People, People People.....

Some of the Crowds at Donna Nook

Well I finally made it out to Donna Nook yesterday and the weather was wonderful - nothing like the weather predicted on the radio on the way up. You had to pinch yourself to remember that this was the North Sea coast in late October. I had taken my full gear with me - layers of fleeces, coats, hats and gloves. After dawn none of these were required. It was glorious. However, this was also a real problem as it brought out the crowds. I got there at dawn and so I had the place very much to myself. By the time I left, around 1 o'clock the place was heaving, the car park was jammed and there were squabbles about parking spaces - it reminded me of the seals when the pupping is in full swing - more about this in later.

What I had neglected to remember that it was half term and it seemed that most of northern England had decided to descend on Donna Nook (this is a total exaggeration but it felt this way as the place is actually quite small!) I suspect I am a little bias ( well actually a lot) but people never cease to amaze me at how so ill prepared they appear to be for what can be a really cold place. Why people bring their dogs to a nature reserve is also a mystery but they did. I really am starting to sound like an old fart but this is an encounter with truly wild animals who do not take like dogs even if '...he won't hurt a fly...' - at least the bacon butty van was doing a roaring trade.

Well now I have got that off of my chest what of the seals? Well in truth there is not a great deal to report. To date only one pup has been born and the seals themselves are spread out on the sand under the RAF bombing range. This will change over the next few days and weeks when the place will really come alive - in every sense of the word. From a photographic prospective it was not really very good however from talking to the locals it would seem that the week end, when the range is closed and people have access to the beach, sees an influx of photographers chasing the seals. I really am having second thoughts about attending the RPS Nature group meet in November when we will go out onto the beach.

One of the early Grey Seals

On a much more positive note I decided to explore the northern part of the nature reserve. This was the best part of the day. Whereas everyone makes their way to see the seals the rest of the reserve is empty apart from a fine range of birds. You can walk for a couple of miles without seeing anyone. Even the RAF weren't bombing so there was no noise at all to suggest you are only a few miles away from some large conurbations - it really is a different world when compared to the scramble of the car park.

Brent Geese - just some of the birds found in the northern part of the reserve.

So what did I learn? Well I was able to have a good look around and I have changed my shooting plans accordingly. However, the problem of people is really concerning me - I suspect that Donna Nook is now too popular for its own good - it no longer is an encounter with wild animals but more like London Zoo on an August bank holiday. I will go again but I am seriously concerned about the Saturday beach visit.

Donna Nook...

Grey Seal - Halichoerus grypus - pup - Donna Nook

I have started my prep for the next photographic challenge - Donna Nook. Over the next few weeks I hope to visit the site several times to try and capture all the action as the pupping and breading develops. I am also going to try and record as much as I can in the blog and afterwards try and pull this all together in some form of easy to use guide - I know this is not original but I hope that it will produce some really first class photography and perhaps some other people who have never visited the site before. Anyway here goes...

Preparation

This is the first phase of the project. Just what photographs do you want to make? What have you made in the past? What have other photographers made and how? The questions are almost endless but the first step I always find useful is blank sheet of paper. I spend some time board blasting ideas about what I want to do. It usually ends up with a few headings that I can start to work on.

The next stage step is to review what I have already taken and ask how could these improved? If they can't then why do I think they are good already? This usually involves some soul searching and realisation that what I thought was pretty good last year now just looks ordinary.

Now is the time to get really depressed because it is time for a google image search. Here you come up with a whole lot of, well, dross. However, in amongst these are some real gems. These are used to help me further define what I want to do. Of course now that I am using Flickr I can use this as a resource.

After this it is trying to find useful websites. To date the following site are some use:

http://www.wild-wonders.com/blog/?p=1921

http://www.wildsight.co.uk/articles/donna-nook.html

http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/nr/reserve.php?mapref=15

http://www.ophrysphotography.co.uk/pages/donnanook.htm

Then it is time to descend into the world of the blogosphere. Now most of the blogs are uninspiring, hopefully not this one but there are always one or two little bits to pick up along the way.

