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We are all very aware of the environmental nego's around replacing our old toys, for a new one's, whether it's a car, boat, or latest phone. In my case it was the temptation of a new lens. Did I need to? Not really. I did think it would be worth spending a little bit of time, for your sake as well as mine, seeing if there was much of an improvement to be made, without the material waste.

The second leg of the Ocean Race Europe starts off the Royal Yacht Squadron on Sunday. The yachts will then pass through the narrows at Hurst Point, the same location from which I photographed the Fastnet Race, before skirting round France and heading for a quick stop in Portugal.

This image is only possible from a land base when the sea and wind conditions are such that it is of tactical advantage to the yachts to come in close before tacking back across the channel, or in this case a turn of a few degrees to avoid the rocks, but to remain close-hauled in the favourable water / wind conditions.

A late evening preamble by the lake to the side of this wart, is an enjoyable experience, and we partook. Aware of the difficulty with exposure in these conditions, where the eye/brain is so clever, but a camera is not, I took a short series of photos to help you sort your images, and to inspire you to experiment.

There was I wandering alongside one of the leats in the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen, an amazing place of grown-over sand-dunes which are used as a huge water purification system to supply Amsterdam, when I saw a toad.

The scene, although not particularly photogenic as a whole, was one of fascination. The water in the canal next to us, was mostly sunlit, and over the period of time we sat imbibing, the angle of the sun on the water, changed, and with it the reflections, and clarity of the water, and what and how we saw.

The Simple Photography Tips I want to share with you are based upon a handful of photographs I took as I walked down, and which centre upon using features to lead the eye.

In that fantastic time of year known as summer, we are blessed to see the wonder of the few remaining butterflies. Yes, miserably, in most parts of the world, our pre-occupation with pesticides and monoculture, along with climate change, means there has been a staggering decline in both numbers and species. For those of us lucky enough to still see these beauties, and whom have the desire to try taking pictures of them, here are a few tips.

In this case an early sunny summers' morning, and a shuffle along the beach. Why a shuffle? It's the best way to notice things, especially small things. Crouch down if you can, and you'll see a whole bunch more. Even better, crawl if it's sandy. The whole business of looking until you see is really highlighted when looking at a beach, there are truly so many things that grab your attention, that it's really easy to miss the small stuff.

So, after so much dry weather, it was raining quite heavily this morning, great for farmers, and cow's that are allowed on pasture. Also an ideal time for me to get out and take some images to inspire you with simple photography tips for what to do when you're out for a walk in the rain.

Now your eye, linked to that clever bit of creation known as your brain, takes the scene and ignores all sorts of things that distract from the scene. But your camera, whether big proper one, or phone camera, doesn't do that, so you have to learn some 'techniques'. Let's have a look at the images I took, and the progression to a 'better' picture. Lens flare can be fun in places, but not here, it spoils the picture. How to deal with Lens Flare is today's first Simple

Ferns and their fossil remains have been found on every continent, so wherever you are in the world, possibly barring Antarctica, this blog on photographing ferns may be of relevance. Over the last forty years and more I've been mesmerised by these amazing plants, especially in the spring when they go through the most intricate, and taken many images of the unfurling of the leaves.

So there we were, sitting sipping splendid coffee, my mind was on these blogs, and my strapline - "look until you see". So that I did, and here is one of the results.

Perhaps you're on holiday, perhaps you live in a city, or near a market town. There are so many similar places in the world where you can go - the local market. What they all have in common is that they are one of the best places to visit, with your camera or phone-camera. You can photograph people, often with real character showing, if the light is kind there are opportunities to take really atmospheric photographs, and you can get in close and photograph food in it's rawest

The cloud conditions lent themselves to variable and interesting photographs, and I spent some time experimenting with some of the options on how to photograph a windmill like this. I was using my iphone 14.

nine simple photography tips on what to do when you're stuck in a foreign city at the weekend - Camera and Phone Camera Look for a new...

Paris late Summer. On the banks of the River Seine. These simple photography tips are about taking something slightly strange

Let's have a look at getting better exposure on photos with your phone camera.

Monet, is reported to have been in the habit of standing and looking, for around forty five minutes, before starting

So I'm blessed to live within quite close range of one of the most stunning buildings in the whole wide world - Salisbury Cathedral, and many Saturdays we park on the edge of town, and walk across the ancient water meadows (Link to the charity?) on what is known as The Town Path. The photo's below show the view. As is often the case, I took the images to illustrate a point and perhaps help you. Many days are sunny and stunning, others you are stuck, perhaps on a tour, or b