Old sayings

The old saying of 'always look behind you once in a while when photographing landscapes' is worth remembering. The two trees on a hillside have featured in the composition of recent images I made of Corfe Castle, but at this time of year - and with the right sky - they are worth shooting in their own right.

I'm not entirely happy with what I'm getting, but as British Summer Time comes to an end in the small hours of tomorrow, I can't wait for the opportunity to try and improve on it.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/500 second at f/11. Matrix metering. - ⅓ EV compensation. 0.3 and 0.2 (combined) Lee ND graduated filters on the sky. ISO 100. Mono conversion in Silver Efex Pro 2.



© 2019

Light use

I'm making no apologies for the repetitiveness of my subject in recent posts: Corfe Castle. It's an excellent subject nestled in the hills of Dorset, and I'm far from finished with it.

But to be honest, it's the light that I am photographing rather than the ruins. The large amount of broken cloud this afternoon means the light is constantly changing, and I'm able to use the sun as a spotlight.





24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/100 second at f/11. Matrix metering. -⅓ EV compensation. ISO 50



© 2019

Lucky break

Up to mid afternoon it had been nothing more than a dreary autumn day. Flat skies over Christchurch Quay on the Dorset Stour gave me little hope of photographing anything. But with the sudden break in the clouds  - and the approaching swans -  I knew I was in with a chance.



Olympus OM-EM 10 MkIII with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Pancake lens. 1/400 second at f/11. ESP metering. - ⅔ EV compensation. ISO 200



© 2019

Prelude

I'm still waiting for autumn to kick off with its true colours, so anything I'm shooting at present is a mere prelude to what (I hope) will come. But I am keeping myself busy with just one location; one subject at the moment, and that is Corfe Castle in the Dorset countryside.

Keen to seek out different views of a much photographed subject from those that pervade the social media pages, I'm repeatedly visiting the area and taking the time to walk in ever increasing circles around the castle ruins to find different perspectives.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80th second at f/11. Matrix metering. +⅔ stop EV compensation. Lee 0.6 ND graduated and 81B filters. ISO 200



© 2019

Wet knees and muddy boots

It's wet knees and muddy boots time as the see-saw weather of the UK begins to deliver the light I miss so much during the summer months. I have a few locations selected for repeat visits over the next four months or so - Corfe Castle in the Dorset countryside being one of them.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/100 second at f/11. Matrix metering. +⅓ stop EV compensation. 0.3 Lee ND grad and 81B filters. ISO 100



© 2019

On my own

There's nothing I like more than to get out into the landscape on wet days. There is so much scope for photography, and when it's raining black and white images - for me - are almost de rigure. I also know that nobody else is getting the same shot as I'm very often the only one stood in soggy fields, making photographs.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor.1/125 second at f/11. Matrix metering. + 1 stop EV compensation. 0.6 Lee ND grad filter. ISO 640. Mono conversion in Silver Efex Pro 2



© 2019

Emmetts Hill

I mentioned in my last post about how frustrating it can be when you see all the best light happening on the way to a location. Well today it was the reverse. Time constraints gave me little choice but to leave the scene above, about 30 minutes before the skies cleared and stunning light swept across the landscape.

I had sat patiently on the steps at St. Aldhelm's Head - Isle of Purbeck - for some two hours: most of that time in the rain, hoping for good light. In fact I knew it was coming, so it was just a matter of when. The above photograph was taken shortly after my arrival, but I knew I could do better. I did take a number of images of the rain swept coastline, and that's a plus in itself as they, too, have their own character. But how I wish I had not been pressed for time...


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/160 second at f/11. Matrix metering. 0.3 Lee ND graduated and 81B filters. ISO 160



© 2019