Common

LOOPHOLE

24.09.22

Not quite suited to the title ‘September Rain’ but it was trying to force out a full on rainbow. As usual, I arrived as it was fading away, although the contrasting light was epic. The autumnal golden hours are beginning to kick in nicely!

///calorie.reactions.cascade

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV - EF70-200mm f2.8L

80mm / ƒ/7.1 / 1/250s / ISO 200

COMMON BLUE (MALE)

20.07.22

Struggled to keep my energy levels up so went for a nice easy macro shot. I say easy but it really wasn’t easy when these butterflies just want to lead you deeper into the dry grasses!

I had been following a dragonfly but that one got the better of me and buggered off into another field!

Canon EOS 70D - EFS 55-250 USM

200mm / ƒ8.0 / 1/500s / ISO 250

COMMON PEOPLE

28.01.22

An opportunity not to be mist! Out on the common this morning, trying not to fall back on shooting the same angles. There was a dog walker in the scene a few minutes earlier which helped but the sun was a bit lower and it didn’t give the same golden glow as this one.

///seriousness.lurk.lyricist

RAINBOW COLLECTION

30.11.21

Last day of November, finishing off with a classic Guernsey scene and a stunning rainbow. I sat through three downpours to get this shot but my persistence paid off. Luckily I found a rock to shelter behind and the rain was driving in from the west so the lens stayed relatively rain free. There was also a lot of careful planning in my mind as to where to be, along with the help of some basic sun calculation apps and rain radars.

///cantered.transitional.briefing

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV - EF17-40mm f4L

17mm / ƒ8.0 / 1/1250s / ISO 200

COMMON BLUE

28.09.21

Probably the worst conditions for macro, but in between gusts of wind and this wet stuff falling from the sky, I managed to grab a few shots of a Common Blue. What I didn’t realise is I’d accidentally destroyed a spiders web which he wasn’t too pleased about. Sorry Mr Spider.

///patterns.squares.circled

Canon EOS 70D - EFS 55-250 USM

200mm / ƒ8.0 / 1/125s / ISO 400

MISTY DAWN

12.09.21

Having carefully planned to head somewhere else this morning, I woke up late and left myself very little time for travel. There’s a field by my house which is always covered with a layer of mist on clear, calm nights so it’s I know whenever there’s mist in the field, it’s very likely the common land will be misty too.

So calm and peaceful when it’s like this!

///sentimental.rehash.postures

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV - EF70-200mm f2.8L

70mm / ƒ/11 / 1/200s / ISO 100

DARTER II

09.08.21

One of the five dragonflies darting around in the same small field below St Saviours Church. Although there were five, they were on a feeding frenzy and just wouldn’t stay still, until I clocked this one land on an apple tree. It didn’t really move but trying to get a clean contrasting background was tricky. The dark areas came from the shady area under a tree about 20 metres away.

///diplodocus.frontrunner.placing

Canon EOS 70D - EFS 55-250 USM

220mm / ƒ8.0 / 1/320s / ISO 320

COMMON BLUE

10.06.21

They may be common but they’re a stunning mini species of butterfly. With the sun hiding for most of the day, the insects tend to stick to one spot until you disturb them.

///warden.constituents.subplot

Canon EOS 70D - EFS 55-250 USM

220mm / ƒ8.0 / 1/200s / ISO 250