After the muffins...

Over the next few days I have my best friend and fellow photographer, Nic, staying with me, and today we decide to visit Salisbury, Wiltshire, for some sight seeing and photography.

Of course, the main attraction of the town is its cathedral, usually referred to as Salisbury Cathedral, but more correctly named as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and has welcomed visitors for over 750 years. It took a mere 38 years to build, and has the tallest spire in the UK, at 404 feet (123 metres).

Having viewed the interior of the cathedral (the entry of which is still free of charge), and taken time out for a double chocolate-chip muffin and coffee, consumed next to the cloisters - also the largest in Britain (the cloisters, not the muffins) - it was time for some exterior shots.

We shared a camera and lens on this occasion, both seeking suitable angles to show the fine example of Early English architecture to its best advantage, and it is this view from the north-west - sought out by Nic - that I include here.

12-24mm f/4G Nikkor. 1/800 second at f/11. ISO 400


© 2012

Deck chairs...

For day five of my lens project I choose something out of the ordinary: a fisheye lens. Not an everyday optic to shoot with, admittedly, due to its (designed) inherent distortion, but fun to use from a graphic point of view. There are a number of posts on this blog containing fisheye images; the most recent one being  here, but it is an effect that can be easily overdone, and needs to be used sparingly to create impact in a photographers portfolio.

The most appealing feature of the fisheye is the fact that the straight line is banished in favour of curves; not to mention huge depth of field, so I select a local pier on the Dorset coast for today's shoot.

Just before I arrive the clouds roll in and I get caught in a hail storm, but this later proves to be a boon, as the wet planking of Boscombe pier - now rapidly drying once the sun reappears - creates an interesting foreground to the image. The deck chairs; the focal point.


10.5mm f/2.8G Fisheye Nikkor. 1/640 second at f/8. + 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 200


© 2012

300mm (Slight Return)...

I was rather hoping to get some action shots of kite-surfers on Poole bay, today, but calm seas and light winds scuppered my (and their, most likely, if they had any) plans. This is all part of my different lens a day week, and the selection is another super-telephoto.*

Keen observers will note it is the same focal length as the lens I used for Monday's shoot - again a prime lens - and may wonder why I have two such lenses at my disposal. Although one stop slower than its bigger brother, the 300mm f/4 is an asset when I want to travel light but need the reach. It is light enough to use hand held for extended periods, focuses down to around five feet and has stellar optics. I have no hesitation shooting with this lens wide open.

One of the characteristics of long lenses is the apparent image compression they can produce, with plane after plane piled on top of each other, creating the illusion that objects are much closer together than they actually are. This is demonstrated well in the photograph of Bournemouth sea front, this afternoon; the closest wooden groyne and the buildings in the distance being just over a mile apart.

*Any focal length from 300mm and up.


300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/2500 second at f/5.6. ISO 500


© 2012

Boscombe kitesurfer...

I might be forgiven for thinking that this year spring and summer have been skipped, and that I am back in the winter months, given the current weather: below average temperatures; stiff winds - 20 knots, I am reliably informed, by the chap holding an anemometer aloft nearby - and clouds capable of delivering heavy showers. Ideal shooting conditions.

It doesn't take much for me to be out when it's like this; nor the kite-surfers on Boscombe beach, Dorset. There are eight or ten using the designated area for such activities, and although a super-telephoto would pull in greater detail, I am carrying just a 50mm optic - the gentleman's choice - when it comes to lenses. I have extolled its virtues elsewhere in these pages, but suffice to say it is an absolute bargain from any manufacturer, and very versatile. It has a similar angle of view of the human eye, and so gives a more natural appearance to photographs.

I, for one, love it.


50mm f/1.8 AF Nikkor. 1/2000 second at f/11. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400


© 2012

Boscombe surfer...

For the second day of my lens exercise I select a fast aperture telephoto - the Cream Machine, as it affectionately known by its aficionados, by its ability to throw a background into a pleasing blur - and intend to shoot with it wide open. However, bright conditions make it difficult to achieve without overexposing, so I have to stop it down two f-stops for practical purposes.

I choose Boscombe beach on Poole bay for my location, and spend a great deal of the afternoon dodging showers of hail and rain; then dealing with bouts of bright sunshine, but these conditions never bother the surfers that frequent the area (when will that artificial surf reef be made useable? Ha!).


