Optimism

                                                                    "There is no light full of hope as the dawn" 

                                                                                           Spike Milligan - Adolph Hitler: My part in his downfall

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/8. Matrix metering. 0.9 Lee reverse grad. Monopod. ISO 100

Keep it sharp

This tubular structure on a local beach - actually a cover for an outflow into the sea - is almost as photographed as the pier a few hundred yards away to the left. I've seen photographers queuing up to take the same shot that usually involves long exposures to blur both water and cloud, but up until now I've not considered following suit.

But since there's nobody about, and the tide is high, I finally break my drought and take a number of images. However, I'm determined not to make mine look like everybody else's, and keep things sharp.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/800 second at f/8. Matrix metering. 0.9 ND grad. ISO 100

© 2020 

Missed it

 

I had hoped to get a bit of atmospheric chaos today, but the best (worst?) part of Storm Bella came and went over night, leaving only blue skies and light winds by dawn. 

Even so, there was just enough energy left over by late afternoon to make it worthwhile going out with a camera.

12-24mm f/4 Nikkor. 1/60 second at f/10. Matrix metering. + 0.3 EV compensation. 0.9 Lee reverse grad. ISO 100

© 2020

You're welcome to it

The air temperature is 0º C as the Christmas Day swimmers charge into the winter seas out of shot to my left, presumably doing it for a bet. Rather them than me. There are several photographers on hand to record the tradition, so my attentions are focused elsewhere.

There's little cloud in the sky before the sun breaks the horizon, and I only manage a few frames in the direction of the pier before the lights are turned off and the reflections are gone.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/60 second at f/8. Matrix metering. -0.67 EV compensation. Monopod. ISO 2000

© 2020

Too easy

A bit of winter sunshine in combination with a low tide, and it's difficult to take poor photographs. 

Unless, of course, you're not trying.
 

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/8. Matrix metering. 0.6 Lee ND filter. ISO 100

© 2020

Imagine

The thermometer reads 0ºC, and there is a severe frost on the ground when I leave the house in the murk of pre-dawn. The sky might be too clear for anything useable, but by the time I reach the beach there is just enough cloud to make things interesting as the sun rises.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - 0.3 EV compensation. Lee 0.9 reverse grad. ISO 200

© 2020

With it

It makes a welcome change to be able to shoot with the light rather than against it on my local beach to get something interesting. The fact is, the sky behind me was just plain boring.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/50 second at f/8. Matrix metering. + 0.33 EV compensation. Lee 0.9 reverse grad filter. ISO 100

© 2020

Calling it a day

                                                                A flat calm at low tide, and a windless evening.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/40 second at f/8. Matrix metering. 0.6 Lee ND grad. Monopod. ISO 100

© 2020

Not the same

The sunshine that had been forecast for late afternoon didn't materialise, but the seascape lit by the light of the sky alone created something quiet different. The same subject, taken almost 24 hours after the one in my last post, could scarcely be more contrasting. 

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - 0.75 EV compensation. 0.6 Lee grey grad. ISO 200

© 2020

Only just ...

Timing is everything with landscape photography, and I only just make it to where I intend to shoot from before the sky moves too far left and the sun dips below the cloud on the horizon.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor, 1/320 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - 0.3 EV compensation. 0.3 Lee ND grad. ISO 200

© 2020

Good timing - part 2

 

Sometimes, images get temporarily overlooked in the rush to process something you know is good. Taken yesterday at sunset, I walked into this shot at the right moment to catch the minute or so of good light at the end of an overcast day.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/8. Matrix metering. ISO 320

© 2020

Good timing

A few moments of glorious light at sunrise before cloud rolled in from the west and turned everything to a flat grey. One of the rare occasions that the weather forecast is spot on, almost to the minute.
 

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/8. Matrix metering. -0.33 EV compensation. Lee reverse grad filter. Monopod. ISO 400

© 2020

Down by the riverside

                                                                                  Trees on the Dorset Stour

 24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/8. Matrix metering. + 0.3 EV compensation. ISO 100

© 2020

I went for the otters...

 

... but stayed for the kingfisher. Everybody had given up waiting and left, but once again patience and perseveration paid off. Several times during the afternoon this elusive bird kept more than a respectable distance from the photographers positioned along the Dorset Stour river. Preferring to fish from the opposite bank, any shots of this shy creature would have been of no value at such a distance.

The sun had dropped below a cloud bank on the horizon and light levels were fading fast, but finally the kingfisher flew to my side of the river bank, and I was the only one there to get the shot.

Oh, yes... there were no otters.

