*** This Week Through Your Eyes 2026.08.29 ***

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NCV
Members 2732 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 2:57 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 2:57 p.m.
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@Daneland has written:

Boy

Nice one.
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NCV
Members 2732 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 3:01 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 3:01 p.m.
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@Wormsmeat has written:

@NCV has written:

Certosa di Pavia

I have been taking bit of a rest from photography of late. But this week I decided it was time for a photographic expedition to Pavia, a city rich in Romanesque architecture. But whilst the sites I wanted to visit were closed for lunch, I ventured out to the Certosa di Pavia, a huge monumental complex just outside of Pavia.

The Certosa di Pavia is a monastery complex in Lombardy, Northern Italy, situated near a small village of the same name in the Province of Pavia, 8 km (5.0 mi) north of Pavia. Built from 1396 to 1495, it was once located at the end of the Visconti Park a large hunting park and pleasure ground belonging to the Visconti dukes of Milan. It is one of the largest monasteries in Italy. Certosa is the Italian translation of Charterhouse: a monastery of the cloistered monastic order of Carthusians founded by St. Bruno in 1044 at Grande Chartreuse. The architecture is in the Renaissance style, with hints of Gothic. It was built to impress, and impress it certainly does. I really liked the semi detached Monks villas out on the large Cloister.

Here tripods are out of the question, so I just used my Z8 with the 14-35 and 28-200 hand held. The Z8 is proving to be a great camera, IBIS is better than the Z7 . Also hand held HDR sets align perfectly in Capture One.

I think the second is the star of the show. Tripods can be restrictive sometimes. I actually enjoy using them but rarely have the time to plan shots in that way.
The first has some sloping horizontals, which is most unlike you.

Yes you are right. I let Capture One fix everything in auto. Fixed I hope.

C1 auto correct is usually pretty good at picking up wonky horizons and converging verticals.

NDS_4232_1.jpg
JPG, 1.1 MB, uploaded by NCV on Aug. 29, 2026.
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Woodsider79
Members 1508 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 4 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 4 p.m.
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Moonrise

The early morning lunar eclipse yesterday found us engulfed in cloud and mist, so nothing doing there. But earlier in the week I caught a glimpse of the moon rising through the trees behind the house and dashed out with my camera for a few not very technically good shots. But it made me happy.

P8257073-HDR.jpg
JPG, 2.0 MB, uploaded by Woodsider79 on Aug. 29, 2026.

P8257067-HDR.jpg
JPG, 1.8 MB, uploaded by Woodsider79 on Aug. 29, 2026.

NCV and ArvoJ like this.

favorite 2
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Woodsider79
Members 1508 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 4:03 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 4:03 p.m.
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@Daneland has written:

Boy

Excellent capture.
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Woodsider79
Members 1508 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 4:09 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 4:09 p.m.
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@NCV has written:

Certosa di Pavia

Impressive indeed! Is that terra cotta decoration as in some of those scenes you have shown us un the past?
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Woodsider79
Members 1508 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 4:28 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 4:28 p.m.
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@SteveMonks has written:

Three Days of Heather

At the top of the gorge the river does a little dog leg to the left and then right into another steep sided valley. Someone walking up the river reaches this tree just before that point. Just beyond here, there's a place you can cross the river to reach Black Coppice.

Interesting comparisons. Yes, I prefer the GFX100S shots, but much of that may possibly be the light quality. Shadows seem less harsh.
The Oly shots in overcast conditions are different and equally attractive - to me anyway! The moving water makes a big change in mood.
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NCV
Members 2732 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 5:28 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 5:28 p.m.
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@SteveMonks has written:

Three Days of Heather

Heather season has arrived. That five minute window when the moorland heather is at its most colourful that I always seem to just catch the tail end of. But not this year as I've still got plenty of free time on my hands, I've been determined to get out and catch it at its best. Of course, free time is not the only requirement for making the most of this brief window, you also need the right sort of weather and sufficient energy to reach the best spots.

I thought I knew what the right sort of weather was for heather. Bright sunny days with broken cloud, or a vivid sunset to draw out the reddish hue, but after this week, I'm not so sure.

