Frogs in the pond

This is the froggy mating season, and they have been at it in my garden pond

I don't have a proper macro lens, and the only extension tubes in my possession are M42 screw thread, so my solution is to use an elderly Takumar 135mm f 3.5 lens along with an 11 mm extension tube.

Click for a bigger image.

Not bad for a lens maybe 45 years old! This is the M42 Super Multi Coated version, in production from 1971-1975.

Sony NEX 6

Snow on The Cheviots

Travelling on the top deck of the X1 express bus to Newcastle through the heights of Gateshead, you get a fabulous view of the city of Newcastle with the Cheviot Hills in the background. This promoted me to set out to capture a view of the Cheviots with some aspect of the city in the foreground.

St James Park with snow covered Cheviot Hills

I took this shot using a Sony NEX 6 camera fitted with a 500 mm Tamron SP mirror lens, giving an angle of view equivalent to a 750 mm lens. This lens has a fixed aperture of f8. A tripod would have been a good idea, but, in its absence  I used shutter speed priority and chose 1/1000th second to reduce the effect of camera shake to a minimum. With auto ISO selected the camera decided upon ISO 250.

On the full size image you can read the writing above the entrance to the football stadium, Gallowgate Stand.

Photo available from Alamy stock number FK5871