Shot at Leeds Castle... they had hundreds of them.

Child portraits are fun.

This shot is really old, but it never made this site. That might be because it is quite bland, but hey, it shows Folkestone in the dark and that is slightly better than Folkestone by day.

Lush Chocolate Cake! Thanks Mrs R :-)

It has been far too long since we went for a pint. So we had three and a short ;-)

I missed Halloween. Oh well.

Dragonflies look great from most angles.

Sleeping cats still make me wheeze.

My new favourite alcoholic drink. St. Helier Pear Cider with Raspberry and Lime. Gorgeous.

Lovely things, Toucans.

The nicest hot chocolate ever.

Butter at a wedding. Mmmmmm pyramid.

The coast in Cornwall is so much more interesting that Kent.

Not really sure what this is, but felt like taking a pic anyway.

More long exposure stuff from Cornwall.

The rings from the last wedding we shot.

Lying on the sofa is fun. I really feel it is something that I can excel at.

Walking along the river, near Teston, Kent, UK.

Um. A cat.

The most Southerly point of mainland UK. Nice name :-)

Seen on a van at Healey's Cider Farm. Scrumpy is good.

More Cornwall.

I like Mini Babybels. I now like Goat's Cheese Mini Babybels. I like all things goat.

Did a photo shoot today for this fitness instructor. Flying is fun :-)

Writing on the wall of a toilet at the Tate St. Ives. It was one of the best things I saw.

Porthcurno Bay, Cornwall.

Worth a visit on a nice Sunday.

That is one funky looking bird.

Went to Leeds Castle again for the Plant to Plate Food Festival and they had some live music to keep people entertained whilst eating. I felt obliged to take a shot when they started the Bob Marley covers :-)

Probably the last Dragonfly action for a while - this year at least I expect.

The cliffs at Hayle, Cornwall were ideal for some late afternoon kite flying.

Although it takes a few days, the crab spider can change it's body colour to match it's background. They can appear white (as above), yellow or green. They sometimes have two faint red lines running along the abdomen. Impressive little show offs.

Long exposure taken at Hayle, Cornwall.

It is thought that this species was introduced to this country from continental Europe. Its population was previously confined to the south coast but it seems to be spreading northwards. It has been recorded in this country since 1922 but it may have been here longer. Although it has been here since 1922, I saw my first in late Sept 2008.

The Ood are a humanoid species with coleoid tentacles on the lower portions of their faces. Mmmmmm Ood.

Some more late Sept Dragonfly action from Tyland Barn.

Shot in the same location as the world's nicest brownie but this time showing the world's nicest Latte. OK, maybe it wasn't, but I don't drink coffee so I wouldn't know.

I didn't enjoy the Tate St. Ives. Not enough (good) photography for my liking. The entrance hall is quite impressive though.

As quaint as I expected. Visit St. Ives. It is nice.

Sympetrum striolatum, or the Common Darter Dragonfly, seen at Tyland Barn on a glorious day in late September. He seemed quite oblivious to me and was happy to continue munching the fly he just caught. Dragonfliy mouths look funny when eating, though I guess most people will never see that.

Rocks that form the base of the Minack Theatre.

Alas, they don't appear to have a website, but if you find yourself hungry and in Penzance, go here - they make the nicest paninis ever.

I must confess that my feelings are torn about the Eden Project. On the one hand it is an amazing piece of innovation and is certainly educational. On the other hand it is a very expensive greenhouse. Cynical? Moi?

Call me a soppy sod but I was very touched that the bloke in this picture mentioned me in the acknowledgments section of his Ph.D Thesis 'Concepts and Calculations in Cryptography'. Of course, I know nothing about such things but it is nice to be mentioned for just being a nice geezer. So, cheers Dude. Whilst I really like this photo, it pains me a little to post it as it was shot with his Canon 1v and as a Nikon Fanboy this is really against my religion. Still, I gotta say, the Canon 50mm f/1.4 on the 1v with some Tri-x film is a lush combo. Go Nikon!

