ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Friday 22 August 2014

APOLOGY. (22/08/14)

Sorry, I meant Sori which I assume must be the plural of Sor. I bet you think that I’ve finally flipped and will shortly be taken away by a couple of big people in a white van, clothed in a canvas jacket with back to front sleeves. Don’t panic.

I have been reading all about Bracken. The spores are the very devil to photograph. As soon as I remove the bit of fern they wander about all over. I did try wetting the paper and popping a book on the fern. The paper went all crinkly and cast more shadows than the errant spores.  I’ll try taping wet paper out on a board and stretching it first. I suspect all ferns do this so I will look for some different ones……bet you can’t wait.

_V0G4529         Sori. these are Sori they are the brown bits on the underside of the fern leaves. I read one learned paper on the internet that suggested that Bracken mainly spreads from it’s bottom or rhizomes, as I will say, to keep life simple, it’s roots. This chap thinks that they only produce Sori every ten years. Either I am very lucky or he knows F’All about Bracken. About half of them have them here. Some of the young leaves just have a lighter green raised stripe around the edges of each of the individual bits of frond I read that these are the male bits. I’m not explaining this very well. I’ll leave the leaves for a week and read some more and come back with proper terms. I don’t expect the ferns could care less. They are as old as the hills and have sorted reproduction to their own satisfaction.

_V0G4528            This is todays exposure of spores from the sori. This one is about three hours. I’ll try another overnight one. Mushrooms do it as well and as mushroom season is fast approaching I’d like to perfect this job.

The weather has taken a turn for the better. I am not getting dawn till dusk sunshine but at least it has only rained once today. Sorry twice, it has this minute started again. There is barely a breath of wind and amazingly no midges. There wasn’t much about on our walks. It was fish van day but he had no prawns left and no smoked haddock. I got a couple of kippers and a bit of fresh haddock. I’m trying to think of something other than kedgeree that would make a good tea.

_V0G4526    I tried out the FD 50mm lens and it didn’t disappoint they are beautifully soft when used with the SRB adaptor. It will be fine for video.

I also found the Dipper. I am amazed by these birds. Usually I see them perched on a rock in a stream but they can bob along like a duck. I will keep trying for a picture but they are illusive small blighters.

_MG_3418      The Dipper in appalling light this morning.

I’ll leave you with a sharp shot of the Loch Ness Monster.

_MG_3420      It was massive I couldn’t fit it all in at 100mm. I have always doubted it’s existence but having donated four pounds sixty seven pence to Parkinson or somebody I am a converted. I must admit that not only was I perturbed to find she is a giant pedallo; I was shocked to find I had four pounds sixty seven pence in change. I didn’t get a sticky badge. I didn’t even get the fit lass in a wet suit, I got the Rubenesque one with a bucket. Not to worry givers can’t be choosers when it comes to beggars.

Have a great weekend.

18 comments:

  1. There's a TV presenter called Fern Cotton. I wonder if she also has brown bits on her underside. You could email her at the BBC and ask if she'd like you to photograph her spores.

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  2. Well, sori it is! You give yourself a simple project for a photograph and then you end up having to study the plant. We don't have fish trucks here. We just have some vile stuff sold in the stores. There's nothing like the real thing.

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    1. Red, they don't have fish vans in England but they seem quite common in Scotland.

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  3. I'd leave the ferns and try....flowers? Btw what was in the bucket? Oh, and surely the way to get the whole of something into a photo is to walk backwards? Oh well. You're the expert.

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    1. Frances, I won't be doing ferns for a while. Money was in the bucket they were collecting for Parkinson's disease.
      There wasn't room to walk backwards.

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  4. Great Ruben you experiment with ferns I look forward to the sequel.

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    1. Bas, Unless I find a harts tongue fern I' ll leave ferns for a while.

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  5. You have to pay and then propel the thing yourself? Obviusly still be in Scotland ;)

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    1. John, I'd did have to pay to peddle, I had to pay the girls for peddling. They are Raising money to help combat Parkinson's didease.

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  6. Would you be the "must be unimaginative" Adrian referred to in another recent blog?? I wonder. Sometimes (often) when I see photographs I wish I'd had the impulse or the idea for the single shot or the project I'm seeing. Not only the impulse, though - I wish I had access to the place as well, something the land-locked prairies simply does readily not afford. Your photo travel diary in the north of Scotland keeps me checking your blog daily for shots of the sea and the surprises such as the sori. Keep them coming! McGregor
    ps. No, no blog.

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    1. Mr McGregor,
      I see many photographic projects and usually make a note of the ones that look interesting. I then forget where I noted them.
      I'll not be near the sea again for a while. I'll do my best to try and find something interesting.

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  7. I knew Nessie was real and you got proof to:-) you have had some luck with the Dipper this year well done.

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    1. Douglas, Dippers seem two a penny. I knew they are here from previous visits but have never got this close to one by Loch Ness. Were it not for the dogs then I could have got closer still.

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  8. Quedó bien definida en el papel.
    Un abrazo.

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  9. Laura, sí tiene un patrón interesante.

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  10. That first one came out Perfect!

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    1. Maria, I'm waiting for the fungi. The only ones I've seen are puffballs and they fire spoors upwards. They would be a challenge too far.

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