On a cold and frosty morning...

I rarely get snow, so I often have to use a heavy frost as a substitute to give the impression of coldness. The reality is, it is cold on a bike as I ride into the pre-dawn, and if anybody has the solution for keeping hands warm whilst riding at this time of year I'd like to hear from you.

The sky is overcast when I arrive at the river, and my early efforts have a monochromatic look to them, but as soon as the sky clears and the sun peers over the tree line the scene is transformed.


24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/60 second at f/14. ISO 400. Monopod



© 2014

Leaving it late...

This time of year does have its advantages. No, really, for whilst the majority are still putting finishing touches to their Christmas preparations - or in some cases, just starting them - I have a windswept beach at low tide all to myself. Taken shortly before sunset, the cloud broke for just a few minutes to give me a touch of colour.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/60 second at f/8.  - 0.33 EV compensation. Monopod. ISO 640



© 2014

Shapes of things...

Since the sun is at the same angle you'd think that the hour after sunrise would produce the same light as the hour before sunset, but to me it is always different, even if the effects are subtle. Maybe it's because any pollutants that collect in the atmosphere during the day tend to be absent - producing cleaner light -  but whatever the reason it certainly isn't the same. That's my theory, anyway.

Photographed a few minutes after dawn, today, it is just a case of waiting for the right water shapes on a local beach before firing the shutter.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/100 second at f/11. + 0.33 EV compensation. Tripod. ISO 200



© 2014

Solomon Browne...

In memory of the Penlee lifeboat disaster, on this day in 1981. In all, sixteen people died that night: eight of which were volunteer lifeboatmen aboard the Solomon Browne. The American pilot of a Sea King rescue helicopter from 820 Naval Air Squadron, sent to assist but was unable to save anyone because of the heavy seas, later wrote:

"The greatest act of courage that I have ever seen, and am ever likely to see, was the penultimate courage and dedication shown by the Penlee [crew] when it manoeuvred back alongside the casualty in over 60 ft breakers and rescued four people shortly after the Penlee had been bashed on top of the casualty's hatch covers. They were truly the bravest eight men I've ever seen, who were also totally dedicated to upholding the highest standards of the RNLI"



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/8. + 1 stop EV compensation. ISO 400



© 2014

Nothing is coming up roses...

I always think it such a shame that beautiful flowers such as these can be discarded like they are, as in this instance. As I have mentioned before on this blog, they are often used as props during beach shoots for the happy couple after a wedding, but instead of abandoning them on the sand afterwards couldn't they at least offer them to passers-by? I suspect that someone has gathered the blooms together and made an unusual display by the sea, but one thing is certain: they won't keep very long like this.





85mm f/1.4 D AF Nikkor. 1/160 second at f/4.5. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400



© 2014

Fair trade...

For the most part of the day the winter's sky remained clear and blue, but instead of taking advantage of what precious little sunlight we get at this time of year I elect to indulge in more bribery in the woods, and some wildlife shooting. I am on the scene by mid-morning to photograph squirrels again (Nic says if I keep this up I'll start to look like them), but whether or not someone else has beaten me to it when it comes to free hand-outs is beside the point: there are none. I know they are there, somewhere, so maybe they're not hungry.

Fat chance. Once one appears it quickly gets busy, and for a quiet hour the squirrels and I trade images for peanuts.



300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor. Tripod. ISO 400
Top: 1/500 second at f/4. - 1 stop EV compensation
Below: 1/250 second at f/4. - 1.67 EV compensation



© 2014

Crocus, catkins and nervy rodents...

There is less that 8 hours of sunlight now available at my latitude, with mid-winter almost here, but to look around you would think otherwise. Crocus are sprouting a good three inches above ground in a local park; catkins are hanging from a tree in a nearby garden and something or other is flowering in my own back yard: all signs of spring. On top of that insect activity hasn't really stopped, due, no doubt, to the mild weather.

What doesn't change is the voracious appetite of the local grey squirrels, and once again I tempt them before my lens with peanuts. I'm shooting from ground level this time - tripod legs splayed out flat - as I want to give the images a squirrel's perspective. For some reason they are more wary of my camera set up this way than they were when everything towered above them last week, but eventually the idea of a free lunch overcame any apprehension on their part.

