Month: July 2018

Monochrome Monday… Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) PA26-25

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Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) PA26-25, July 2018Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) PA26-25, July 2018
Nikon FA, Nikkor 45mm f/2.8P – 1/250s, f8, – CineStill BwXX rated at ISO 250

An unusual sight on the UK’s canal network… this Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) or ‘Higgins Boat’ was spotted at Beeston Marina in Nottinghamshire a couple of weeks ago.

Designed by Andrew Higgins more than 23,000 LCVPs were built between 1942 and 1945, used extensively in amphibious landings in World War II, they were capable of carrying a 36-man platoon, a Jeep and 12 men or 8,000lb of cargo.

Assuming the ‘PA26-25’ number is correct then this particular vessel was one of 33 assigned to the USS Samuel Chase (APA-26), an Arthur Middleton class attack transport ship launched in 1941.

Monochrome Monday… Rainbow Bridge, Shardlow

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Rainbow Bridge, Shardlow, June 2018Rainbow Bridge, Shardlow, June 2018
Nikon FE2, Tamron Adaptall-2 35-70mm f/3.5 at 35mm – 1/250s, f8, – Lomo Lady Grey 400 rated at ISO 320

A couple of boats at Dobson’s Boatyard on the Trent & Mersey Canal at Shardlow… Taken during a recent ‘Photography Friday’ jaunt and the first outing for a charity shop find Tamron Adaptall-2 35-70mm f/3.5 lens… a bargain at a fiver!

Scan by AgLab with minimal cropping and tweaking in Lightroom Classic CC.

Single frame… Crich Stand

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Crich StandCrich Stand
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 24mm, 1/220s, f11, ISO 400

High above the Derbyshire village of Crich and 1,000 feet above sea level, is Crich Stand, a memorial to the soldiers of the Sherwood Foresters Regiment who died in World War I, World War II and in conflicts from 1945 to 1970. It also commemorates those who died serving the Worcester and Sherwood Foresters Regiment from 1970 to 2007 and the Mercian Regiment since 2007.

A peaceful spot to remember my wife’s father who served in the Sherwood Foresters during World War II…

Photography Friday… The Chesterfield Canal

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57ft narrow boat 'Little Mester'57ft narrow boat ‘Little Mester’
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 39mm, 1/80s, f11, ISO 1000

Today’s excursion took Rachel and I ‘gongoozling’ again, this time along the restored section of the Chesterfield Canal near Shireoaks in Nottinghamshire.

Turnerwood Bottom Lock No.37Turnerwood Bottom Lock No.37
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 23mm, 1/110s, f11, ISO 400

The towpath can be followed all the way from Chesterfield to the point at which the canal meets the River Trent at West Stockwith, taking in some very peaceful countryside along the way…

Swans at Browns Lock No.32Swans at Browns Lock No.32
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 46mm, 1/200s, f11, ISO 400

We only saw a couple of boats but at the moment the canal comes to an abrupt end at the eastern portal of the 2,884 yard long Norwood Tunnel near Kiveton Park but the Chesterfield Canal Trust have plans to restore the remaining nine miles to Staveley near Chesterfield.

Monochrome Monday… St Andrews, Fife

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St Andrews, October 2017St Andrews, October 2017
Nikon F3HP, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AI-S – 1/500s, f8, – Ilford HP5+ rated at ISO 320

Another shot from October’s holiday in Fife… this time from the “home of golf”.

This scene caught my eye when I glanced over my shoulder during a stroll along the East Scores from the Cathedral to the Castle.

Scan by AgLab with minimal cropping and tweaking in Lightroom Classic CC.

Single frame… Large White butterfly

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Large White butterfly (Pieris brassicae)Large White butterfly (Pieris brassicae)
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 135mm, 1/200s, f8, ISO 200

A much shorter ‘Photography Friday’ today with far fewer pictures taken.

This Large White butterfly (Pieris brassicae) rested briefly on the Great Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum) growing beside the Chesterfield Canal at Tapton Lock Visitor Centre.

The shot is massively cropped from the original… I was doing my best to not fall in the canal!