Compact or DSLR

Seems I am forever caught in a quandary when I go travelling nowadays. If I want the cheap travel it`s hand luggage only and the big issue of which camera to take rears it`s head. Sure I`ve been to places where I have taken the gear and just a small amount of cloths - went to Prague a while back with 11kg in my hand luggage (Ssh! Don`t tell the airline !) and I worked out 9.4 kg of it was camera gear. I was travelling solo so usual rules on amount of clothing didn`t apply but still had to struggle about with a huge camera big and big coat that was way too hot which I had taken to decant lenses into if I had been busted for the excess baggage weight!
Over time I have got less and less satisfied with my compact - an outdated Panasonic Lumix TZ5 - but it is small and works OK in good light and I don`t want to spend an arm and a leg on a compact that will not rival output on my D700 or even the D7000! Yes I`d love a Fuji X100 but at that price!!!

Anyway sometimes I just have to bite the bullet and take the TZ5 and then moan at the images I get when I get back. I end up over processing them in Lightroom to get something different out of them and just deleting half of what I get for lack of sharpness, lack of depth of colour - lack of pretty much everything. How come everyone else seems happy with what they get out of compacts I wonder?

Anyway just been away to the Lakes for a couple of days with great friends Anne and Art having a lovely time, despite the rain and despite Anne stating "It`s too f****** green for me" - she likes the scorched earth of a faraway shore. That said we walked rain or shone, enjoyed our great value stay at the Borrowdale and much preferred the 2 free bottles of wine we got in lieu of the cancelled wine tasting that was part of the deal. I mean , we didn`t have to spit the wine out that came free with our dinner - no contest!

Might have known what weather we would get when I saw Anne`s reading material for the trip...

Of course this needed some jiggery pokery as you just don`t get that depth of field with a compact!









First thing we saw from the room was a rainbow

After that it was pretty much sunshine and showers- with some torrential stuff thrown in but we had a great time!

A walk on our doorstep on the banks of Derwentwater

We can get around this one!

Come on Anne - over the stepping stones!

Nice to be away with 2 special people!

Puddles

Rain , rain go away!

These boots are made for walking!

The Borrowdale garden

This cafe used the same language as Anne!

The Keswick Giraffe

On top of the Bowder Stone

OTT HDR

Jump Anne!

By the Lodore Falls

Lodore Falls gardens - lovely hotel where we could use the spa and pool.

Took in the Hawes Wensleydale Cheese factory and samples area on the way back!

Leeds based Paralympians come back as heroes!

Ali Jawad - the unluckiest paralympian I think- robbed of a silver medal when forced to lift 3 times. Each time the judges voted it a fail whilst the appeal jury accepted the lift and gave him another attempt. On the third attempt he just failed to make it and came 4th. They all looked good to me - but what do I know!

 Thanks to my friends at North Leeds Life I was able to cover the triumphant return of Leeds based Paralympians Ali Jawad, Hannah Cockroft,Claire Cashmore and David Stone MBE. As the crowds gathered outside I joined in the melee of TV, radio and press photographers to try and catch a word and a shot with them and then all too soon it was out on stage to greet their waiting fans who raised the roof.

Quite a range of medals on show and the modesty of these sporting superstars was really touching. No prima donnas, just happy to talk about the bond between the team and the tremendous excitement of the whole thing that they were now coming down from!

All the medals with the crowd and Town Hall behind the superstars! Also featuring Leeds Lord Mayor Cllr Anne Castle.

Swimmer Claire Cashmore took part in 6 events and came back with 2 silvers and a bronze.

Got to be the snazziest chair!

Who can forget Hannah Cockroft breaking world paralympic records and winning by a mile to gain gold in the 100 and 200 metre for  T34 women.

The crowd bedecked with Union Jacks

Lord Mayor Cllr Anne Castle

Hannah proudly shows her medals.

Wasn`t expecting a confetti shot!



Nor were they!

What a team. All are based and train in Leeds at world class facilities and who is to say they won`t carry off the medals in Rio! Well done to Team GB and the Paralympian team - you made us all proud in these cash strapped times!