Midnight Isle

Domain Change midnight-isle.net to midnight-isle.peterboughton.net

2026-01-29T21:30:01Z

I'm divesting myself of unnecessary domains, and moving this blog from www.midnight-isle.net to midnight-isle.peterboughton.net

The new subdomain is active now, the blog software should be outputting it where relevant, and redirecting any URLs on the old domain accordingly.

The redirect will remain in place until late April (2026-04-29), at which point the old domain will start returning 410 Gone for all URLs, until the domain expires a month later (2026-05-29). Please update any bookmarks or subscriptions before then.

Banded Demoiselles

2023-06-28T19:00:00Z

A few male Banded Demoiselles (known scientifically as Agrion splendens or Calopteryx splendens), agile damselflies with butterfly-like flight.

Skylarks

2023-06-14T19:00:00Z

Half a dozen skylarks, taken across a few different days.

Not always easy to spot (unless perched on a post), but relatively patient subjects, so I figured I'd try using a 1.4x teleconverter on the second visit, requiring manual focus and thus a tripod.

Whilst the birds seemed content to wait around whilst I setup, it was windy enough that focusing was frustrating. I don't know to what degree poor technique/equipment/conditions/luck affected matters, but ultimately the effort involved did not translate to better images, confirming my previous view that the teleconverter isn't worth it.

Kestrel

2023-05-31T19:00:00Z

A male kestrel encountered on my first visit to a local nature reserve.

Image quality isn't the best - I'm a little rusty, so hadn't set the camera to the right settings and my 500mm lens didn't quite have enough reach - but I'm still reasonably happy...

Still

2023-02-15T22:03:15Z

2021

2021-12-20T14:00:00Z

Falling

2021-01-31T18:00:00Z

Hummingbird Hawk Moth

2020-12-20T14:00:00Z

The Hummingbird Hawk Moth (Macroglossum stellatarum), named due to the way it hovers like a hummingbird whilst feeding, and often mistaken for one. (Though the moths are smaller, and wild hummingbirds are not found outside the Americas.)

A complicated subject to shoot: avoiding the wings being too sharp, too blurred, or obscuring the face requires both an appropriate shutter speed and the luck of timing the release to a suitable point in the flapping of the wings.

Combined with the need to manouever around obstacles in an effort to avoid distracting backgrounds, and continually needing to re-focus as the moth erratically darts around (with no obvious method to how it chooses where next to suck nectar from), it wasn't the easiest Lepidoptera to photograph.

These four images were selected from a total of fifteen shots, with shutter speeds between 1/400 and 1/1250.

Autumn Cherry & Japanese Maple

2020-11-29T16:00:00Z

A couple of very striking trees, each presenting different photographic challenges.

For the first, an Autumn Cherry (Prunus subhirtella 'Autumnalis'), the key was finding an angle where the background best complemented its colours, with helpful shadows contributing to emphasise the leaves. (I would have preferred not having the path in frame, but it is hopefully not too much of a distraction.)

With the larger Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) the consideration was what to keep in frame whilst dealing with the awkwardness of shooting into the light. There was too much movement in the subject for a bracketed exposure, and I settled for a shot with better composition at the expense of the highlights.

I look forward to returning for another attempt at this image at some point in the future.

Red Deer

2020-11-15T16:00:00Z

A heavy downpour had passed through during the afternoon of an otherwise dry day of photography - enough to shelter under a tree and put the camera away, assuming the end of the shoot - but, after the rain stopped the clouds also cleared, and it wasn't long before the sun was shining again. A short while later I encounter these deer. Having no desire to spook them (nor experience their antlers), the telephoto goes on and I get a bunch of shots.

White Spider

2020-11-01T14:00:00Z

The first white spider I've seen, this unidentified arachnid is a crab spider, a member of the Thomisidae family. It may be a Misumena vatia - despite having being found out-of-season in late October, and lacking the markings common to that species. It appears that other species of Misumena and related genera (Misumenoides, Misumessus and Mecaphesa) are limited to other parts of the world, and not being an arachnologist I can't be sure what to call it.

