

2011-10-29T11:35:00.000+01:00

I don't usually shoot bird photos at the garden feeder but this Great Spotted Woodpecker was worth a snap.

Once I had that shot I set up to try for a better one. It is always better to keep trying.

Check out my Wildlife Blog

http://robleslie.blogspot.com/

2011-10-28T00:27:00.000+01:00

This print was done on a heavyweight matt paper which had been stained with coffee. It was then scratched with course sandpaper. The print was then scanned so it could be reproduced.
Below on of the finished mounted prints.

2011-10-23T23:05:00.001+01:00

I have never experienced such a keen model. She wanted to get the right pictures even though the temperature was near freezing and a biting wind cut through you, it was one of the worst days in January. This became one of those situations were things are so bad you start to laugh about it. The only problem was when you finish laughing you find hyperthermia has almost set in. I am not exaggerating when I tell you when we got into the hotel she was so cold she could hardly move. Rude Girl was Blue Girl. Blue with cold rather than her usual ‘Blue’.

The set was done in Stanton Park Swindon, one of my usual locations. I live just round the corner; the model was just passing through on her way to Bristol from London.
We only did a quick shoot because of the cold but managed to get in a change of clothes and plenty of exposures before retreating to the hotel for warming cups of coffee. The photos were done for her Web site so I will only put the ones she doesn’t use, and I like onto Flickr. Watch my Photo stream for more in the future.

I did manage to change the lens and try out Digital Lubitel. I think the Lubitel Triplet lens adds a certain quality to this shot

2011-08-30T13:19:00.002+01:00

Lacock village fete

2011-08-30T12:50:00.005+01:00

Shrivenham village fete

2011-08-13T00:08:00.000+01:00

Steam and vehicle show

2011-08-08T17:59:00.005+01:00

Steam Extravaganza, South Cerney

Rover P4 105S Sports Tourer

Chevrolet Bel Air

2011-07-15T11:44:00.004+01:00

Abingdon Dragon Boat Races

2011-07-09T10:05:00.002+01:00

Highworth Street Fete

2011-06-28T13:23:00.003+01:00

Oxford. A few street snaps

2011-06-23T00:52:00.001+01:00

Wanborough Show

2011-06-08T16:51:00.002+01:00

Lambourn open day and show

2011-04-23T17:35:00.002+01:00

2011-01-14T21:28:00.005Z

Black cats in Coal cellars
I don't shoot flood light sports so have never foumd a lot of use for very high (Over 800) iso. All the below shoots were at 400 iso using the Panasonic G1 and a monopod.
No matter how good digital cameras get at very high iso speeds they will never be able to fix bad lighting. What would have been the point of shooting these shots at a higher iso speed? Whats the point of trying to record dull flat lighting or light so bad it can never reflect any true colour?

All of these shots were taken in very low light. It was raining outside. If I had been shooting in even worse conditions (Eg On the footplate of one of the engines) I would have used flash not a higher iso. NO, not a built in camera flash but a couple of off camera flashes set up to produce Lighting.

I would never state that very high iso performance is useless. For some it could be a very usefull tool but for most of us there is often a better alternative than just turning up the iso and IMO for a majority who want to try and take good images high iso isn't going to be much use.

Photographers really do need to think about lighting rather than all the rubbish talked about the very high (Over 1600) iso performance of digital cameras. More can be learned by experimenting with flash, using reflectors and carrying a camera support (A small bean bag will do) than lusting after a new camera that can shoot noise reduced detail blurring shots at 12,000 iso.

Unless your an indoor sports photographer! If you are I do hope the venue provides lighting that is set up for more than just the average eye.

Don't lust after the latest high iso performing camera. Your time would be better spent learning about lighting.

Perhaps my final thoughts should be :- I love my friend Ian's new Nikon D700 ( http://ianskyphotosite.blogspot.com/ )

Its a great camera. Did he buy it for its high iso performance? To my knowledge he didn't even consider that. To my Knowledge he has only ever seriously used it at 1600 iso for a few hand held night shots. Does he need high iso No. He has never even mentioned its high iso performance to me though he has gone on about so many other features of the camera.

The last time I was doing an indoor shoot with Ian he was using flash ! But Ian is an ex pro he knows how to use lighting.

2010-12-27T16:04:00.003Z

The natural history museum Oxford. Olympus E-p1 with M-9-18mm lens 2-01-2011

Snow and more snow

2010-12-21T20:09:00.002Z

Cirencester Christmas market

A quick candid shot but fill flash was used

2010-12-17T20:02:00.001Z

Lacock Abbey Christmas Fair. Hand held 400 iso f2.8 with the Olympus 17mm pancake lens and E-p1

A warm welcome from the village girls

Ye old Bakery Lacock

2010-12-10T13:27:00.001Z

A wet cold day so I spent an hour inside Burford church with a pocket outfit. The Olympus E-p1 with M-9-18mm lens, a manual Vivitar flash and a pocket tripod. All shots with off camera flash fitted with 'Bare bulb' Stoffan, flash fired with cheap wireless trigger.

