Bowled Over!

 

I recently purchased a new digital bridge camera. After spending a couple of days reading; and then re-reading; the manual I have been taking different opportunities to try out some of the many options for taking photographs the new computerised wonder can provide.

So, during last Sunday, I watched part of the cricket match played on my local playing field to try for some action shots.

Another spectator started a conversation with me about my camera and the facilities that it offers. Dave – I learnt his name later – was interested as he is looking for a new one to take photographs of steam-locomotives and aeroplanes.

During our chat he informed me about three forthcoming opportunities, before the end-of-the-year, to see steam-locomotives travelling along the local railway line, and advised me as to the most advantageous location to take some photographs. I was listening but was also trying to concentrate on getting some good exposures.

 

He changed the conversation to aeroplanes that regular fly over our village and in particular the Emirates Airline Airbus A380. Each day an A380 departs from Manchester Airport (I've checked and it's scheduled to leave at 14:05 hrs.), heading for Dubai, and flies over our location between 14:40 and 15:00 hrs. I admitted on being questioned that I wasn't aware of that and therefore hadn't seen it. I also commented that its flight-path is probably too high for me to notice it.

I knew I had to be home by 15:30 hrs. and checked my watch. It was 15:10 hrs. and I said to David: “It looks as if we've missed it today”. Two minutes later I was bowled over when I managed to take this photograph of the Emirates A380.

© Elliot Sampford 2014