Near the end of the walk, I'm stood above the Black Coppice quarries looking towards Healey Nab. For anyone who's seen Healey Nab from the M61, this view is from the opposite side. The reddish patch in the middle of the distant hill is the abandoned quarry where the murky depths of Blue Water may be found.

One final point. At the top, I mentioned that I thought I knew what the best weather conditions were to photograph heather, namely bright and sunny. But in some way, I think I prefer the look of the last set taken on the overcast day, they've got a moody and slightly brooding quality the other shots lack. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts?

I actually like the first set better for some reason. I like this one because it shows a sea of heather, even if it is an informative rather than artistic shot.

Looks like heather is like the Blueberry Autumn red in the Apennines, in that it needs to be shot right on the right day to catch it at its best.

image.png
PNG, 5.6 MB, uploaded by NCV on Aug. 29, 2026.
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NCV
Members 2732 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 7:09 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 7:09 p.m.
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@Woodsider79 has written:

Moonrise

The early morning lunar eclipse yesterday found us engulfed in cloud and mist, so nothing doing there. But earlier in the week I caught a glimpse of the moon rising through the trees behind the house and dashed out with my camera for a few not very technically good shots. But it made me happy.

Well, they look good to me. I like the first spooky frame best.
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Wormsmeat
Members 1651 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 8:09 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 8:09 p.m.
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@ChrisOly has written:

Rain drops

Attractive plant.
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Wormsmeat
Members 1651 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 8:11 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 8:11 p.m.
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@SteveMonks has written:

Three Days of Heather

Heather season has arrived. That five minute window when the moorland heather is at its most colourful that I always seem to just catch the tail end of. But not this year as I've still got plenty of free time on my hands, I've been determined to get out and catch it at its best. Of course, free time is not the only requirement for making the most of this brief window, you also need the right sort of weather and sufficient energy to reach the best spots.

I thought I knew what the right sort of weather was for heather. Bright sunny days with broken cloud, or a vivid sunset to draw out the reddish hue, but after this week, I'm not so sure.

Monday - X-T50

Monday had promise. As I left the White Coppice car park around 9:30, the skies were clear and the temperatures had dropped to what I'd describe as pleasant. There was even a gentle breeze in the air. I'd planned to follow Black Brook up onto the moors. This stream winds across the moors before plunging into a rocky gorge that is often lined with heather.

My energy levels were pretty low, so to mitigate this I packed very light, just taking the little X-T50 and a handful of lenses, which all neatly fit into a small Billingham shoulder bag. I didn't fancy carrying the hefty Fujinon 16-55 f/2.8, a large lens for a small camera, so I substituted the Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 instead. This is tiny and light, but it lacks an aperture ring, zooms the wrong way and has significant optical issues (serious distortion and fringing to name but too). I also packed the Fujinon 10-24 f/4, another lens that's always disappointed me, being a bit fuzzy at the corners so it doesn't get a lot of use, although the centre of the frame is pretty sharp. Finally, because there was space and it's not too heavy, I threw in the Fujinon 55-200 in case I needed a longer reach. I used this a handful of times, although non of the images are in this set. I also had my trusty old 77m B+W CPL which did double duty on both the 18-50 and 55-200 via a cascade of step up rings.

Initially, considering myself a bit out of practice at rock hopping, I ignored the river and instead scrambled up through the quarry onto the moors. Above the quarry, there's a path that follows the river, running along the top of the gorge, this is easier and safer than trying to navigate the edges of the river itself. I followed this for about 1/3rd of a mile and then found a path overgrown with ferns that leads down the steep bank of the gorge to the river.

From the bottom of the path, it's a short walk back downstream to reach this spot.

Wow, the heather really puts a different slant on some of these familiar scenes.
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Wormsmeat
Members 1651 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 8:11 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 8:11 p.m.
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@NCV has written:

@Wormsmeat has written:

Weird, why would somebody carry a tent down to the waters edge?