Many people miss this scene under the tomb.

A Simple Off camera flash can often produce all the lighting you need even when your hand holding everything. It is often essential to add some fill light or a main light in dark interiors

In many cases good flash technique should never be seen. I love it when people don't realise flash was used and often thats the way it should be. I meet so many photographers who think badly of flash. The fact is flash is only light. Its the same light that comes from a window or from another light source at a location. Flash isn't bad. Its the average photographer that is bad.

2010-11-26T13:19:00.000Z

Black and white still works well for some street shots Wide angle always work well
A winter scene

2010-11-04T15:35:00.000Z

Halloween
Around the graveyard on Halloween
She is out of there and I am!

Avebury Stones with the Pagans

The horn of plenty gets passed round

And you can always find a friendly Witch

The Druid High Priest

2010-10-27T17:12:00.010+01:00

Stow Gypsy Horse Fair Oct 2010

2010-10-05T09:04:00.011+01:00

Ploughing Contest/Show

2010-09-25T23:51:00.005+01:00

A few shots from the Ploughing Contest
The Olympus E-p1 made getting these shots simple

Harvest time in Wiltshire with all the latest machines

Sexy Tractors

2010-09-23T15:23:00.000+01:00

Lancaster Bomber and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

2010-09-21T17:36:00.000+01:00

Kemble Battle Britain Show Vulcan and DC 3

2010-09-19T20:30:00.008+01:00

Airbus A380 Superjumbo

Pentax K10D with Tamron LD Di 70-300mm

2010-09-17T18:20:00.000+01:00

Northleach Church

2010-09-13T23:34:00.003+01:00

War is Hell

Dug In

Go get me another Beer.

2010-09-12T14:02:00.000+01:00

Long Vehicle

2010-09-08T21:59:00.000+01:00

2010-09-05T17:44:00.000+01:00

Steam Railway
All Aboard Olympus E-p1 M Zuiko 9-18mm

E-p1 9-18mm

2010-09-01T17:09:00.005+01:00

Cotswold Village Fete

Above The Duck Race Below Village Jazz Band

Rides into the past

Village House

Walk Home

2010-08-28T11:49:00.002+01:00

2010-08-28T00:06:00.000+01:00

Lock and Load. G1 Olympus M 9-18mm

Abbot S.P.G G1 Oly 9-18mm lens

2010-08-22T23:46:00.012+01:00

Dig for Victory Day

GI Jane. Olympus E-p1 17mm pancake
Waiting for her corset to dry

Panasonic G1 with Pentax f1.4 50mm MF lens.
Her New Hat Olympus E-p1 17mm pancake

Grab a land girl Olympus E-p1 with 17mm pancake, available light

Lets play Doctors and nurses G1 and 45-45

The question G1 and 14-45

Ian a keen photographer Olympus E-p1 17mm pancake

2010-08-18T17:33:00.000+01:00

Shots with the M Zuiko 19-18mm ultra wide for micro four thirds.

Engine Shed Olympus E-p1 M Zuiko 9-18mm lens
Chain Drive E-p1 9-18mm

1904 Berliet Olympus E-p1 9-18mm

Engine shed worker E-p1 and 9-18mm lens

Engine shed Boss E-p1 9-18mm

2010-08-15T01:57:00.005+01:00

Swindon Pride event. A very wet day
Pentax K10D and kit lens

When the rain stopped I could get my E-p1 out

I love the Olympus 9-18mm lens and think it will be my main lens on the Olympus E-p1

2010-08-09T23:32:00.009+01:00

Kemble Show Aug

Showmans living Van. Build in 1926 by Phillips of Newport. The owners Percy and Tily Danter lived in the van all their married life. Major restoration of the van took place in 2004 but all the glass and furniture are original as is the art work on the wall panels and ceilings

2010-08-09T13:11:00.000+01:00

Transport Options
Cowgirls breeze into town

Lens Baby on Panasonic G1

Lens baby on Panasonic G1

2010-07-23T13:05:00.005+01:00

Subject and reflection through reflections

Billy shouted Please come back

Dreamer

Ladies lunch

2010-07-18T14:53:00.000+01:00

All they think about is Texting and Ice cream

2010-07-14T19:53:00.002+01:00

2010-07-12T10:51:00.000+01:00

The car speed away up the hill. Lens Baby shot Pan G1

2010-07-08T20:22:00.004+01:00

Street Life
Crossing

Mine Mine Mine

2010-07-03T17:30:00.000+01:00

Lady in a rush

Sunday drive in the Rolls

2010-06-30T11:41:00.005+01:00

Take away meal, if you can catch it!
Not a Ladies car.

