Your R System Images - October 2024

We hope you enjoy creating memorable images this month!

Have fun, but stay safe and well…

Phil and Karen

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Any R System images (stills or movies) can be posted. If you would like to say something about the subject, settings, or processing, that will be very welcome.

Remember, you don't have to only post things you took this month - sometimes people don't get around to processing/ editing images straight away. (Think of it more as an ‘images I’d like to post here this month’ thing). Images taken with non-R System lenses are also very welcome as this adds to the interest.

Images posted on this thread will also be available to view in the dedicated Monthly R System Images Gallery, which can be found Here.

Commenting on people’s posts is encouraged, as it keeps everyone interested and coming back. (Please aim to be considerate, thoughtful and constructive).

We aim to provide feedback - but note we are away for part of each month and busy with ‘life stuff’. The lack of a comment from us is not a sign of disfavour!

Finally, please post in accordance with the RF Shooters Community Guidelines.

Thank you!

Images from our recent-ish visit to Culzean Castle, Maybole, Carrick, Ayrshire, Scotland.

(Shot raw and processed using: DxO PL Elite/ ViewPoint, Adobe LrC/ PS with Tony Kuyper Panels and Topaz Labs Photo AI and Studio 2. The compilations feature R7 - Karen and R5 - Phil).

You can find out more about Culzean Castle by clicking Here.

Phil and Karen


1. Culzean Castle was designed by Robert Adam in the late 18th-century for David Kennedy, 10th Earl of Cassillis. The faux ‘ruined arch’ is intended to provide a dramatic first glimpse of the castle for visitors.



2. The present castle replaced an earlier, more basic, medieval structure and was built in stages between 1777 and 1792. The entrance room, shown here, has turned ‘army surplus weaponry’ into an eye-catching art form.



3. Culzean is reputed to have at least 7 ghosts, including a piper and a servant girl. The castle was home to Lord Summarise in the 1973 cult movie 'The Wicker Man' and featured in 'Captain America: The First Avenger' in 2011.



4. The Dinning Room (left). In 1945, the Kennedy family gave the castle and grounds to the National Trust for Scotland. They stipulated the top floor apartment be given to General Dwight D. Eisenhower as a thank you from the people of Scotland for his role as Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during the World War II. He visited Culzean for the first time in 1946 and stayed there four times, including once while President of the United States.



5. The stunning Oval Staircase and the Round Drawing Room (lower right), which has panoramic views over the Firth of Clyde. (This room had been used to film scenes for a prominent TV series by a well known - fruit based - outfit for the 2 days prior to our visit).



6. Culzean (pronounced ‘Culeen/ alt. Culane’) Castle sits on 150 foot high cliffs looking out towards the Isle of Arran. Note the Gas House in the bay to the left, which provided town gas for the castle up until 1940.



(Sources: National Trust for Scotland, Wikipedia).

Phil, once again an excellent array of images and an history lesson as well.

MikeZ said:

Phil, once again an excellent array of images and an history lesson as well.

Click to expand...

Hi Mike,

Cheers - very much appreciated!

In a departure from our preferred 'people-free shots' norm we actually got here late (we were staying in the on-site Culzean Campsite) with the benefit that most visitors had left by the time we went into the castle. The expansive castle grounds, huge gardens and adjacent coastline are all absolutely magnificent.

We were lucky to be able to enjoy a couple of blistering sunsets over the Isle of Arran during our stay (almost worth the devastating Scottish midges!).

P&K

MikeZ said:

Phil, once again an excellent array of images and an history lesson as well.

Click to expand...

+1

Two American Robin's getting ready to head south for the winter. I am guessing they are husband and wife. She wants to stop for directions and he said he knew where he was going.

Absolutely stunning pictures and story PKM.

Shooting fish in a barrel, but it's baby season at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens...


Juvenile Mallard - Rakiraki, Anas platyrhynchos


Juvenile Paradise shelduck - Pūtangitangi, Tadorna variegata


Mum, being protective...


Mum, being splendid.

The Paradise ducks in the Botanic Gardens are relatively tame - or at least prepared to tolerate humans - but out in the wild they are very wary, and very loud. This makes them unpopular with hunters, because they will set up a loud hooting at the slightest sign of a human, putting everything in the area on to high alert.

Meanwhile, in the Ilex Café...

Will someone show me how to use this thing?


Chaffinch - Pahirini, Fringilla coelebs

Ted.G said:

Two American Robin's getting ready to head south for the winter. I am guessing they are husband and wife. She wants to stop for directions and he said he knew where he was going.

Absolutely stunning pictures and story PKM.

