Back on Gower

 

Good to be back on Gower today for the first time I think since last summer. As a decent day was forecast, it was time to shelve some things to make space for some outdoor time when the light was good, although a bit harsh.

It was initially a toss-up between Gower and WWT, but a change in the wind direction swung it (for geek type reasons). Making the most of this opportunity away from a weekend and the forthcoming bank holiday, when unfortunately the increase in footfall also increases disturbance. 

Probably the `star of the show` for me was a Gannet that pondered around the bay in the stiff SE wind, occasionally making unsuccessful dives. It was tricky to photograph with the strong sunlight on it`s plumage and the bird a long way down, just above the sea at times. So the shots weren`t that special, but okay in the circumstances.

Others on the cast list were Wheatear, Linnet, Kestrel, Stonechat, Swallow, Rock Pipit, Song Thrush and Chough. Not all were playing ball when it came to capturing them (with the camera of course), but that`s the way it goes. 

Good to be back there though. 

casual work

It`s been a year now since I finished my official self-employment, and after many years I decided to discontinue business under the name `russartworx`, and my russartworx.net website.

As i`ve mentioned before, when I first put together a site I wanted a domain that would reflect something pluralistic as I was doing watercolour painting, life drawing and only some photography then. 

I was intrigued at the time by Queen`s way of launching their video, photo book and hits greatest hits album (1) at the same time. It was Queen`s Great Flix, Queen`s Greatest Pix, plus Queen`s Greatest hits. The Flix and Pix idea stayed with me, so I chose russartworx as my business name and domain, with the `x` giving that pluralistic sound.

I started off with russartworx.co.uk, then bought the domain  russartworx.net which I kept for about 15years

From April last year I decided to change the way things were, and since then I have dropped the website in favour of just using social media, this blog included. I am no longer therefore `self employed`, but can carry out work on a casual basis.

What I can do:

• private photography
• business & corporate photography
• mobile studio portrait work (using speedlite flash and umbrella setup)
• website imagery
• web management, using wordpress and dreamweaver
• help firms keep on top of news items and social media
• photography digital restoration
• a range of assistance and projects in line with my former `high street` role of Practice Manager in a law firm, where the job description took a life of it`s own

The bottom line is that I am based from home, balancing various responsibilities, and try to utilise time wisely to complete agreed deadlines. Working remotely from the client, this enables office space and office hardware to be freed up.

I have previously used PCAnywhere, VNC and now Team Viewer for remote viewing, so could adapt to your IT setup.

For an informal discussion, please contact me for a zoom meeting to be arranged.

Thanks

a month to go

 

Only a month or so to go now to my first of two visits to Skomer Island this year. Will be keeping fingers crossed that the weather, and in particular the wind and sea swell, will be kind. 

I still plan to use the first visit to try and track down and photograph any Short Eared Owl, all attempts to date have been a bit jinxed - too distant, positioned against glare, wrong place wrong time, or just no show at all.

With lots of wildlife there, including the 42,000+ Puffin counted so far, I should have somethings to fall back on if the owls fail to appear, or it just doesn`t work out.  With May being a prime time for Spring activity, i`m really hoping that with a bit of planning things will fall into place this time.

In just over two months time i`ll be back there yet again, or at least i`m booked to go. The mid-June time will probably be Puffin and Razorbill photography, trying to get those images that aren`t just `photos` but have a bit of character to them. A few years back a June visit was a washout, so you never know.

So it`s four weeks and counting ...... 

Walk with a warden

 Yesterday`s `Walk with the warden` at WWT Llanelli went well, with a number of people saying how pleased they were to have attended.

It was a gentle stroll around just part of the Reserve, and we were able to point out some of the more scarce breeding birds, like the Med Gulls and the Great Crested Grebe pair , the latter common elsewhere but not so with us. 

We were able to pick up on some birds songs and calls, give some tips as to the best timings for Otter and Kingfisher activity, and Lowri and Isobel showed some of the slow worm hangouts. We were also able to help suggest what might be arriving in the next few weeks, suggest some preferred habitats and locations, etc, which I think some people found very useful.

