Not what I expected...

I must be getting forgetful. I knew of the schedule last week - prompted at the time by the unexpected appearance in Poole Bay, Dorset - of PS Waverley; I even checked the weather forecast (which seemed favourable) to make sure of sailing days to and from the area...

Yet this morning I am caught totally by surprise by the aforementioned sea-going paddle steamer, sailing East to rendezvous with passengers waiting to be picked up from Bournemouth Pier. It had completely slipped my mind.

I'm rambling along the beach when all this starts to happen, and I know I haven't a hope of making on foot to the pier before it docks. It's damage limitation time if I want any worthwhile shots, as I am only carrying a standard zoom lens, so I need to react quickly.

I had been shooting sunlight patterns cast upon the sea earlier, but had no suitable focal point for the picture, so I decide my best bet is to get up high again on the cliff top and repeat as necessary. The broken cloud is still casting shadows onto the sea, but ideally I need the ship to be in a pool of light before it passes my viewpoint and again becomes too small in the frame. I get what I am after, and try and cram as much of the scene into the frame as possible, despite shooting at the lenses longest focal length.

I wonder if the ship is sailing again tomorrow...


24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/1250 second at f/11. - 0333 EV compensation. ISO 200


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