To give them a greater comfort zone I am using a remote release to take the shots. This allows me to back away from the camera, having framed and pre-focused on one particular spot. Letting the rodents come to me is the thinking behind the setup, and as soon as one does, I shoot. This technique works well until the shutter fires: the click sending most of them scurrying away to a safer distance, but even this unexpected racket is soon dismissed by the more inquisitive, and I start getting the images I hoped for.

Shooting blind like this is always hit or miss, and my success rate is very poor, with nearly all the frames unusable because of subject blur. On the woodland floor light levels are always low, and these nervous animals are just so fast once they get on the move. For this picture I had balanced a nut on top of the lens hood, and whilst the squirrel was preoccupied with risk assessment I was able to get at least one sharp frame.

Time for a rethink, I fancy.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/125 second at f/11. ISO 640. Tripod and remote release.



© 2014

In tatters...

A tattered, single red rose, found atop a wall on the seafront and shot against the setting sun. Probably the remnants of a wedding beach shoot from yesterday; possibly the sign of a rejection.


24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/60 second at f/5.6  + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 500



© 2014

Worse than I thought...

Peering at the online weather forecast last night, I see that the stylised crescent moon that depicts clear skies over my area on the map features from the early hours onwards, so I make plans to get up early and see if I can get any good sunrise images.

I am awake at 5 am (although this was not part of the plan), but resign myself to that fact and start preparing my kit for the shoot. Just before I leave the house at 7 am it occurs to me that it might be wise to check the conditions myself by actually going into the garden to look. Sure enough it was the right thing to do, because instead of the crystal-clear sky I expected, I have cloud. And quite a bit of it to boot. I make the snap decision to ditch the super-telephoto lens I had intended to use, and pack a wide angle instead. Then I'm on my bike and riding into the gathering dawn.

When I arrive on the beach it is worse that I thought: cloud all the way down to the horizon, but I decide to at least wait for sunrise itself - which today occurred at 8 am - before throwing in the towel. There were two other photographers nearby, similarly disappointed with the Met Office and what was promised, and both withdrew as a result before the sun had even broken the horizon. The thing is, you have to give yourself a chance. Leaving before the event itself means you severely limit your chances to nil.

Undeterred, I find myself a quiet spot by the water's edge; set up my tripod; and wait. There is nothing spectacular happening at sunrise itself, but 30 minutes into the event I am at least getting something worth firing the shutter for (above).



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/60 second at f/11.  + 1 stop EV compensation. Tripod and remote release. ISO 200



© 2014

Jay...

Whilst photographing the squirrels in a local park last weekend, I couldn't help but notice this little guy waiting in the wings for anything that wasn't immediately snapped-up. It is, of course, a Jay: a colourful member of the crow family, and mainly found in woodland. A shy bird, it rarely breaks cover, but now that the leaves have gone from most trees it is easier to see.

At this time of year - with food harder to find and hunger playing its part - the Jay waited for its opportunity of a free meal on a nearby branch, as near to the action as it dared. Whilst in the process of luring the local squirrel populace into range for my lens, I would occasionally throw a peanut specifically for the bird, well away from the melee of rodents in front of me. When it felt sure of scoring a successful strike the Jay would swoop with precision to the woodland floor; take its prize and be away again almost in one movement. To get the image below I had to prefocus and attempt to land a nut on my chosen spot, firing the shutter immediately once the bird landed.

300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor. Tripod
Top: 1/640 second at f/4. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400
Bottom: 1/640 second at f/4. ISO 400



© 2014

A nut by any other name...

Galvanised by the recent impromptu shoot in a local park I think it prudent to have a second bite of the cherry, but this time with all the proper tools for the task. This includes an incentive for my subjects; that way both parties will benefit.

Making a special trip to the supermarket to buy some tempting tidbits I am foxed by the fact that food displays have been re-located to different parts of the store since my last visit (so what's new?), and finding what I want is not going to be the swift operation I had hoped for. Asking an employee where they have now hidden the peanuts seems like a reasonable question, but I am merely directed to the ready-salted, processed, party-ready variety. Definitely not what I - nor the squirrels - would want. My fault for not being specific enough, I fancy.

So I ask another in-store worker as to their whereabouts - this time being very specific - and am rather helpfully guided from one end of the shop floor to the other, only to be pointed to the same shelves as before. I explain that I want nuts that are still in their shells, but he seems a tad perplexed by such a request. It is at this moment that I see them for myself, nestling almost out of sight on the bottom shelf further along the aisle. I  pick up a bag to show him.

