Phil's photos with the keyword: Still life

British coins photographed with my recently acquired 60mm macro lens......at it's closest focus the 5p coin fills the frame (and slightly overflows it). This is an old lens (first released in the 1980s I believe) which I bought "pre-owned" but it is also an excellent general-purpose and / or portrait lens for Nikon APS-C cameras where it has the equivalent field-of-view of a 90mm lens on a full-frame camera. Camera: NIkon D500 Lens: AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f2.8 Software: Nikon Capture NX2 and Gimp 2

Miniature (50 Centilitre / 18 fluid ounces) bottles of whiskey. Photographed with a tripod-mounted Nikon D500 using the self-timer. Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 G Software: Nikon Capture NX2 and Gimp

A close-up test using a non-macro lens....it took many attempts before I managed to get a good shot without too many reflections. I don't know if this will really "run forever" (as claimed by Argos) but it will probably outlive me.....it has already outlived three watch-straps :-) "A simple yet revolutionary concept: a watch that never needs a battery. Citizen Eco-Drive technology harnesses the power of light from any natural or artificial light source and converts it into energy which is stored in a permanently rechargeable lithium-ion cell. It recharges continuously in any kind of light to run forever." (Argos advertisement). www.argos.co.uk/product/9157332 Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED Software: Nikon Capture NX2

Banks of Solar storage batteries inside the old mill (which is now a museum) at Hardcastle Crags in West Yorkshire, England. Photographed with a Nikon D300s camera and AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens. Processed with Nikon Capture NX2 and PicMonkey.

Ananas is a plant genus of the Bromeliad family (Bromeliaceae), native to South America and Central America and which includes the species Ananas comosus, the pineapple. This genus originated in Mesoamerica and was brought to the Caribbean Islands by the Carib natives. In 1493 Christopher Columbus saw plants of this genus in Guadeloupe. It was brought from Brazil to Europe and from there was distributed to the Pacific Islands by the Spanish and the English. Commercial pineapple plantations were established in Hawaii, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Florida and Cuba. The pineapple has become one of the world's most popular fruits. The tough leaves grow in large rosettes, arising basally from a crown. These leaves are long and lanceolate with a serrate or thorny margin. The flowers, arising from the heart of the rosette, each have their own sepals. They grow into a compact head on a short, robust stalk. The sepals become fleshy and juicy and develop into the well-known complex form of the pseudocarp fruit, crowned by a rosette of leaves. (Wikipedia (edited)). Camera: Sony RX100 Processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

Just a snapshot of a pair of crystal dolphins in a glass sphere....it took quite a few attempts to get the focus right and the reflections in the right place. Camera: Nikon D300s Lens: AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED Processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

My Nikon D300s DSLR, lenses and flash-gun photographed with a Sony RX100 compact camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2. From left to right: Samyang 10mm f2.8 wide angle lens Samyang 8mm f3.5 full-frame fisheye lens Samyang 135mm f2.0 telephoto lens Nikon D300s DSLR + Nikkor 17-55mm f2.8 lens + Speedlight SB-600 flash-gun Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 telephoto lens Samyang 500mm f6.3 catadioptric (mirror) telephoto lens Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5 - f5.6 telephoto lens ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Samyang lenses are available to fit most popular brands of camera. I get mine here: www.ukdigital.co.uk/camera-lenses/lenses-brands/samyang-lenses.html All current Samyang lenses are manual-focus only which makes them a lot lighter and cheaper than those from the camera manufacturers (Nikon, Canon, Sony etc). With the exception of the "mirror" lenses they are all extremely sharp, often as sharp or even sharper than the equivalent lens from the camera manufacturers. Most Samyang lenses (except for those with the Nikon mount) also require the aperture to be set manually as there is no electronic linkage between camera and lens (this also reduces the price and weight).

