Not all pain free

Fingers and thumbs…

 

Not always as easy as I would like. Suffering from rheumatoid arthritis can play havoc with trying to operate the machine at times. Especially as I seem to suffer most in fingers, thumbs and wrists. Aching fingers can make the small fiddly controls something of a challenge. As well as aching wrists making the weight of the machine take its toll, especially when I have some of the heavier glass attached. Machine, powerpack, 2 batteries, with 50-200 and the 2x attached means a weight approaching 3.5 kg, and this can be hard work when carrying it round all the time. What makes it worse, I am not a fan of neck straps, as the RA is also in my neck and shoulders, and continual carrying of this weight, does cause me pain and headaches. So, the lesser of two evils, for me, is to carry it around by hand.

Still, after searching about a bit, a solution has been arrived at.

Op Tech to the rescue with a neoprene covered side strap. It fixes to the tripod mount and to the top buckle. Adjusted to be a reasonably tight fit around my hand, means that I can relax my fingers while carrying the machine, and it won’t drop. Works well, and pleased with the usefulness of it. All of a sudden, things are so much easier.

http://optechusa.com/ez-grip-strap.html

 

Makes all the difference and puts the fun back above the pain. 

Back soon.

 

Mart.

Old Moor

Feeding time…

 

Up early, and it’s quite a bright day, so off out and about. Destination is Old Moor at Wath. I love the RSPB reserve there, and go as often as I can. Usually amounts to at least once a month, so is quite a regular haunt of mine. The area is a wetlands, so is home to loads of different species of birds and insects, all of which, I try to shoot. 

Birds:-

Chaffinch

Green finch

Bullfinch

Lapwing

Grey headed tern

Common tern
Grey heron
Sandpiper
Peregrine falcon
Coot
Canada goose

Butterflies:-

White
Gatekeeper
Green veined white
Peacock
Small blue

Dragons and damsels:-

Common blue damselfly

Blue tailed damselfly
Banded damselfly
Common red darter
Common hawker

 

I spent most of the morning watching and photographing the grey herons. The machine set to Shutter priority and a very fast speed in use (1/1500) to hopefully freeze the shot.
Spotted at least a dozen of them, all with their own fishing areas. Many attempts by me trying to get the timing right as they struck, with lightning speed, and the unwary fish was then breakfast. Managed it in some cases, and was rewarded with some decent pics. Will try again next time, am sure it won't be too long before I'm there again.

 Silently stalking it's prey...

 

 

... and the hit. (Successful).

Back soon.

 

Mart.

IKPS

Incurable

 

My one failing in this hobby of mine, is suffering from the incurable disease, IKPS. I have suffered from this for years. In fact, right from the start, at about 8 years old, I could feel the urge to want to get hold of more gear. It still manifests itself from time to time, and I have no option but to give in to it and end up having to make room in the bag for another piece of equipment.

 

Sadly, this week has seen me once again, succumb to the disease, and the flexible friend takes another beating. Maybe, it’s me, not really helping myself, by having Amazon UK as my home page as soon as I launch the browser. I suppose temptation would be farther away if I just plumped for a basic home page, or even a blank page. But, nah! Sod it. The uncontrollable urge to search out another item to add to the kit would have me biting at my nails.

 

Well, the parcel arrived, wrapped in a particularly non-descript brown paper, with, just a small notification in the top left hand corner as to it’s origins. Cowboy Studios, across the puddle, in the U S of A. Tearing at the brown paper, and frantically pulling the enclosed box open, I find another box. I ignore the rules of pass the parcel, and continue myself. Ripping the selotape open and getting inside this box, to find a lump of bubblewrap. This is hastily opened and out pops my new acquisition.

 

I am now the proud owner of a 4 way slide rail. Macro photography just got a whole lot different. Plans are now needed for a bit of practice, so, sometime over the next few days, the indoor studio will appear and, no doubt, loads of photos will be taken.

 

 

 

Watch this space for the results.

 

Back soon.

 

Mart.