300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with TC-14E II converter. 1/640 second at f/5. Matrix metering. Tripod and gimbal head. ISO 1250

© 2020

Last light

                                           Boscombe Pier, from Honeycomb Beach, at low tide and last light.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/40 second at f/8. Matrix metering. -0.3 EV compensation. Lee 0.9 Reverse Grad on the sky. ISO 400

© 2020

Blue in the golden hour

                                                 The golden hour and blue hour combined: Honeycombe Beach.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/50 second at f/8. Matrix metering. + 0.33 EV compensation. 0.9 Lee reverse grad on the sky. ISO 100

© 2020

 

Getting down to it

It's all to easy - and all too common - to take each photograph at 1.7 metres (5.6 feet), from the ground. Getting down low once in a while puts a completely different perspective on a subject.

 12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/11. Matrix metering. 0.6 Grey Grad. ISO 100

© 2020

Knowing when it's time to stop

Ask any experienced photographer what you should consider when kitting yourself out for landscape work, and nine times out of ten the wise amongst them will include a tripod on their list. This is, indeed, good advice, as it slows down the compositional process and provides a stable platform on which to get the best from your lenses. Maybe I don't use one as much as I should, but there is the odd occasion when a three-legged support is next to useless. Today is one such episode.

Once out of the car at Worth Matravers, in Dorset's Purbeck Hills, I was immediately aware of a brisk breeze coming from the southwest. However, that paled into insignificance once I had climbed over the stile in the dry stone wall that borders the South West Coast Path, and onto the exposed cliff top. To describe what greeted me as a gale may - just may - be a slight exaggeration, but the very act of walking in a straight line became difficult as a continuous blast of air came up and over the top of Emmett's Hill.

The light was gorgeous so I pressed on, but quickly decided not to try and reach the spot I had in mind as it would be too dangerous to work from; the wind was that strong. So, choosing a position where the worst case scenario was that I would be blown off my feet and not the edge of the cliff, I commence to do battle with the elements by setting up my tripod. 

I knew I was going to have problems as no sooner did I reach for my camera bag the tripod blew over. The ball head and camera added extra weight but made little difference to stability, and it was all I could do to just frame the shot. When making an exposure I had to press down with my hand on the whole setup in the hope of eliminating camera movement. Using any sort of filtration to hold back the sky was deemed hopeless...

The constant buffeting got the better of me after a mere 12 minutes of working, so I threw in the towel and retreated. In that time I managed to take 25 shots as the light swiftly changed, and most of that was guesswork. To look at the images you wouldn't think it was anything other than a moody autumn afternoon. The reality was quite different.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/400 second at f/8. Matrix metering. Tripod and a firm, steadying hand. ISO 100

© 2020

Pre-season friendly

Whilst the trees are beginning to display the colours of the season, and the ever diminishing daylight hours hint at all that glorious light to come, it's still too early in the year to get what I'm after. I'm out shooting, nonetheless.

I know I'll get better days in the field, so I'm treating current shoots along the lines of  pre-season friendlies.

Top: The Jurassic Coast: Houns-tout and Chapman's Pool. 12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/125 second at f/11. Matrix metering. 0.6 Lee grey grad on the sky. Tripod and remote release.

Below: Corfe Castle: 24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. Matrix metering. 1/200 second at f/11. 0.9 Lee grey grad on the sky. Tripod and remote release.

© 2020 

 

It's a good sign

         The fact I'm getting my knees wet tells me I'm enjoying myself. 16 minutes after sunrise on the local beach.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/40 second at f/11. Matrix metering. 0.9 Lee grey graduated filter on the sky. ISO 125



© 2020

28 weeks

               It's September, and that means day one of photo season for me. Here's to the next seven months.


                                                      Photo: Sculpture at Boscombe Pier Approach, Dorset.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/11. Matrix metering. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 100



© 2020

Pump it up

Storm Francis blows in and out again overnight, and unlike some parts of the country it was barely noticeable on the south coast. Well, at least where I am. What does trouble me is that fact it's so early in the season.

Although breezy, the morning is bright and I take a stroll along the seafront specifically to shoot colour. I'm using a polarising filter at maximum effect to pump up the colours, just to see what I can come up with. It's not something I do often but once in a while it's fun, even if it is light on realism.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/500 second at f/8. Matrix metering. Polariser. ISO 200



© 2020

World Photo Day

It's World Photo Day, so I thought I might chip in and add to the estimated 1.8 billion images a day that are uploaded to various platforms on the Internet.




50mm f/1.8 AF Nikkor. 1/2000 second at f/5.6. Matrix metering. ISO 100



© 2020

No need?

My recent search for new editing software came down to two candidates: DXO Labs and Capture One Pro. I ran trial versions of both for the best part of a month, and it became a pretty close run thing.