"Oh, you wanted monkey nuts in shells", he said (for that is how they are named on the packet). "You asked me for peanuts".

I point out that these are, in fact, peanuts, but he emphasises the phrase 'monkey nuts' before going about his business, confident that having pointed out my error he has duly served another customer to his - and my - satisfaction.

Below the header on the bag, is slightly smaller letters, it says: Peanuts from the USA.

A one-all draw. This time.




300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/3.2.  - 1 stop EV compensation. ISO 320. Tripod



© 2014

The formula fails...

High atmospheric pressure and clear skies overnight had me out of bed shortly after 6 am today, and making my way to the coast for some dawn photography soon after. The thermometer hovered around 1º Celsius as I set off in the dark, hoping to improve on yesterday's shoot, but once again cloudless conditions didn't yield anything that I hadn't already got the day before. I stayed long enough to record the sunrise itself, but by 8 o'clock it was all over for me.

It remained cloudless, so not wanting to waste a perfect winter's day entirely I visit a local park during the afternoon with a long lens, just to see what was what. The local squirrels are often quite amusing as they play amongst themselves, and since they are used to human presence, relatively easy to photograph. They are also willing to pose (top) if they think food is in the offing.

I had hoped for the kestrel to appear on the cliff top - hence the long lens - but today there was no sign of her. Instead, a pair of Stonechats flew in as an unexpected subject, allowing me to get several images of the female (above), at close quarters. Once again the sun set in a cloudless sky, and once again the pictures I took of the sunset were formulaic, even with the pulling power of a super-telephoto. Time to move on, I feel.



Top: 300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor. 1/400 second at f/2.8. - 1.33 EV compensation. VR on. Monopod. ISO 400
Below: 300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. 1/500 second at f/5. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 250



© 2014

On the beach...

I always say that there is no such thing as bad light for photography; just different light, but walking along the beach today I find myself wishing it wasn't quite as good as it is. It's all fine and dandy to have such clear weather, especially at this time of year, but for my taste I could do with a bit more going on in the sky department.

Nevertheless, I work all the standard angles as the tide drops in an attempt to get something interesting, but it's this grab shot from this afternoon that works the best in my view.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/3200 second at f/9. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400



© 2014

Quiet sunset...

Less is more, they say, and the plain can be equally valid as the spectacular in photography (I say). Today's sunset on the Dorset coast.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/160 second at f/11. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 250



© 2014

A cold wind...

In to December and the first real indication that winter is on its way is born out during a trip with Nic to Reculver, on the north Kent coast. The gusting wind probably hasn't slowed any since it left Scandinavia, nor warmed at all by its trip across the North Sea. The intermittent rain doesn't help, either, making it all the more uncomfortable to be out there for long, but least we are dressed for the conditions.

We manage a few shots of the ruined church with its 12th century towers, standing alongside the remains of a Saxon monastery (above), before beating a fairly hasty retreat to Café Reculver for hot drinks and cakes.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/200 second at f/7.1. ISO 500



© 2014

Black dog...

Photographing in public places can be frustrating, especially when you are presented with a scene that you would rather record without a human element. Although most people are so engrossed in what they are doing to take any notice me, I swear that some deliberately waltz across the composition in an effort to: (a), either be in the photo, or (b), thwart my efforts. Of course, this is not likely true, nor is it my beach, but during my days of shooting on transparency film I lost count the number of times I waited (very) patiently for a location to clear of people before firing the shutter. Nowadays I only have to wait until they are small enough in the frame for them to fall victim to the clone tool in Photoshop during post processing.

But then there are times when something else is needed - either to add a focal point or a sense of scale - in a picture. Today was one of those times. The sky wasn't doing too much, and the sea was following suit, so I was rather pleased when I spied a man on the beach several hundred yards in front of me, repeatedly hurling a ball into the sea so that his dog could willingly retrieve it,

This was going to be the point of interest that I needed, but as soon as the pair drew close the man started throwing the ball along the beach so as not to encourage his dog into the water. Being the considerate sort of chap that he no doubt is, he obviously thought that his dog in the waves would ruin the scene I was trying photograph, when in fact it was just what I wanted. I did get one frame, though.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/11.  + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400



© 2014

For the fun of it...