By now I should hopefully start to have a feel for what I want to do. Well that is the plan but as I write this I am still very much in the dark - which is exactly what it will be when I set off tomorrow - weather permitting - to check out the lay of the land, what has changed, what is the same, how does the sun effect the photographs etc. Anyway lets see if all the work pays off!

Portfolio Two and tree sparrows...

Tree Sparrow - Calke

Busy few days - again! yesterday was such a lovely morning that I had to get and visit one of the best sites I know to see tree sparrows - Staunton Harold reservoir car park. This is a popular place as it is next to Calke Abbey so the birds are used to people - so you can get some really great views of the birds which means - great photographs. The extra bonus is that orientation of the car park means that in the morning the sun is in just the right place.

I have also just submitted my Portfolio Two submission to the Royal Photographic Society. Who knows what will happen but you have live in hope - I think???

Cotswolds in the Mist at Dawn - Illmington

A bit of a change....

Tree lined road to Calke Abbey

Busy old day. Didn't get out to Snettisham - the weather forecast was really bad so couldn't see the point. Anyway I have so many potentially great photographs from the Monday shoot to keep me busy for the next few days. On top of this I also got some really great shots, even if I say so myself, from Welney. I just love Whooper Swans. They are so much larger than life compared to our Mute Swan. They are almost geese in their approach to life - large gregarious and full of life.

Whooper Swans Landing - Welney

Snettisham...

Roosting Knot - Snettisham

So I made two days. Well to be fair to myself I couldn't make today as I have the builders in and so couldn't go. Anyway what to write? Well the first day was pretty grim. The light was appalling, dark overcast with very little in the way of interesting hues and saturation to really produce anything worthwhile. However, it was not wasted as I got a good chance to scout good vantage points and watch the professional BBC cameramen at work. This week's Autumn Watch is featuring Snettisham and two cameramen were there on Sunday, one in a hide near the roosting birds next to the lagoon and one on the beach with the rest of us. Along with this cameraman there was a sound recordist. Nothing too over the top apart from the fact that they had permission to drive onto the reserve whereas we poor saps had to trudge the mile or so from the reserve with all our heavy equipment. But overall a bit disappointing photographically but vital prep work for Monday. So frustrated but satisfying day.

How many production staff does it take to get Chris Packham onto the small screen?

Monday arrived, spirits were high and the weather look a whole lot better. When I arrived at the car park it was already 3/4 full, this was at 6:30 am in the morning! people were rushing off into the murk to get a good spot. I took my time reasoning that the scouting I had done the day before and the later tide would mean that nothing would happen at least an hour later than Sunday. So I took a leisurely walk to reserve, again lugging my heavy kit the mile to the spot I had ID the day before. As I suspected this was missed by all the other photographers who headed further up the beach but I had my perfect spot with a really good and close view of the seething mass of Knot on a small island just below me. As I set up I got the usual strange looks but paid no attention as I had bagged the best spot.

So the morning progressed. The light got better and people started to realise that I was standing at the best spot on the whole beach. As nothing was happening I started to study the BBC production team that had turned up along with Chris Packham. This time instead of just the camera man and sound recordist, who would appear to have been the director/producer a second camera crew was on the beach as well as two young women who, for the life of me, didn't appear to be doing anything. Make up? Continuity? Provider of hot drinks? Who knows? What I do know they did not come in the cavalcade of BBC vehicles that were there today. They had to walk like the rest of us.

So the morning went on. Some activity but nothing special. I suddenly became aware that the BBC crew, their RSPB minder/guide and Chris Packham were showing interest in my position. Clearly where they were wasn't quite right. I had vision of them trying to dislodge me from where I had set up. Anyway this didn't happen but eventually they did come down to where I was standing. I must admit I did feel just a little smug, for all their undoubted experience and expertise I still had the best position! Small victory for the small guy.