No editing suite is going to be perfect, but the fact that Capture One Pro has a license option specifically for Nikon cameras - and the way it renders NEF files - won the day. RAW files are cleaner, and this alone has caused me to put on hold upgrading(?) to a mirrorless system, at least for the time being.


Image: Salisbury Cathedral



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/500 second at f/8. Matrix metering. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 100



© 2020

We can but ask

Ever the optimist, it seems, those in control of the local Seafront Operations have installed these signs on lamp posts in the hope that people visiting the area will treat the beaches - and nature - with respect.

With August Bank Holiday two weeks away, there are those that will see this polite request as something of a challenge.




50mm f/1.8 AF Nikkor. 1/1600 second at f/5.6. Matrix metering. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 100



© 2020

800 years in the making

As part of Salisbury's exhibition Celebrating 800 Years of Art and Endeavour, Lynn Chadwick's work Sitting Couple On Bench is something of an eye-catcher on the west lawn of the cathedral. There are a number of exhibits inside that I have yet to see, but due to the coronavirus outbreak admission has to be pre-booked online.

10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye Nikkor. 1/500 second at f/8. Matrix metering. ISO 100

© 2020

In Moore detail

A detail of the Henry Moore (1898 - 1986) sculpture Large Reclining Figure, currently on display on the northern lawn of Salisbury Cathedral.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/640 second at f/11. Matrix metering. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 100



© 2020

The outdoor type

No matter how much I've tried working indoors over the past few months, I can't escape that fact I'm an outdoor photographer at heart. The recent lockdown has produced something of a negative mindset that I yet have to fully shake off, but today I decide to do something about it instead of kicking about the house. I need to get out.

On the spur of the moment I pack my camera bag, and at mid-day jump on a bus that is going out of town. I jump off - again on the spur of the moment - when it reaches Ibsley in the Hampshire countryside. From there it's a several hundred yard walk to Harbridge, where I spend a couple of hours photographing All Saints church. 

24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/200 second at f/8. Matrix metering. Polariser. ISO 160

© 2020

The delicate light of dawn

                                                    Those pastel hues that occur just after sunrise don't last long.




70-200mm f/2.8 Apo Sigma lens. 1/500 second at f/5.6 Matrix metering. ISO 500



© 2020

Crowd beater

With fewer people taking foreign holidays under the current circumstances, the local beaches quickly become (over) crowded during fine, warm weather. Arriving before dawn gets me the beach to myself, if only for an hour or so.



12-24mm f/4 Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/8. Matrix metering.  + 0.33EV compensation. ISO 200



© 2020

The cracks are beginning to show

It has been quite a while since I've been out with a camera, and for a number of reasons. The first has - as with many a photographer - been the restrictions imposed by the government in the attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19. Even so, whilst the lockdown didn't stop anybody from taking photographs on the pretext of being "out on their daily exercise", it has knocked the wind out of my sails when it came to travelling to locations. The time of year hasn't helped much, either.

The second rationale (and directly linked to the last), is that I have been casting an appraising eye over a new camera system; something that I nearly committed to but fate - and the ramshackle service from a local camera shop - has put on the back burner for the time being.

Which leads me to the last dilemma: new editing software. To accommodate the image processing of RAW files from the latest cameras I needed to upgrade Adobe Lightroom to its latest version, which in turn meant a computer upgrade. I was happy with the idea of the latter (my current Mac was really beginning to show its age), but not so with the former.

Once upon a time it was possible to buy a version outright, but now Adobe have made Lightroom and Photoshop (both of which are inseparable), available only through online monthly subscription. Of course, this is not news to photographers that have been using the platform for years, nor welcomed with open arms in some quarters as a result. I had been dreading the day that I knew was coming, in making the decision as to whether or not to stick with what I know, or move on to pastures new.

That day has come.

Lightroom on its own - at half the asking rate - would possibly have been acceptable, but I have no need for Photoshop; software that is (still) bloated with pre-press capabilities that I'll never use. Yes, I know that I would get the latest updates through subscription, but I baulk at the idea of paying for something I simply won't benefit from.

So out of necessity I've been evaluating several editing suites, both free and paid for, over the past couple of months as a suitable replacement. Most, but not all (one didn't even support the camera model I was contemplating!), are capable alternatives to Lightroom. One or two of the free ones were just too clunky to use. The good news is that I've narrowed it down to two major contenders.

The free trials continue...




105mm f/2.8 HSM Sigma macro lens. 1/1250 second at f/5. + 0.7 EV compensation. ISO 100



© 2020

Ida

                                                                                                       Ida
    


I have always found graveyards to be photogeninc, and never more so now as neglect caused by the coronavirus lockdown becomes evident. The usually well kept areas between the graves in my local cemetery are gradually succumbing to nature, at least for the time being.



