Momiji: Autumn Leaves 2 (紅葉：2)

It's almost getting to that time of year here and I'm really looking forward to it. It needs to cool down a bit first, but autumn is definitely in the air.

秋はそろそろ来るので紅葉を楽しみにしてる。まだ暑いけどちょっとだけ秋って感じになってきた！

Frost & Snow (霜と雪)

After a big snowfall in Hiroshima a couple of years ago, I went out to get some pics of the white scenery. I found this at a nearby shrine. This is where you wash your hands and mouth to purify yourself before entering into the shrine grounds.

二年前位、広島には雪がいっぱい降った。次の朝雪の風景を撮りに行ったら近くの神社でこれを見つけた。

Tiny Frog (ちび蛙)

I was just looking back through some of my old pictures from my old point and shoot Kyocera digital camera that I had before I bought my D70. I found this one. This little frog was tiny. Look at the thin stem of the leaf he is sitting on! He was living in a friend's pot-plant on his balcony overlooking a rice field.

この蛙は一眼レフを買う前に使ってたカメラで撮った。本当に小さい蛙だった。親指と同じサイズ！座ってるところ（葉）を見て！友達のバルコニーの鉢植えに住んでた。家の隣にはたんぼがあったから毎年そこまでやってきてたようだ。

Bums Up! (お尻！)

Ever wondered if a duck's bum really was as tight as people say? Well this photo might help you get to the bottom of it! Twice! This is a tale of two ducks. I took this shot in Hyde Park in London a few years ago, and it still brings a smile to my face. I was just lucky to get both diving at the same time.

3年前くらい、ロンドンのハイドパークで撮った写真。今でも見たら笑っちゃう。アヒルのお尻はこんなんだ！と思う。2羽共、同時にそういう姿勢になったのはたまたまだったけどなかなかおもろい写真だとおもう（＾＾）

Know your equipment! 知識

I was just thinking about a hike I took up one of the peaks in the Japan Alps with some friends last new years. We hiked a few hours up the snow covered mountain, to get about 10 to 15 minutes of fun riding down a sweet gully, and a further hour or so back out down to the top of the resort we had hiked out of. It a was tough hike up for me without any snowshoes, and with a board strapped to my back I was fairly knackered by the time we reached the top. I had packed my dslr into my pack and planned to take some pics, but when we finally got to the top, my camera wouldn't work. I kept getting the Error signal. Shit! It was bloody cold up there at that point, and all I could think of was that the cold was shutting my dslr down (I had had this happen with a smaller point-and-shoot camera). So I grudgingly packed the camera away and came back with no shots of the scenery or the riding action. I was bummed. Anyway, back at my mate's lodge, I pulled the camera out, just to find the same error. After a few minutes of fiddling (and worrying) I realized that the lense had been unlocked slightly and was no longer set to the auto f-stop position. Maybe the cold affected my thinking up on the mountain, but I sure won't make that mistake and miss a chance for some great shots again...

去年、友達とバックカントリースキーを楽しむために雪山ハイキングに行った。3時間のハイキングの末、ようやく目的地に到着。意気揚々とカメラを取り出したが、ハプニング発生！！カメラが動かない。。。エラーの表示。。。寒さのせいか？？？結局、原因は、寒さとは関係なくレンズが基本の位置から少しだけズレていただけだった。バックカントリースキーは、とても楽しかったが、写真が1枚も撮れなかったのは、今でもすこし悔いが残る。。。

Here is a pic I snapped from my mobile phone before we hit the gully. Checking the snow layers for avalanche risk.　かろうじて携帯で撮れた1枚「なだれを防ぐためのチェック」

Momiji: Autumn Leaves (紅葉)

Coming from Australia where the trees and countryside more or less swing between shades of pale greens and dry yellows, I was amazed when I saw the countryside turn blazing red and yellow in my first year here when autumn hit. It really gives a different feel to the season change, and makes you think "Ah winter is on its way!" Anyway, this is a photo of some momiji leaves (maple) which I took in a small park over the back of the mountains near where I live.

これは近くの公園で撮った写真。オーストラリアとは違って、紅葉になったら「ああ、冬はもうそろそろ来るなぁ」と思える。オーストラリアでは紅葉が日本みたいにほとんどない。乾いた国なので、緑とか黄色のほうが多い。しかも、多くの木は落葉性の木じゃないのだ。季節の変わりが温度とかで判るけど紅葉があったほうがその変わりがよく感じるよな。

Lily Bug (ユリと虫)