Photo Competition! VOTING CLOSES SUNDAY

[Brij]

That is stunning, Clara!

We have some cracking sunsets here, my flat looks out over la Défense, will try to photo the next one to share it (though I'm less than gifted at these things).

Speaking of the weather, French Bloke (current OH ) thinks I'm mad since I was at his a couple of days ago. There was an incredible thunderstorm... every kind of lightning imaginable, sheets of rain interspersed (good word!) with quiet moments, so being me, I wanted to go outside. This the turned into a saga involving finding suitable waterproof cladding for French Bloke's bandaged toe (tut!) and when he insisted we go back indoors, he was gutted that I insisted upon laying right under his skylight for the rest of the night so that I didn't miss anything! At least I appreciated it...

[JR]

Hi I took this near Deal in Kent at a place called Ringwould.
Not quite Spain but was stunning to see.

[mybarnconversion]

Wouldn't be summer without bee buzzes and stings ...



Can't keep away from bees this year ... caught this little blighter doing his job earlier in the week ;)

[AXJ]

*crosses fingers*........*uncrosses fingers so she can type*......



Voilá!

That's a truely fabulous picture. Spring has come a bit late there by the look of those trees in the foreground, or are they dead?

[AXJ]

here is the AXJ family entry, taken by my eleven year old daughter yesterday on a school trip, sorry about the quallity, rubbish little kidz digital camera. Taken about 30 miles south of Bilbao, in Artzienaga.

[Clara]

Very observant AXJ! Unfortunately the one on the right was burnt in a forest fire (20-30 years ago?), there are quite a few of them standing still, now weatherworn and very sculptural. The ones on the left are dying, some random disease which hits castaños here, though fortunately spreads very slowly.

[AXJ]

blimey... don't get too many forest fires up north I am revlieved to tell, though there is plenty of forest we also have plenty of rain. Sorry to hear that about your trees, I am a right ol' tree hugger myself, when I hear a chain saw I see red!

ps. I'd love to see a pic of the view in day light, that petrified tree sounds incredible

[the.fee.fairy]

I'm back!

I wish i'd taken more pictures of my weekend!

Anyway. Seeing as there's not bee one set up yet, i'll set up a poll on Friday, giving everyone the weekend to vote for their favourite.

There's some great pics so far!

[ultrazapp]

[AXJ]

wow, stunning lightening shot, no easy task to get a photo like that, is it a still from a video? Where and when was it taken.

looks like Lanacashire really had a big hit when it comes to weather check this out

http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content ... ry.shtml?1

[ultrazapp]

The roof you can see is my mum’s house in Lydiate L31. I was hiding in the greenhouse and that is where I took the photo (It is a still).

If anyone is interested I can give you the "techy" details camera, aperture, speed etc.

This is one of the photographs I took I have more and I am more than happy to upload some more if you want.

For the record that lightening bolt hit a car in the avenue behind my mums house and destroyed it completely resulting in a visit from the local fire brigade.

I of course was not at all frightened and indeed laughed into the face of nature. Ha Ha Haaa "Yeh and if you believe that you are definitely more green than cabbage looking"

Trust me I near had a baby and I'm a bloke!!!!!!!!

[AXJ]

A green house, a rudimentary fariday's cage... fantistic shot.. for pure geek interest, I love to know how you set you camera up, I have tried, we get a lot of lightening round here, never been so lucky as to get a shot like that...

was it a boy or a girl?

[AXJ]

Here is an amazing video from youtube of a car getting hit by lightening, it's a clip from Top Gear, check it out - it is unbelievable.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ryk5hcEBXEA

[mrsflibble]

love the "ufos", love the lightening and I love the bees 'cos it's nice to see them again.

[ultrazapp]

Okay for the tecky people.

Cannon A1 Tripod mounted, aperture F16 and the time set to brief or "B"

The madness to my method was: Watch were the strikes were most common, then set the time to "B" this holds open the shutter manually until it is closed, the set the aperture to its smallest so that the minimal amount of light can enter.

My mums house has street lights which would affect the amount of light entering the camera. This had to be limited. The night was pitch black apart from the lightening storm.

I basically pointed the camera at the place that the lightening was most likely to strike, with the shutter help open with the smallest aperture allowed.

I the crossed my fingers then I crossed my chest and then "Bang" it was there.

Some say lucky, some say good planning. I go with the lucky statement.