For a couple of hours yesterday the gray clouds parted and picture perfect late afternoon winter sun bathed southern Leicestershire. For late December it was also fairly warm. So I guess I didn’t get all I wished for but God moves in mysterious way etc…

It was an afternoon for winter walks, runs and trying out your new electric assisted push bike. Oh, and this being south Leicestershire taking your horse out for a quick hack around the country lanes and bridle paths. No matter I wasn’t in any hurry and happily waited as they clip clopped by before driving on.

I decided to only use one lens, my 70 – 200 mm zoom. This, at times, made for an interesting challenge but much better for that.

The more I use the Sony A7CR the more I realise I am reverting back to an early life. This is caused, in no small part, by the limited use I can get from the screen on the back of the camera. Because we can no longer buy a camera just for stills photography we have to make do with ‘hybrid features‘. On the CR the rear screen is one of those. It swings out so that you can see yourself whilst you ‘vlog’. Thus rendering it next to useless for photography, well at least I find it so. It is small thing but forces me to revert back to my days with early Canon DSLRs. Actually, the more I use this camera I find much older muscle memories resurfacing from much earlier Canon film days. I love it.

I have watched many hours of reviews and set up videos to help me set the camera up. However, my setup is very simple: single shot, RAW, manual ISO, simple auto focus and that is about it. I am interested in the form captured. It can then be shaped on the computer, just as it was in the past in the chemical dark room.

Whether this is the correct approach I haven’t got a clue. It just works for me.

Fn. As I write this the clouds are once more gray and unyielding. We have to be thankful for the light relief we get every now and then. It must be really boring having constant sunny days. I’m sure I’d get used to such things but it wouldn’t be the same. I’m British and so it is written in my DNA to moan about the weather whilst at the same time to enjoy its lumpiness. We are strange people!