My walk this morning - nothing too exciting, sorry.

[Richard G]

This is with the ZM 25mm f2.8, one of the sharpest M lenses. Not small. Actually a bit heavy for me to carry on the M9-P just yet. This has the less interesting characteristic at the top and bottom of the portrait orientation frames compared to the 28 Summaron M at f5.6, but is helpfully two stops faster and sharp right across the field. This is later in the morning and at 1/180s at ISO 160 and f8 focused half way up the trunk.

 

[Richard G]

The shedding of bark and the mess made on the forest floor by these trees is really something. Also with the ZM 25.

 

[Richard G]

I have returned to work and not making as many morning walks as I would like. With daylight saving ended the mornings are back in play. Today is overcast, and predicted to be so all day. I could not have carried much today and moved the camera with the 28 5.6 form one side of the room to the other. I then thought about taking my binoculars, 10 x 25. No. I'll just enjoy the walk. But with the door almost closed I thought, you'll regret some shaft of morning silvery light catching you without the camera. I got to the nature reserve and was hoping for a spotlight on certain trees, with others left out. Entering the park I was rewarded by just this phenomenon.




Further into the reserve I found my usual favourite, the cruciate tree, was one left out. The next one along was singled out by the sun. It's been included before and is in post #41. These two shots are of it. Both at ISO 640 with the M9-P, the limit of useful 'high' ISO. The first is at f8 for greater depth of field up the tree, and the second back at f5.6.





I walked along here last evening too. But I was tired and sore and had to lie on the boat landing. No-one was around. I stayed there looking at the clouds, watching the disintegration of only an almost cloud, and watching its big brother. It's the only photo I took for the whole 2km.

 

[Richard G]

I still cannot find a reliable species name for these trees with the sinuous trunk. I think they make a great photographic subject, a certain dynamic element like a portrait of some lithe young woman. I almost didn't take a walk this morning at all. Now as I look at these trees I feel what good they've done me for the whole day ahead.

 

[Richard G]

These are from a walk later in the morning. I came across a woman doing a watercolour. I asked if I could have a peek. She let me but I knew not to tarry, there was a wash bead on the paper. It was immediately evident she is very good. Hope I see her again. But never saw her here before.


This first one I exported from LR is actually from another mid morning walk. They're like girls with faded jeans and holes in the knees. It's with the 25mm Biogon, and at ISO 640.






The lens on the camera at the moment is the 35 C Biogon. I wondered what I would get. Not nearly as much of a tree. Would I just be drawn to detail. I wan't sure I would take a shot at all. Last time I walked along here with a 50 I hardly took a shot.

This tree leaning way out over the river is directly in line with our street and is the first thing I see getting to the top of the bank.








I have never photographed this Quasimodo before. But the light seemed right, sun through clouds and the astonishing history of the tree, perhaps, leaves so many scars and growths and differences in its limbs. The horizontal branch almost looks like a dead limb that's fallen there from another tree, but it isn't.


The last one is a stand of trees with a lovely lustre to the trunk in those paler parts.

 

[Shab]

Hi Richard, I love your Morning walk Tree's stories... wish you are fine!!

 

[Richard G]

Hi Richard, I love your Morning walk Tree's stories... wish you are fine!!

Thanks vey much Xabier. Indeed getting rapidly to fine now. The heavier 25 is back on the camera tomorrow morning. I took on board one RFF member stating that the 25 Biogon is his most used lens. I can see why.

 

[Richard G]

My hardly used Color Skopar 25 on the camera recently, very small, very light. Gets an extra stop over the 28 5.6 and a slightly wider field of view. Semi-retired this lens because it flares in the middle of the day. I like its colours. Never noticed the purple corners but was mostly using it black and white 15 years ago. It's almost a bush colour here anyway. Not sure it is purple now. Stopped down to f5.6 here. I'm using the Zeiss 28/25 finder too. The accessory finders are great for composition, even if you can see all the frame lines in the VF.