Just to prove that you can still get sun in the UK in September, here is Portreath, Cornwall - a very pleasant little place.

Boadi the adult female Southern Sea Lion at the National Seal Sanctuary at Gweek, Cornwall.

Bubblegum ice cream in Penzance, Cornwall.

A man wading and pulling his boat at St. Ives, Cornwall.

The nicest Brownie ever. Seriously. Well nice. Bought (and eaten) at Hell's Mouth Cafe, in between Hayle and Portreath, Cornwall. A popular suicide spot by all accounts.

I suppose I should have taken some long exposure sea shots before now, but i don't often find myself by the sea with my tripod at night. I did in Hayle, Cornwall, UK though.

The British beach experience usually necessitates the use of a windbreak. In the worst summer ever we still managed to find sun :-)

There is a rumour circulating that I have developed a fetish for fisheye wildlife shots. This is, of course, true.

I just love this expression. Gorgeous.

I wasn't drinking at the wedding of Michelle and Tony but I took a glass for the toasts.

In the traditional taxonomy of facial hair, a goatee is a beard formed by a tuft of hair on the chin. The word probably comes from the tuft of hair seen on an adult goat. In recent years, goatee has come to denote a style of facial hair that connects to a mustache, however this is under debate by many who retain that the goatee should be an isolated patch of facial hair. You don't get a much better example of a goatee than this.

There are several options to consider when tossing the bouquet. Among them, an option that does not involve a toss at all. If there is someone special that you wish to present the bouquet to, simply pull her aside and offer her this special keepsake. Another option of tossing the bouquet is the fake-out. In this scenario, you would select one woman who you wish to catch the bouquet and aim your throw directly to her. Of course, the other option is the fair toss. In this situation, you would simply ask all of your single female friends to gather around you and you blindly toss it into the crowd. To see this full sequence, go here: http://www.jlhphography.co.uk/shrubsole and marvel at how the bouquet misses everyone ;-)

More action from the old abandoned barn near Canterbury, seen earlier in this blog.

Eyes again - here the eye of a Butterfly.

Nature produces some stunning eyes - here, the eyes of a Dragonfly.

Me. Just me.

Oh my, snout fisheye action, or fisheye snout.

My Great Uncle's dog, Molly.

Bless.

My car is old. Very old.

I wish we still had these dotted around the place, tho they were a magnet for urine.

Words fail me with this one.

Fisheye Bee action from Teston, Kent, UK.

If you fancy a nice walk, park at Teston and walk either way along the river. This was leads to Barming. The other way leads to Wateringbury.

I still like a nice sign. there wasn't a great deal to see in Faversham, although we were only there a short time and it was a Sunday, so maybe I will give it another go sometime.

This is a Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io) seen at Tyland Barn.

A three shot... three shots are good.

More insect love making, this time at Tyland Barn.

Shot this delightful creature at the Museum of Kent Life. Their website is a bit minging but the place itself is quite nice. I do like a nice bit of fisheye goat.

Congratulations to Michelle and Tony. Full set of photos here.

A wood carving at Tyland Barn, Sandling, Kent. A nice little place - well worth a visit... in Summer.

More Azure Damselfly action, but I don't think I will ever tire of these things. Shot at Tyland Barn, Sandling, Maidstone, Kent on a very humid day :-)

Now, blink and you will miss this. At the foot of those trees, apparently, is the Stone Chapel, the ruined Church of Our Lady of Elwarton, which is of Roman and Saxon origins. It lies in a copse 100 yards north of the A2 about 1/2 mile west of Ospringe. If only we found the path to get closer. Ok, we did find the path, but only as we drove off and it was too hot to stop again and go for another walk.

OK, this photo isn't really about Pigeon Street - the cult 80s cartoon show, but I stumbled across the mp3 for the theme tune in my other half's iTunes collection and this photo was the most relevant :-) This lead me on to a google search for the show and there is some useful information (and some merchandise) at www.pigeonstreet.com. However, for more merchandise, head over to Lollipop Animation and fulfill your Pigeon Street desires.

