On the cheap

Day three of shooting with different lenses, and so far they have all been prime optics. On this occasion I'm using the much overlooked 50mm f/1.8. They're small; light; fast; sharp; and cheap, and if that's not five good reasons to own one I don't know what is.

© 2026

 

Going long

Built between 1962 and 1964, the fifty-three-metre high Albany flats dominate Bournemouth's East Cliff. Lit by the first rays of sunlight, they are the subject of today's lens: a 300mm telephoto.

© 2026

Occasionally challenged

Occasionally, I like to set myself a photographic challenge; whether it be taking pictures only of the same type of subject, or perhaps shooting at the same time in a twenty-four hour period for a week. This time I've decided to shoot exclusively with a different lens each day.

I'm starting the ball rolling with a 10.5 mm fisheye lens.

© 2026

No competition

There's a notable absence of photographers on the beach before dawn this morning, in spite of promising weather conditions. My guess is that the majority are now nursing the after effects of the previous night's celebrations. Whatever the reason, they missed out as the pre-sunrise light was gorgeous.

The sun did put in an appearance not long after this shot was taken, but the light was no match for what preceded it. 

© 2026

Moving waves

It's the last day of the year (it's also the last sunrise of the first quarter of the century), and winter takes its first real bite on the south coast. Overnight temperatures have dropped to 0º C, but what little wind there is makes it feel closer to -4º C. But that's no excuse to avoid being out with a camera.

It's clear from the offset that the sky won't be happening any time soon, so I concentrate on shapes made by waves lapping onto the beach as the golden hour begins.

© 2025

Avoiding the cliché

It's rare for one of my local piers to be open before 8 a.m. at any time of the year, but today its gates are wide open to the public well before sunrise. I most likely have departing fishermen to thank for that as the pier is regularly used for this purpose overnight.

The scene has been photographed ad nauseam by photographers, both local and visiting, but the early hour plus the warm glow of the lights on the wooden decking make for a composition of colour more than the subject itself.

© 2025

Eureka!

The Eureka Skyway bridge that spans the M20 at Junction 9 is something of a pet subject for me. Opened in 2011, the 140 metre long footbridge and cycleway at Ashford links two retail parks on either side on the motorway. Because of its striking design (at least for a motorway bridge), I tend to visualise it in black and white terms.

© 2025