Project 52 - Weekly Photos from Geoff F - Part 3

[Geoff F]

Once again, I will be attempting to post at least one photo per week throughout 2025. Part 2 is here

Project 52 - Weekly Photos from Geoff F - Part 2

Week 30 - The River Avon at Bantham. I returned to this location to cross the river by a little ferry then record insects on the other river bank.

Looking down the river from Bantham Quay.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/640 F11 Iso 400. All these images are a merge of two bracketed exposures

[Geoff F]

After dropping off passengers on this beach the ferry returns to its base.



1/800 F11 Iso 400

Boats seen from Bantham Quay



And one of the buildings.

[billtils]

I like the figurehead shot Geoff!. I don't need to comment on cropping out the white at the top of the frame (but I just did ...)

[Geoff F]

I tried shooting several angles, Bill, but so much needed to be excluded. Maybe cropping square might be an alternative option.

I have cloned out a rough looking electricity connection box and an outside security light. Possibly the top could be reduced to just including the woodwork.

[Geoff F]

A square crop wasn't working exactly right for me and gave the image a rather squashed appearance lacking height so I tried a different approach. I often find that shooting in 2 x 3 ratio but thinking about 4 x 5 doesn't quite work out as I imagined the scene should appear.

[Cantab]

A square crop wasn't working exactly right for me and gave the image a rather squashed appearance lacking height so I tried a different approach. I often find that shooting in 2 x 3 ratio but thinking about 4 x 5 doesn't quite work out as I imagined the scene should appear.

Geoff, for the most part I think this crop works well. However, the very small patch of bright blue sky in the top right corner caught my attention. I'm wondering what would happen if you were to obliterate that patch of sky by extending the tree leaves with the help of PS.

[Geoff F]

Maybe a slight crop at the top with a fraction of clone might be worth trying. My original idea was to leave a bit of skyline there which was on the diagonal line, but it could be too bright I suppose.

[Geoff F]

Week 31 - Prawle Point. A cloudy start to the day but I thought the rather sombre light suited this scene. I edited another version with a closer crop but I liked the way this big sky emphasised the loneliness of the lookout station.

The Coastguard Lookout. Actually manned by volunteers now.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/250 F10 Iso 160. Merge of two bracketed exposures.

A poor light angle but I liked the way this electric fence went above the gate.



1/200 F11 Iso 250

This gate gives access to the Coastguard Lookout



And looking in the opposite direction after an improvement in the light.



1/400 F11 Iso 250

[Geoff F]

Week 32 - Gammon Head. The next headland, just around the corner from Prawle Point.



A wide gate for easy access with farm machinery



1/400 F11 Iso 250

And a gate with a view



Another gate - on the coast path

[Cantab]

Geoff, a very interesting collection of gates!

The first Prawle Point image works well for me - for the reasons you give for your chosen crop.

In the last photo, with its small gate, there appears to be no path. Is the fence simply a boundary between different grazing areas?

[billtils]

Another attractive set - you do like your gates

PS: Going back to the discussion on the figurehead image, not sure if it is a step too far for your taste (which would be entirely legitimate) but you could use content aware deletion to replace the sky with some of the greenery ...

[Geoff F]

Thanks for the comments.

You can just make out that path emerging from the bottom right corner then, after the gate, going around a gully before exiting about a third of the way up the left edge. It is clearer in the Gammon Head landscape shot.

Walking that path, before the gate, is a truly frightening experience requiring scrambling up some rough cut steps and through narrow gaps in the cliff rock with a steep drop into the sea only a few feet away. I normally use a much safer alternative which is just visible near the skyline.

And with the figurehead. I have never been happy with the Content Aware option where there is a hard edge. In those cases I prefer to create a mask which butts against the edge but leaves plenty of source material then manually use a normal Clone Tool.

[Geoff F]

ps. Regarding the gates. In another site, for UK Countryside and wildlife, I created a mini thread for people to upload gate/entrance photos and it has become popular with those members.

https://natureuk2.jcink.net/index.ph...dx&skinid=null

You probably need to be logged in to the site to see the actual thread.

[Geoff F]

Week 33 - Sculpture at Malborough Airfield (East Soar). This area was part of a WW2 runway and is now a National Trust reserve. I also tried a 3 x 2 ratio crop but eventually decided that having a bit of extra height worked better.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/1250 F9 Iso 400.

This wind sock marks the end of the current grass strip runway which is used by small privately owned aircraft.



1/200 F14 Iso 400. Merge of two bracketed exposures

[Geoff F]

And a couple of odd looking insects from that area. Thick-headed Fly - Physocephala rufipes



Ichneumon sarcitorius

[Geoff F]

Week 34 - A day of sunny spells and clouds. Looking around from where I was recording insects. Very difficult light which kept changing as harsh sunlight came through holes in the clouds, then disappeared. However, during a brief spell of localised sunshine I had a go at some landscapes to make a change from my macro work. All images are a merge of two bracketed exposures.

Malborough - the closest village



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/320 F11 Iso 250.

Looking inland towards Dartmoor



The barley crop has been harvested.

[Geoff F]

Week 35 - Motherhill Farm Path, Salcombe - Where I was recording wildlife. There are two subjects, the tractor wheel extensions and the old gate leading to a shady mysterious path, but I think the wall manages to connect both together.



7D with Canon 24-105 lens 1/320 F14 Iso 400 Merge of three bracketed exposures

And some wildlife - Common Backswimmer gently 'rowing' itself around a small stream



Sigma 180 macro lens. 1/250 F9 Iso 400

A pair of Hornet Robberflies - Asilus crabroniformis but they were hiding in the grass so I couldn't get a perfect angle.



1/250 F14 Iso 400

[billtils]

Three very different images here Geoff, each of them top notch! Thanks for posting them together.

[Geoff F]

Thanks for the comment, Bill.

Week 36 - South Hams Vintage Machinery Show. Last weekend I spent two days at this show. No, not as an exhibit! I was helping to man an exhibition by my local history society in the craft tent. A hot and sunny weekend.

I had a bit of fun with this image.



My other images are here.

https://pbase.com/crustacean/2025_vintage_show

[LenR]

Geoff, a nice snippet of humour. Well done.
Are the horses "shires" - magnificent ........