As usual, here's a summary of my photography highlights from the year. 2015 was the first year I haven't traveled overseas for many years, and with all sorts of other things happening to keep me occupied, photography has taken a back-seat. The selection below hopefully shows that the UK has so much to offer, even for the time-poor!
Mammals
In April, a very obliging fox visited our garden, and seemed happy enough to strike a pose for the camera:
...a baby rabbit was seen on the top of our local hill...
...and a Fallow Deer was photographed nearby in Sussex
The Moon
Having missed out on the eclipse last year courtesy of cloud cover and with my new 500mm lens bought second-hand, I was keen to get a photo of the 'Super Blood Moon'. It meant getting up at 02:30, but was worthwhile:
As it happened, I went out the previous evening to see which settings would work best. I managed to get a shot with a small aeroplane flying in front of the moon, which has come out quite nicely:
And whilst we're on the subject of night-time, here's a shot of Guildford Cathedral, with an obliging firework nearby:
XH558 Vulcan
2015 was the last year which the iconic Vulcan was allowed to fly, so I was keen to get a few shots of it. I tried a couple of times whilst it was flying in the South (living near Dunsfold helped my chances!), and managed to get a shot to remember her by
Birds
Here are some of the highlights from birds I've been able to photograph this year. A return visit to Gigrin Farm in Wales meant I could get a Red Kite photo I was happy with, plus towards the end of the year, two separate Barn Owl viewings were very special. Elsewhere, an OK shot of a Great Grey Shrike was good, but still not in good light. Finally, my local swans gave birth to NINE cygnets, so an early walk along the canal treated me to some special moments. And then there was the Buzzard 'caught in the act'...
Instagram
I'm now on Instagram, and use it to showcase some of my favourite wildlife images from trips over the years. You can follow me here.
Microstock
Finally, I earn a little income from a back-catalogue of stock images, which are for sale on various microstock websites. Earnings are way-down again this year (£126.91), partly as I haven't uploaded any fresh images, but also a symptom of the changing industry dynamics.
Mammals
In April, a very obliging fox visited our garden, and seemed happy enough to strike a pose for the camera:
 |
| Fox |
...a baby rabbit was seen on the top of our local hill...
 |
| Rabbit |
...and a Fallow Deer was photographed nearby in Sussex
 |
| Fallow Deer |
The Moon
Having missed out on the eclipse last year courtesy of cloud cover and with my new 500mm lens bought second-hand, I was keen to get a photo of the 'Super Blood Moon'. It meant getting up at 02:30, but was worthwhile:
 |
| Super Blood Moon |
As it happened, I went out the previous evening to see which settings would work best. I managed to get a shot with a small aeroplane flying in front of the moon, which has come out quite nicely:
 |
| Moon and aeroplane |
And whilst we're on the subject of night-time, here's a shot of Guildford Cathedral, with an obliging firework nearby:
 |
| Guildford Cathedral |
XH558 Vulcan
2015 was the last year which the iconic Vulcan was allowed to fly, so I was keen to get a few shots of it. I tried a couple of times whilst it was flying in the South (living near Dunsfold helped my chances!), and managed to get a shot to remember her by
 |
| XH558 Vulcan |
Birds
Here are some of the highlights from birds I've been able to photograph this year. A return visit to Gigrin Farm in Wales meant I could get a Red Kite photo I was happy with, plus towards the end of the year, two separate Barn Owl viewings were very special. Elsewhere, an OK shot of a Great Grey Shrike was good, but still not in good light. Finally, my local swans gave birth to NINE cygnets, so an early walk along the canal treated me to some special moments. And then there was the Buzzard 'caught in the act'...
 |
| Red Kite |
 |
| Barn Owl (very low light) |
 |
| Great Grey Shrike |
 |
| Swan with two cygnets |
 |
| Buzzard |
I'm now on Instagram, and use it to showcase some of my favourite wildlife images from trips over the years. You can follow me here.
Microstock
Finally, I earn a little income from a back-catalogue of stock images, which are for sale on various microstock websites. Earnings are way-down again this year (£126.91), partly as I haven't uploaded any fresh images, but also a symptom of the changing industry dynamics.
