experimenting with a new (to me) pocket camera

Groby Pool, Evening Light. phographs by Vivien Blackburn

My much loved Fuji camera is big and fairly heavy, like an SLR, and for ages I've toyed with the idea of a pocket camera for times when I wouldn't carry the Fuji.

Last week I bought a little Panasonic Lumix from a friend who had upgraded and this is it's first outing - some very very quickly snatched photos on the way back from a family visit.

I have to say I'm really pleased with it. There was a scary bit when my computer wouldn't talk to its HDSC disk - but that was solved when I dug out the card reader that I don't normally need. Phew! relief.


The light was very low, subtle colours in the sunset and I haven't had time to absorb all of its possibilities. These were taken with aperture priority and a wide aperture, flash switched off. No tripod, just hand held - so I'm quite pleased with how they came out. The speed would have been lower than ideal for hand held in that light. The sheen of the water was beautiful.

This is an old flooded slate quarry with a very very old manor house on the other side which belonged to the Grey family (the family of Lady Jane Grey, the 9 day queen). There are deep still-working quarries on the other side of the road too, hidden by the woods.

Considering it was having a lot asked of it in low light, I was really happy :>)

mist and ice: today's photographs

Ice on the hedges

and ice on the fallen leaves

and ice on the undergrowth

winter has come very early this year :>(

you can see more here

Exhibition

Setting up the exhibition at The Old Grammar School - a 17C timbered building on stilts.

Hunstanton, very high tide with onshore gale

Very high tide with onshore gale, Hunstanton

Hydrangeas close up

Hydrangeas in my garden.

I planted this hydrangea in a chimney pot on the patio last year when it was a beautiful sky blue.

I know they can turn pink if the soil isn't right so I bought some aluminium salts to make sure it stayed blue and this year it's a beautiful intense blue-purple.

Evening Light, Sennen Cove

Evening Light, High Tide, Sennen Cove. photo by Vivien Blackburn

This was taken into the light of the setting sun and I love the way that it appears to be a black and white photo - and that flash of light on the horizon beyond the harbour wall.

Flowers after rain - in my garden

Oriental Poppy, photograph Vivien Blackburn

We had heavy rain this morning so I thought I'd put the 10x magnifying lens on and get some images of the dripping wet flowers before they dried.

Artichoke - or is it a Cardoon ? I can't remember! but it's flowering this year :>) 3 buds. I can't wait until the flower opens. They are supposed to be the blue ones - I love that sky blue colour. It has taken 3 years for it to finally flower.

another of the Oriental Poppies that have done really well this year :>)

Foxgloves - the bees love these.

and finally the climbing Masquerade rose that flowers and flowers all summer.

It's only little but I love my garden :>)