A foaming head...

Yet again, the bike proves its worth and allows me to respond and get into position quickly, this time for a dawn shoot at Hengistbury Head, Dorset. The wind had dropped since yesterday and the was sky clear, but there was still a strong sea running along the coast of east Dorset. With those conditions it was just a matter of waiting for the rising sun to appear between the broken cloud on the horizon to illuminate the scene above.

85mm f/1.4 Nikkor. 1/125 second at f/8. ISO 320. +0.67 exposure compensation.

© 2009

January sky...

Today's post is just for the sake of putting up an image. The weather forecast was for heavy rain, so consequently I tailored the day to accomodate the conditions, but as so often happens things turn out differently and I only had to tolerate the odd shower. The photograph shows clearing rain clouds over Purbeck, Dorset, during late sfternoon.

85mm f/1.4 Nikkor. 1/640 second at f/8. ISO 320. +0.67 exposure compensation.

© 2009

Squirrels in the park...

It is at this time of year that the grey squirrels in my local park are starting to take an interest in each other with the view to mating, and although I observed several pairs active in this respect it is next to impossible to follow them with a telephoto lens. Because they move so fast from tree to tree, I concentrate on individuals not quite so dynamic. Even so, I still have to react quickly to get any images worthwhile, enticing them with nuts to get them to co-operate for the camera.
Also visible in the park on this fine winter's afternoon are the early signs of the approach of spring, as crocuses push their way above ground, and daffodil shoots become visible.

300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor. 1/2500 second at f/3.2. ISO 400.

© 2009

Bike...

I've had a bike for a week, now, and it's proving its worth. It enables me to react to changing scenery and light far quicker than when driving a car. OK, I'm restricted as to what I can carry on my back, and have to be more selective with which lenses to take with me, but that's no bad thing. As yet I've still to overcome the problem of transporting my 300mm f/2.8 lens around (it weighs six pounds on its own), but there are back packs available to carry just such optics. It's just a matter of when...
So, back to quicker response times. I saw the beginning of the effect (above) once I looked out of the door, and although I could have reached a suitable location just as quickly with a car, getting into position on a bike was far more convienient, enabling me to capture the fleeting pre-dawn light that would have disappeared whilst parking. The image of Hengistbury Head, Dorset, was shot at 7:45 this morning, 20 miniutes before sunrise (again, displaying the advantages of fast lenses).

Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 lens. 1/100 second at f/4. +0.3 exposure compensation. ISO 800.

© 2009

Frozen beaches...

For the better part of the week the UK has experienced conditions colder than parts of Iceland and Greenland, and as a result the sea has frozen at the edges of Poole harbour, Dorset, and in particular around the exclusive Sandbanks peninsula. Largely due to the low salt content and shallow depth, this is still a rare event, but as the cold snap ends and temperatures climb to around 6˚C today the ice has retreated somewhat before I can get to the area with a camera. The image, shot this morning, shows what remains of the ice, with Brownsea Island in the background.

12-24 f/4 Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/11. ISO 250. 0.9 neutral density grey graduated filter.

© 2009

Branksome Chine, Dorset...

The almost Sisyphean task of preserving and maintaining the seven miles of beaches of Poole Bay, Dorset, continues at Branksome Chine. Photographed today, the image shows work on the Long Sea Outfall Replacement project at a cost of £3 million to Wessex Water, which replaces the 110 year old outfall. New groynes are being built adjacent to the site to reduce the effects of longshore drift.

12-24 f/4 Nikkor. 1/40 second at f/11. ISO 320. 0.9 neutral density grey graduated filter.

© 2009

Goodbye, Farewell and Amen...

It's on a crisp winter's afternoon that my local Woolworths, a store chain that traded on Britain's high streets for almost 100 years, closed its doors for the last time today. A victim of the current recession and unable to find a buyer, the closure will result in 27,000 workers loosing their jobs nationwide.
Known (amongst other things) for its "pick-'n'-mix" sweets and child clothing line, "Woolies" at one time even had its own record label. The Embassy label featured cover versions of currect pop songs of the day, and sold at a fraction of the price of the major label releases (naturally).
The image shows the Boscombe branch, one of 815 outlets, trading on its last day. Sadly, I have to be content with exterior images as I was refused permission by the management to photograph inside.

12-24mm f/4 Nikkor. 1/100 second at f/8. ISO 320.

© 2009

Winter sun...

The current cold snap in the UK is forecast to extend into next weekend, but despite the low temperatures and clear overnight skies there is little in the way of ground frost for me to point a lens at. So I return to the sea in the hope of capturing the sunrise as it breaks the horizon. Again, cloud banks that must extend to France and beyond obscure the event, producing images as seen here. At least it's not raining.

85mm f/1.4 Nikkor. 1/2500 second at f/4.5. ISO 400. + 1.0 exposure compensation.

© 2009

Hats off to...

Although the new year dawns with a heavily overcast sky I venture out into the great outdoors on the first day of 2009 in search of images to get the year rolling. Having taken numerous photos of various potential subjects, it's on my way home that I come across the discarded party hat of a reveller from the night before. It's my policy not to stage photographs when recording things in the environment, and this is no exception. The hat is as I found it, but to get a suitable angle I draw the odd glance from passers-by as I have to lay flat on the ground to frame the image with some sort of relevant background.

Incidentally, it is 1963 years ago today (46 BC) that Julius Ceaser introduced the 12 month, 365 days - plus a leap year every four years - reformed calender.

50mm f/1.8 AF Nikkor. 1/400 second at f/2. ISO 400. -0.5 exposure compensation.

© 2009