Koldsmith Photography

07/06/2026

Seems like my "Theme" this week is definitely birds - Nothing to do with the "bazooka" of a lens I've acquired, I'm sure!

Had my first proper go at getting an African Swallow in flight today over a field of buttercups.

Not a bad first attempt but more practice is definitely needed! (I'm being fussy, when 'pixel-peeping' the bird itself is a tiny bit out of focus)

Nikon Z6 III
600mm
1/1600 sec
f6.3
ISO 360

06/06/2026

The new camera is paying off 😁

I spent a good bit of time hunkered down on a rock by the side of this Loch, camera in my lap, watching the Arctic Terns flitting about when out of nowhere a pair of Geese with four goslings in tow came out from the brush along the shore.

Suddenly the trees behind me exploded with commotion, crows, gulls and other birds started kicking off as this stunning example of a full-grown adult (suspected female) White Tail Eagle made her appearance.

It wasn't long before four goslings became two (I honestly felt bad for the little goslings, they were utterly helpless in the talons of this sensational huntress 😢)

The Eagle then flew off and calm and peace was restored... Except for my thundering heart.

What a rush!

Nikon Z6 III Camera
Nikkor 180-600mm F5.6-6.3 VR Lens

05/06/2026

I suppose I should let the cat out of the bag😂

I've upgraded my camera!

Everything I've posted up until yesterday evening (See the squabbling Herring Gulls) has been shot on a Sony RX10 Mk4 "Bridge" camera. An incredibly versatile camera that has served me very well and taught me a huge amount about photography.
It's considered the "Rolls Royce" of bridge cameras.

While it was amazing for a bridge camera, it also had limitations, particularly with low-light shooting and astrophotography.

From now on I'll be using a Nikon Z6 iii - a 24.5mp full-frame Mirrorless camera.
I've been playing about with it for the past few days and I have to say, the results have left me gobsmacked.

05/06/2026

Super-duper up close and personal with a range of garden birds today :D

Shot on:
Nikon Z6 iii
600mm
1/800 sec
F8.0
ISO 4000

04/06/2026

"Squabbling" 1 & 2

A pair of Herring Gulls having it out in the shallows after one of them snagged a sizeable starfish out of the kelp and the challenger was feeling snackish.

I wish I could point out who was the offender and who was the victim but it was impossible to keep track of them amidst a flurry of wingbeats, splashing and biting (note the right hand gull with a beak-full of wing in the 2nd image!)

By the way, there's no such thing as a "Seagull".

29/05/2026

I've actually got a title for this one:

Acharacle Nocturne (In B-Flat Minor, Performed by 10,000 tiny wings!)

I don't usually lean towards "Pink & Purple" hues in my landscapes but in this instance, I've embraced it! (Almost as much as I embraced the midges)

Location: The meeting of the River Shiel and the sea at Loch Moidart

Shot with: Sony RX10 Mk4
1/50 Sec
F3.5
ISO 64

27/05/2026

27/05/2026

Afterglow on Castle Tioram

This ruined 13th Century Castle is nestled deep within the Ardnamurchan Peninsula. It resides on a rocky promontory connected by a thin sandbar that can sometimes be covered by the high tide.

Sadly access to the interior of this castle is prohibited as the internal structure is unsafe but there's plenty of fantastic compositions to be found in the stunning layered rock, ivy and flowers upon which this Classic Scottish Castle resides.

It's well worth getting to this castle just before sunset (if you can battle the midges!) to really get the best out of it!

Shot on Sony RX10 Mk4
24mm - ISO 64 - F2.4 - 6 Sec - ND1000 Filter

26/05/2026

Scouting out some photography spots 👀

25/05/2026

Gotta love a chance White Tail Eagle sighting :D