To keep the sun off I guess.
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Wormsmeat
Members 1651 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 8:16 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 8:16 p.m.
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@Woodsider79 has written:

Moonrise

The early morning lunar eclipse yesterday found us engulfed in cloud and mist, so nothing doing there. But earlier in the week I caught a glimpse of the moon rising through the trees behind the house and dashed out with my camera for a few not very technically good shots. But it made me happy.

Wow, both so atmospheric.
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cpm
Members 451 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 9 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 9 p.m.
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@NCV has written:

Certosa di Pavia

I have been taking bit of a rest from photography of late. But this week I decided it was time for a photographic expedition to Pavia, a city rich in Romanesque architecture. But whilst the sites I wanted to visit were closed for lunch, I ventured out to the Certosa di Pavia, a huge monumental complex just outside of Pavia.

The Certosa di Pavia is a monastery complex in Lombardy, Northern Italy, situated near a small village of the same name in the Province of Pavia, 8 km (5.0 mi) north of Pavia. Built from 1396 to 1495, it was once located at the end of the Visconti Park a large hunting park and pleasure ground belonging to the Visconti dukes of Milan. It is one of the largest monasteries in Italy. Certosa is the Italian translation of Charterhouse: a monastery of the cloistered monastic order of Carthusians founded by St. Bruno in 1044 at Grande Chartreuse. The architecture is in the Renaissance style, with hints of Gothic. It was built to impress, and impress it certainly does. I really liked the semi detached Monks villas out on the large Cloister.

Here tripods are out of the question, so I just used my Z8 with the 14-35 and 28-200 hand held. The Z8 is proving to be a great camera, IBIS is better than the Z7 . Also hand held HDR sets align perfectly in Capture One.

Holy smokes, those are excellent. Well done! Great angles, perspectives and framing. Plus, the light, colors and IQ. Very natural/balanced "look" (easy on the eyes).
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cpm
Members 451 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 9:04 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 9:04 p.m.
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@Vahur has written:

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen

2 weeks ago was old cars and motorcycles race and drive, starting from Tallinn and driving about 100 km eastward to one of local county centers Rakvere. There was similar event 50 years ago and this year's event was to celebrate that 50 year anniversary.
Here are some shots of drivers and co-pilots. Maybe I will post shots of cars in future if I don't find anything more interesting to show...

Very nice! A fun set of picture. You have many interesting events in Tallinn -- and you capture them well. :-)
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cpm
Members 451 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 9:10 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 9:10 p.m.
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@Woodsider79 has written:

Moonrise

The early morning lunar eclipse yesterday found us engulfed in cloud and mist, so nothing doing there. But earlier in the week I caught a glimpse of the moon rising through the trees behind the house and dashed out with my camera for a few not very technically good shots. But it made me happy.

Those are really nice and they both check the boxes - technically and artistically. First I was thinking... #2, then #1, then both! Cool. I also tried to get a shot of the lunar eclipse, but clouds were also in the way. When the moon finally appeared, it was full/normal (no sign of the eclipse).
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cpm
Members 451 posts

Aug. 29, 2026, 9:18 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026, 9:18 p.m.
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@SteveMonks has written:

Three Days of Heather

Heather season has arrived. That five minute window when the moorland heather is at its most colourful that I always seem to just catch the tail end of. But not this year as I've still got plenty of free time on my hands, I've been determined to get out and catch it at its best. Of course, free time is not the only requirement for making the most of this brief window, you also need the right sort of weather and sufficient energy to reach the best spots.

I thought I knew what the right sort of weather was for heather. Bright sunny days with broken cloud, or a vivid sunset to draw out the reddish hue, but after this week, I'm not so sure.

This is taken from the same location as the very first picture in this post. The lighting is different, now being mostly from in front of the camera rather than behind in the previous one, but the tonality and saturation is (to my eyes at least) much nicer than the X-T50 shot. It would be interesting to recreate this under similar conditions with the X-T50 to see if it's the better lens and sensor giving things a lift here or just the prevailing lighting conditions being more favourable.

This one in my favorite. Thanks for posting. You've made me think... since we have a mid-July lavender festival nearby (via ferry boat and then a 60 minute drive) -- someday I would like to see it.