Remembrance in Toft

Like many other villages, Toft is celebrating the 100 years since Armistice Day with a display of poppies - the displays being made by the 'Simple Sewing, Knit and Natter Group'.  Some like myself choose to wear a white poppy representing remembrance for all victims of war, a commitment to peace and a challenge to attempts to glamorise or celebrate war. It is often forgotten that about 10 million civilians died in addition to the 9.7 million military personnel. Purple poppies are also worn commemorating the animals that were injured and lost their lives in conflict. According to the Animals in War Memorial Fund, eight million horses died in the First World War. 

RSPB Rye Meads Star Species

The Green Sandpiper is a regular visitor to Rye Meads reserve in the winter months and came obligingly close yesterday. The warm weather seems to have affected the Grey Herons who were picking up sticks as if preparing for nest building. I enjoyed the metallic colours that show on Magpies in the sunlight, shot using the new Prefocus on the Fuji  XT-3 camera

Autumn Colours at Birchanger Wood

Birchanger wood originates from the 12th century when it was recorded as "Bircehangra" which means, "Wooded slope growing with Birch trees". The wood still contains many Birch trees, along with Hornbeam, Sweet Chestnut and is primarily managed for ongoing coppicing.

Close Up on Hornet and Bee

I decided to have a try at focus stacking a dead Hornet and Pantaloon Bee that I had collected over the summer before they completely fell apart. These are stacks 40 images F5.6 iso 200 lit by daylight lamps on each side. Amazing detail is brought out including all the detritus. The ' pantaloons' of the bee are its pollen gathering organs and you can see here how much pollen has been caught by the hairs.

CRUFC win 24-22 Against Bishop's Stortford

It looked like Cambridge were going to lose to local rivals Bishop's Stortford  in a scrappy match but, at the last minute, Cambridge made a break for the line and BS gave away a penalty resulting in a 2- point win for Cambridge. The light was very difficult for photography with bright sunshine giving dense shadows by the clubhouse.

Cambridge Botanic Gardens Focus Stacking

The plan for Thursday was to visit the greenhouses at Cambridge Botanic Gardens and practise focus bracketing so the rainy conditions did not deter us. After a few initial trials with sets of 20 or 30 images at F2.8, I determined by looking at the first and last in the series, that 40 was the minimum number required and sometimes at F5.6 or F8 to cover the subject. The first two are at F8, rest at F2.8. Autobracketing on Fuji and stacked in Zerene stacker. There is quite a lot of 'shadowing' from the stacking that I would have retouched in Zerene for a final product.