Photographed with a Sony RX100 compact camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

In Norse mythology a valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who choose those who may die in battle and those who may live. Selecting half of those who die in battle, the valkyries bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin whilst the other half go to the goddess Freyja's afterlife field, Fólkvangr. Valkyries also appear as lovers of heroes and other mortals where they are sometimes described as the daughters of royalty, sometimes accompanied by ravens and sometimes connected to swans or horses. (Wikipedia). Camera Sony RX100. Processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

Some of the harmonicas from my collection. The "Art Deco" ones (at the top and on both sides of this photo) date from the 1930s whilst the others are more recent dating from the 1960s to the present. The red Hohner (top) was made for the World Trade Fair in Chicago, 1933. Some of the oldest ones were in a very bad condition when I bought them but I've cleaned and restored them and they all now work well. Camera Sony RX100. Processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

Midsummer weather....British style. For the past few days we've had a heatwave but yesterday the local weather forecast said "severe weather is on the way". Somehow they always manage to get it right when the news is bad !! Camera Sony RX100. Processed with NIkon Capture NX2.

A group of Summer flowers, mostly geraniums and pansies, photographed today on Brierfield railway station whilst waiting for a (delayed, as usual) train. The trains are ancient, uncomfortable and seldom run on time but the station, at least, has been improved with the addition of a small garden and flower boxes. Camera Sony RX100 and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

A Sterling Silver £5 coin from Gibraltar, photographed with a Sony RX100 camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2. "England expects that every man will do his duty" was a signal sent by Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, from his flagship HMS Victory as the Battle of Trafalgar was about to commence on 21 October 1805. Trafalgar was the decisive naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars. It gave the United Kingdom control of the seas, removing all possibility of an invasion and conquest of Britain. Although there was much confusion surrounding the wording of the signal in the aftermath of the battle, the significance of the victory and Nelson's death during the battle led to the phrase becoming embedded in the English psyche and it has been regularly quoted, paraphrased and referenced up to the modern day. As the British fleet closed with the opposing combined fleets of France and Spain, Lord Nelson signalled all the necessary battle instructions to his ships. However, aware of the momentousness of events to come, Lord Nelson felt that something extra was required. He instructed his signal officer, Lieutenant John Pasco, to signal to the fleet as quickly as possible the message "England confides [i.e. is confident] that every man will do his duty." Pasco suggested to Nelson that "expects" be substituted for "confides" since the former word was in the signal book whereas "confides" would have to be spelt out letter-by-letter. Nelson agreed to the change (even though 'expects' gave a less trusting impression than 'confides'): Thus, at around 11:45 am on 21 October 1805, the most famous naval signal in British history was sent. The exact time the signal was sent is not known (one account puts it as early as 10:30) as the message was repeated throughout the fleet and logs would have been written up after the battle but Pasco puts it at "about a quarter to noon" and logs from other ships of the line also put it close to this time (Wikipedia).

In 2002 the UK issued a series of "pattern" coins based on the Euro. The coins were struck at the Heaton Birmingham Mint (which closed in 2003) with permission granted by the UK Government to use a new portrait of HM the Queen. A pattern coin is a coin which has not been approved for release, produced for the purpose of evaluating a proposed coin design and not meant for circulation. They are often produced to proof standard in Gold or Silver and as "Piedforts" (double the thickness and weight of the standard version of a particular coin). They are collected or studied by coin collectors because of their highly-elaborate designs and their rarity....this one is a Sterling Silver Piedfort (one of only 5000 ever made to this specification). Pattern coins have been created for a variety of reasons, including sample coins for VIPs and for testing various designs and die cuts in the minting equipment. Camera: Sony RX100. Processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

