Nathan Thomas @TakeN@dingdash.com
Breakfast show Presenter at Pure 247 Radio
Joined Jan 2021
See a common theme? Yep - insects. 🐞🐝🦋
Photographing insects is relatively easy; they aren't as skittish as birds 🐦, nor as reclusive as rodents 🦔, nor as shy as deer 🦌, and they can be found almost anywhere. That's why it's quite fun to shoot them. Plus, you typically have a great deal more time to frame your shot than you would with a bird or other animal.
In order from left to right, their titles are "A Handful", "Patience Is a Virtue", and "Colour In a Grey World". Or is that last one too dramatic? 🤔
For anyone interested in the technical details:
1/320s, F3.2, ISO200 - 1/30s, F3.2, ISO100 - 1/125s, F3.5, ISO100
#Photography #Insects #CapturingBeautyInCreation
© 2022 TakeN Photography
"Time to Bloom"
Does anyone else get that summertime vibe when beautiful, colourful flowers start to pop up everywhere, swaying delicately in the cool breeze under a pristine, rich blue sky? 🌼🌷🌤️ Well, I know I do, and for me, this image epitomises that summertime feeling. ☀️😎
It was taken in my rear garden about six months ago. In the midmorning sun 🌞, the small number of flowers in the flowerbed were pleasingly backlit 🌻. Making the most of the marvellous lighting, I photographed dozens of flowers from a variety of angles, but this was by far my favourite.
Exposure settings:
1/1250s, F3.2, ISO100
#Photography #Summer #Flower #CapturingBeautyInCreation
© 2022 TakeN Photography
I'd like to say that I put a great deal of time and preparation into achieving this shot. However, in reality, I just happened to have my camera on me 📷 (while eating lunch at the dining room table 🍱) when I noticed what I perceived to be a rather interesting subject: my glass, illuminated sharply by the bright sun from behind. 🌤️
I increased the contrast a great deal to create a dramatic look and made the picture monochrome to emphasise the shades, shapes, and textures.
By the way, for anyone who's interested, here are the technical details of the photo:
1/40s, F6.9, ISO100
© 2022 TakeN Photography
"The Last Wave"
As the tide began to come in and the sun began to set, it was as if the world was closing for the night. 🌍 🌒
This lonely wave 🌊 slowly made its way toward the shore, finally coming to rest on the sand, gently laying itself out on the soft ground as a child on their bed 🛌, as the light of the sun gradually faded below the still horizon 🌅, until the colour of the sky faded to a dull grey, marking the arrival of dusk.
#Photography #TheLastWave #CapturingBeautyInCreation
© 2022 TakeN Photography
"Footprints"
It's a surreal experience, when one visits a place and sees the footprints of thousands, if not tens of thousands of people from over the years - feeling what so many have felt 😌, seeing what so many have seen 😐, standing where so many have stood🧍.
Mind you, at the time of this shoot, I was rather too concerned with maintaining my own body temperature in the icy wind 😬. Still, I suppose if I had been feeling all philosophical and nostalgic at the time, I might have thought about all of that. 🙄
#Photography #Footprints #CapturingBeautyInCreation
© 2022 TakeN Photography
So, I went for a 5km run for the first time in around 2 months yesterday. It was not easy, but I made it, in spite of vehement objections from my body the whole way. 😩
I did take one or two short breaks along the way though and took a couple of photos, to capture some of the beautiful scenery.
Sunshine and blue skies ☀️, rolling hills and green fields 🌾, a fresh, cool breeze 🌬️, and a quiet, smooth open road - what more could could one desire of a running route? 😌
"A Fine Evening"
When you think of a day at the beach, you probably imagine white sand, blue skies, and warm sunshine. 🏖️ But a typical day at the beach in England is usually slightly different - below 10°C, strong gusts of wind, and mostly overcast.
But I love it; I never tire of walking along the beach, hearing the sound of waves gently breaking onto the shore, the dark, still sheet of cloud hanging above me, and the cool, fresh, sea air whirling about my ears, refreshing my lungs, and invigorating my mind. 😌
Anyway, my thoughts run away with me sometimes 🙄 💭. As I was saying, here is a photo I took recently at a wonderful beach in typically British weather.
I hope you like it, otherwise I hiked for 3½ hours, over rough terrain and through a biting wind, for nothing 😅.