Watch your speed

Buy something usefull

Going places

Car People

2010-06-17T00:07:00.005+01:00

Local

2010-06-14T14:34:00.000+01:00

Let me give you a tune
We are a local shop for local people

Local shop

Grand dads new tractor

2010-06-14T11:57:00.000+01:00

Ricoh GRD 2

Random

2010-06-10T15:49:00.000+01:00

Cowboy Harley
Nice Catch

Any bread in there? Wide angle close up of a duck Fuji F200 EXR

2010-06-08T00:05:00.000+01:00

I Said NO PHOTOS !
Street Fashion

Had enough

Balloon seller

2010-06-06T00:00:00.001+01:00

Curb side meal
Hand them round!

I sometimes see the point of photographing the backs of peoples heads!

Tetbury Wool Sack Races

2010-06-02T12:00:00.009+01:00

Last years winning teams !!! Ricoh GRD 2

May 31 2010 Tetbury Wool Sack Races. Shots with the Pentax K10D and Tamron 70-300mm

Part of the winning Ladies team

I better fix my hair after that!

Lots of info on the Tetbury Wool sack race can be found on the web.

Stow Gypsy Horse Fair

2010-05-28T20:33:00.004+01:00

A few of many People shots from this May's Gypsy horse fair

And lets have that one! Pentax and Sigma 10-20mm @ 12mm

Pentax K10D Sigma 10-20mm @ 12mm

Don't argue he is going to photgraph me first, Fuji F200 EXR

Ice Cream

2010-05-25T20:39:00.006+01:00

This weekend the UK has had some real sunshine and warmth so lets have some ice cream shots

2010-05-23T21:24:00.000+01:00

Always throw these green bits away Fuji F200 EXR
The new Photo Police Pentax K10D Sigma 10-20

Cars

2010-05-20T11:50:00.001+01:00

Great Car Poor Driver. Ricoh GRD 2
Morgan Aero 8 Pentax K10 Zenitar 16mm

MG A Pentax Zenitar 16mm

Merc 280 SL 1970 Ricoh GRD 2 21mm lens

Stow Gypsy Horse Fair

2010-05-17T11:44:00.005+01:00

May 2010

Siddington

2010-05-08T21:03:00.004+01:00

Siddington Tythe Barn Fuji F200EXR

Siddington Church Pentax K100 and 10-55 kit lens

WW Truck 65 years since the end of WW 2, Fuji F200 EXR

Burford Church

2010-05-04T11:03:00.000+01:00

Fuji F200 EXR

Castle Combe

2010-04-27T00:17:00.006+01:00

Castle Combe racing circuit Performance Day.

Dift car
Mature track Girls! (Friends) Pose by the car

Drift car as it comes down to the pits

I was backing it out of the garage and scratched it!

Drift Car leaving the Track

Hogwarts

2010-04-06T11:45:00.005+01:00

Lacock Abbey. Featured in many of the Harry Potter films

Photos with the Fuji F200EXR

2010-04-04T10:42:00.000+01:00

This weeks Weather Fuji F200EXR

Track Day Video

2010-04-01T13:52:00.002+01:00

Track Day

2010-03-28T12:18:00.007+01:00

Track day with my friends Seat Type S track car

Some of the Pit crew take a brake.

Pictures Pentax K10D with Tamron 70-300mm and Sigma 10-20mm

Posers

2010-03-28T11:30:00.000+01:00

Would you like our profile?
How about a big smile

Do you like my ears?

Or how about no ears?

They are just a posers!

Malmsbury Abbey

2010-03-25T11:26:00.002Z

Interior snaps with the Fuji F200EXR

2010-03-20T23:04:00.000Z

Stay cool man! Pentax K10D

2010-03-20T09:42:00.004Z

Going Fishing Fuji F200EXR
Bourton Bridge Ricoh GRD 2

On Bourton Bridge `Ricoh GRD 2

Waiting Fuji F200EXR

2010-03-17T18:01:00.003Z

Gift shop Stow, Fuji F200EXR
Gift shop Stow, Fuji F200EXR. The Fuji is very good at capturing the DR such shots contain

River View Ricoh GRD 2

A Visit Ricoh GRD 2

Spring Sunshine Pentax K10D

Boots

2010-03-12T13:03:00.000Z

Tourist at Stow show their boots off,
Pentax K10D

Cirencester Church

2010-03-10T13:00:00.000Z

All shots with the Fuji F200 EXR

2010-02-23T22:48:00.002Z

Black Swan Pentax K10D 50-200 pentax lens
Sweet Shop, Pentax K10D Sigma 10-20 lens

A Day Out

2010-02-16T18:20:00.008Z

Burford Fuji F200EXR
Bibury Fuji F200EXR

Photographers everywhere. Fuji F200EXR

And why not pose as well as take photos. Fuji F200EXR

Burford Pentax K100D f1.4 50mm MF lens

Catch a little late afternoon winter sun Pentax and f1.4 50mm

There are a few more shots from the day on my Street Blog

2010-02-08T01:56:00.000Z

Duck he has a camera !

