Trying something new with this thread.
There's no point starting a fresh thread for each photo trip as I usually only get a tiny number of images from each trip.
I'm hoping this thread can be a dumping ground for images of Swildons Hole for everyone who has something worth sharing but doesn't fancy writing up a full trip report.

These are from a solo trip to try out some new gear.
The new tripod is superb! Small enough to travel on top of the Peli case, but big and solid enough to be genuinely useful.
My new floodlight was less of a success, it has a yellow cast that doesn't go well with my other lighting; this is going to have to be used with extreme caution!
Being my own model is a real bore, it is far harder to set up the lighting and I took loads of alternate poses trying to get something that worked as running back to check after each shot wasn't practical. If anyone cares to join me on a photo trip please drop me a PM suggesting some dates, it will be much appreciated!

The Under and Over Obstacle just above Swildons 20


The Old Grotto


I had a lovely chat with two cavers heading down to take photos; I'm gob-smacked they knew who I was from browsing UKC!
Hopefully they'll post something when they get home.

Super photos Duncan! Keep them coming please.

Nice to meet you Duncan The big bag + solo caver gave yourself away! Sorry we dashed off, we had to be back in Bristol for 7 so didn't have long to cave. Will post some snaps up later, nowhere near as good as yours...

Hi Duncan,

I really like your photos, and a great idea for a thread.  Interestingly I took a photo or two at almost the same spot a week or two ago, it is also interesting how different somewhere can look with different lighting...



Taken using a tripod and a caving lamp for backlight.

One of my earliest Swildon's Hole pictures...

bagpuss said:

Nice to meet you Duncan The big bag + solo caver gave yourself away! Sorry we dashed off, we had to be back in Bristol for 7 so didn't have long to cave. Will post some snaps up later, nowhere near as good as yours...

Click to expand...

Looking forward to see them, and really great to chat - thanks

Ed W said:

Hi Duncan,

I really like your photos, and a great idea for a thread.  Interestingly I took a photo or two at almost the same spot a week or two ago, it is also interesting how different somewhere can look with different lighting...

...

Taken using a tripod and a caving lamp for backlight.

Click to expand...

Good Lord - that's superb!
You are right, lighting is the key to everything - tripods, cameras, etc are only ways to capture what is already there.
I hope you entered that for the Mendip Photo Thingy (entries now closed).

I love Duncan's photos for the sheer beauty. Cap'n Chris's really captures the feel of Swildons for me.

Cap'n Chris said:

One of my earliest Swildon's Hole pictures...
...

Click to expand...

LOL - that looks a lot like my early photo trips with available light and a pocket camera a few months back when we had some water down there.
It was really dry down there tonight, my bag didn't even ship water lugging it to the head of the 40 eyehole.
That's a superb image that captures the feeling of terror I had I my early trips. I can't believe how much I've changed since then; Swildons tonight was like meeting up with an old friend compared to the camera-less full-on caving trips I've been doing recently.

I can't quite work out where that is. The rocks look very like the angled slab above showerbath, but the water at the bottom of the frame is not right for there, even in high-ish water.
Where is it please, it looks great!

glyders said:

I love Duncan's photos for the sheer beauty. Cap'n Chris's really captures the feel of Swildons for me.

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Yup - the Cap'n s image is a cracker!

All in the upper series/below the ladder up to the inclined rift. Taken on my new 'tough' camera Richoh WG-4 - it's waterproof/drop proof etc. No tripod or extra lights used on this trip, first time  using the camera, and only a few hours to spare as had to be back to Bristol for 7 Plenty of settings still to learn on the camera (too much light in quite a few), would like to return with a tripod.. Posted quite a few as thought it might be of interest to others how the camera performs.









Sadly no caver on ladder as I can't multi task

Great pics everyone.
Would be nice if they were screen filling size.
800 x 600.....................?

Duncan S said:

Where is it please, it looks great!

Click to expand...

