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