So the day was wonderful, I captured some wonderful images and was able to wonder at the cost of the BBC production for that morning. I still cannot work out what the two women were there four. So as I was trudging back to the car the BBC cavalcade drove by, it was almost presidential some people even waved. I must say it was a bizarre end to a wonderful day.

Snettisham...

Brent Geese against the moon - Snettisham,

Well it is going to be a long next few days and I am not sure whether I will make it through to the end - but nothing ventured nothing gained. I have set myself the task of spending 4 days to capture the wonderful autumn bird feast at Snettisham RSPB reserve. This will mean getting up at 4am to get there in time. I have no idea if I will make it all the 4 days but I am setting off with good intentions - lets just see if I feel that motivated after tomorrow!

More FlickR

Fallow Deer Stags fighting - Bradgate Park

This is getting like a stuck record I know but anyway - Flickr. It is getting a bit of an obsession at the moment. As I write this I am just about to go over the 7000 hits barrier - nothing at all unusual about this apart from it took me 2 years to get to 6000 hits and just over a week to add another 1000 hits. So why the improvement? Well there is no special recipe other than spending a lot more time working with FlickR. I had done some research on how to improve the hits and they all came back with much the same answer - get your photographs out onto as many groups as possible and keep posting comments on other people's photographs. On the whole this has worked but it does have a down side. You do become more and more obsessed with pushing the numbers up that if you are not careful you can forget the whole purpose is make photographs for yourself not Flickr.

So where to go from here? Well one of the things I have found out is that there is a significant difference in the photography in the colder northern hemisphere compared to the sunny and warm tropical area. Well der you may think and you would be true but Flickr does allow you access to photographs that would never see the light of day, if you pardon the pun, in any other way. I have been particularly struck by the work of Rubbia, not just for the work as such but the quality of light. According to her Flickr profile she works in and around Rio de Janeiro and her photographs are full of a wonderful light that we just do get. It has a depth and warmth that is just not available here even on the hottest days. This is a real joy to experience and something I would not have done under normal circumstances.

Now I hope to get off the topic of Flickr. I am working on a guide to the rut at Bradgate park which hopefully I will publish on the blog in the next few days

Conkers...

Conkers

I know that this is a reflection of my age but I love conkers. In my mind they will always be associated to this time of year. As a child we would go out the the horse chestnut trees and spend hours trying to get down the seeds. We would then enjoy the delight of opening the newly fallen conker, revealing the nut inside its green covering. And what a colour - deep chestnut with a sheen that any shampoo manufacturer would have died for - just wonderful.

So why the wonder down memory lane? Well I was walking down a country lane yesterday when I came across two wonderful horse chestnut trees surrounded by newly fallen conkers. They lay on the ground just calling out to be picked up and of course I obliged stuffing my pockets - just as I had done all those years ago. It really is strange how the smallest thing can transport you back, however briefly, to your childhood - indeed it is usual a small thing, a smell or location that sets this of. It was a wonderful day for walking yesterday and the conkers just made it that little bit more special. The only problem I have now is what to do with all these conkers? Are well back to reality!

Flickr oh Flickr...

Stag and Old John - Bradgate Park.

Well what an interesting day I have had working on my photographs and trying to increase the number of hits I have been getting for my photographs on Flickr. To an extent I have achieve this. As I write this I have had over 119 hits - an all time record. So who have I managed to increase the number of hits? Well the only way to do this would appear to be to spend a lot of time in the Flickr domain, publishing your photographs to numerous groups, commenting on other photographs by other people and slowly but surely you get responses. Of course it also helps to have a strong photograph or two but really that is not the best way. There would appear to be no substitute for networking. Get your work noticed and then people will respond - just as in real life.

