Your R System Images - September 2025

[PKM-UK]

We hope you enjoy creating memorable images this month!

Have fun - but stay safe and well…

Phil and Karen

——

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!

——

 

[PKM-UK]

Images from our recent visit to Hammond Castle, Gloucester, Massachusetts, United States.

(Shot raw and processed using: DxO PL Elite/ ViewPoint and Adobe LrC/ PS with Tony Kuyper TK-9 Panels. Karen used our Sony RX10 IV on this trip - so you’re stuck with Phil’s images. Officially…. ).

You can find out more about Hammond Castle Museum by clicking Here.

Phil and Karen


1. Hammond Castle sits on a rocky cliff overlooking Gloucester Harbour. It was constructed between 1926 and 1929. The building includes elements touching on the 15th, 16th and 18th centuries.

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2. It was the home, laboratory, and museum of John Hays Hammond Jr. (1888-1965), a visionary inventor and pioneer who held over 400 patents.

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3. Hammond’s aim was to create an authentic, historical European atmosphere inside the walls of the building so that visitors could get a taste of the Old World without leaving the United States.

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4. The extraordinary Great hall is full of historical artefacts and fascinating curiosities - including an equally extraordinary organ with 8,000 pipes, sadly the instrument is not currently functional.

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5. Hammond always intended his castle home to be a museum and his lasting legacy. This the Library, with a ‘Whisper Ceiling’ (which creates a delightful Spatial Audio effect for anyone stood in its centre).

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6. Following his death in 1965, the museum was established and now displays Hammond’s collections, along with exhibits about his life and many inventions (our favourite creation being his robotic dog!).

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(Sources: Hammond Castle Museum, Wikipedia).

 

[Sirbone72]

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[PKM-UK]

View attachment 39471

View attachment 39472

Hi Massimiliano,

Wonderful geometry (leading lines) and a pleasing blend of colours (rich/ pastel) combine to produce two very striking images.

Well seen and caught - and thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[Dean Wilson]

Simple in-camera double exposure. Edited in Lightroom using Adaptive B&W then adjusting colors using B&W Mixer.

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[Bucolic Old Sir Henry]

Thrips never sleep

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Spring springing...

 

[dgphoto8]

Images from our recent visit to Hammond Castle, Gloucester, Massachusetts, United States.

(Shot raw and processed using: DxO PL Elite/ ViewPoint and Adobe LrC/ PS with Tony Kuyper TK-9 Panels. Karen used our Sony RX10 IV on this trip - so you’re stuck with Phil’s images. Officially…. ).

You can find out more about Hammond Castle Museum by clicking Here.

Phil and Karen


1. Hammond Castle sits on a rocky cliff overlooking Gloucester Harbour. It was constructed between 1926 and 1929. The building includes elements touching on the 15th, 16th and 18th centuries.

View attachment 39453

2. It was the home, laboratory, and museum of John Hays Hammond Jr. (1888-1965), a visionary inventor and pioneer who held over 400 patents.

View attachment 39454

3. Hammond’s aim was to create an authentic, historical European atmosphere inside the walls of the building so that visitors could get a taste of the Old World without leaving the United States.

View attachment 39455

4. The extraordinary Great hall is full of historical artefacts and fascinating curiosities - including an equally extraordinary organ with 8,000 pipes, sadly the instrument is not currently functional.

View attachment 39456

5. Hammond always intended his castle home to be a museum and his lasting legacy. This the Library, with a ‘Whisper Ceiling’ (which creates a delightful Spatial Audio effect for anyone stood in its centre).

View attachment 39457

6. Following his death in 1965, the museum was established and now displays Hammond’s collections, along with exhibits about his life and many inventions (our favourite creation being his robotic dog!).

View attachment 39458

(Sources: Hammond Castle Museum, Wikipedia).

Very nice set of photos, Phil and Karen. It looks like an interesting place. I grew up (and live now) in the Boston area and had never heard of this castle/museum.
Assuming you drove from Boston to Gloucester, I apologize for the roads, lack of signage, and general driving habits of my compatriots...

 

[dgphoto8]

Some recent photos:

A sunset over Ell Pond in Melrose, Massachusetts. There was a large swan on the pond but it didn't want to swim into a good compositional point in the photo...

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An eastern cottontail rabbit that has adopted a section of grass where it can scurry under our daughter's parked car for safety.

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An American goldfinch showing off some late summer color.

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A photo I took for the 52Frames Unusual Crop challenge. This immature grackle made a perfect "what the heck is this?" pose.

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[PKM-UK]

Simple in-camera double exposure. Edited in Lightroom using Adaptive B&W then adjusting colors using B&W Mixer.


View attachment 39478

Hi Dean

A creative image that's certain to capture the viewer's attention and cause them to pause a while as they explore the scene.

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

Thrips never sleep
View attachment 39480
Spring springing...

