Canon 400D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L lens - 9 exp (1/80 to 1.6 second), f/16, ISO 100

This is another HDR photo but I'm much more pleased with the way it turned out compared to the last one. I think the sunset photo was plagued by in-camera noise from the low light. The other main difference between this and the last is a small amount of Photoshop tweaking after the HDR process - the tyres are darker, alloys lighter and a monotone tint. Only the car itself is HDR as I cut it out and placed it on one of the original exposures.

I love the way the HDR aspect makes the car look almost silver. I probably should have given it a clean though.

Canon 400D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L lens - 7 exp (1/5 to 3.2 second), f/16, ISO 100

This was the sky outside of my study last night in HDR form. I used Photomatix to blend 7 exposures taken at different durations. I've tried HDR photography before with Photoshop but this is the first time with Photomatix.

I'm happy with the result but my tripod was at full stretch and it slipped slightly during the sequence which Photomatix then had to correct for so the image loses a bit of definition.

Canon Digital IXUS 860 IS - 1/200 to 1/640 second, f/5.8, ISO 80

Since I haven't posted for a week or so... This one is from the Zorbing on my stag day. Zorbing is... "a sport in which a participant is secured inside an inner capsule in a large, transparent ball which is then rolled along the ground or down hills". Basically a giant hamster ball rolled down a hill. Great fun though the harness Zorb (when the riders are strapped in) can be a little bumpy.

I created this composite in Photoshop.

Canon 400D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L lens - 1/100 second, f/4, ISO 100

We see this fox quite often around the neighbourhood and this is the second time it has come into the garden in broad daylight.

It's quick though so I had to jump for the camera and use the lens that was fitted. I wish I'd had more time to use a smaller aperture though as it's a little soft. It's heavily cropped and a vignette added to try and focus attention on the fox.

I didn't want to risk opening the patio door so the shot is taken through glass which doesn't help.

I must admit, I like Photoshop. In fact I'm fascinated by the kind of changes a skilled person can make to a photograph, especially the magazine retoucher's work on people.

Here is my rather less skilled attempt at retouching a photo from last month's Digital Photographer magazine. It took me about four hours to do this. There are hundreds of tiny changes and tweaks adding up to approximately 24 major differences. Can you spot them all? (You might want to click through to a larger size.)

For demonstrations of better Photoshop skill these are worth a watch:

• The magic of Photoshop
• Extreme (Photoshop) Makeover
• Retoque com Photoshop
• Extreme Photoshop Retouch
• The camera never lies (BBC Radio 1 Surgery)

Canon 400D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L lens - 1/320 second, f/4, ISO 100

This is the last and my favourite of the architectural series from January. The photo itself is Bournemouth library in the centre of town. As usual there has been some processing because the original was very grey.

Canon 400D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L lens - 1/80 second, f/11, ISO 100

The second in this series and right next door to the previous one. I have to admit I cloned out a bit of the sign to highlight the word but it summed up the mood that day. I have forgotten what the whole word said but in searching for another photo I came across lots of very good photos taken on Bournemouth beach which are well worth a look.

Canon 400D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L lens - 1/100 second, f/11, ISO 100

This was taken a few weeks ago down by the beach in Bournemouth. For the end of January it was very warm and I liked the simple lines (also, it was very busy and pointing the camera up was the only way to miss the crowd).

Canon 400D, Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-f/4.5 USM lens - 1/60 second, f/4, ISO 100

This is what was behind the camera... As the chalet is hanging on the mountainside there is a huge vertical drop just outside these windows. The view is spectacular and not for people that get vertigo. You can see the whole of Meribel and you feel like you are sitting in a bird's nest.

Photography wise this is the shot I'm least happy with because it doesn't have the same level of colour saturation as the others (I tried but it ended up looking fake). Also, in this series I used quite a severe vignette to focus attention on the centre of frame which gives them a bit of a 70's feel (especially with the decor).

This is the set complete. I hope you like them. There are a couple more in my Meribel 2008 set which I won't blog about. Next time I'll post some architectural shots taken whilst photowalking around Bournemouth.