It is quite rare that I apply a treatment to a photograph that alters it significantly, but since I drew a blank with today's weather I thought a bit of idle experimentation might be fun. Back in the 1980s you had to buy filters that screwed onto the front of your lens to create such nightmare images, but these days a couple of clicks of the mouse will get you there just as quick, and, of course, the results are reversible.

In Lightroom, I added Glow-Soft and Muted: a third party plug-in preset to create the false effect. The scene was nowhere near as dramatic as it appears here, and is a matter of taste, but as the title states: It is just a bit of fun.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/100 second at f/5.6. - 1.67 EV compensation. ISO 400



© 2014

And at the other end of the day...

Determined to make amends for yesterday's loss I am - for the second time in a matter of hours - back on the beach. With roughly 8½ hours of sunlight at this time of year I don't have to wait too long between shoots to get the best light. I mentioned the golden hour in yesterday's post: that hour after sunrise or before sunset, where photographers and artists alike take advantage of a low sun, but for the next few months that "hour" can be all day.

It is late afternoon, and low tide coincides with the sunset. The fact that it is during the working week is a blessing as it means I have the beach virtually to myself.



12-24mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor.  1/125 second at f/11. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 320



© 2014

Better...

Spurred on by yesterday's poor show, I set the alarm on my smartphone for 6 am and got myself down to the beach well before sunrise. The weather forecast is for clear skies, but fortunately there is enough cloud to make things interesting.

As soon as the sea comes into view I am pleased to see that there is broken cloud on the horizon. All too often mornings like this can have a narrow band of cloud that will obscure the moment of sunrise, but today I am in luck. I know exactly where and when the sun's orb will appear, thanks to the The Photographers Ephemeris - a free website that allows you to calculate everything you need for such predictions (and more) - but whilst I lie in wait with a super-telephoto lens I realise that I am in danger missing the precursor to the event.

So, it is on with a wide lens to photograph the pre-dawn. As with a sunset you only have a limited amount of time to get the best from what's on offer, as no sooner has the effect arrived than it is gone again. The sun did break the horizon at 7.36 am; it was where it was supposed to be, but I felt that this image summed-up the dawn in a far better way.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/125 second at f/8. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200



© 2014

  

Just not good enough...

I'm kicking myself, really. Having enjoyed the last Formula 1 Grand Prix race of the season on television (nice one, Lewis), I'm off out for a walk along the beach for the last hour of daylight. Despite the fact that I am wearing a small backpack that has more than enough room for a comprehensive kit I only take one lens with me. Quite why I can't answer, but having checked the weather forecast earlier I should have been better prepared.

For the last twenty minutes of what is known as the golden hour by photographers, the slit of light hovering over the hills to the west gives way to a breathtaking sunset that engulfs almost the entire sky. Unfortunately, this one lens I have on the camera is a short telephoto, and not entirely suited to capturing sweeping vistas. Of course, the trick is to make the most of what I have in such circumstances, and I start to look for silhouettes to set against the glorious light. There are plenty of subjects available as a good number of people move to the waters edge to enjoy the spectacle, but oh! -  how I wish I had a wide lens with me.

85mm f/1.4 AF Nikkor
Top: 1/400 second at f/4.  -1 stop EV compensation. ISO 400
Below: 1/160 second at f/4. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400



© 2014

75 miles to France...

I have often photographed a local pier, either from on it - or alongside - but rarely from underneath, so today I made some attempt to redress the balance. To be truthful I have tried from this angle before - the images never being successful - but since I was out shooting with long shutter speeds again I thought it worth the effort. I like the way that the structure is completely isolated from its surroundings, blurred by the long exposure, while the black and white rendition makes the eye concentrate on shape and form.

Drawing a line from this view directly out under the pier and over the horizon, it is 75 miles to France; Cherbourg, to be precise.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 180 seconds at f/16. ISO 200. 10 stop ND filter. Tripod and remote release.



© 2014

From Warren Hill...

I had all but given up on yesterday's shoot at Hengistbury Head, Dorset. Having uploaded the ten or so images I shot using the long exposure technique, there was nothing that jumped off the screen at me. I tried several different approaches to produce the effect I was after, settling for a more high-key rendition before closing the editing software down and calling it a day.

It wasn't until another viewing this morning - hence the tardy post - that it immediately struck me the picture had more of a pencil drawing feel about it than a straightforward photograph. The image was there all along.