View attachment 31833

View attachment 31834

Click to expand...

Hi Ted,

Two wonderful images - with a giggle inducing tale - it's always amazing to see the plumage differences between the American and European robins.

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

(And we're very pleased to hear you enjoyed our images!).

Bucolic Old Sir Henry said:

Shooting fish in a barrel, but it's baby season at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens...

View attachment 31837
Juvenile Mallard - Rakiraki, Anas platyrhynchos

View attachment 31841
Juvenile Paradise shelduck - Pūtangitangi, Tadorna variegata

View attachment 31840
Mum, being protective...

View attachment 31839
Mum, being splendid.

The Paradise ducks in the Botanic Gardens are relatively tame - or at least prepared to tolerate humans - but out in the wild they are very wary, and very loud. This makes them unpopular with hunters, because they will set up a loud hooting at the slightest sign of a human, putting everything in the area on to high alert.

Meanwhile, in the Ilex Café...

Will someone show me how to use this thing?

View attachment 31838
Chaffinch - Pahirini, Fringilla coelebs

Click to expand...

Hi Gareth,

A series of splendid captures - with a number of early contenders for cutie of the month (image #1 is going to be tough to beat).

Well done - and thank you for sharing...

P&K

Too many birds on a stick…

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I was tired: at 7:20 in the morning! Well, I had driven the car for an hour to reach Brisbane Forest Park, and there slung a backpack on and started a ramble — 'struggle' might be a more apt word —through the woods. After about an hour, I spied a zig-zag trail leading down to the reservoir and a perfect breakfast site. Like others, I intended to ignore the trail and follow the improvised beeline route. The authorities wre not going to tolerate that! A politely worded sign requested: Please don't disturb this protected snake habitat. I was persuaded to do the 'right thing'.

At the lake's edge I unpacked a jar of bircher muesli, a flask of hot chocolate, a banana, monopod with gimbal head, R5m2 and the RF 200–800.

Right next to this spot, a dead tree lay three-quarters submerged. Five Little Black Cormorants were lined up, drying themselves in the morning sun. Of course, there's always room for one more! The sixth bird alighted on the dead branch, flapping wings and soaking its companions.

It was a good start to the second day of October!

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PKM-UK said:

Images from our recent-ish visit to Culzean Castle, Maybole, Carrick, Ayrshire, Scotland.

Click to expand...

Superb images Phil & Karen. I especially love the final image. Very dramatic and definitely one that needs to go on the wall. Glad that you appear to have had a nice time!

David Berry said:

Too many birds on a stick…

View attachment 31847

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Little Black Cormorant : Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Enoggera Reservoir : Brisbane, Queensland​

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I was tired: at 7:20 in the morning! Well, I had driven the car for an hour to reach Brisbane Forest Park, and there slung a backpack on and started a ramble — 'struggle' might be a more apt word —through the woods. After about an hour, I spied a zig-zag trail leading down to the reservoir and a perfect breakfast site. Like others, I intended to ignore the trail and follow the improvised beeline route. The authorities wre not going to tolerate that! A politely worded sign requested: Please don't disturb this protected snake habitat. I was persuaded to do the 'right thing'.

At the lake's edge I unpacked a jar of bircher muesli, a flask of hot chocolate, a banana, monopod with gimbal head, R5m2 and the RF 200–800.

Right next to this spot, a dead tree lay three-quarters submerged. Five Little Black Cormorants were lined up, drying themselves in the morning sun. Of course, there's always room for one more! The sixth bird alighted on the dead branch, flapping wings and soaking its companions.

It was a good start to the second day of October!

---

Click to expand...

Hi David,

A terrific image with a grin inducing backstory - excellent route signing (would definitely get our attention... ).

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

Tim Mayo said:

Superb images Phil & Karen. I especially love the final image. Very dramatic and definitely one that needs to go on the wall. Glad that you appear to have had a nice time!

Click to expand...

Hi Tim,

Cheers - very much appreciated!

It was an excellent trip, with the weather - and Scottish midges - being (generally) merciful.

The sunset was revealed when I threw Frank's side door open as we wildly celebrated the very late - and dramatic - 91st-minute winning goal (by Ollie Watkins) which sent England through to the final of Euro 2024. (I did get a yellow card from Karen for shouting ‘Yeeeeeeeeeeeeesss!’, ‘Come on!’ and ‘Whooo-hooo!’. Of course, being England it inevitably all ended in tears!). We were lucky to have been allocated a pitch overlooking the firth, but people came from across the site to enjoy the spectacle (of the sunset, not my celebrations) - the beauty of which, our image can only partly convey.

P&K