Hi Gareth,

An image rich in detail and colour - and the expectation of pleasant things to come.

(Our weather is gradually starting to slide towards autumn - this morning it's a major drench-fest here in central England).

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

Very nice set of photos, Phil and Karen. It looks like an interesting place. I grew up (and live now) in the Boston area and had never heard of this castle/museum.
Assuming you drove from Boston to Gloucester, I apologize for the roads, lack of signage, and general driving habits of my compatriots...

Hi Don,

Cheers - appreciated!

We've very happy to recommend this venue - but suggest getting there early, or booking, if you want the guided tour (it had sold out by the time we left).

We drove to Gloucester from Danvers (a couple of times) and the signing did crop up in conversation once or twice - but the driving was generally very well mannered - certainly compared to some of the nit-wits here (though a school bus blocked us in at the venue car park for a while as we came to leave... ).

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

Some recent photos:

A sunset over Ell Pond in Melrose, Massachusetts. There was a large swan on the pond but it didn't want to swim into a good compositional point in the photo...
View attachment 39484

An eastern cottontail rabbit that has adopted a section of grass where it can scurry under our daughter's parked car for safety.
View attachment 39485

An American goldfinch showing off some late summer color.
View attachment 39486

A photo I took for the 52Frames Unusual Crop challenge. This immature grackle made a perfect "what the heck is this?" pose.
View attachment 39487

Hi Don,

A wonderful set of images - from the absolutely glorious opener (empathise about the uncooperative wildlife!) to the concluding 'pose of curiosity'.

All well seen and beautifully caught.

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[StevenAunan]

The inside-out of the old Russian Fort Ross, Highway 1, California.

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[ShipleyNW]

Snoqualmie Falls

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In the last days of August I went to Salish Lodge and Snoqualmie Falls and bitched here about the sky. I went back on September 1 and everything I said about the sky in August still applied.

I went down the trail to the lower falls this time; down by the power stations.

September Summertime Flows. The Snoqualmie River is barely a trickle.

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[ShipleyNW]

Powerhouse 2 Penstocks

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In 1898 an engineering company dug a vertical tunnel behind Snoqualmie falls and a horizontal tunnel at the base of the falls and diverted river water through the tunnels to turn electric turbines. Sort of a natural dam. I hear there's one like that behind Niagara Falls.

Those tunnels and turbines still produce electricity. In the 1950 they added a second powerhouse fed by penstocks (a word I learned yesterday) bringing water down the side of the cliff.

It's a small power generating facility but it has very little environmental impact. It's been generating electricity for 125 years, and with a little maintenence there's no reason it can't keep doing that in purpituity.

This fence was added after 9/11. There was an initiative to harden our infrastructure against terrorists. It probably took them a few years to get to hardening the Snoqualmie Falls powerhouse. Still, the fence looks pretty good for 20-some years old.

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[PKM-UK]

The inside-out of the old Russian Fort Ross, Highway 1, California.

View attachment 39500

View attachment 39501

View attachment 39502

View attachment 39503

Hi Steven,

That looks like an absolutely fascinating place to look round, showcased by a set of well controlled images (love the shots through the aged windows!).

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

Snoqualmie Falls
View attachment 39527

In the last days of August I went to Salish Lodge and Snoqualmie Falls and bitched here about the sky. I went back on September 1 and everything I said about the sky in August still applied.

I went down the trail to the lower falls this time; down by the power stations.

September Summertime Flows. The Snoqualmie River is barely a trickle.
View attachment 39517

Hi Ken,

Two excellent shots - achingly beautiful falls (love the B&W treatment) and a 'lose yourself in the moment' dreamy river complete with rich reflections.

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

Powerhouse 2 Penstocks
View attachment 39521

In 1898 an engineering company dug a vertical tunnel behind Snoqualmie falls and a horizontal tunnel at the base of the falls and diverted river water through the tunnels to turn electric turbines. Sort of a natural dam. I hear there's one like that behind Niagara Falls.

Those tunnels and turbines still produce electricity. In the 1950 they added a second powerhouse fed by penstocks (a word I learned yesterday) bringing water down the side of the cliff.

It's a small power generating facility but it has very little environmental impact. It's been generating electricity for 125 years, and with a little maintenence there's no reason it can't keep doing that in purpituity.

This fence was added after 9/11. There was an initiative to harden our infrastructure against terrorists. It probably took them a few years to get to hardening the Snoqualmie Falls powerhouse. Still, the fence looks pretty good for 20-some years old.
View attachment 39525

Hi Ken,

Two very engaging images featuring impressive engineering set amid a natural backdrop. (Love the leading lines - and the B&W for #2 is perfect).