I noticed the curious critter seeming to imitate a flower as it swung from a web attached to my arm. I don't know how it arrived there in the first place, but when - upon being lowered to the ground - it chose not to immediately skitter away, I took this as a request to be photographed.

I hope for my next encounter to have a proper macro lens, enabling better quality images.

Autumn

2020-10-11T14:00:00Z

A panel intended to emphasise feelings, impressions, moods and memories.

View the Panel

Photographs frequently use differential focus and sharpness to communicate their subject, but this was an exercise in not doing so.

The images were selected from a shortlist of about three dozen, each deliberately unfocused at time of shooting (because it's not about any individual tree, branch or leaf), with minimal processing performed, reducing distractions, but not removing flaws, because nature isn't perfect.

Blackbird in the Grass

2020-07-26T16:00:00Z

Edinburgh, from Arthur's Seat

2020-07-12T15:00:00Z

Herring Gull Chick

2020-06-28T15:00:00Z

Turbulent Aether

2020-06-14T15:00:00Z

Fluffed-up Goldfinch

2020-05-31T15:00:00Z

Ashaig Sunset

2020-05-17T15:00:00Z

King of the Flower

2020-05-03T15:00:00Z

Reverie

2020-04-19T15:00:00Z

Rough

2020-04-05T15:00:00Z

Northern Wheatear

2020-03-22T14:00:00Z

Duality

2020-03-08T14:00:00Z

Black Pigeon Portrait

2020-02-23T14:00:00Z

Samphire Hoe

2020-02-09T17:00:00Z

Inside

2020-01-26T16:00:00Z

Nocturnal Summoning

2020-01-12T14:00:00Z

Foraging Honey Bee

2019-12-29T14:00:00Z

Nature's Grandeur

2019-12-22T14:00:00Z

Lamorna Cove

2019-12-15T16:00:00Z

Jacob Sheep

2019-12-08T14:00:00Z

Autumn Mandarin

2019-12-01T16:00:00Z

Speckled Wood on Yorkshire Fog

2019-11-24T16:00:00Z

Lines

2019-11-17T18:00:00Z

Singing Blackbird

2019-11-10T14:00:00Z

Lost in a Dream

2019-11-03T14:00:00Z

Painted Lady

2019-10-27T14:00:00Z

Priory Wood, Bilsington

2019-10-20T15:00:00Z

Long-tailed Tit

2019-10-13T15:00:00Z

Out There in the Silence

2019-10-06T15:00:00Z

Alderfly

2019-09-29T15:00:00Z

Nibbling Blue Tit

2019-09-22T15:00:00Z

Lydden Spout beach, Dover

2019-09-15T15:00:00Z

Azure Damselfly

2019-09-08T15:00:00Z

Dunnock with lunch

2019-09-01T15:00:00Z

Small Copper on Oxford Ragwort

2019-08-25T15:00:00Z

Squeezed

2019-08-18T19:00:00Z

Patient Grey Heron

2019-08-11T15:00:00Z

Bee on Symphytum 'Goldsmith'

2019-08-04T15:00:00Z

Into The Unknown

2019-07-28T15:00:00Z

Fly on a Dog Rose

2019-07-21T15:00:00Z

Tranquility

2019-07-14T15:00:00Z

Dunnock

2019-07-07T15:00:00Z

Mandarin Feathers

2019-06-30T15:00:00Z

Llyn Ogwen, Snowdonia

2019-06-23T15:00:00Z

European Goldfinch

2019-06-16T15:00:00Z

Phantasmagoria

2019-06-09T14:00:00Z

Portrait of a Darter

2019-06-02T18:00:00Z

Towards Forever

2017-03-19T15:53:00Z

Unravelling

2017-03-05T22:06:00Z

Isle of Skye

2017-02-12T23:59:00Z

A second revision of an old favourite, re-processed from the same digital negative.

With the first version, I processed the sky separately and combined the two parts using a layer mask, in doing so softening the ridge slightly.

This time round a better understanding of raw processing meant that I instead worked with exposure controls, HSL sliders, and graduated filters to bring out a more pleasing sky without needing layers. Along with better colours, contrast, and removal of unnecessary distractions, it really reinforces the benefit of returning to past work with new tools, skills and experience.