That is some shallow depth of field.

There are several similar-looking species of pondskaters, of which this is the commonest and most likely to be found in a garden pond. Pondskaters have very long legs and water-repellent feet which they use to skim across the surface tension 'film' of the water.

A pile of old logs at an abandoned storage depot near Canterbury, Kent, UK.

I am really getting to know my flowers now - this is Cosmos bipinnatus 'Purity' and this plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds. Also, my love of the three shot has been neglected on this blog. Note to self: more three shots are needed.

This is part of the fence that surrounds Saltwood Church. I am pretty sure it is to keep the sheep, cows and horses out, rather than the worshippers in.

A frond is a large leaf with many divisions to it, and the term is typically used for the leaves of palms, ferns or cycads. I like a nice frond.

Azure Damselflies getting it on. Insects don't seem to mind any sort of voyeuristic action. Shot at Teston, Kent, UK.

The Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa) (commonly known in the pet trade as the Myna Bird) is a member of the starling family, resident in hill regions of South Asia.

An array of switches in an old abandoned barn near Canterbury.

The beautiful Gazania comes in a variety of colours including a combination of colour (bi-colour) such as this one -the Daybreak Red Stripe. The Gazania, which is also known as the Treasure Flower is endemic to South Africa, but does well anywhere with direct sunlight. I am rather pleased I got this as two days later it had shriveled up and died.

Some peeling paint on an old container near Canterbury, Kent, UK.

I do struggle to know what to write sometimes. This is a dead Hoverfly. If nothing else, it confirms my interest in all things Hoverfly.

A while ago i said I had a strange fascination with padlocks. This fascination has been furthered by the acquisition of two combination locks :-)

Some old tyres, left abandoned, waiting to be set alight no doubt by some arsonists. Yes Americans, it is 'tyres', not 'tires'.

One of the reasons I bought a fast f/1.4 lens was to do shots like this. Pleasing.

Eye to eye with an Azure Damselfly at Teston, Kent, UK. This was one roasting day sat by the river, but sitting by the river has certain rewards... it is bug heaven :-)

Outside Canterbury there is an old abandoned storage place and this is the inside of one of the containers left there. The signs on the walls seem to be working as this was one of the tidiest abandoned containers I have ever seen, tho I have not seen that many to be fair.

This has to be one of my favourite flowers as they are so photogenic. My parents were house-sitting recently and the garden was full of things like this - a photographer's dream. Shame it was so windy.

The common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, is a wasp found in much of the Northern Hemisphere, and introduced to Australia and New Zealand. Taking photos of insects sure has cured any fear I may have once had of them. I say 'may' have had because I am well hard and would never have really been scared of a wasp. Yea right.

Still one of my faves... really nice to see it flying whilst carrying a chicken leg :-)

The beach wasn't all that popular on the day we were in Great Yarmouth.

These are probably on the endangered species list now :-)

Clouded leopards are hunters of small mammals and birds in forests of parts of Asia. Short legs and long tails indicate a life lived in trees. It was quite amazing to be able to get this close.

Um, some odd graffiti.

Oh to be a botanist - I might know what there are called without Google. Osteospermum apparently.

It has been a while since I ventured to this part of Mote Park, Maidstone, Kent, but I just got hold of a Nodal Ninja NN3 MkII and knew I had to go back here. As with most buildings like this, it has now been boarded up as it was used by junkies. The previous planet shot was done with a standard tripod head, but I can see the merits of a proper panoramic head already. The Nodal Ninja is a nice piece of kit - fairly simple to set up and use and makes the whole process a lot simpler. More experimentation will be coming up soon. For those that are interested, this was a sequence of 24 images stitched using Autopano.

This is Whinney who has the dubious honour of working with me. He was looking quite pleased with himself as he had just ordered the Nikkor 50mm AF-D f/1.8. Every Nikon SLR shooter should own it... or the f/1.4 :-)