Snap snap snap.

It's been nearly a week since I've had my new toy. I've taken 434 photos, most of them crap. Many more are unsuitable for this blog. No, we've not been having photographic bedroom fun, just I have a blog policy of not posting full facial images of my kids. Predictably they've been the subject of most of my better snaps.

So here is a selection of my remaining efforts so far;


Eager to play, I got up early the next day before the dew had time to evaporate. Mcleod thought it was his birthday when I took him for a walk by the lake before seven AM. I'm delighted with my camera's macro focus which let me get really close to this blade of grass. I think the morning sun is reflected perfectly in the dew drops.


In contrast to the natural beauty of grass and water here's a fly tipping spot near to the woods behind the lake. It's a stinking messy place full of old tyres and mattresses. I like this shot for its perspective. For me it just goes to show that beauty can be found in the most unlikeliest of places.


Miche adores birds of prey. She was delighted to discover on our family trip to a Wildlife Trust open day that there were Owls and Hawks to hold. I'm really pleased with this image of a Little Owl. Its predatory glare right into my lens was chilling. I've arranged a falconry course for her birthday later in the year. For Miche, not the bird by the way.


This is Dom with his arm down a Badger set. Well, in all honesty it's a rabbit hole, he just thought it was a Badger bed. You see, we often go Badger hunting in the woods. I'll walk behind him and growl deeply, which for our kids is the mating call of a Badger. "Shhh" he'll say "Daddy, there's a Badger here!" We then set off into uncharted territory to find it's home.


Barter Books in Alnwick is quite probably the best second hand bookshop in the universe. It's in the town's old railway station and I swear, the place is cavernous. There are thousands upon thousands of books arranged on antique pine shelves on the original stone floors of the station. Scattered around the shop are classic overstuffed sofas and chaise lounges upon which you can laze about whilst drinking the coffee you've poured for yourself. Unlike any other bookshop I know of, dogs are welcome. There's a sign on the door telling you so. If you bring in bag fulls of your old books the staff will spend a while going through them for you. When you come back from browsing they'll tell you what they're worth. This then gets marked on your card in pencil as your 'balance'. They've got rows upon rows of customers' cards arranged by surname. At the moment our balance is £25.44. This shop is quite possibly my favourite place in the world. The composition of the photo I'm delighted with, I'm just disappointed that it's a little blurry.


More Barter Books. Start 'em young that's what I say. Again, composition good but a little blurry. Probably due to the low light and longer exposure due to my reluctance to use a flash. Must study aperture more?


Another early morning shot from today's walk. I couldn't believe my luck when I caught this dragon fly unawares as it was warming itself up for its day's antics. I've no idea what kind of fly it is however. Perhaps Wanderin' Weeta can help?


Some interesting fungi on a tree in our garden. I'm pleased with the exposure as I'd been playing with the settings to get the background black and the foreground still lit well.


Dominic with his head in a skip trying to work out how it works. Again a little blurry but I like the composition. More importantly, it sums this little boy's character up a treat!