Tempest

2017-01-29T19:08:00Z

Forgotten Escape

2017-01-15T23:50:00Z

Silent Solitude

2017-01-01T11:17:00Z

Cursed

2016-12-21T01:40:00Z

Bleak

2016-12-04T11:20:00Z

Winter can be a beautiful time of year, yet at the same time dark, depressing, crowded, lonely, frustrating; a time of reminiscing, hope, magic, contemplation and despair.

Many of my images explore these themes and emotions. My inspiration is often nature's elegant majesty, unforgiving harshness, silent serenity and more - aspects which are all the more evident during this hindmost season.

Nature can also provide the lesson that, no matter how bad things seem, life endures.
Nothing is forever, the wheel always turns, and what once was comes again.

Pheasant

2016-11-20T23:59:59Z

Frustration

2016-11-06T15:00:00Z

Castle on the Loch

2016-10-23T17:07:00Z

It should be clear that I don't see photography as being restricted to producing only pure photo-realistic images, but that doesn't mean completely doing away with realism either. Even with a traditional landscape, a romanticised memory can be worth more than the dreary "reality" of the moment captured by the camera's sensor.

This often brings up the question of how far to go, and at what point does too far instead turn into not far enough.

Weight of the World

2016-10-09T16:00:00Z

Reflection

2016-09-25T17:00:00Z

Minack Arches

2016-09-15T23:00:00Z

Fading Fragments

2016-08-29T21:30:00Z

Lost in Memories Unlived

2016-08-14T20:00:00Z

Eternal Ephemerae

2016-07-31T22:45:00Z

Breakthrough

2016-07-17T20:00:00Z

Uncertainty

2016-07-03T23:30:00Z

River Wharfe, Yorkshire

2016-06-19T23:00:00Z

In 2007 I went on a trip to Yorkshire, and took a photo of the River Wharfe, near Grassington.

It was ok, but I've not really been entirely happy with the image, and I decided to have a go at re-processing from the same digital negative. Advances in software alone can often make this a worthwhile activity, but in this case my own improved processing skills along with a more refined ability to determine what isn't right about an image also came into play.

It may not be an image that'll win any awards, but I'm satisfied with the degree of improvement I was able to make, and more importantly that I didn't simply settle for being just a bit better than before - fixing the crop and exposure took it a long way - but for each revision I looked at it and kept asking myself "Am I happy with this? How could it be improved?" and made quite a few tweaks before I could say there's nothing more to add, nothing more to take away.

Impressions

2016-06-05T14:00:00Z

All in the Mind

2016-05-22T16:00:00Z

Idyllic Village

2016-05-08T15:00:00Z

Curious

2016-04-24T14:00:00Z

Tremble

2016-04-10T13:00:00Z

Digital Nature

2016-03-27T23:00:00Z

This image originated from the palette of photos I captured when working on v2 of my Spirits in the Woods panel. I was experimenting with one idea when I saw potential for another, and took things in a different direction.

I've done a quick write-up showing the stages the image went through.

The Needles, Alum Bay

2016-03-13T21:45:00Z

The Needles is a rock formation on the western tip of the Isle of White. As a tourist attraction it's a busy place at peak times - but not so much on a late November evening.

This image came from three bracketed ±2 shots at f/8, combined using Luminance HDR before being taken into Paint Shop Pro X for some quick cloning.

The Separation Within

2016-02-28T17:30:00Z

Some photographers claim to only take photographs for themselves, and it's a bonus if others like them too. This isn't a viewpoint I completely subscribe to, but I do tend not to explain my images - preferring to let the pictures set the scene for viewers to interpet in their own way.

With that in mind, all I will say here is: this piece is not as disordered as it might seem; it's all deliberate. The one bit that didn't work out as I wanted is the sky area - one day I'll create a revised version to put that right - but the rest is as intended.

Thinking in terms of versions of an image is a technique I'm finding useful - it allows me to complete images whilst accepting they aren't 100% how I'd like. Far better to consider an image as the first iteration than to have it remain unfinished and unseen by anyone else.