Final cascade climb before reaching Sump 1. I was lying in the water holding the camera by hand. Went back and took as best a version as possible using a tripod but it didn't get the foreground water as well as the original rough-and-ready pic above.

bagpuss said:

All in the upper series/below the ladder up to the inclined rift. Taken on my new 'tough' camera Richoh WG-4 - it's waterproof/drop proof etc. No tripod or extra lights used on this trip, first time  using the camera, and only a few hours to spare as had to be back to Bristol for 7 Plenty of settings still to learn on the camera (too much light in quite a few), would like to return with a tripod.. Posted quite a few as thought it might be of interest to others how the camera performs.

....

Click to expand...

Considering you weren't using extra lights, those came out remarkably well!
Looks like you and the Ricoh and going to get on just fine

Laurie said:

Great pics everyone.
Would be nice if they were screen filling size.
800 x 600.....................?

Click to expand...

It's never as simple as that...
I can't view the Capn's image without scrolling and the slightly smaller 800x600 will cause some people problems.
And then there is bandwidth; image heavy threads are a pain to view unless you have a tip-top internet connection.
A smaller image size means more people can view the thread.
Ideally the image should be clickable to view larger, but some forums make this easier than others...

Cap'n Chris said:

Final cascade climb before reaching Sump 1. I was lying in the water holding the camera by hand. Went back and took as best a version as possible using a tripod but it didn't get the foreground water as well as the original rough-and-ready pic above.

Click to expand...

Cheers
LOL - The things we sometimes need to do to get the shot!

Duncan S said:

bagpuss said:

All in the upper series/below the ladder up to the inclined rift. Taken on my new 'tough' camera Richoh WG-4 - it's waterproof/drop proof etc. No tripod or extra lights used on this trip, first time  using the camera, and only a few hours to spare as had to be back to Bristol for 7 Plenty of settings still to learn on the camera (too much light in quite a few), would like to return with a tripod.. Posted quite a few as thought it might be of interest to others how the camera performs.

....

Click to expand...

Considering you weren't using extra lights, those came out remarkably well!
Looks like you and the Ricoh and going to get on just fine

Click to expand...

Thanks Duncan - need to find some teeny tiny things to photograph now which is what I like best about cave photography, hoping to re visit Fairy Cave quarry on Thursday so will get another chance to play.

Laurie - sorry about the sizing, I normally post bigger but was sharing from Picassa & hadn't realised how small they come out..

Finally got back to photograph a couple of locations reccied over three months ago.
At the time, they seemed impossibly vast avens, but they seem to have shrunk while I've been off caving elsewhere.
Still rather impressive for Swildons 1 though...

Great pics. Beautifully lit. 

Thanks Laurie 
However, I feel I can do better and need to sit down with Sarah and have a think.

The first shot had WAY more water during the reccie three months ago and looked far more dramatic, this needs re-taking when the wet weather returns.
Sarah's pose could be improved; communication was difficult over what little water there was; so need to discuss with Sarah and use 2-way radios.
My rope sack and Peli case are in shot - whoops! I darkened then a bit to make them less obvious, but...
My dive light failed, otherwise we'd have had a bit of underwater illumination.
The down stream passage needs a little bit of light in it as it can be seen going off into the distance.
But this location has potential, which is great

The second shot can definitely be improved.
Sarah's shadow is great, but I'm sat in the wrong place as the massive well-decorated aven behind her isn't visible. Sarah called me up to where she is standing and there is a shot in it's own right from up there! This feeling of distance is what I originally saw, but it is going to be harder to capture than I thought.
I need some light on the waterfall going under the flowstone, it should be a highlight of the image.
I was expecting Sarah to need a safety line to get near enough to the edge for this shot, but we didn't use it; we should have. Maybe if she lowers herself over the edge a step or two and I photograph her climbing back up then the it might look great , but we will lose the lovely shadow; lots to think about.

In summary; these two locations have potential and they are an easy evening trip.
And I learned a lot for next time