Friday 29 April 2011

Old Photographs Never Die, But Where The Hell Are They??


I had a surprise email :- "Hi David, my name is Stewart Winter I work for the Sunday Express, could we have a chat."
As a reader of the SE I new of Stewart, as he has a birding column, so of course, we indeed could have a chat.
He was interested in the rise and rise of amateur nature photography and bird photography in particular and how we amateurs are now challenging the Pro photographers with the quality of our work.
After a nice chat about the subject, he called me again the next day on another matter, at the time I was photographing Willow Warblers, he recited a poem to the tune of Willow Warbler, it was strange hearing the little blighter in front of me singing it's head off, while a harmonious mirror sound was coming out of the ear piece on my phone. He left me saying that the photo editor would contact me to discuss what images she would require.


The said Willow Warbler
I arrived home from the shoot as Jane the PE was on the line, "We want the fluffy cuddly Starling picture" fine I said I'll send it to you when I've had a cup of tea.
That's when the problem started, my filling system is crap to say the least. Obviously I looked in my Starling file, but it came as no surprise for it not to be there. I could remember it was taken in Seahouses, but what bloody year, see the thing is I go there three times a year and have done over the past twenty years and all my Seahouses files are all clumped together without even being dated. Luckily as I was trawling through my files I came across one named Photos For Prints, bingo there it was in all it's glory, phew!!!
Jane emailed me back to say the picture looks lovely in the piece, and that I should find it in the middle of the paper on Sunday, but added it might be flooded out with another big news event that's happening.
Now what on earths happening that could be more important than my Starling picture I wonder????

Wednesday 27 April 2011

A stretch of the Legs


A three mile walk on the first evening in search of wheatears proved fruitless until I arrived back to the cottage gate. Then there right in front of me was this beauty enjoying the last rays of late evening sunshine.

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Down by the River


Coquetdale is normally very quiet, but it was a scorcher of a day and a bank holiday to boot so it was packed out. This forced me away from my usual haunts and I spent a very uncomfortable hour sitting on some very sharp rocks with my legs in the river. Eventually the shot I wanted came into view, a Common Sandpiper walking straight towards me.
Fortitude