Hey guys!

Welcome to my first blog of 2018! I am really looking forward to finding out what journey 2018 will take me on. I have plenty to look forward to and lots to be thankful for. Now that Christmas and New Year has departed, my life is full steam ahead. I have been reconnecting with people over the past month, which has got my creative juices flowing with the hope of these resulting into a couple of projects appearing in the pipeline! Keep your eyes peeled for further updates in relation to these projects!

So to kick off 2018 then with some good news:

The image that got me this loot was taken back in November 2017 in Bristol when I was out doing some Light Trail Photography. I used my 24-70mm at 70mm, perched on my tripod at F/11, 13 seconds using a remote shutter release. A big thank you to The London Camera Exchange for placing my entry in their light trails competition.

Further, I have been back to Bristol Zoo with my 400mm, 135mm and 100mm paired with my 6D and 5D Mk III to obtain a decent image of the Silverback Gorillas. Previously when I visited (see ‘Comfortably Numb’ blog post), I could not get close up to get a decent view of the Silverback’s due to the hindrance of the popular crowds passing through (not to mention poor lighting inside the enclosure too). However, I was incredibly determined to jump over these obstacles and attempt to get something useable.

You will note from the images above, I had a difficult time getting off to a good start. Although I captured pleasant images, the glass was dirty and too reflective resulting in obtaining a clear image virtually impossible. Therefore, combined with the added hindrance of the pleasing crowds obstructing my view, the opportunity of taking and achieving the image I wanted was slim to none.

After several attempts of leaving and returning to the enclosure (together with a couple of hours of waiting around for an opportunity to arise), my luck finally changed! For a brief moment, the Silverback (along with the crowds parting to view the infant Gorilla on the other side of the enclosure), I had the freedom to take one decent shot through a section of clean glass. Jackpot!!

I used my 400mm prime at F/5.6 for this shot to get right in on the Silverback. The lighting was poor and the 400mm minimum of F/5.6 meant the ISO needed to be increased to 1000 and the shutter speed much lower than usual at 1/80th of a second. Using such a slow shutter speed meant I had to get the Silverback when he was stationary. I fired off several shots in attempt to get an image that would not be blurred. Thankfully, this image came out as I had planned. There is always room for improvement and in an ideal situation, I would have loved for the focus to be sharper on the Silverback’s eye (furthest away from the camera) but nonetheless I was ecstatic to achieve the result I achieved.

After my experience of capturing the Silverback, I had freedom to photograph some of the amazing creatures at Bristol Zoo. Below are a few of the images that I am proud to share with you:

I love being able to use my 100mm Macro. Bug World was substantially quieter than my previous visits so I was in a position to spend more time photographing the interesting characters in the invertebrate world!

Sad looking Gibbon shot with 135mm at F/2 200th of a second 1600 ISO

It’s a rare opportunity for me to use my 135mm, but I decided to give it a run out. I love the sharpness, the quickness and the contrast the lens gives. However, I think it is better used at F/3 or higher as it is difficult to get focus on point below this. You will note from the image the focus on the face is not quite there even at 200th of a second. I would have loved the eyes to be sharper. This is something I will attempt to get right on future visits.

The Image below is taken with my 135mm at F/2. This time the subject was closer so the face is perfectly sharp. It also does a great job with the glare from the window I am shooting through.

Finally, some Landscape and Surf Photo work that I did at the end of my time in Cornwall. The landscape images below were images taken with my 35mm 1.4 lens with the help of my 10 stop B+W filter at Rinsey Head.