In 2002 the UK issued a series of pattern coins based on the Euro. The coins were struck at the Heaton Birmingham Mint (which closed in 2003) with permission granted by the UK Government to use a new portrait of HM the Queen. A pattern coin is a coin which has not been approved for release, produced for the purpose of evaluating a proposed coin design and not meant for circulation. They are often produced to proof standard in Gold or Silver, and as "Piedforts" (with double the thickness and weight of the standard version of a particular coin). They are collected or studied by coin collectors because of their highly-elaborate designs and their rarity....this one is a Sterling Silver Piedfort (one of only 5000 ever made to this specification). Pattern coins have been created for a variety of reasons, including sample coins for VIPs and for testing various designs and die cuts in the minting equipment. Camera: Sony RX100. Processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

A Gold & Silver coin / medallion issued to commemorate the introduction of the new Euro coinage that was released (except in the UK) into circulation on January 1st 2002. There is a different design for each country on the obverse of the medal (this is the French one.....see further down the page for the other side of this coin) and it depicts scenes and events from French history, a Gold €50 with the names of all the member countries and a Golden portrait of the Goddess Europa. The reverse design (pictured here) is common to all of the coins and depicts a map of Europe. This coin is made of pure ("fine") Silver with 24 carat / karat Gold gilding and weighs 20 grams (0.7 ounces). Photographed with a Sony RX100 camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

In Norse mythology Freyja (Old Norse "Lady") is a Goddess associated with love, sexuality, beauty, fertility, gold, war and death. Freyja is the owner of the fabled necklace Brísingamen. She rides a chariot pulled by two cats or, when not using her chariot, rides the boar Hildisvíni (which is also said to be Freyja's human lover Otta in disguise and is the reason why the God Loki consistently accuses her of being "wanton" by "riding her lover in public"). She possesses a cloak of falcon feathers and, by her husband Óðr, is the mother of two daughters, Hnoss and Gersemi. Along with her brother, father and mother, she is a member of the Vanir. Modern forms of the name include Freya, Freija, Frejya, Freyia, Frøya, Frøjya, Freia, and Freja. Freyja rules over her heavenly afterlife field Fólkvangr and there receives half of those that die in battle.........the other half go to the God Odin's hall, Valhalla. Freyja assists other deities by allowing them to use her feathered cloak, is invoked in matters of fertility and love and is frequently sought after by powerful Jötnar who wish to make her their wife. Freyja's husband, the God Óðr, is frequently absent. She cries tears of amber (or "red gold") for him and constantly searches for him under assumed names. Amber is plentiful in the Scandinavian / Baltic regions and is often referred to as "The Tears of The Goddess". Scholars have theorized about whether Freyja and the Scandinavian Goddess Frigg ultimately stem from a single Goddess common among the Germanic peoples and about her connection to the Valkyries, female battlefield choosers of the slain. Freyja's name appears in numerous place names in Scandinavia with a high concentration in Southern Sweden. Various plants in Scandinavia once bore her name (before they were, apparently, "converted" to Christianity) and rural Scandinavians continued to acknowledge Freyja into the 19th century and beyond. (Wikipedia....edited & shortened). Camera Sony RX100. Processed with Nikon Capture NX2. Cold-cast figurine from Nemesis Now ("Willow Hall" collection).

Morrígan (meaning "Phantom Queen" or "Great Queen") is usually regarded as a Celtic / Irish war Goddess and she has been compared with the Valkyrie / Walkuere of Germanic and Scandinavian origin. Her role often involves premonitions and predictions of a particular warrior's violent death, suggesting a link with the Banshee of later Irish folklore. In certain areas of Ireland this supernatural being is, in addition to the name Banshee, also called Badb (in some versions, Badb and Morrigan are sisters). Her role was not only as a symbol of imminent death but also to influence the outcome of wars and battles. She did this by appearing as a crow or raven flying over the battlefield and would inspire either fear or courage in the hearts of the warriors. She could be heard as a voice among the corpses on a battlefield and, according to some accounts, she would often join in the battle itself as a warrior and show her favouritism in a more direct manner. (Wikipedia...edited & shortened). Photographed with a Sony RX100 camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2. Figurine of Morrigan by Pagan artist & sculptor Neil Sims from South Shields, U.K.