24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 15 seconds at f/16. 10 stop ND filter. Tripod and remote release. ISO 200



© 2014

Thinking ahead...

Granted, it's not the sort of light that usually makes the landscape photographer all of a flutter, but with a bit of thought -  and an idea -  even the flattest of conditions can produce something interesting. In fact, having kept an eye on the weather forecast over the weekend, I had planned the above photograph a couple of days in advance.

The use of a strong neutral density filter  - which reduces the amount of light transmitted through the lens by 1000x - allows me to use a long shutter speed to create the ethereal effect. Even though there were people on the pier at the time they do not appear in the image since they didn't remain stationary long enough for the long exposure to record them




24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 72 seconds at f/16. ISO 200. 10 stop ND filter. Tripod and remote release.



© 2014

Cliché #2...

You are going to have to bear with me for the moment but whilst the mild weather, and light such as above continues, I shall unashamedly be taking advantage of it, cliché or not. There are no low tides until later in the month, but there is occasionally enough exposed beach as the waves ebb and flow to reflect the colours of an autumn sunset.

I deliberately position the pier to cut through the centre of the frame - a compositional no-no - so as to create a symmetry to the shot; something of a current theme for me.


24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/100 second ar f/11. ISO 320



© 2014

Clichés and welders masks...

A cliché it may be - and some deride it as chocolate box photography - but there is no getting away from the fact that a good sunset is a good sunset. During the winter months I usually spend a good deal of time walking the beaches with my camera, not only because the light can be quite spectacular, but because of what can be found on the shore.

For example, today I came across a welders mask (full-face, not just the goggles), that someone had hung from a promenade railing. My guess is that it had been found washed up on the beach since no work of that kind was being done in the neighbourhood that I could see. I briefly stopped to take a couple of casual shots since it was such an unusual find - and walked on - but as soon as a nearby beachcomber realised it wasn't a photographic prop of mine he swiftly moved in to claim it for himself. No doubt it will be on eBay in the near future.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/800 second at f/11.  - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200



© 2014

Asymmetrical symmetry...

Removing the colour content from today's image made little difference to the final feel of the image, since due to the stormy weather it was largely a monochrome photograph, anyway. What does make a difference is that the lighting is only working on one side of the local pier, creating the lopsided effect.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/50 second at f/6.3. - 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 500


Note: It would appear that for some inexplicable reason the Lightbox function has stopped working (at the time of publication), and clicking on the photo above no longer overlays a larger image on the page. I am looking into why this has suddenly stopped working for this post since it continues to work elsewhere on this blog..


© 2014

Saved for a rainy day...

It has been a week or so of surprises on the photographic front for me, what with the kingfisher and seascape shots, but nothing has surprised me more than the maintenance I performed on one of my lenses. The internal elements of my 85mm f/1.4D Nikkor lens had cultivated a fungal growth, and although not affecting image quality it wasn't going to get better by itself.

This sort of thing can be expected with older optics - and if left unchecked is usually the kiss of death to a lens - but it can be restored to good working order if not left too long... at a price. As a rule I send optics in need of such attention away to have them professionally cleaned, but having throughly absorbed a video on YouTube demonstrating how to dismantle the lens I decided that it might be worth the risk to have a go myself.

Delving into the works of a £1000 lens with no prior experience can be a bit unnerving - and not for the faint hearted - but since I wasn't going anywhere the autofocus mechanism it was really just a case of unscrewing the affected elements; giving them a clean, and reassembling. Comparatively easy, really - and you do need the right tools for the job - but test shots in the field today proved the operation was a success.

This has nothing to do with today's photograph, which was shot yesterday and shows two trees reflected in a still backwater of the Dorset Stour. I just thought I'd publish it, anyway.




300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor.  1/200 second at f/6.3.  - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 250. Tripod. Mirror lockup and remote release.



© 2014

Seven leaves...

Making the most of the season whilst it lasts, I spend another couple of hours shooting by the river. The decaying leaves on the tree are set against the sunlit reflection of those that have already lost theirs.



300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/30second at f/11.  + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 250. Tripod. Mirror lock up and remote release.



© 2014

The detectorist...

A detectorist at work on Boscombe beach at low tide. These people can always be seen - come rain or shine - as the tide goes out, sweeping the exposed sands with their metal detectors. Quite what they are looking for at this time of year is beyond me since the holiday season is long over and the beaches largely empty.