85mm f/1.4D Nikkor. 1/8000 second at f/2.8. - 2.33 EV compensation. ISO 200


© 2012

Seven day project...

This week I am running a little project that involves shooting with a different lens each day, and kick it off with my favourite chunk of glass. I frequently shoot this optic with a tele-converter attached, but for these purposes the lens will be used "naked".

Today, it has been announced that the River Stour has been included in the current drought designation, so I thought I would pay it a visit. I have noticed recently that the water levels are somewhat lower than normal, but it is the upper reaches of the river that are suffering the most, with parts of the riverbed exposed high and dry. Not good news for spawning fish and other wildlife.

En route to the Stour Valley Nature Reserve (my primary location for today's shoot)  I stop by a local pond to see if there is anything happening, and I am treated to the inspiring sight of a mallard family with six ducklings in tow, and spend the best part of two hours trying to get a shot with all in focus. Not easy at the best of times. However, I opt to publish this photograph of a Tufted Duck, taken at the same spot, spreading its wings after some serious preening.


300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor. 1/2000 second at f/4.5. - 1 stop EV compensation. ISO 320. Monopod


© 2012

A little sun and rain...

Today I hadn't planned on any shooting, but I did decide to take a camera for a ride along the seafront of Poole Bay, Dorset. It was a similar day, weather wise, to yesterday - sunny, but breezy - but I had no idea of what was to come late in the afternoon.

At 5.10pm I heard the first distant clap of thunder, and the skies began to darken in the East. With a bit of luck I would get a storm to shoot. Unfortunately that luck never fully materialised, and despite numerous rumblings the storm itself passed inland.

I was, however, treated to some spectacular skies, which I was able to shoot in the comparative comfort of dryness, but it was the rainbow out to sea, with the diffused sun picking out the distant falling rain that fascinated me. I deliberately underexposed the shot so as to saturate the colours.


24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/1600 second at f/8. - 1 stop EV compensation. ISO 400


© 2012

The Agglestone Rock...

Heavy rain showers, thunder and lightning are forecast for today (I get none of it), and I decide to make my first trip this year to the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset. I have one or two locations in mind before I set off, as well as ideas for the type of images I want to shoot  - stark silhouettes against angry skies, for example -  but once arriving on Black Heath I head for the Agglestone Rock. I last visited the location three years ago, and had less than co-operative skies (cloudless), but today was something different.

I could go on about the details of the 400 tonne rock, but they can be found here should you be interested. Instead, I will leave the location and subject to speak for itself.


12-24mm f/4G Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/11. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400


© 2012

Cancelled due to bad weather...

...read the sign adorning the bandstand in a local park: The planned Easter Fun Day was off. Hardly surprising since it had been raining all day, but that wasn't going to stop me. Besides, I have a new pair of walking boots that need a bit of mileage, and I decide upon a seaside shoot.

If it had been better weather then the beaches of Poole bay would have been busy with people of all ages, but today it is largely deserted. There is, of course, the surf activities at Boscombe pier to photograph (always something going on there, even if conditions aren't favourable - no wind or waves won't stop 'em), but the occasional kite and board surfer don't produce inspiring images, and I'm not equipped lens wise. I take a few shots as the steady rain continues, and call it a day.


24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/640 second at f/5.6. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400


© 2012

Wispy cirrus saves the day...

The nine days of good weather (of what is being called early summer by some - I would still call it Spring), is set to break this week, with snow being forecast on high ground in some parts of the UK. So, I make the most of what is left for the foreseeable future, and cover just over 33 miles (53km) on my bike today in search of images.

Unfortunately, I am not too inspired by the light. It has remained pretty much cloudless, and I think I will retire for the day having photographed nothing, but the sudden, and brief, appearance of a few wispy cirrus clouds are all I need to finally get the camera out of the bag.

Although just a straight forward shot of a tree still not yet in leaf, I position myself so that the reeds in the river coincide to some extent with the branches in the reflection, and conveniently hide an electricity pylon behind it. I use a polarising filter to add a bit of punch to the colour.


24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/11. ISO 400. Polariser


© 2012