Stuart Herbert
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stuherbert.bsky.social
Stuart Herbert
@stuherbert.bsky.social
290 followers 220 following 260 posts
He / him. Software industry vet & public speaker. Economic migrant. Passionate about my causes, passionate about my hobbies. @stuherbert@mastodonapp.uk too

https://youtube.com/c/@ganbarodigital
http://hometoneblog.com
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stuherbert.bsky.social
Autumn colours at the #Westernbirt National Arboretum yesterday.

#Fujifilm #SOOC #JPEG #AutumnFalls #photography
November 3, 2025 at 5:19 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
Railway cars waiting for their next passengers.

#photography #cymru #Wales #porthmadog #WelshMountainRailway #fujifilm #XH2 #AutumnFalls #heritage #railway
This photo is a square (1x1) aspect ratio. The left half of the image is taken up by an old railway passenger carriage. The lower half of the carriage is a rich green, while the top half appears to be empty window frames at first glance. There's a sign on the outside that says "third class", alongside the number "38". Most of the right half of the frame is taken up by a flexible pipe or thick cable snaking its away across to the next carriage. And then, at the very edge of the photo, there's just a hint of the next carriage. Behind, in the distance, there's a bay or river estuary, and beyond that, the hills and mountains of North Wales rise.
October 17, 2025 at 8:26 AM
stuherbert.bsky.social
As the seasons are changing, I'm trying to build a new #Fujifilm JPEG #photography recipe to suit the gloomier light.

On the left: #SOOC JPEG.
On the right: edit in LrC.

Which do you prefer?
This photo contains two separate frames. Straight-out-of-camera JPEG on the left, and an edited RAW image on the right. The scene shows two wooden plate wall racks, one rack above the other. The top rack contains four plates peaking out, on the left.
September 2, 2025 at 10:11 AM
stuherbert.bsky.social
The Eastern Path Down Pen-y-Fan.

#SOOC JPEG on the left, my #BlackAndWhitePhotography treatment on the right.

Which do you prefer?

#Photography #Fujifilm #HX2 #MostHatedLens #Wales #Powys #BannauBrycheiniog #LandscapePhotography
This image shows two versions of the same photograph. On the left is the straight-out-of-camera colour JPEG. It has a soft and dreamy feel to it. On the right is my black-and-white edit of the RAW image. It has a harsher, more stark feel to it. The image is taken from the blocked road that leads up to the now-abandoned Lower Neuadd Reservoir. A wire fence that runs along the road can just be made out in the bottom right corner. In the distance rises Pen-y-fan, the tallest mountain in the Brecon Beacons. The photo is taken facing north, and captures the much rarer-seen southern and eastern slopes. From the peak, a well-travelled path picks its way down the eastern slope until it disappears stage right.
August 10, 2025 at 3:07 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
Pen-y-fan, lurking beyond the dam retaining wall at Upper Neuadd Reservoir.

#photography #LandscapePhotography #SOOC #Fujifilm #Wales #Powys #MostHatedLens
This photo shows the distinctive peak of Pen-y-fan (tallest mountain in the Brecon Beacons), peaking through a gap in a row of (I believe?) Scots Pine trees. Just behind the trees, from left to right, runs the retaining wall of Upper Neuadd Reservoir.
August 10, 2025 at 2:42 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
Wondering what that valley looks like from the top of Pen-y-fan? Here you go 🙂

I took the previous shot where those two rows of trees meet, in the upper right quadrant of this photo.

#Photography #LandscapePhotography #Fujifulm #Wales #Powys #BannauBrycheiniog #Neuadd #MostHatedLens
This is a photo taken from Pen-y-fan (highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons), looking south towards the drained (and totally not abandoned, honest!) Upper Neuadd Reservoir. In the foreground, a stream has cut a channel that runs through the middle of the frame and into the distance towards the upper right quadrant of the image. There, two rows of trees seemingly form two sides of a square. In front of the trees, cloaked in shadow, is the retaining wall of Upper Neuadd Reservoir. This reservoir was drained by the local water company some years ago now.
August 10, 2025 at 2:36 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
I'm lucky enough to live in a very beautiful place.

#photography #LandscapePhotography #Wales #Powys #BannauBrycheiniog #Neuadd #Pen-y-fan #Fujifilm #MostHatedLens
This is a photo of the eastern side of Craig-Gwaun-Taf ridge and the sound side of Pen-y-Fan, the highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons. This photo is taken from the dried-out bed of Upper Neuadd Reservoir, an old Victorian reservoir that Welsh Water has drained and left somewhat abandoned.
August 10, 2025 at 2:19 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
Seafront restaurant at #WestonSuperMare, in the early morning summer sun.

#Fujifilm #photography #architecture #england #uk #XH2 #somerset
This is a photograph of Revo Kitchen's building, on the seafront at Weston-super-mare in Somerset, England. The building's roof is made up of a large central pyramid, with longer triangular rows jutting out to the edge of the building. The unusual roof design makes for a striking appearance in the early morning sun.
August 4, 2025 at 10:16 AM
stuherbert.bsky.social
Guitar friends, look what arrived at a (very dusty!) Hermit’s Cave today.