It is a grab shot: not because I wanted to remain undetected by my subject - people seldom look up, anyway - but because I knew that once he moved the composition would be lost. I had the shot in mind for yesterday's post, but that was before nature did its stuff.


24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/160 second at f/11. ISO 320



© 2014

When the sun goes low...

I love this time of year for outdoor photography. The sun remains low all day - often producing spectacular light -  and although it is noticeably cooler now than of late it is not too cold to make it uncomfortable whilst waiting for things to happen. 

Today's image was taken on Boscombe beach, Dorset, at low tide.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/400 second at f/8. ISO 320

© 2014

The common touch...

Today, I couldn't believe my luck. I returned to the same spot where I photographed the Little Egret last Saturday with the sole intention of trying to improve on what I already had, but the repeated visits of a Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) took up most my attention for almost three hours. Their presence is often noted on the local nature reserve - there are two pairs in this particular stretch, I understand - and I usually only see them as blue and orange blurs as they fly low and fast across the river, but today is something special.

A local angler at my chosen location shows me a photo he took on his iPhone before I arrived of the bird perched on a piece of angle iron driven into the riverbed, that at one time supported a painted depth gauge board. He went on to say that the kingfisher often landed there so I decided a stake-out was worth the time. I got my first shots within five minutes of setting-up - the first time I have ever got anything of these birds - and was tempted to call it a day there and then. Surely I wouldn't get a better chance? I would have been - and was - sorely wrong, and the best opportunity came when the fisherman, disappointed that he had up to that point caught nothing, decided to move on and try his luck further along the bank.

Now able to move into the position that I had originally wanted to be in I only had to wait a short time before my quarry flew in again and I took the photographs shown here. Again, I couldn't believe how close I was to this normally shy bird, and several times I watched it dive and catch minnows, at one point landing no more that eight feet away from me.

The egret did put in an appearance and at one point I had the option to shoot either, but really there was no contest.


There are more images available to view in "Richard Brewer: Photography - an occasional series", under the 'Links' section of this blog.



300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. ISO 400. Tripod

Top: 1/320 second at f/5
Below: 1/400 second at f/5



© 2014

Bonus rain...

I had no plans to shoot, today, but reasoned that I could either sit at home and think a good photograph or get out there and make things happen. I spent a couple of hours beside the local river with the idea of making fallen leaves my subject; the showery weather was a bonus.



300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/5.6.  - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200. Tripod



© 2014

Still undecided...

Over the years a photographer will amass all sorts of stuff connected with the process; lenses being a favourite item. After all: no lens no image (I don't include pinhole cameras, here), and a variety of different optics can be invaluable in 'mixing it up a bit' for some variety. Some will become integral to an individual shooter's style; others will have seemed like a good idea at the time and fall out of favour.

One such lens that falls into the latter category is my 20mm f/1.8 wide angle. I've not used it much since my film days but that's a shame, really, as it does have its own special look when used with care. Shooting with it wide open on a rainy autumn morning, the shallow depth of field and the out-of-focus highlights contribute greatly to the success of the image.



20mm f/1.8D EX DG Sigma lens. 1/5000 second at f/1.8.  + 1 stop EV compensation. ISO 200



© 2014

In search of a theme...

I've not had much success since Monday with photography, but it's not for the want of trying. I have cycled great distances (well, a good few miles), in search of a theme, trying different locations and techniques to get things working but the results were always disappointing.

It was one such foray to the local nature reserve, yesterday, that I spotted today's subject and knew I was in with a chance. A fallen branch had lodged itself mid-stream on the Dorset Stour and was being used as a fishing perch by a Little Egret, but since I only had short lenses with me at the time there was no point in taking any shots.

This morning I returned to the spot - suitably armed - only to unwittingly frighten off my quarry upon arrival. The waiting game had begun. Surprisingly, it only took half an hour or so before the bird returned and obligingly posed on a branch for some snaps, but my favourite image from the day is of the egret in flight .



300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor. 1/3200 second at f/4.  - 1 stop EV compensation. Tripod. ISO 400



© 2014

4.48 pm: Bournemouth beach...

