Due to a bout of unseasonable weather for Kate’s birthday we were able to take an extended wander around Westonbirt, taking in both the Old Arboretum and Silkwood, a really great way to spend a day. Here are a few of the shots taken, including some wildlife shots from a distance (increasing the need for an extended lens). Also the Magnolias were out in force! We also managed to divert from the seasonal route to take in the 2000 year old lime, prompting a lookout for the other 50 trees dedicated during the golden jubilee.
wildlife
Having finally got hold of my new car, what better way to try it out and take advantage of the extra hour on offer than an early morning trip to the beautiful Autumn colour display on offer at Westonbirt Arboretum. It really is looking amazing, and I would say you’ve probably got another couple of weeks available to see the best of it, so get your walking boots on and get on over.
An inspirational photographer and judge of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, I don’t imagine their is a better person to be wandering around the zoo with, pointing out some of the best ways to get to grips with wildlife photography.
The lectures really helped in getting to grips with how to compose a good wildlife photograph (I’ve just got to try to put it into practise).
Here are a few of the shots taken on the day at Bristol Zoo.
Kate and I decided to take a long weekend out in Wales, and settled upon the home of Dylan Thomas – Laugharne. It truly is a beautifully picturesque little town, if you’re looking to simply relax and get away from it all, then a simple wander around the area that inspired Thomas’ “Under Milk Wood”, and continued to draw him back.
The beautiful castle really underlines the landscape and gives a spectacular skyline to the town. Not far from Laugharne sees the lovely coastal town of Tenby, well worth a visit. Although most stunning of all was Rhossilli which we took a detour out to visit and were not disappointed with the most picturesque coastal walk I have ever ventured upon, and certainly an area of the world I will re-visit (recently featuring in Torchwood of all things).
Having finally got an additional lens for my camera, it was time to test it out, and that meant getting in close with no walls between us and the animals. Given a choice I think safari may have been my first preference, however we were on a budget and only had a weekend to spare that meant a journey slightly more local. So we packed up a picnic and headed off toward Oxford and hit the Cotswold Wildlife Park, which is fantastic, for getting up close and personal with the animals, specifically the lemur walk, where you can join them in their enclosure.
First up, let me introduce the newest addition to the SLR kit, the Nikon 55 – 200mm, after some months of using this now I can testify to this being a very good lens, but initially took some getting used to, although I would add that given the price reductions the 300mm would certainly be worth opting for.
Back to the venue and I really would recommend a day out to this place, especially if you have small people (children, not dwarfs), walking with the lemurs is a great opportunity they’re very social creatures and especially amusing to watch sunbathing.