Tone King Imperial MK2 for the Synergy system.

Only found one place stocking them for launch, so I’m delighted to have managed to buy one.

Tweedy demos coming on the blog soon 🙂
May 30, 2025 at 12:48 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
My copy of Itchy Boots’ book just arrived 😍

That’s my weekend sorted.
This is a photo of a book cover. The book is “Free Ride” by Noraly Schoenmaker, better known as the Itchy Boots channel on YouTube. ISBN 987 1 83598 273 0. Published in the UK by August Books. The cover shows Noraly standing beside her motorcycle. Noraly is in full motorcycle leathers, and is holding her motorcycle helmet in her left hand. Noraly and her bike are standing in a desert or salt flat landscape, with deep blue skies above.
May 30, 2025 at 10:32 AM
stuherbert.bsky.social
Spotted at the top of Pen-y-fan this evening.
May 20, 2025 at 8:03 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
Y’all should come to #Wales, where we’ve invented time travel 🙂
A photo of an electronic information board on a Transport for Wales train. The board shows that this train will be calling at Llandaff at 12:06, Radyr at 12:11 and Taffs Well at 12:15. There’s only one problem. As shown in the top-right corner, the current time is 12:33.
April 4, 2025 at 11:37 AM
stuherbert.bsky.social
One of the things I love about living in #Wales is that I never have to travel far to get out for a walk.

This is a #Fujifilm #JPEG, with post-crop and exposure fix. Taken with a #KitLens at f/4.7. A great reminder that we don't always need fast primes to blur out the background :)

#photography
Close-up of weathered wooden trail markers on a fence post in Wales. Two circular directional signs are mounted side by side on the wooden rail. The left marker reads "CYHOEDDUS" with "HYFFORDD" and features an orange arrow. The right marker reads "LLWYBR" (Welsh for "path") and also has an orange directional arrow. The signs are rustic with visible mounting screws and show signs of age. The background is blurred green grassland, suggesting a rural hiking trail or public footpath in the Welsh countryside.
April 3, 2025 at 8:55 AM
stuherbert.bsky.social
This very stark picture perfectly captures the feeling of chaos that I felt while exploring this #AncientWoodland recently.

#photography #fujifilm #xh2 #KitLens #monochrome #BlackAndWhite #Wales
ALT TEXT: A black and white photograph of a forest path winding through tall trees. The trail is lined with exposed tree roots creating a textured, uneven surface. Dappled light filters through the canopy, casting shadows across the path. The surrounding woods are dense with tree trunks standing in formation along the trail's edge, creating a natural corridor through the forest. Small plants and undergrowth can be seen scattered along the forest floor.
April 3, 2025 at 8:42 AM
stuherbert.bsky.social
Ready For The Getaway

Whoever owns this car has a cracking sense of humour.

#photography #StreetPhotography #UrbanPhotography #Fujifilm #XH2 #BlackAndWhite #Wales #Pontypridd #BankRobbers
ALT text: A black and white photograph showing a parked black car with balaclavas placed over the front seat headrests, giving the humorous illusion of people sitting in the vehicle. The car is parked in front of a stone building with a decorative white door. The creative prank makes it appear as though masked figures are waiting inside the car, creating a startling or amusing effect for passersby. The image captures this playful automotive optical illusion against the backdrop of a traditional stone residence.
March 24, 2025 at 10:09 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
The Empty Canal

There used to be a canal that flowed all the way from #MerthyrTydfil down to #SeaLockPond in #Cardiff.

Its path took it through the most important industrial complex in the world. All gone. But the people remained.

#photography #BlackAndWhite #fujifilm #XH2 #history #Wales
ALT text: A black and white photograph showing the historical site of the Glamorganshire Canal at Chapel Row in Merthyr Tydfil. In the foreground sits an old iron ore cart or tram on a stone platform, preserved as an industrial artifact. Behind it spans a small footbridge crossing what was once the canal. The background features traditional stone row houses with several parked cars visible. Rolling hills and trees can be seen in the distance. This location is the closest surviving area to the canal's original starting point of Canal Head.
March 24, 2025 at 9:58 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
The Fallen Empire of Iron.

This was once the largest ironworks in the whole world. Today, it's completely forgotten.

A stark reminder that even world-leading success never lasts.

#photography #landscape #BlackAndWhite #fujifilm #xh2 #Wales #MerthyrTydfil #Cyfarthfa
ALT text: A black and white photograph showing the ruins of Cyfarthfa Ironworks. The image features a large stone structure with an arched opening, surrounded by bare trees in the background. In the foreground is a sparse landscape with concrete remnants, including what appears to be a concrete post or plinth on the left and a rounded stone formation on the right. The scene has a stark, historical atmosphere capturing what remains of what was once the world's largest ironworks.
March 24, 2025 at 9:42 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
The new #HeadsOfTheValleys road, taken from Cefn Coed Viaduct.