It is days like this that do it for me from a photographic perspective. The cloud bank that moved in from the west by mid-morning gave way by mid afternoon to perfect light. The sunset coincided with low tide, today, so it was just a case of standing in the right place and hope nobody walked across the pristine sand to ruin the effect. Nature took care of the rest.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/100 second at f/11.  + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400. Monopod



© 2014

Dusk surfer...

British Summer Time ended yesterday and the clocks were duly put back one hour in the small hours of this morning. This usually means two things: It gets dark an hour earlier and the local pier now closes its gates at 4 pm for the night and will continue to do so for the next six months. Oddly today, though, it remained open well past dusk.

Not that it mattered since I was shooting from the beach at low tide, but I did have to do the job of the local council and turn on all the lights in post processing with Lightroom, since none of them were working on the eastern side. I waited for the surfer to wander into the frame to complete the image.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/1000 second at f/8. ISO 400



© 2014

Eyesore or social comment?...

As controversial as it may be, graffiti does have a certain appeal to me. Some see it as damaging to personal and public property and an eye-sore; some see it as art/social comment, but whatever your view on the subject I almost always find myself pointing a lens at it. I also confess to having no idea as to what any of it means when executed in this form, as here on the side of Martello Tower 3, in Folkestone, Kent.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/1000 second at f/8. ISO 200



© 2014

Two yachts...

An afternoon walk in the gloom turns out unexpectedly sunny. Making the most of the one lens I have with me today I capture two yachts in the English channel, heading west.



50mm f/1.8 AF Nikkor. 1/800 second at f/11.  - 1 stop EV compensation. ISO 200



  RIP, Jack Bruce
14/5/43 - 25/10/14



© 2014

In the Nic of time...

The idea to visit Wye for some sunset photography very nearly didn't happen as a road that passes the railway station of the same name was closed and we were forced to make a detour of some miles to get back on track. By then Nic and I were seriously pressed for time and it really was a case of jump out of the car when we got there, quickly take a handful of shots before the sun disappeared altogether, and get back in the car again. It all happened so quick that the sheep didn't have time to react.

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

© 2014 

Of distant days...

It's a mild 17º C today, and although the bright start gave way to overcast skies by late morning there were still a good number people taking advantage of the clement weather along the seafront. I came across this chap sitting alone in his beach hut, having fallen asleep whilst reading his book, and possibly dreaming of distant days.



50mm f/1.8 AF Nikkor. 1/800 second at f/4. ISO 320



© 2014

Tubular bell...

A cylinder that forms part of a percussive musical instrument on Boscombe pier, Dorset, is the subject of today's photograph. One of 88 individually tuned tubes arranged so that all the player has to do is rhythmically hit each one once from left to right to play the ever-popular British music hall song: I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside.

I used the lens wide open to create a razor-thin depth of field.



85mm f/1.4 AF Nikkor. 1/1250 second at f/1.4. ISO 200



© 2014

Fast, and wide open...

The rain is light but persistent; the sky leaden, so it is perfect weather for some detail shots of autumn. I'm using my fastest lens - shot wide open - for pictorial effect. There is very little in the image that is sharp as a result, having focused on the tip of the yellow leaf.


85mm f/1.4 AF Nikkor. 1/160 second at f/1.4.  + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400



© 2014

For Nic and Tim...

An overcast autumn day and a walk along the beach with the minimal of camera kit, just to see what I could find. The above photograph is dedicated to Nic and Tim (you know who you are): this-blog followers extraordinare (and the one in Manchester who never says a word but I appreciate you all the same). Nic, you get the stick.



50mm f/1.8 AF Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/5.6. ISO 400



© 2014

The last shot decides...

                                              The last shot of the day and the one that appeals to me the most.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/500 second at f/5.6. ISO 400



© 2014

Inspirational aerophones...

One way a photographer can get inspired is to use a different lens, and to be honest I was in need of it. Yesterday's shoot has been consigned to the trash, purely because I had repeated myself from the day before. Yes, it is always different no matter how many times I return to the same location, but I felt the images I got didn't work as I had intended so they had to go.

I decided something a bit extreme was in order, so my fisheye lens was pressed into service with the intention of producing some graphic and dynamic pictures, as with these Tembos aerophones, installed as part of the Musical Trail on Boscombe pier, Dorset. They are considered playground instruments and sounds are produced by striking the mouths of the tubes with rubber paddles. This set is tuned CDEGAC.



10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye Nikkor. 1/2000 second at f/8.  - 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 320



© 2014