Lost

2016-02-14T14:00:00Z

What Once Was

2016-02-13T13:00:00Z

On the Case

2016-01-31T17:00:00Z

My friend and I had been out for a walk, and whilst he returned to the car I took a slight detour for a potential photo (turned out not to be worth taking), but I came back to find nice lighting on his face and quickly grabbed this shot.

Maybe it was due to the book I'd been reading, but his hat, scarf and focused gaze brought to mind a private investigator, hence the title.

Processing was simple: converting to mono was a natural choice, there were over-exposed remnants of the car door to remove, then it was simply increasing clarity and cropping to complete the image.

Encroaching Despair

2016-01-17T15:00:00Z

Sometimes it can be a long time between photographic capture and realisation of an image. This one began life back in 2012, whilst out walking along by a lake that had flooded and caused a swamp-like area amongst some trees, but it was a couple of years later before the image emerged.

I use a collection in Lightroom to keep photos with potential but that are not yet completed images (for whatever reason), every so often I look through what it contains to see if inspiration bites. This one sat there for a while until I figured it out, but was worth the wait.

To see how I gradually tweaked an initial shot which many might reject, and used the versatility of both layer blend modes and adjustment layers to arrive at the final image, keep reading.

Cyclist

2015-11-01T16:00:00Z

This photo was taken whilst being driven along the A3055 on the only sunny day of a trip last November to the Isle of Wight. My D750 and 24-140 F/4 lens were both new at that point, and I was seeing how well they worked.

With the camera set to Aperture priority at f/8, ISO 400, I spotted the potential and waited a brief moment to allow the cyclist to reach the right position before trusting the vibration reduction and auto-focus, and they didn't let me down.

Whilst the camera succesfully captured the moment, post-processing was required to reproduce the image above. If you're interesting in seeing the steps I took, read on.

Spirits in the Woods (v2)

2015-10-18T15:33:00Z

Spirits in the Woods is a panel of manipulated photos I originally put together eight years ago, when I entered my first annual exhibition organised by Croydon Camera Club.

Not having entered the exhibition for several years, due to various reasons, but with this year being the 125th anniversary of the club, I made the effort to enter the Photo 2015 exhibition with a re-imagining of that panel.

View the Panel It's the same theme and ideas, reworked into four images, and created from photos I specifically went out and took for the panel. This was a first for me - generally I'll go to take photos of whatever I might find, occasionally with vague notions, but without a clear intent/goal. My previous panels were all put together independent of the shooting stage.

Having set myself the aim of re-creating the panel, I made notes on what that meant; what I wanted in it. I then decided on a location I hoped would provide the necessary scenes, waited for appropriate weather, then went out solely to get the shots for the panel.

Note: This write-up was made over six months ago - the exhibition ended on 28th March - but circumstances have prevented the article from being finalised and put online before now.

Exhibition aside, it was a good experience and I'm glad I did it. If you're interested in details you can continue on to the full article for a write-up.

Folkestone Airshow 2012

2012-06-04T11:23:00Z

At the weekend I went to the Folkestone Airshow, being held to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee - the first in the area since the last Shepway Airshow held in 2003.

After an overcast start to they day, fortunately the sun came out and the sky cleared enough to make for some photographic opportunities by the time the planes turned up.

The photos were taken using a Sigma 70-300mm - a cheap lens with slow and noisy auto-focus - and I was uncertain how well it would perform, but I knew I wouldn't get the necessary reach with my standard 18-70mm, so I gave it a try.

As it turns out, I was pleasantly surprised. Whilst I did have issues with the lens, I was still able to get some shots I was happy with.

Below is a selection of images, with more being available in the gallery.

(The Red Arrows started the display with seven planes, and unfortunately Red 6 had technical problems, further reducing the display to five - but they still put on a good show.)

After the Storm

2009-12-09T23:31:00Z

It's been far too long since I last posted anything, so I'll kick-off what I hope will be the start of more frequent posting with a couple of photos taken down on the UK's south east coast last month, immediately after some incredibly stormy weather.

The winds were still very strong and the evening sky nice and atmospheric, allowing me to create these two images:

Elemental Views & Stormy Weather

2009-03-15T23:43:00Z

The exhibition ended last night, and it was a good show this year, with a lot of excellent photos on display.

