Three trees

I'm a big fan of repeatedly returning to a location to shoot, especially if I think I can improve on previous efforts, or think I have not yet captured what I have in mind.

Whether or not I did this time (or ever will) I'm not sure, but I am making these three trees the subject of an ongoing project, just to find out.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/8. Matrix metering. ISO 100



© 2019

George Lane

A rainy day, and a walk through the Creative Quarter, Folkestone, is my idea of a good time with a camera. The steep and narrow cobbled streets give me the feeling of having travelled back in time.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/30 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - ⅓ EV compensation. Mono conversion in Silver Efex Pro 2. ISO 100



© 2019

In from the cold

It's a cold, crisp, winter's day, and I have architecture photography in mind. It's something I keep promising myself to take more seriously, and I've had enough of shooting seascapes for the time being.

Salisbury Cathedral is my chosen subject. I've not been there for a few months, and the clear skies should give me the opportunity to do it justice, both inside and out. I shoot from all the usual angles before nipping inside for some arty interior photographs - and some respite from the coldness of the day.

What it must cost to heat a space such as this boggles the mind, but having made a donation for the upkeep of the building, I'm glad to be inside. To my disappointment the builders are in, and there is scaffolding up in many places, restricting movement to some areas.

Undeterred, I head for the Chapter House where one of only four surviving examples of Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter), is kept; I'll go and have a look at that. Photography of this ancient document -  dating from 1215 - is not allowed, but it didn't matter anyway as a copy has been substituted for the real thing whilst improvements are made to the room that houses it. I take some picture of the ceiling and stained glass windows, and head back into the cold.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - ⅔ EV compensation. ISO 640



© 2019

The Blue Hour

The fact that I'm awake at 4am is neither here nor there, but as the skies look clear from my window I plan a pre-dawn shoot at the beach.

The Golden Hour is well known to photographers, but the Blue Hour - less so. The blueness of the image is caused by the high colour temperature of the light (measured on the Kelvin scale), and it contrasts nicely with the warm hues of the approaching sunrise.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80second at f/8. Matrix metering. - ⅔ EV compensation. Lee 0.9 Grey Grad. Monopod. ISO 1000



© 2019

Wide and determined

It has been a frustrating few days, photography wise. Apart from missing the lunar eclipse early this morning due to cloud cover, I've been chafing at the bit to use the lenses that recently came back from the repair shop. On top of that, I bought a new camera body last week and haven't had a real chance to use it in anger. Today, I am determined to shoot, come what may.

Low tides during mid afternoon lure me to the beach, but once again I am struggling with light - or the lack of it. I do get a watery sun for a few minutes and I shoot a few watery images. However, it is good to get my wide lens back. It has been sorely missed.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/50 second at f/11. Matrix metering. +⅔ EV compensation. Mono conversion and selenium toning in Silver Efex Pro 2. ISO 100



© 2019

At last!

This particular groyne that protrudes into Poole Bay has me captivated. I know there's a shot in there somewhere, but numerous visits have failed to find it... until this afternoon.

The sun had set and the afterglow was at its strongest: I thought I had the shot in the can. Then this couple arrived to watch the event, and I knew I had it.



18-35mm f/3.5 - 4.5 ED Nikkor. 1/160 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200



© 2019

Getting better

It's 1º Celsius outside, and I'm off to the beach whilst it's still dark, hoping for a good sunrise. For the past week it has not been for the want of trying, but I am failing to find something colourful to photograph. Winter isn't the best time to look for radiant hues, but surely sunrise or sunset will give me what I want?

The answer is: possibly. The morning looked promising, weather wise, but ultimately the sky fails to deliver at the crucial moment. I make a number of photographs before the sun is up using long exposures, and call it a day.

At least it's better than all that grey cloud, though.



18-35mm f/3.5 - 4.5 ED Nikkor. 30 seconda at f/11. Matrix metering. x10 stop ND filter. Tripod and remote release. ISO 200




© 2019

Cyclist

Since the start of the year there has been little in the way of outdoor colour to lift the spirits during mid winter, and today's photograph illustrates that perfectly.

A high pressure system sits over the UK, but instead of the usual clear skies we have a large bank of stationary cloud. Calm conditions are the result, but there's little on offer other than grey. I'm beginning to head home empty-handed when I notice movement out of the corner of my eye, and grab this shot of a cyclist riding along the surf line at low tide.



24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Sigma lens. 1/80 second at f/5.6. Matrix metering. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 100



© 2019

To kick, or not to kick...

The sky at 4:00am looked promising: clear, with a waning crescent moon and a waxing Venus, both shining brightly to the south east. Inspecting the conditions two hours later - and seeing there is still no cloud - I decide on a dawn shoot and head off to the beach an hour before sunrise.

Unfortunately, cloud cover rolls in as I arrive, and it's obvious I won't be getting anything spectacular in the way of light. Now improvising, I fit a x10 ND filter to the lens and start making long exposures of what's on offer. It's becoming an overused technique (and I am guilty as anybody in this respect), but short of kicking the tripod during the shot, I can't think of anything else to make it different.



18-35mm f/3.5 - 4.5 ED Nikkor. 60 seconds at f/8. 10 stop ND filter. Tripod and remote release. ISO 200



© 2019