The first is from Wales at the start of July; a Spotted Flycatcher, one of a pair that was nesting on the outside wall of the cottage we were holidaying in. With at least four youngsters in the nest, the adults would frequently pause on this post right outside the lounge window before darting off for food. I set up the camera on a tripod with the 300mm lens, pre-focused on a point that I hoped would be the landing place for the bird, then took lots of photos. I'd composed the image as a landscape format shot, to allow for different positions of the birds, so this is quite a crop down on the original.
Pentax K-5, Pentax DA*300mm f/4 lens @ f/6.7, 1/350s, -0.5EV, ISO800, tripod, cable release.
You'll notice it's raining in that shot, something of a theme for the holiday...
The second photo was taken right at the end of the day at my Garden and Flower photography workshop at RHS Hyde Hall, where I'd seen these planters earlier in the year, and I decided I should take a shot before I left. I was attracted to the colour and texture of the planter itself, and the contrast with the ornamental grasses growing in it, which were blowing in the wind.
My first composition was much more relaxed than this one, and there was too much going on, with a second planter and more foliage included. One of the participants reminded me of my own advice - to identify what interests you, then make sure that's the most prominent part of the image. So I recomposed, with a tighter, more abstract design, and here's the result.
Pentax K-5, Sigma EX 105mm f/2.8 macro lens @ f/9.5, 2/3s, ISO80, polariser, tripod, remote (IR) release.
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