I did reasonably well - whilst I didn't win any of the trophies, two of my images received certificates of merit, plus I received a panel certificate for my "Elemental Views" panel.

This was a set of extra-wide landscapes with ratios between 4:1 and 8:1 - showing that it is not necessary to stick to the 4:3 or 3:2 standard that comes out of the camera, and photographers should instead consider what shape suits the image best.

Both my print panel and digital set of images are now available to view online:

Elemental Views

Stormy Weather

Photo 2009 - Exhibition

2009-03-05T21:50:00Z

This coming Monday 9th March, I will be exhibiting a panel of photographs at my Camera Club's annual exhibition, Photo 2009, to be held at the Fairfield Hall in Croydon.

In total there will be more than 150 mounted prints, plus over a hundred slides and digital projected images. These latter two will be displayed when the Exhibition is officially opened by Damian Demolder (Editor of Amateur Photographer), at 20:00 on Monday the 9th.

The prints will be available to look at all week long, at any time that Fairfield Hall is open - starting on the morning of Monday 9th and running until the evening of Saturday 14th.

The exhibition and opening event are both free to attend, and with Croydon Camera Club regarded as one of the best clubs in the region, there are sure to be some excellent pictures on display.

Anyone remotely interested is strongly encouraged to visit.

View the full article for a sneak preview.

Update: For the full panels see my post Elemental Views & Stormy Weather.

My Yorkshire Adventure

2007-11-09T23:54:00Z

For the next week, I'll be staying in York, wandering around and taking photographs of whatever I find up here.

Each evening I updated this post with what happened that day, and show a quick selection of the photos I've taken.

Beginners Tutorial: Cropping with IrfanView

2007-09-20T23:16:00Z

I was asked how to crop an image with IrfanView, so I created this basic tutorial, and decided I might as well post it on my weblog.

Please feel free to let me know what you think of it.

London Eye

2007-04-30T00:18:00Z

On Saturday I went up on the London Eye, and took a few photos. It wasn't that easy to get shots because the pod was over-crowded, but I still had a good time, and I've decided to put my photos into a gallery, called Views of London. Most of the images have only been quickly tweaked (exposure, white balance, cropping, etc) and could do with some extra work, but feel free to give comments about any of the images as they are.

Here's a picture looking west along the Thames:

Spirits in the Woods

2007-03-14T00:18:00Z

Well the exhibition has ended now, and I'm happy with the reception my images got. Whilst it wasn't undying praise, the general consensus seemed to match my own opinions of my prints, which is always a good thing. :)

Here's a photo of my panel:

I was pleased that the exhibition judge came up to me on the opening night and let me know he liked where I was going with the prints, though pointed out that the print quality needs attention (it does; I need to get some decent printing paper instead of Jessops brand stuff).

For anyone wanting to see the images properly, I have thrown together a little webpage containing my panel, entitled Spirits In The Woods.

Photo 2007

2007-02-22T22:02:00Z

In just under a fortnight I will be exhibiting a panel of my pictures, as part of my photography club's annual exhibition, Photo 2007.

The event takes place from the 5th to the 10th of March, at Fairfield Halls in Croydon.

If seeing my beautiful pictures is not motivation enough for you, twenty six other club members have work on display, a total of nearly two hundred and fifty images (prints and slides) on display, covering a great range of subject areas.

If you're in any way interested in photography (or art in general) I definitely recommend you come along and have a look — it's completely free and there's certain to be some great pictures on show.

Update: You can see my panel here.

Lydd Airshow

2006-09-16T01:38:00Z

Last weekend I went to my first airshow in ages, at Lydd in Kent, and took lots of photos of the various flying machines there.

This entry is essentially just an excuse to show of some of the photos I took.

Eileen Donan - Scotland's Most Romantic Castle

2006-07-17T19:07:00Z

Whether you know the name or not, there's a good chance you have seen Eileen Donan at some point - it is often described as the most romantic and most photographed castle in Scotland. The vast majority of pictures you see tend to be similar to this:

So, of course, when I visit it I am immediately looking for ways to be original; to take a picture that doesn't simply not look like the one above, but that goes completely against what people expect to see.