Good stuff! The slightly erie light in and from the clouds makes them just a bit different from the typical 'rough sea and rocks' photos.

Hope you didn't put yourself at risk taking them.

Steve

Welcome.
+1. There are a number of us who can say the same...

Steve

Thanks. It really is fascinating discovering the detail in such a tiny leaf. There's a long way to go before it becomes a 4-6 inch long adult, but the main features are already there. The only significant thing missing is a swirl that develops where the leaf joins the stem. I'd like to get the swirl in a stacked image from above, but that could require serious contortions with a tripod possibly on a kitchen work surface - hard to get that one past Senior Management!

For your future reference with begonia leaf cuttings (and for anyone who doesn't know about such things), Mrs. L. simple severs the leaf stem where it joins the main plant and puts it into water. A small glass vase is good for that, you can see what's happening. Roots eventually appear at the severed end of the stem. When they look suitably strong, the stem is planted in potting compost with the old leaf on the surface. New growth appears where the leaf joins the stem - hence new leaf from old. There may be other ways of taking leaf cuttings, but this one works for Mrs. L. and her begonias.

Steve

Mrs. L. is currently having considerable success with leaf cuttings. Her begonias are looking particularly fine, with tiny new leaves appearing from the centre of an old leaf. So as a change from flowers, the camera was pointed at one of the new leaves. Here are two versions of the same leaf, differing only by the lighting - the first having an LED panel above and two small, directional LEDs from the right, the second without the LED panel. The new leaf is about 1cm long. With those hairs, you can almost believe that it's waiting to catch a small fly... which, of course, it isn't.

K3 + Sigma 70mm macro. Stacks of 26 and 34 respectively.

Thoughts, comments etc. welcome as usual.

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Steve

A beautiful study of a magnificent tree. Can't fault it. The set definitely deserves to be big and on a wall.

Does it need a spring photo? Can't make my mind up. No doubt your continuing enthusiasm (or lack of...) for fighting weather, nettles etc. will ultimately decide .

Steve

Superb, as usual.

How on earth did you manage to get something so fragile into position in front of the camera??

Steve

Truly wonderful art.

Except for the cow, which may become a truly wonderful meal.

Steve

4, 10 and 11 for their geometry and pattern. Of the water pictures, 7 (perfectly positioned boat, must have taken you ages to tow it into the right place :wink and 8 (love the sloping trees and their reflection, but the right hand side of the picture pulls the eye away from them, perhaps try removing a bit from the right).

Steve

The word 'gorgeous' comes to mind. You appear to have the colour that's been missing down here.

I'll have the path pictures as I always like a path leading to ... who knows where? But it's a close run thing.

Steve

Thanks folks. As someone who enjoys a challenge, it was well worth the messing around over several days to get the final picture.

What I don't say above is how the camera was supported. Not enough space to use the main tripod (Benbo Trekker), so had to use the mini tripod. About 2Kg of body, lens and focusing rack were on a Novoflex mini-ball head on a mini-tripod with rubber feet on a soft carpet. Touch it and it wobbled. Wireless shutter release, of course. Presumably the flash froze any residual motion and any misalignment beteen shots was sorted out by auto-alignment during stack processing. That's my theory, anyway. The next challenge is to find a way of using the geared head low down indoors, rock solid on a carpet - and preferably without being told 'You're In The Way!'.

Interesting ... it makes one wonder where Antony Gormley got his inspiration from...

Steve