Rabbit Pie

2010-02-07T21:51:00.001Z

Rabbit Pie
First catch your Rabbits..

Above Ricoh GRD 2

Pentax K100D with a car boot sale Lydith f3.5 30mm lens

2010-01-30T00:44:00.001Z

Four of my shots have been chosen for a Flickr Fuji F200 EXR gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/solerab/galleries/72157623181222245/

Its a meal

2010-01-24T19:41:00.005Z

Water Voles are a protected species in the UK. They can’t even be handled without a licence, Seems nobody told this Heron.

You May be pleased to know the Water Vole did escape.

Before the Law breaker went into action I di a few other shots.

Taken with Pentax K10D and Tamron lens.

Garden Birds

2010-01-14T12:31:00.002Z

Don't forget the Wildlife this time of the year.

2010-01-08T23:44:00.000Z

Walk into the Sun
Mud

We can deliver

All shots Fuji F200 EXR

Snow Views

2010-01-07T20:48:00.000Z

It's a winter wonderland here. Point the camera anywhere for a good shot!

Wildlife with a compact

2010-01-05T18:36:00.002Z

Town Park Squirrel.
Fuji F200 EXR - and a bag of peanuts.

2009-12-30T10:48:00.003Z

Something a little different with some of the shots I did at Burford this Sunday.

Shots taken with the Fuji F200 EXR

Fuji Test shots

2009-12-27T20:19:00.003Z

Fuji F200 EXR 800 iso DR range 400

click for larger size

Fuji F200 EXR 400 iso

I am very pleased with the black and white results I can get with the Fuji at 400 and 800 iso.

Fuji F200 EXR 400 iso

White Christmas

2009-12-24T22:50:00.006Z

It was almost a White Cristmas here. I took these on the 23rd but then it warmed up a little and the rain started.

All shots taken with the Fuji F200 EXR. Its great DR makes easy work of snow scenes.

I can hardly believe these were taken in very poor light and the rain had already started to fall.

Winter Driving

2009-12-23T22:12:00.003Z

We have had nice driving conditions here for a few days.

City Fox

2009-12-21T02:20:00.000Z

I spotted this character in a shop widow but what caught my eye was the background.
I thought he looked lost. When I was taking the shot I had no intention of it being a Christmas one but when I put it on the screen it just looked right.
Lens Baby 2

Merry Christmas

2009-12-20T01:52:00.000Z

A hand held shot with the GRD 2

Mid winter

2009-12-16T21:11:00.003Z

It's winter so here are some winter shots. Just after my walk there was a little flurry of snow but it was gone in a few moments. Maybe a White Christmas this year?

All shots taken with the Canon G5.

The Burford Singers

2009-12-10T18:23:00.007Z

On Sunday the 6th December The Burford singers and Cotswold Chamber Orchestra conducted by Brian Kay performed Haydn’s creation at Burford Parish Church
These shots were taken at the final public rehearsal on Sunday afternoon.
The actual concert was a sell out event and the performance was up to the usual very high standards audiences have come to expect from these highly talented performers.

Shots taken with the Ricoh GRD 2 and one with the Pentax K10D and Lens baby 2.

Lechlade Xmas lights

2009-12-09T10:49:00.001Z

A couple more shots from Saturday night at the Lechlade Christmas lights event (See Victoriab singers. I had to delay posting these as the local paper had to pick what they were going to use.

Father Christmas arrives
Crowd scene

2009-12-08T23:39:00.001Z

A walk through the Church yard

Victorian Carol Singers

2009-12-06T10:20:00.002Z

They sounded as good as they looked.
Taken last night. The wind howled and the rain fell but there was still plenty of Chrismas cheer

Wootton Bassett Lights event

2009-12-05T15:25:00.001Z

Despite the rain the crowds came out to celebrate turning the lights on

Young and old

Music and Carols for all

Avebury

2009-12-02T12:56:00.002Z

Pagan Wedding

2009-11-26T11:30:00.006Z

Unlike our establishment churches there is no charge for this ceremony.

"I do"

"Are you sure"

Jump the broom stick

Every wedding has a photographer

"Our turn next Darling"