Fast and furious

Probably the most frustrating thing a landscape photographer can experience is superb light whilst travelling to a location. The day started with torrential rain, but the forecast was favourable, predicting scattered showers and sun until early evening. Unfortunately, that part happened to me en route, and by the time I arrived on the Jurassic Coast I was left with blue skies and strong winds.

As it turned out, this was better than nothing as later in the afternoon thick, grey cloud rolled in from the west. The strong winds - gusting up to 40mph on the cliff top - were creating havoc as far as keeping the camera steady was concerned, and I had little option but to up the ISO to give me shutter speeds fast enough to keep things sharp.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/11. Matrix metering. 0.6 Lee ND graduated and 81B filters. ISO 320



© 2019

Getting creative

 

  

The Creative Quarter in Folkestone is a must-see area to those visiting the town. The Old High Street that runs through it is only some 180 metres long, but in that space are packed cafés, boutiques, music and art shops - enough, at least, to keep a curious photographer happy.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. Matrix metering. Auto ISO. Mono conversion in Silver Efex Pro 2

Top: 1/80 second at f/11. ISO 1250

Below: 1/80 second at f/11. ISO 500 

© 2019

Rug People

A detail of the statue Rug People, on the disused railway lines of the old harbour station, Folkestone, Kent. 



10.5mm f/2.8 Nikkor Fisheye. 1/200 second at f/11. Matrix metering. ISO 200



© 2019 

The patience of a saint, or wield the clone tool?

Wide-angle lenses - apart from their obvious benefits - also have their drawbacks: fisheyes, even more so. I'm shooting with the latter exclusively inside Salisbury Cathedral, just for the fun of it. But apart from capturing the magnificence of the interior (distortion and all), I'm also trying to exclude human presence. Visitors to such places are rarely dressed in keeping with surroundings, and in my view it spoils the mood.

I could shoot merrily away and remove any unwanted elements of the photograph later using the clone tool or similar, but instead I patently wait until the scene clears and is the way I want it...

And some waiting it takes, believe me, but in each of the images above I've not used any digital shenanigans. 

Lens - 10.5mm f/2.8 Nikkor fisheye. Auto ISO.

Top: 1/20 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - 1 stop EV compensation. ISO 1000

Middle: 1/100 second at f/11. Matrix metering. - 1⅓ stop EV compensation. ISO 1400

Bottom: 1/6 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - 1 stop EV compensation. ISO 1000

© 2019

Salisbury Cathedral at 720nm

My second attempt at infrared photography using a digital camera has had a degree of success, but it's still not what I'm looking for. The wet prints I was making in my darkroom days with Kodak HIR film produced more drama - albeit somewhat hit or miss in producing a printable negative.

The filter I am currently using - one that (mostly) allows wavelengths of 720nm to pass through it - is just not cutting it: I want white whites and deep blacks! However, if my subject is in bright sunshine I'm coming close(er) to the effect I'm after.

Of course, a near opaque filter blocks a lot of light reaching the sensor, but Olympus' 5 axis image stabilisation (IBIS) allows me to handhold, even at ridiculously slow shutter speeds.



Olympus OMD-EM10 MkIII with 14-42mm 3.5/5.6 Pancake lens. ⅓ second at f/11. - ⅔ EV compensation. ISO 2000. R72 Infrared filter



© 2019

Bournemouth Air Festival Day 4

Photographing the local air show - whatever location it was being held at - was always the last hurrah of summer for me. This year it truly is that, as the final day of the Bournemouth Air Festival falls on the first day of autumn.

Not that the weather belies that fact, and apart from yesterday's blip with a brief period of rain, it has been warm, perfect flying weather all the way.

Supermarine Spitfire

Avro Lancaster - bomb doors open

Super Pitts Muscle Plane - flown by Rich Goodwin

Saab Draken

Strikemaster Pair

Royal Navy Black Cat

Mig 15 and a Canadair T-33 Silver Star

An unexpected rarity: The Ultimate Warbirds Flight, joined by The Blades Aerobatic Team

300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. Tripod and gimbal head

© 2019