Some attendees mentioned that they`d might like to come on the Dawn Chorus walk in early May, but having made a quick check for them, that event is now FULLY BOOKED. However, on previous occasions we have had one or two drop out last minute for various reasons, so if you still are interested please get in touch with the shop to leave contact details just in case some spaces arise.

`Walk with the warden` will be back next month.

See you there

`Walk with a Warden`

 

Looking forward to doing the walk tomorrow at WWT Llanelli with staff member Lowri, and it looks like the weather could be kind to us (after the stormy weather earlier this week).

It`s a walk around the Reserve from 11.30am, meeting in the main reception area.

This is a once-a-month event, dates shown on the website.

In three weeks time (Sunday 7th May) i`ll be doing the early morning `Dawn chorus walk` along with Brian. With the walk starting at 6am, this is a bookable event only as numbers are limited. Contact WWT Llanelli for availability.

See you there.

Osprey webcam

 

If you think it`s rough and windy where you are, these Ospreys have been having a battering today (Wed 12th April) from the storms crossing the country.

This is a Live feed.

A rough week ahead

Today is Easter Monday, and it now looks like a rough week ahead. A storm system tomorrow into Wednesday for us here in Wales, then another low pressure system on Friday. Not a great one, and it looks like there will be some `inside time` to catch up on some editing.

I was just so fortunate to have some good weather for the falconry experience day last week, as having camera and lens equipment out in the elements - even when covered - is never ideal. Even when I go to somewhere stormy like Porthcawl, the camera is covered against both rain and wind (which carries grit and dust), plus the dreaded salt in the air. With the height of the high tides receding, I probably won`t be heading there this week.

Next Saturday i`ll be on `Walk with a Warden` at WWT Llanelli, with an 11.30am start. At the moment the conditions look okay, but check closer to the time. 

https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/llanelli/whats-on/walk-with-a-warden-april

Spring is now well and truly in the air, and there should be plenty to see on the walk. Let`s hope the rough weather coming in would have blown through by then.

See you there.

Easter weekend

Having had a good photography session with a falconry guest experience this week, it`s a few days now of doing other things over the Easter weekend.

Yesterday, after our Good Friday morning church service, it was a `rest of day` blitz of the garden weeds, grass, hedge etc before the change of weather on Easter morning. That continued today, with an early plant buying session before another day in the garden - despite the temptation of going out with the camera to see if I could see the rare Hoopoe that`s turned up locally.

I`m not one for the dreaded `twitching`, but if there was a quiet opportunity of catching up with it that would have been a first for me. There was a Hoopoe around Kenfig last year, but with the descending throng it was definately NOT a thing for me to be one of the crowd.

Although the camera has been away for a couple of days, i`m now re-planning some of the projects i`d like to do (where is the year going already?), including some video. 

More news soon.

A good afternoon

 

Well the sun shone, any rain kept away for the day, and the afternoon falconry photography went well whilst the falconry guest enjoyed the afternoon session.

From a photographer`s viewpoint though bright sunshine always causes havoc, and therefore always a challenge to keep the whites under control to prevent them from bleaching. So you can never tell exactly how things will pan out, controlling the ISO as tightly as possible whilst keeping a pretty fast shutter speed.

The falconry experience went well for the guest, with a few birds flown as well as others perched, and I did some personalised shots to make the day memorable.

In between the client / bird shots, I just managed to get a few bird `portraits`. The Peregrine above was very vocal.

I hope to be back working with the falconry again soo.

Private client photography

 

Off out today to do some photography for a private falconry session in the Carmarthenshire countryside.

Not sure at this stage what birds the falconer will be using, but this little falcon is an Aplomado called `Copper`. He`s one of the smallest flown, but others go up to the size of a Steppe Eagle.

I`ll be sticking to a slightly smaller lens than normal, a 150-400mm , and at the moment the forecast and light is looking good.

Looking forward to working with them today.

Garden Sparrowhawk

 A few weeks back we had this chap visit and terrorise the local sparrows and blue tits.