I am outdoors, and working without gloves. Temperatures have achieved double figures on the Celsius scale, and although the stiff winds still blow - and working in my favour - the rain has gone. It is quite a pleasant, bright afternoon on the south coast, and more early signs of spring are on display as crocuses have started to appear in a local wood. Upon their discovery I stop and contemplate returning home for a macro lens, but opt to return tomorrow to do a proper job of photographing them and press on.
The persistent winds over the past few days have begun to smooth out the sand on the nearby beaches, as well as producing some interesting shapes and textures; the prime reason for my visit. It is not very often that I find my best example in the first place I start looking, but today it was just that. As all good photographers do, I make the note in my mind as I fire the shutter that I will convert the final image to monochrome (above). I come across some other compositions that catch my eye, but this one turns out to be the best.
Days are noticeably growing longer, but my local pier still operates to its winter timetable. This has effectively put an end to the times when I could capture the late afternoon light from an elevated position over the sea. Instead, I start looking round for something different, and notice the reflection in the glass doors to one of the four entrances to the seafront Beach Pods - situated to the east of the pier on the Overstrand. I have the distorted lamp to fill one pane of the double doors; ideally, I need to balance the scene. As I am kneeling down to get the elements of the scene just the way I want them I see, out of the corner of my eye, a jogger approaching, and I time my exposure accordingly.
I only get the one shot, and although there is a good bit of daylight left, I know at that point that I'm done for the day. My mind is on the emerging spring flowers and tomorrows shoot.
24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor.
Top: 1/500 second at f/8. ISO 400. Monopod
Right: 1/320 second at f/8. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400 Monopod
© 2013
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