Goldie M

[MikeOxon]

Tv is the same as S - it means you set the shutter speed and the camera matches it with an appropriate aperture for correct exposure. Canon still uses the term Tv but I suspect it confuses some people, who think it is a special mode for taking shots of the television

I don't know the details of your camera but, if there is an exposure compensation dial, try setting about +1 EV when taking back-lit subjects.

Mike

[Goldie M]

Hi! Mike I've got an exposure comp which I usually set at - 1 are just above for a darker picture when the Sun is really bright, I don't change it much unless taking shots in the shade when I up it slightly. I must admit I've never tried the + at all. I found my camera worked best in very bright Sun light on the minus it was much too bright on the 0 so just below this was good.
I don't take many night shots , I'll certainly give the back lighting a go, I was thinking when I took the photo of the Robin( it was dark in the wood ) maybe that would have back lit the bird good.

I must admit when I got the camera at first I thought TV meant TV

Any way we've just had the forecast for Snow so it looks like a late Spring in the North for us. Goldie

[Goldie M]

Woke up this morning to a lovely scene! No Butterflies here for quite a while, wellies on now and shovels to hand it looks lovely, isn't it grand, I thought it was Spring, I was waiting for birds to sing, but it's back into "Hibernation" again . Goldie

[MikeOxon]

Ah, the North-South divide - it's brilliant sunshine here From the EXIF data, I see you are trying out 'aperture priority' mode. Results look good.

Mike

[Goldie M]

That's right Mike, I thought with the Snow it would be a good time to try it. It's started raining now so hope fully it will all disappear pretty soon.
By the way I hope your feeling Better, it's taken me a couple of weeks to really shake this cold off, at least we'll be ready when the better weather finally arrives. Goldie

[Goldie M]

I couldn't believe my eyes when I went out into the garden this morning and spotted a Small Tart
My husband saw it first and came in to tell me but by the time I got out it had gone, I shot back in the house and put my coat on grabbed the camera and ran out again and after waiting patiently it came back, ( I say it, it could have been another one) Any way it landed on my White Heather in the side garden rockery, I'm so pleased, I don't care what the photos look like( I'd just changed my lens) it's my first BF of the year and after all the Snow, and -3 Temps, very unexpected.
Last year I saw my first about the end of March so it looks like I was wrong and may be their coming out earlier this year in the North, I can't wait to go to Hall-Lee-Brook now and check a round there
Also in the Garden was Cyriel Squirrel enjoying a piece of Apple,and my Gold Finch were back, it's all happening at once
We're back to -5 tonight but the Sun has been been lovely and warm these passed few days, hope the Butterflies can find shelter. Goldie

[David M]

Well done, Goldie! It's a great feeling, isn't it? Still not seen a Tortie myself yet even though I'm 100 miles further south!

[Goldie M]

Hi! Dave, it was so unexpected and after the rubbish weather we've had it looked unbelievable
Looks like the weather has to pick up at the weekend, we've had three lovely Sunny days, roll on the warmer weather Goldie

[trevor]

HI Goldie,
I'll have to come up north, it's still very quiet down here.
Lovely Small Tortoiseshell.

Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Trevor, Don't come North today the weather's back to normal, ( sleeting ) but hope fully things should be warmer by Thursday.
A Small Tart was also seen in Southport the 6th March, so at least things aren't as bad has we thought they would be up here,
last year being so wet and windy. Goldie

[Mike Robinson]

Goldie M: no snow here yet; I have to say yet, since I don't want to tempt fate. Nice to see the Small Tortoiseshell and lucky you for having a Goldfinch in the Garden.
Kind regards ~ Mike ...

[Wurzel]

Another one of the blocks I still haven't seen a butterfly and just when I was thinking that I might start taking my camera to work gales and rain hit us once again

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Mike, We had the Gold Finch all last year then they seem to disappear so it was great to see them back again Yesterday was back to square one weather wise, this morning it seems to be clearing up nicely.

Hi! Wurzel, Nobody more surprised than us to see a BF, When my Husband came in after feeding the birds and said he'd seen one I thought he was Joking I grabbed the Camera, thought I'd changed every thing to get a good shot then found out after wards I was still on Cloudy instead of Sunny Just not used to seeing the Sun and lovely Blue sky in the morning. Goldie

[Goldie M]

Beautiful day today which we spent gardening Surprisingly we didn't see one Butterfly, the weather was much warmer has well than when I saw the STS on Monday, hope fully they'll be back soon.
Yesterday we decided to go for a drive and we drove to Thornton, near Fleetwood, there's a country park by the River Wyre the river is tidal and in Spring with the high tides it floods onto mud flats, all kinds of Sea birds gather there and it's good for long walks.
The back ground of the Mountains in the Lake District still with Snow on adds to the pleasure of the walk
I spotted a Shelduck, and a group of birds which continued to fly up and down the River, landing then taking off again, I'm not sure what they're called but it was a nice day out. Goldie

[MikeOxon]

I love that view across to the Lake District mountains, Goldie. Your flock of birds are Oystercatchers, recognised by their long rather blunt-looking orange-red bills and prominent white wing-bar when flying. They feed off cockles, which are plentiful in Morecambe Bay.

Mike

[Goldie M]

Thanks for the info Mike, I'd not seen the River so flooded before but it seems it does it every year, so I'll be going there more often Feb/March from now on.

The Lake District mountains really look fantastic with the Snow on them, we usually go up there this time of year but they're building a new road which when finished will by pass Lancaster and be easier to travel to Morecambe, there was a bad accident last week on the M6 at this Junction, they closed the Motor way for a while and had to resurface it, so we decided to give it miss. Hope fully things will be back to normal for the Spring and traveling to Gait Barrow.Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cracking scenic shot Goldie We've had some warm weather the last couple of days and so I'm finally off the mark

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Sorry I've not answered sooner Wurzel, I'd picked up a bug and felt a bit under the weather, okay now though,
the weather has been dry here but we've had a bitter cold wind all the time. Glad you liked the view.

I ventured to Hall-Lee-Brook today the Sun was lovely and warm we've still got the breeze though but in sheltered area's it's lovely and warm, even sat out for a while
Whilst at HLB I spotted my first Comma but it was along way off in amongst the Blackberry bushes, I couldn't get any where near it but I managed some far a way shots not too good though, still it's the first Comma of the year for me.
We seemed to have a lot of large Bee's lately, they don't mind the wind and are really enjoying the Crocus in the back garden hope fully the weather will get warmer, I've seen two more STS but they didn't settle so no shots Goldie

[David M]

Good for you, Goldie. That must have made you feel a whole lot better?!

Saw my first 2016 Comma today myself, and I derived just as much satisfaction.

[Goldie M]

Thanks David, glad you saw your first Comma it's great when you start to see the Butterflies I agree

Today was a fantastic day weather wise, for once there was no wind and the temperature went way up, Sunshine all day I went back to Hall-Lee-Brook to see if I could get some more shots of the the Comma I saw, it was not near the stream like before but near the path, obviously a different Comma ( which I nearly tripped over) Glad to say the photos are better than yesterday
I went to the meadow next, there were very few Dandelions but a Small Tortoiseshell was there on one of the flowers so that made my day, altogether I saw three Torts, one Peacock which I couldn't photograph ( too quick for me) and the Comma. I'll have to go back weather permitting to see if I can get a shot of the Peacock. It looks like things are off to a good start here in the North. Goldie