So what do I think about Flickr now? Well I am not too sure as to its long term viability for myself. Yes it does get your work out there and yes probably a lot more people will see it but there is a snag. You don't develop as a photographer. All you do is get your work buried in a huge pile of photographs which, if I had taken them, would never have seen the light of day let alone published for all the world to see. Don't get me wrong there are some unbelievable photographs on Flickr - photographs I can only wish to be able to take. But these are the exception and so are very difficult to find unless you know where to look - which is a skill I am slowly acquiring.

I suppose, in the end, it is what do you want to get out of Flickr - if it is an education in photography then you will be disappointed. If you want to have a brief glimpse at some amazing photographs then Flickr does deliver - but you have to work at it. If, however, you want to get some gratification for your work from total strangers from all over the world and you enjoy social networking then Flickr really delivers. I'm just not sure if this is what I want.

Red Deer Stag....

Red Deer Stag - Bradgate Park

You know it is very strange but watching the rut this morning I just can empathise with the red deer stag. All he wants to do is have sex with as many women as possible. His whole life is tired up with that. he will drive away any challenger, unless he is too strong and even then he may fight. He has a simple need and he will do anything ac hieve it. He even puts on scent to try and impress the females; he shows off and tries to demonstrate just how sexy he is. Well this sounds like an average Friday or Saturday night in many town centre throughout the country. It is also something that deep down any man, who is interested in females, has done sometime in their life - I certainly know I have. And like many forays into the mating game it usually ends with frustration and disappointment as the bigger and better looking male comes along and takes your girl away. Many is the long lonely walk home we have all taken.

And as for the females - what do they do? Well they control the whole process. They select the males and then lead them a merry dance, always on the look out for the next best thing to come along. So while the stag is trying to ward off some interloper his prizes just move off leaving him look stupid. Well stupidity would seem to be part of the mating game.

This stage might look a might beast but in truth he was all noise and no trousers as he soon ran once the real alpha male showed up. He quickly made his escape with as much pride as he could muster. This make have something to do with the bad cut he has just below the eye caused by an antler - perhaps from the alpha male who chased him off.

So what does this say? Well first of all we mammals go in for some of the same mating rituals and that sex is a real power in our lives. Secondly, to really understand the rut you have to watch the females. They hold all the cards and are very selective who they are impressed by. Strange what you think about when watching the rut - you need to if you are going to get some interesting photographs - however having watched the antics of the other photographers around Bradgate Park I am not sure. Perhaps I am going about this the wrong way - perhaps I should stand on the road and not try to understand the animal I am trying to photograph. Maybe not!

Busy day at the office...

It was almost like a film première. The photographers were out in their droves, long lenses straining for the next photo opportunity. Only it wasn't that it was Bradgate Park on a bright, fresh October morning. There must have been at least 20 photographers in the park all straining to get that one illusive photograph - only they weren't. It would seem that not only do deer herd but so do photographers. I asked one of the number whether they were from a camera club but apparently not. However, this didn't stop them congregating together. At one stage I thought it would spoil the morning but it didn't. I later spoke to one of the park wardens and he said that last Sunday a number of photographers entered the out of bounds area - a really silly thing to do and not obaying the code of practice for nature photographers.

I could continue picking faults with the morning but with my local knowledge and some understanding of deer behaviour I was able to find good sites and get some good shots. I just wonder what most of the other photographs were like? A ho.

Try again...

Well I was sort of right and sort of wrong about today. It was nice when I got up and then I realised that Snettersham is 70 miles east of me - where the weather wasn't as good. Whether this would have made the trip a wash out we will never know. Anyway, I'm going to try again tomorrow - this time deer hunting in Bradgate Park. At least the weather looks more promising.

Best laid plans...

Snow Bunting - Titchwell

Well I was going to get up early tomorrow and get over to Snettersham for dawn and the wader spectacular. However, the weather forecast is for heavy rain first thing in the morning and so this would spoil the whole experience - so I have decided not to go. Now I can guarantee that when I wake up tomorrow it will be brilliant sunshine and the weather forecast was not as accurate as promised. For once I hope it is raining when I wake up - we'll see!

