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| David Sharp | profile | all galleries >> Sharpimage.net - The best of 2010 | tree view | thumbnails | slideshow |
2010 was not a busy year for me and photography, the pressures of work have been intense throughout the year which restricted my 'escapes' to only a few photography outings. That said, I am still very happy with some of the images I have captured this year as represented below.
What does 2011 hold. Well I have already signed up to one of Jim Goldsteins photo tours and am excited about the prospect of finally making it the the racetrack in Death Valley and also doing some fantastic night sky shots. I also plan to return to Skomer but with a 'fast' telephoto with the sole objective of getting some of the puffin flight shots that have totally eluded me so far. Lastly, my work has taken me to Paris for a few months, so I plan to explore this wonderful city by night.
Thanks for looking.
XG9M18571 - The Spinnaker Tower is a relatively recent addition to the Portsmouth skyline. It's one of my favourite subjects and this is one of my all time favourite images.
XG9M17991 - This picture is the product of an 811 mile return trip in less than 24 hours. The Lake District is notorious for having some of the worst weather in England however for a few days before this picture was taken, there were consistent forecasts for fine weather and zero winds - sufficient enough to encourage me to make the long journey north. Wast Water was once voted Britain's favorite view, however on arrival, there was a fair breeze blowing and the surface of the lake was quite rough. Whilst I waited for the sun to move round and 'light' the valley, the breeze gradually dropped and the lake became perfectly smooth. The western lakes are more remote and consequently less visited by tourists. I saw very few people whilst I was there so I really did have this view to myself.
XG9M17826 - This is a purely opportunistic shot and was the result of zero planning. I had been watching the sky on my drive north, there were many clouds to the east (the prediction of clear skys was wrong) and I had pretty much given up on any dawn shots.
XG9M19142 - I love Skomer Island off the south west corner of Wales. It hosts the only significant Puffin population in the south of the UK, and it is somewhere I try to get to every year. The island is a Mecca for bird photographers most of whom are there to see the Puffins.
XG9M19214 - This is crop and not a full frame image. These Puffin shots are taken very close to the minimum focus distance at 400mm so retaining sufficient dof is challenging. Birds returning to the nest with Eels do not wait around posing for pictures because they become an immediate target for the much larger gulls after a free lunch. Some land so close to their burrows they just instantly dissapear underground. Those that do land further away, waddle with extreme haste towards safety. Getting into position, getting low, quickly enough to compose and focus before they dissapear is something it has taken me a long time to master and 2010 is the 1st time, after several years practice, that I came away with a few images I am happy with.
XG9M19170 - The Puffins on Skomer are almost totally unafraid. They will stand proudly outside their burrows, or on the cliff edge, totally oblivious to the presence of humans.
XG9M18859 - This is not a brilliant picture, not even a modestly good picture (it is a very small crop). However it reminds me of the many happy, but frustrating hours, I have spent with my camera trying to capture these beautiful birds. They fly faster than my lens can track. They twist and turn in such an irratic way that it seems impossible to predict where they will fly which defeats all my attempts to pre-focus. They tease me by swooping down, flying low over the water and taking a drink right in front on me. This challenge will continue for many years, and I enjoy every minute which this picture represents.
XG9M19614 - The reflection of moon light illuminates the waters of the harbour and the Solent in the distance. Clouds mask the moons rays giving shape to the reflected moonlight and adding areas of focus / balance to the picture.
XG9M18483 - I just love the clarity and colour of this image. I have been there so many times but never seen light quite like it before.
XG9M19502 - Taken on the final morning of a family holiday to Cumbria. The weather really had been quite horrible with dense cloud cover and rain most days and my camera had not been out all week. I could see this opportunity approaching on the satelite images, breaking from the west overnight and giving clear skys to the east for dawn. The timing of this break in the weather was near perfect as you can just see the next storm from enveloping the peaks in the distance.