Somewhere over the rainbow ...

Cornwall - Phoenix Tin Mine

 The ruined engine house ... captured in a very small puddle

Got the whole tower ... and wet knees!

Autumn Colours

NE Derbyshire Moors, near Stanage Edge

 Winterbourne Gardens



Ladybower Reservoir

Derbyshire Landscapes

 Rocks galore on Stanage Edge

Derbyshire milling heritage



 Abandoned millstones at Stanage Edge

Strong sun limited the options as many views threw shadows that were too dark.  These stones are one of the "icons" of the Derbyshire "edges", beloved by landscape photographers.  Without some dramatic weather, it is difficult to take a picture that has not been seen before many times!





Heage Windmill near Belper

Still experimenting with low light and high ISOs.  I particularly like silhouettes against a darkening sky.

 



Stainsby Mill on the Hardwick estate 



Trying to create a line drawing effect for the flour bins using Photoshop.

Colour tinting in Photoshop - pink anyone?!



Magpie Mine ... revisited

And rewarded with a lovely sunset.  Camera on tripod, with self timer and ISO kept low to avoid "noise" in the darkening sky.  The buildings are intentionally silhouetted, to keep all the focus on the sky.







MAGPIE MINE



Magpie Mine

So ... how do I get this kind of b&w picture quality?  The polished, almost liquid inky tones are so impressive and the image is incredibly crisp.  How much of this is down to the camera quality and how much to the operator I wonder?!  Also, how much was the image enhanced in Photoshop?

Magpie Mine site

Ruins at the old lead mine site - side lit by evening sun.  ISO 200.

Capturing the sun as it disappeared on the horizon:

ISO and low light

ISO 800 captures the image as the light fades, but it could be sharper.

Good demonstration of the rule of thirds though!

Experimenting with side lighting and higher ISOs

The sun finally came out briefly late in the day.  The low side light emphasises the texture of the wood.

ISO 400

Tricky lighting with shaded wood and strong side sunlight through the trees.  Late Autumn afternoon gives long shadows.

ISO 400