Tag: photography

#365daysofbiking Just desserts

December 15th – The day had been OK, so far. I’d been to a cChristmas Fair at the Rugby Club, then dropped into the craft centre north of Lichfield – Curborough – for Christmas shopping. While I was there, the heavens opened, and I hadn’t got my waterproof trousers.

I partook of a nice pud at the cafe and waited for the deluge to abate. It didn’t.

Making a dash for home, I got soaked. But I still had time to take a couple of shots of Stowe Pool. Funny now to think that in 2006 I took a sunset view of that church from this point at about this time of year that really kickstarted my desire to document my rides and what I saw.

At this precise point, I couldn’t have felt less like riding a bike.

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#365daysofbiking Staying focused

November 5th – On the way to work I hit the canal between Brownhills and the Black Cock Bridge, and through the copse alongside the towpath, I could see a group of female red deer in the field between me and Clayhanger.

Sadly, there were just too many trees in the way and the deer were remarkably nervous today, so my attempts to  focus on them beyond the trees were thwarted.

I must get faster at that. Far too ham fisted at the moment.

Also fascinated by the zoom compression of the houses in the background, which aren’t anywhere near as close as that in real life.

Nice to see the ladies about though…

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#365daysofbiking Explorations

October 3rd – I drove to work and rode home – sadly I chose a really, really unpleasant evening to do so. Again, drizzle and a punishing headwind – but at least the town looked beautiful in the glistening, dripping night.

I decided to quickly try the camera and the phone for a comparison.

Top, the iPhone 11 Pro Max in night mode, which since a beta firmware upgrade on Wednesday evening seems a whole bunch better. It’s not as hyperreal, but is still very strange, but beautiful I think.

My preference is still to the warmth of the Canon G5X, below, which is altogether mellower without losing detail.

Further explorations to come, I think.

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#365daysofbiking Night moves

September 27th – Slipping out late on an errand, I thought I’d really give night mode on the phone a go.

You know what? I’m not struck. It generates very colourful, sharp images – but also, very noisy. It is indeed a triumph of software over physical limitation – but it’s nowhere near as good as using a dedicated camera.

It will be handy, but I think it needs some refinement to be honest.

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#365daysofbiking Slightly unreal

September 23nd – Another late night at work and there was little for it but to grab a takeaway on the way home – and thin pickings on a Monday meant calling in at Walsall Wood.

The rain had been back and I managed to tuck the homeward commute in-between periods of rain.

I thought I’d give the phone a chance to display it’s prowess with it’s lauded night mode on St John’s Church, Walsall Wood.

Oh my goodness.

This is odd. I’m not sure if I like it. There’s a lot – and awful lot – of HDR there. It seems almost unnaturally sharp. But it’s visually stunning. I have no idea what to make of this at all.

Close up the quality is not great, I have to say. These images were ever destined for social media though, and I’m being way too critical.

But blimey, there’s a thing to experiment with…

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#365daysofbiking Picture this

September 20th – An old favourite but a new camera, well sort of: The new iPhone is being touted as having the ‘best camera in any smartphone yet’ and having a new one, I’m interested to try it.

Over the years, as the technology improved, more of this journal is phone images – either by convenience, of because the phone was immediately to hand. But they’re no substitute for a decent camera – the physical limitations of a phone camera are just too great.

There’s no doubt that the pictures this device takes are excellent. But the seem a little harsh – since the physical mechanical constraints of a small camera in a thin unit are so great, the real art of this thing is in software. It’s goo, but I think needs softening a little.

It’s still absolutely remarkable though, have to say.

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#365daysofbiking Winter haunts

August 29th – Working late this week, not getting time out to myself, but it does allow me to try a new camera on some old favourites.

I’m working with a Canon G5X mark II at the moment, which is astonishingly good in daylight. I’m having trouble mastering it in low light though, so what better place to try it than my old haunt and winter muse of Clayhanger Bridge at night?

Not too bad but need more practice. I’ll surely get plenty of that in the oncoming months…

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#365daysofbiking Convergance

December 30th – The long exposure experiments continue, this one from the cycle and equestrian bridge over the A38 between Weeford and Little Hay.

The hope was to catch a vehicle turning off to Little Hay to the right, but time ran out.

A good excuse to return for another go. I’ve missed being out so much.

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#365daysofbiking On reflections:

December 10th – Passing Silver Street and crossing the pedestrian bridge time for a quick, classic shot of the waterside.

I don’t know why but it’s hard with the Canon to get a shot here I’m happy with. It just doesn’t seem to like this view much.

This didn’t come out to bad though: The water was till, and the way the reflections taper to gather in the distance always fascinates me.

Brownhills really can be beautiful sometimes.

#365daysofbiking Highly evolved:

December 2nd – For the second time in two days, I was out without a camera, and reliant on my phone. On my return I had to nip up to Walsall Wood, so conducted an experiment and took a favourite shot from Anchor Bridge.

This is a phone photo.

I find the quality of this astounding – I know well of course that the clever bit here is software overcoming the huge hardware limitations of a tiny camera. But the quality from my iPhone is astounding.

An image of this quality from a phone even 5 years ago would have been unthinkable.

The evolution of technology is remarkable.