Phone Camera and Boating

Yesterday I returned from London and pulled the pins in glorious sunshine.  The clouds were stunning, roof tops enchanting and I had a lovely day cruising from Oxford to Thrupp. I have been away a while so it was good to be home.  I also had a chance to see how the phone camera works when the light is good.  I was looking for a small pocket size camera that was a point and shoot, no zoom (generally I find that if I need to zoom then I am not close enough, and the picture gets SO much better when you get close enough), good lens and quick to handle.  I couldn’t find one and as my phone was up for renewal I decided I would see whether my phone would do it. My last Nokia 3MP camera took good pictures when the light was right, but after it broke I downgraded to a 2MP and it drove me potty!

The new phone is a HTC desire with a 5MP camera. I was steering so these pictures aren’t particularly considered they were  snapped when I saw something I liked and quickly before I passed!  I haven’t fiddled with them (and never do). You decide what you think, but I quite like them.

The roof tops in Oxford are lovely.

Boots spotted a cat just after this picture and nearly rocketed off the edge of the boat shaking with excitement!

Coming out of Shuttleworth Lock the clouds roared up ahead

 

The moorings around Alchemy Boats were incredibly empty. I haven’t seen them that empty since Jericho Boat yard Closed (that’s NB Ocelot in the distance coming around the corner)

I often look back when I am cruising – the best views are often behind one. Here is Ocelot disappearing around the corner.  You can see how the light in a different angle changes the whole picture

And again

As I came through Kidlington Green there were some gulls in the sky ahead of the boat. The view was spectacular. By the time I had navigated the corner and switched the camera on the view wasn’t so great. They were in the sky rather than over the water and flying upwards. This one has a bird in the corner:

but then I pointed the camera at the sky and this is what I got:

I quite like the camera. It will take a while to really get used to it, but I think I will.  I still have my Sony which I will use for most things, but it is great to have a camera to hand all the time.  I could carry the Sony around, but I am just not one of those people and as much as I would like to, I just don’t.