I finally made it with my Pentax this August, the seemingly epic journey along the shore from South Beach in Studland to the Old Harry Rocks. There is a sense of awe and achievement upon safe arrival which I suppose gives a small taste of what adventurers and explorers must experience.

The timing is crucial and it can be hard to get the right combination of tides, time and weather to all come together..... Get any of these wrong and this could quickly turn into a rather nasty place to be stranded. There are a few hazards with mud, seaweed and some deep wades around rocky outcrops to negotiate on the journey, which bring a sense of relief and safe passage at the end.

If the tide is coming back in then there is an urgency to things, as on the return any wading could turn to swimming in some spots, and if there's any roughness in the sea then this harsh shoreline will be unforgiving.

We had a good 40 mins out there in calm conditions, totally alone and feeling rather privileged as the light came and went and played a few games with me as I dashed around trying to make the most of it.

All photos are taken with the K7 and D FA28-105, at ISO 200, most at f8 or 9.5. Editing is with Snapseed and PhotoShop Express apps on Android mobile.....

Well yes, that's much better clearly....

I've always wondered, if the original photographic technology had in fact been colour, would anyone ever have bothered to invent mono?

I think there is some software to deal with that..... So you could scan the B & W photos from the magazine and convert them to colour! (only for personal use I should add).

Amazing colours on the bug and the flash diffusion has kept the detail and tones even across the subject. A fascinating image!

Now I'm not so sure about the burnt pork pies.....

Thanks Chris, Philip & Mike....

Peter, I look forward to that meet up soon...... Not sure about the pub though, I need to see a hairdresser and dentist well before any socialising should take place!

A Nigella flower .... I like it! I'll be back there for sure, thanks Steve.

And now we wait with baited breath to see what comes of this new 'flagship' aps-c model that is expected... Give me KP image quality with K7 handling and control style please!

or its the first sign of a Coronavirus infected flower! I don't know anything about plants Philip, only if they would look good in a photo

Theres always some exotic looking flora at Coombe Gardens, although I missed the main spring displays this year.

Here's the second of my "bouncing back" posts, this time with the K7 and DFA 28-105 back in action at Coombe Woods & Gardens, near Croydon.

The lens immediately reminded me of why I used to so enjoy using it, both in a technical and ergonomic sense as well as the easy rewarding results......

It's been notable that all of the usually quiet and special places I have enjoyed for a long time here in South London / Surrey, have become much busier since Corinavirus and the lockdown, as people clearly are finding alternatives to shopping, pubs restaurents and family visits....

Let's hope they all quickly get back to those things again once allowed to! I had to pick my moments, that's true, and click the shutter as people are hidden. But certainly in Wimbledon Common there were still plenty of very isolated and empty spots.

Thanks Steve and malfis, it's good to be back!