6000 hits...

Queen Anne Statue - St Pauls Cathedral - London

Well I have hit the magic 6000 mark. Well actually there is nothing magic about this at all other than it is a bit of a milestone for me. I am fully aware that there are many people who may get this number of hits in a much shorter time than I have but it still feels a bit of an achievement. What does that say about me?

So I guess the next question is how long will it take me to get the next 6000 hits? And what does that say about my photography? Or is it just the case that it doesn't mean anything at all and these are just random events. I suspect the last thing is probably closer to the truth than anything else. It does give me something to think about.

Another early rise....

Red Deer Stag at Dawn - Bradgate Park

It was dark when I got into Bradgate Park this morning. You could just make out murky figures moving in the gloom - these were mainly fallow deer although there was a rather large red deer stag nearby who you could smell but hardly see. However, you could hear him when he started to bellow - this always brings a chill to me when I hear it. Autumn has really arrived.

I had spent the previous day looking after my wife who had broken her arm. However, as I was getting up early she would still be in bed for most of the time so I didn't feel too bad leaving her at home. This makes Mandy sound like an invalid, which she is not, but she does need my help from time to time

After this promising start the whole session became a real disappointment. The light was nice but there really wasn't anything interesting to photograph. Still it is still early and there is only one thing you can do in these circumstances - persevere - so I will be getting up early for the next month or so. Now what we need are some nice frosts to help matters.

My most popular photograph to date...

Red Deer - Cervus elaphus - Stag calling, originally uploaded by Guthlac.

To date this is the most popular photograph I have posted on Flickr There are many reasons for this - not least of which it is one of the first I ever posted!

Phones and Broken Bones...

Well I had great plans for today. I was going to get up early and have an enjoyable time with the deer. However that went by the wayside when I had far more important things to think about - my wife broke her arm!

She took a tumble in the garden and after a the pain got greater and greater we decided to go the the local A&E. Now first things first. I have only ever used the A&E once in anger for myself and they were very good and very efficient. The same goes for Mandy. We arrived just after 5pm and slowly worked our way through the process. The waits were not too long and there were sign explaining what was happening and why people might jump the queue - clinical need i.e. you are not as badly injured as they are. However, this didn't seem to be too much in evidence. Just as an aside this is the one part of the NHS that everyone uses and has been improved out of all recognition over the years and so which ever party wins the next election will tamper with this at their peril. The staff work hard and deliver a good services sometimes under very trying circumstances. So find cuts elsewhere but don't touch the A&E.

There endth the the sermon. Anyone who has visited hospital will be well aware of the waiting involved if you have a minor injury. This does give you time for people watching. You sit there wondering how they got injured, what is the story. If you were a author you could do worse than spend time waiting in the A&E you would get scores of books from just watching the people. So as we waited for the x-rays to be taken we had a steady stream of young kids with injuries, mainly injured arms or ankles. At first this might seem strange until you start to connect the dots. Most of them had sports kit on and as this was a Wednesday I assumed that most schools play each other and I was watching the fall out from these contests. Most of the injuries no doubt would heel in good time and the kids would have tales and scares to show their friends.

The other thing I noticed was the mobile phone. Now there was a time when these were banned from hospital premises not any more. They seemed to help people get through the experience by either texting each other or playing games - this included myself as I got some serious tetris in whilst I waited. Here is a tip for the managers at Leicester Royal Infirmary - install a free Wi Fi and you will cut your complaints by half.

So we left the hospital three hours later, my wife's arm in a sling but no need for plaster. She is sore but already pottering around the house checking up on what I am doing to her house. Could have been worse and I would just like to say thank you to the staff of the Leicester Royal Infirmary for ensuring that the experience was not as frustrating as it could have been