Long exposure success!

Awoke this morning to the awful sound of someone cutting through metal very very nearby. Turns out it was the blacksmith, in measuring up the new balustrades and cutting them to measure. What a LOUD noise. I don't recommend it as an alarm. It's too alarming!

I'd dozed off while watching on my iPad Nigel Slater's programme on childhood sweeties (aniseed balls, cherry lips, soor plooms etc), so I awoke in a cold sweat, thinking that the drilling fitted in! It was only about 9.30, but I had to go out in my dressing gown to examine the new fillings fittings.

I have been having trouble doing long exposures. I'd followed a YouTube video exactly, but they always turned out white. The solution is obvious, of course - too much exposure. I check other blippers' times and they're only a few seconds, but it depends what ND filter you use, if any. I was using a variable one, and had it on the maximum, so I figured that the 2 minutes the expert recommended for a 10 stop filter must be right.

So I resolved to go and find some flowing water and have a fiddle. I went down to Dean Village, as I knew there was a waterfall there, easily accessible, as I'd been there in the summer. I couldn't quite remember how to get down to the waterfall, but clambered down slippery leafy slopes, over fallen tree trunks, under fallen tree trunks, through holly bushes blocking the track and along the river on slippery jaggedy rocks. I hoped nobody was across the other side watching from their windows the painfully slow progress of a silly old codger who probably should not have been there anyway.

I couldn't remember it being this tricky, but assumed it had all grown over since my last visit, but eventually I got right back along the river to the waterfall, and then I saw the wall that I'd climbed down last time - right beside the waterfall - much more direct, but still high enough to pose problems for someone who's not agile a stiff old codger.

I fiddled about for ages, trying different exposures. I got back down to a few seconds through just trying different ones. I took about 200 shots. Easy once it's set up and you're using the remote. I chose this one because there's a bit more detail in the the waterfall - a lot of them were just like a white curtain.

A walk along the Water of Leith and back home on another bus - that's an easy round trip that I'll do again. In times gone by, BCM, (before coffee machine) I'd've availed myself of a coffee and scone at one of the Stockbridge establishments. I hope they're all coping without me.

I am STILL tired from swimming yesterday - it's certainly a work out. And that's me just floundering (pun intended)- imagine when I can actually do it!