"Remembering"
This is a pair of abstract images which can be interpreted in a variety of ways. For me, they convey a sense of memory, or remembering old times - traumatic or tragic memories in the case of the first picture, and pleasant or comforting memories in the case of the second.
"Head In the Clouds"
Here's a glorious cloud formation from a while ago. Lit up majestically by the sun, the texture of this cloud caught my eye when I looked out the window. I knew it would certainly pass within moments, so I hastily popped outside with my camera to photograph it.
"Red sky at night, shepherd's delight.
Red sky in the morning, shepherds take warning."
I can't actually remember what the weather was like on the day that I took this photo, but if the rhyme is accurate, then it can't have been fair.
Anyway, the photograph below is of an incredible sunrise I witnessed a short while ago. For a brief moment (literally just a few minutes!), prior to the sun's appearance, the clouds above it suddenly exploded with magnificent texture and colour, lit up vibrantly in rich orange-pink.
"Reach Out"
Another of my abstract image collection. For this one I added some grain and desaturated it significantly.
(In case you are wondering, it's my hand in the picture. I couldn't hire a hand model 😏)
...And here are all the rest, showing the beautiful sunset in all its glory.
There is nothing quite like watching the sun go down, surrounded by God's beautiful creation.
Here are some pictures from a highly memorable sunset from the other week (and last year now). While my family and I were out for an evening walk, the sun began to set, casting a beautiful golden light upon the surrounding landscape.
More photos to follow in the next post...
I don't usually do much abstract or experimental photography, but I find abstract photographs can often be great for conveying emotion. By experimenting with lighting, texture, colour, blur, and a whole host of other elements, one can create powerful, emotionally impactive images.
Some can be bright, with vibrant colours and sharp edges in a chaotic blur, conveying joy, excitement, or holiday vibes; others can be dark, grainy, and shadowy, conveying fear, tragedy, or sadness; still others can have numerous imperceptible shapes with soft gradients, conveying mystery, thought, or spirituality.
I've been experimenting with such photography recently, the results of which I hope to share shortly. Here is the first, which is titled "Hazy Excitement".
A nice close-up of a blooming flower from the other week. I noticed the midday sun illuminating a group of flowers from behind, showing the texture of the petals. I liked the lighting, the blend of vibrant orange and light pink, and the complementary backlighting, so I decided to take a few photos before a cloud blocked the sun.
(Unfortunately, I couldn't think of a title for this photo, but I'm open to suggestions)
"Here They Fell"
Here are some recent photos of the last of the autumnal landscapes.
All three images were in fact taken under the boughs of the same giant oak tree, almost entirely bare of leaves. An overcast sky, scores of dry, rusty leaves, and a temperature nigh on freezing all contributed to provide a marvellous shooting session.
I like to imagine the leaves represent fallen heroes, lying in a sea of fellow comrades, left in the wake of some terrible tragedy, forgotten and lost in some lovely, faraway land.
"Glittering Dewdrops"
This is an older photo in my archive. I noticed one day in the garden how the sun cast striped shadows onto the grass from the fence panels in the late morning. I thought the pattern looked rather intriguing, so, on a day with fair weather, when the dew was sparkling in the warm light of the sun, I decided to photograph it.
I tried a variety of angles, but eventually decided on a low angle, with a tight shot of the grass blades.
I did nothing fancy in post editing. For the most part, I simply brought out some detail in the shadows and cooled the colour temperature.
"Twin Blossoms"
I found this pair of almost identical flowers on a bush a while ago. As it was an overcast day, I had a marvelously diffused lighting to work with.
"Wasteland"
Initially, I took this picture because I quite liked the simplicity of the rolling hills and tilled earth illuminated softly by an overcast sky. During the editing process, however, I felt rather inclined to emphasise the lonely, bare nature of the scene and draw out the ominous atmosphere to depict an almost apocalyptic landscape. This I did mainly by darkening the clouds and desaturating the colours of the soil in the foreground and the trees in the distance.
The philosophical part of me is strangely moved by the desolation and loneliness that this image conveys, especially in the light of the recent pandemic and consequential political and social tensions.
"A Ray of Light"
A rather simple photo to take. The setup consisted solely of me holding my hand up to a ray of sunlight coming through the window and setting the exposure.
I think it is rather thought-provoking - a striking analogy of one trapped in spiritual darkness, reaching for the Light; for freedom; for salvation.