Rare to see such order in the branches, but still this sinuous trunk. These trees are like Sirens.

 

[Richard G]

OK. A little more exciting this morning. Didn't quite run down the grassy slope in my hiking boots quick enough.... Crisp 5˚ C this morning.

 

[Richard G]

Here's one I hadn't noticed at all till yesterday. Something I've noticed this morning is that this sinuous curve of the trees I have photographed earlier in the thread hides a big tree among smaller trees. But trees hardly have predators that look for a large trunk....

 

[Richard G]

Until almost the 1960s certain middle class Australians born of English stock would refer to going home if they flew or went by ship to the UK for a visit. And on a British Passport, which is what our passports were back then. So no wonder oaks were planted here.





(Same tree, with the little Summaron M 28 f5.6 stopped down to f8 or f11)

 

[Richard G]

I have never seen a Kookaburra along here. If you don't know of them they have a laughing call. These three were silent this morning, likely warming themselves in the sun breaking through the branches.

A little bit of selective exposure editing of the birds in Lightroom. And a significant crop of the original image taken with the 28. Did I even think to pull my iPhone out? Yes, but only as I walked up the hill to home. And I had thought of leaving the 50 on the Leica this morning. Or even taking two lenses, which I never do. I have a back pain so this was never going to be any sort of workout walk. Ah well.





Minimal editing of this one for context. He is the one on the right in the group. He figured I was a bit too close, so he joined his pals.

 

[Shab]

Richard I wish you are better from your back pain... and keep posting in this thread, I love to be a silent "co-walker" with you, enjoy hearing your thoughts, looking at the trees that you love so much, with this beautiful light...

 

[Richard G]

Richard I wish you are better from your back pain... and keep posting in this thread, I love to be a silent "co-walker" with you, enjoy hearing your thoughts, looking at the trees that you love so much, with this beautiful light...

Thank you Xabier. Better this week. Can now carry a 35mm lens plus Leica .... I fired off every shutter speed of my film Leicas except one with film in it in the last 24 hours, and the lens on the Hasselblad. In Spring I will take the Hasslelblad a few mornings and see what I can do with it. Will run through the other lenses on Sunday. I never carry my Hasselblad bag now, just the camera and one lens and a light carbon fibre tripod.

 

[robert blu]

Richard I wish you are better from your back pain... and keep posting in this thread, I love to be a silent "co-walker" with you, enjoy hearing your thoughts, looking at the trees that you love so much, with this beautiful light...

same here, in this hot european days it is so nice to walk with you and watch your beautiful trees.

 

[Richard G]

same here, in this hot european days it is so nice to walk with you and watch your beautiful trees.

Thank you Robert. We had an Indian summer into April and now quite cold but mostly beautiful days. We have hardly suffered this winter, really. Melbourne’s weather is notorious for Arctic winds. Russians have been freezing cold here. But overall our weather is one of the best kept secrets in the world, kept especially from Melburnians. Every year or two I’m pruning roses in my shirt sleeves in July. Europe’s heat of the last twenty years really is climate change. Belgrade has incredibly hot spells these years. I hope it lets up for you soon.

 

[Richard G]

This morning an event I first encountered last year. A timed race of the single sculls, setting off at intervals, the competitors here messing about in their boats, waiting for their turn to set off, in numerical order. "Check you boat 63, check your boat! ... 63: ROW!"




Here's a four, behind the race waiters, drifting in the cold, waiting.





One of them clocked me on the bank. I waved. She could have seen it was not a long lens. All of these are with the 35 Summilux, now captured finally as that lens in iPhone and Flickr.


And I didn't neglect the trees:




The Wattle is out now along the river too.

 

[Richard G]

The morning I photographed the Kookaburras I met the watercolorist again. We exchanged first names. Here is a link to the painting she was doing I suspect. She told me it had been recently exhibited. Here is a link to the painting on her Instagram page. I think it's wonderful.