Learning New Techniques

I've just received a great gift from my sister that, once again, is pushing my techniques and skills to new limits!

It's a Canon SX210is camera that has been converted to take Infrared images in the 590nm range, often called the 'Goldie' because it's in the orange range of colours of the visible spectrum of light.

As if taking decent normal colour images wasn't enough!

Here are a few examples then, some unprocessed except for a few levels adjustments, and some converted to Black and White.

Three Days In London

My lovely sister invited me to stay recently. When I visit London, I walk everywhere because there is always something to see! As usual, I covered miles and miles, so here are a few images of my travels.

All shot with my new Fuji X20.

View From The Millenium Bridge

Bankside sign on the side of the Thames. The letters are 5ft tall!

Covent Garden 8am. Never seen it so quiet!

Sketch artist in Borough Market. Not everyone has a camera!

London Eye reflection. What a surprise, rain in June!

Filming in the lift. All squeeze in! I know the faces, can't place the names!

Southbank graffiti.

Low-level view of St. Paul's under Millenium Bridge.

Coffee break at Monmouth's Coffee Shop, Covent Garden. Quirky place, but marvellous coffee (and little cakes!)

Young Australian artist leaving his Tag at Southbank. He'd arrived from Sydney two days ago!

Passing trains at London Bridge Station under the Shard, crossing over Borough Market next to Southwark Cathedral.

More high rise buildings surrounding the 'Gherkin'. One has already been nicknamed the 'Cheesegrater'

This group of drinkers managed to form a circle round a square table!

Panorama from the Shard looking North.

Tip of the Shard. The red strip lights are to warn aircraft!

Rooftop view from the apartment, featuring Shard, St.Paul's, Smithfield, Old Bailey and St. Sepulchre.

Tourist with City Of London Police Officer. The passing bloke looks intrigued!

Tilt-Shift view of London Bridge from the Shard.

An Umbrella canopy at Brewer's Wharf, Borough Market.

Wallart by Grems, on the side of the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank. Using Hilary for scale!

Wembley Stadium in sunlight, North of London.

Trooping The Colour

I had a great three-day visit to London staying with my lovely sister, the highlight of which was a prime spot on The Mall to watch my first Trooping The Colour Ceremony.
I chose a spot by 9am and didn't move until 12.30pm, when I walked with thousands of other people to Buckingham Palace for a flypast in the company of the Royal Family.
The weather was fine all morning, and poured down twenty minutes after the whole event finished!!

 When all the Guards look the same in red uniforms with huge Bearskins, there is a way to distinguish the Regiments;

Regiment	Tunic Buttons	Badge on Collar	Badge on Shoulder	Plume 'hackle' on Bearskin
Grenadier Guards	Single	Grenade	Royal Cipher	White on left side
Coldstream Guards	Pairs	Garter Star	Rose	Red on right side
Scots Guards	Threes	Star, Order of Thistle	Thistle	None
Irish Guards	Fours	Shamrock	Star, Order of St. Patrick	Blue on right side
Welsh Guards	Fives	Leek	Leek	White and green on left side

I used my new Fuji X20 camera as a 'snap and shoot' and my Panasonic Lumix G1 with a 45-175mm zoom lens for the close-up shots.

First of all, I chose a prime spot, thankfully in front of all these people!!

The first Guards on parade were the Grenadiers, who were lining the route this year. The Sgt Major is using his pace stick to get the Guards equally spaced along The Mall. I think this guard picked up the wrong trousers!!

 

Welsh Guards parading on

Welsh Guards being saluted by a stretcher-bearer party.

Grenadier Lance-Corporal saluting.

Royals arriving. Prince Harry with the Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Cornwall.

The Massed Band of all the Regiments leads the Troop off Horseguards.

King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery. They fired a 41-gun salute in Green Park.

Life Guards.

Blues And Royals.

1st Life Guards solid Silver Drum presented in 1831, weighing 59lbs!!

Prince Harry waving on return.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II giving me a wave!!

Back at Buckingham Palace, the Royals came out for the Flypast......

......which was finished in great style by the Red Arrows!!

And after the parade, the clean-up of you-know-what began!!

Battle Of The Atlantic Commemorations, Liverpool

On Saturday I went to Liverpool Waterfront with thousands of other people in glorious sunshine to see the commemorations of the 70th Anniversary surrounding these wartime events.
I spent four hours visiting the many areas of interest and marvelled at the strength, durability and sprightliness of the Octo and Nonogenarian ex-servicemen who paraded smartly and proudly, chatted animatedly with current service personnel and happily posed for photos with all who asked.

Panasonic Lumix G1 with 14-45mm and 45-175mm lenses.

Three Proud Veterans

Standard Bearers and a Canadian Navy Commander

BBC Interviewer Elaine Dunkley Speaking to Royal Navy Commander Nick Chatwin, Project Officer for the Commemoration events.

Old Merchant Seaman With a Sense Of Humour!!

Sea Cadets Displaying By the Liver Building

Chinook Helicopter on Display

Hawker Hurricane

Supermarine Spitfire

Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight Flypast

Polish Eagle Meets Liver Bird.
The White Eagle atop the Polish Standard has been the symbol of Poland since at least 1295.
The earliest known use of a bird to represent the then-town of Liverpool was on its corporate seal, dating from the 1350s.

Royal Canadian Navy Frigate Iroquois.
Today’s HMCS Iroquois is the second ship to bear the name. The flagship of Canadian Fleet Atlantic, Iroquois was commissioned on July 29, 1972.

Royal Navy Minehunter HMS Pembroke.
Nine Royal Navy ships have had this name since 1665 and the name has also been used for Shore Training Bases.
My Great Grandfather was based at Chatham Docks on HMS Pembroke pre-WW1.

Naval Ops Display On the Mersey

Polish Navy Frigate General T Kosciusko.
The ORP Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko, the former USS Wadsworth is one of two guided-missile frigates in the Polish Navy. It is named for Tadeusz Kościuszko, an American Revolutionary War hero and hero of Poland's struggle for independence.

Sea King Salute Flypast

Polish Naval Officers On Parade

Standard Bearers March Past

Chinese Dragon Dancers join the festivities!