#photography #landscape #Wales #MerthyrTydfil #BlackAndWhitePhotography #fujifilm #xh2
ALT: "A black and white photograph showing the new A465/A470 junction of the Heads of the Valleys Road. The image captures a concrete highway interchange with multiple levels spanning across a valley. Several vehicles can be seen traveling on the elevated roadway. Below the bridge structure is a rural landscape with trees, shrubs, and a small building or barn with what appears to be a vehicle parked nearby. The background features wooded hills rising into the distance. The infrastructure demonstrates modern transportation engineering integrated into the Welsh countryside."
March 24, 2025 at 9:26 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
The Watchers Over The Estuary

#StandingStoneSunday #MouldyOldStones #photography #BlackAndWhitePhotography #landscape #Fujifilm #XH2 #Wales
This black and white photograph shows two ancient standing stones positioned on grassy ground. The taller, more pointed stone stands on the left, while a shorter, broader stone sits to the right. Behind the stones is a landscape with shrubs and trees in the middle ground. In the distant background, electrical transmission towers and what appears to be a suspension bridge can be seen spanning across the horizon under a light, cloudy sky. The contrast between the prehistoric stones and modern infrastructure creates a striking juxtaposition of ancient and contemporary elements in the landscape.
March 23, 2025 at 10:13 AM
stuherbert.bsky.social
Just hanging around.

#photography #BlackAndWhitePhotography #Fujifilm #XH2
This is a black and white photograph of a small stuffed animal, appears to be a teddy bear or similar plush toy, positioned between metal bars or a mesh fence. The stuffed animal is white with what looks like a small black eye visible, and its face is pressed against the wire mesh or grate. The metal structure has vertical supports that are weathered or textured. The composition creates a poignant, somewhat melancholic image as the soft toy is juxtaposed against the hard, industrial-looking barrier. The background is blurred, putting focus on the stuffed animal that seems to be looking or reaching through the enclosure.
March 23, 2025 at 10:05 AM
stuherbert.bsky.social
Here are two #SOOC #JPEG photos taken moments apart on my #Fujifilm #X-H2.

One was shot with #AdaptedGlass, and one was shot with a budget manual focus lens.

Have a guess: which one was taken with the budget lens? And tell me which one you prefer, and why.

#photography
The photo shows an industrial facility, perhaps an oil refinery or chemical plant, viewed from a distance. Multiple tall smokestacks and processing towers rise from a complex of industrial buildings and equipment. The tallest column appears to be a distillation tower. The facility is situated in a cleared area with some trees in the foreground and background. The scene is captured during daylight with a clear sky that has a slight haze or atmospheric effect. The industrial complex is surrounded by a rural or suburban landscape with hills visible in the background. The photo shows an industrial facility, perhaps an oil refinery or chemical plant, viewed from a distance. Multiple tall smokestacks and processing towers rise from a complex of industrial buildings and equipment. The tallest column appears to be a distillation tower. The facility is situated in a cleared area with some trees in the foreground and background. The scene is captured during daylight with a clear sky that has a slight haze or atmospheric effect. The industrial complex is surrounded by a rural or suburban landscape with hills visible in the background.
March 23, 2025 at 9:40 AM
stuherbert.bsky.social
Had a few problems shooting my my #AdaptedLens #CanonFD 50mm lens yesterday, so I’ve picked up a cheap 50mm for #Fujifilm today.

Going to take both lenses out and see whether the lens, camera or my manual focus technique is the problem!
March 16, 2025 at 5:30 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
New arrival, and so far I think it’s the best Honey Bee Overdrive pedal that I’ve ever tried.

Will it be the tweed-tone pedal that finally dethrones my beloved Sweet Honey Overdrive? It’s certainly in with a shout.

#guitars #pedals
Photo of my guitar pedalboard. There are three pedals shown: the Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive, the One Control Honey Bee 4K Mini Custom, and the Ceriatone Centura.
March 6, 2025 at 12:40 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
Here's a great example of what I mean.

The colours on this #fujifilm #sooc #photography JPEG are perfect for this kind of shot.

I cannot reproduce this look in LrC. Just can't get the blues to match.

I wouldn't have this image if I hadn't started shooting JPEG.
The masts of unseen sailing yachts ripple on the marina waters.
March 4, 2025 at 6:45 PM
stuherbert.bsky.social
I've been shooting #sooc for my #fujifilm #photography for the last couple of weeks.

Thought it would be interesting to compare a #jpeg with an edited RAW file.

Not meant to be a fair comparison, or apples-to-apples. More that I'm interested in seeing if I want to change my JPEG settings.
Street art, showing the twin towers of Penarth Pier inside a (cartoon?) eye. The eye's pupil is yellow (for sky) and blue (for the Bristol Channel), surrounded by a black iris. The eye is painted on a vivid purple backdrop. This photo is straight-out-of-camera, from a Fujifilm #XH2. Street art, showing the twin towers of Penarth Pier inside a (cartoon?) eye. The eye's pupil is yellow (for sky) and blue (for the Bristol Channel), surrounded by a black iris. The eye is painted on a vivid purple backdrop. This photo is an edited RAW file, from a Fujifilm X-H2.
March 4, 2025 at 5:54 PM