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[David Berry]

Xanthorrhoea & Rainbow Lorikeet (plus a few honey bees)…

My colourful friend was back today, making a beeline for the flower spike of a grass tree next to the house. Although skittishness is not a lorikeet characteristic, I needed to back off a bit (just over 9 metres according to the metadata) in order to avoid an unflattering belly-shot of the bird. The flower spike provided an alternative to a fig leaf: parrots can be a bit squirty when they take flight!

Flight of the zygodactyl…

In the second image, note how parrots have two toes forward and two back. Also note that the timestamps for the two photos are the same: that's when pre-continuous shooting at 30 frames/second comes in handy (but you'll need a pocketful of extra batteries – only the new expensive ones will suffice).

I wonder whether there were more flowers on the xanthorrhoea or feathers on the lorikeet.

… David

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[PKM-UK]

Xanthorrhoea & Rainbow Lorikeet (plus a few honey bees)…

My colourful friend was back today, making a beeline for the flower spike of a grass tree next to the house. Although skittishness is not a lorikeet characteristic, I needed to back off a bit (just over 9 metres according to the metadata) in order to avoid an unflattering belly-shot of the bird. The flower spike provided an alternative to a fig leaf: parrots can be a bit squirty when they take flight!

Flight of the zygodactyl…

In the second image, note how parrots have two toes forward and two back. Also note that the timestamps for the two photos are the same: that's when pre-continuous shooting at 30 frames/second comes in handy (but you'll need a pocketful of extra batteries – only the new expensive ones will suffice).

I wonder whether there were more flowers on the xanthorrhoea or feathers on the lorikeet.

… David

View attachment 39534


View attachment 39536

Hi David,

Two wonderful images of these absolutely scintillating creatures - we only get to experience them in our zoos (well, unless they do a runner... ).

(I haven't had opportunity to experiment with pre-capture on my new R5 mkII yet - we're hoping to to a zoo visit for some set-up testing soon-ish).

A joy to behold - thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[MSH411]

Pale Green Assassin

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[ShipleyNW]

Hi Ken,

Two excellent shots - achingly beautiful falls (love the B&W treatment) and a 'lose yourself in the moment' dreamy river complete with rich reflections.

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

Thank you so much. The sky that day was brutal and I chose B&W because it was a little easier to hide that than trying to resurrect whites in color.

 

[ShipleyNW]

Hi Ken,

Two very engaging images featuring impressive engineering set amid a natural backdrop. (Love the leading lines - and the B&W for #2 is perfect).

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

Thank you again. The sky that day was brutal. That fence against the river landscape was kind of a brutal scene, so I used B&W and that sky to my advantage to play up that aspect.

 

[PKM-UK]

Pale Green Assassin

View attachment 39540

Hi Marc,

An attention grabbing image - rich in colour (and sleepless night inducing detail).

The stuff of B Movie horror flicks - we're kind of hoping it's not truck sized...

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

A few test shots from last weekend at Burghley House and Gardens, Stamford, Lincolnshire, England, with my new R5 mkII - initial set-up and trying out various features. Very impressed so far with the handling and image quality and it seems a nice upgrade to my much loved - but now traded - R5 (fare well my friend!).

(Shot raw and processed using: DxO PL Elite/ VP and Adobe LrC/ PS - standard stuff only except for image #6 where I had a play with Topaz Labs Studio 2).

Phil


1. Right - game on...

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2. Don't forget to look up...

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3. Cream tea time (and then it rained)...

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4. Flower Power...

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5. Flaggage...

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6. Groovy baby...

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[THXGEEK]

Oooo! Bubbles!

Totally gnarly!

 

[Only RF]

A few test shots from last weekend at Burghley House and Gardens, Stamford, Lincolnshire, England, with my new R5 mkII - initial set-up and trying out various features. Very impressed so far with the handling and image quality and it seems a nice upgrade to my much loved - but now traded - R5 (fare well my friend!).

(Shot raw and processed using: DxO PL Elite/ VP and Adobe LrC/ PS - standard stuff only except for image #6 where I had a play with Topaz Labs Studio 2).

Phil


1. Right - game on...

View attachment 39555

2. Don't forget to look up...

View attachment 39556

3. Cream tea time (and then it rained)...

View attachment 39557

4. Flower Power...

View attachment 39558

5. Flaggage...

View attachment 39559

6. Groovy baby...

View attachment 39560

Groovy baby. Reminds me of the parts that I can remember from the 70's.

 

[timm]

Spotted a bunch of these Blue Winged Wasps (Scolia dubia) in the yard today. They are generally good guys. They are solitary wasps, not aggressive toward people, and are actually considered beneficial because their larvae parasitize beetle grubs (like Japanese beetles) in lawns and gardens. The larvae feed on the grubs as they grow, the grubs go away, the moles have less food, and so it goes. Japanese beetle grubs are very common in central Illinois.

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[MSH411]

White-winged Orbweaver

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[Sirbone72]

A couple of shots taken early this morning

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