On Higher Ground....

The floods are well and truly still here but I thought I’d give you all a rest from those, as I don’t like being TOO predictable...

So, a clear, cold and still night, so have some stars – and a grassy slope, with a scrubby tree.

Fourteen minute exposure – with the requisite in-camera noise reduction, almost half an hour for just one image – and that length of time waiting standing almost on one spot before I even knew if it came out at all, too.

Well worth going in on LARGE for, to zoom in on the Pole Star.

Because I was on the outskirts of a built-up area, the original was yucky dark orangey-brown, so there was only one way to go...

Lens is Nikkor 10-24mm. Missing EXIF data: iso = 200.

*****Have spent the morning rushing round buying new tripod legs. I was in fact never able to repair the carbon fibre Manfrotto and it's only a tiny part, but due to its age - 8 years? - is not available anymore. I have been using my first ever decent tripod, from my teenage years, an ancient, creaking and rather nasty to use - and floppy! - Slik 88, that I had kept down in my Dad's garage. Just thank goodness it was a still night last for this Blip else it'd be blurred to hell. Trying to contort it how I wanted it in floodwater for the Blip the day before was a nightmare.

With so much of my current photography totally reliant on a tripod, I really had to get a replacement.

So, I now have Slik Pro 500DX legs, which were about 70% OFF the retail and cheaper than online by quite a margin - where, down the road at Matt's Castle Cameras! - according to their website they said that they only had two left - now that should be one - so if you agree that it's a bargain and want to get yourself the other one, be my guest! *******

Huge thanks to all for hoisting my flooded Cathedral Blip up to the top Spotlight slot - very much appreciated - even my brother, who doesn't really 'get' or appreciate my pics has it as his smartphone wallpaper. An honour indeed!