105mm f/2.8 HSM Sigma macro lens. 1/640 second at f/2.8 Mono conversion in Silver Efex Pro 2. ISO 50



© 2020

Seedy pictures

 

 

I've only been at it a couple of weeks or so, but already I'm beginning to see the limitations of the gear I have for good macro photography. I invested in a focusing rail last week, with the intention of using a focus stacking technique to combat the razor-thin depth of field that comes when things get up close and personal. However, cranking the rail in tiny increments by hand is rather tricky and mistakes are easy to make. I'm already eyeing-up computer controlled focus rails, but they are a bit pricy.

Then there is the software to stack the (numerous) images required to render everything in focus. Photoshop - and other editing software - copes to some extent, but to get quality - and reliable - results a dedicated programme is preferrable. Whether I go that route depends entirely as to how hooked I become.

What I am in full control of is the background. Here, I used some A4 sized coloured cards that I bought from the kids art section in a local supermarket, and waved them around behind my subject as I fired the shutter.

105mm f/2.8 DG HSM Sigma macro lens. 1/160 second at f/11. Tripod and remote release. ISO 100

© 2020

Gone to seed

It is the umpteenth week of the coronavirus lockdown in the UK, and although I am getting out most days for exercise, I am ever increasingly becoming more interested in what I can photograph at home.

The setup I used for the above image easily fits on to a tabletop, and tripod legs notwithstanding, takes up about four square feet of space. The idea of shooting a dandelion seed sprayed with water is nothing new, but it's good practise and the results can be beautiful.



105mm f.2.8 DG HSM Sigma macro lens. 1/250 second at f/14. Diffused flash. Remote release. ISO 100



© 2020 

Easy does it

Getting close up images, especially with flighty subjects such as insects can be rewarding, but more often than not, very frustrating. So, to give myself a chance to start exploring macro photography and get predictable results, today I choose flowers.

I did say predictble, but at least they don't get nervous when the front element of my lens impinges on their 'comfort zone', so that's one less worry.



105mm f/2.8 DG HSM Sigma macro lens. 1/6 second at f/11. Diffused flash. Tripod and remote release. ISO 100

The return of the bubbles: fourth in the trilogy

Typical! The day a new lens arrives in the post is the day it starts raining. We've had several weeks of superb spring weather, augmented by the total absence of aircraft contrails across the blue sky, but now that I want to get outside in earnest the heavens open.

So I resort, once again, to bubbles. At least they will keep me occupied until the skies clear again, although it won't challenge the lens's capabilities to any degree.

One thing I can confirm with this type of photography (and I think I'm done with this particular subject, now) is: the colour of the washing up liquid I use plays no part in the final outcome of the images (insert winking emoji here).

The weekend promises to have better weather.




105mm f/2.8 DG HSM Sigma macro lens. 1/250 second at f/11. Overhead diffused and arbitrary hand-held slave flashes. Tripod and remote release. ISO 100



© 2020

Into the unknown

As the UK enters its sixth week of coronavirus lockdown I'm spending more and more the time in the garden, honing my fledgling macro skills.

I'm using a relatively basic setup of on-camera flash and a macro lens, but it's more than enough to allow me to enter a previously unknown world where I can stalk the bushes and grasses, waiting for something to move...



105mm f/2.8 Sigma macro lens. 1/250 second at f/11. Manual focus. Diffused flash at full power. ISO 200



© 2020

Light and gravity

I'm being constantly amazed at what I'm seeing with bubble photography. To light each formation I'm using a diffused flash head above and to the right of my subject to highlight the shapes, but also arbitrarily positioning a small hand-held slave flash with a red gel taped over the tube for each shot.

But what really makes the difference are the myriad patterns and colours created from the same solution at any one time. This is caused by light bouncing around between the inner and outer layers of the very thin bubble wall, each part varying in thickness under gravity. Agitation of the surfaces - by gentle blowing - increases the effect before they burst and are gone forever.



105mm f/2.8 Sigma macro lens. 1/250 second at f/11. Manual flash at full power through a diffuser. Tripod and remote release. ISO 100



© 2020

Bubblicious!

Encouraged by yesterday's first attempts at photographing what amounts to soap in a dish, I take a second bite of the cherry this morning to see if I can improve on things.

Dabbling with a technique or practice will never produce consistant results, and at the moment I'm using an impromptu setup thrown together with what I have to hand. The rig is tricky to work with as it stands, and for these reasons I'm doing some research into what I need to take this branch of photography seriously.




105mm f/2.8 Sigma macro lens. 1/250 second at f/11. Manual flash at full power through a diffuser. Tripod and remote release. ISO 100



© 2020

I need to stay in more

Looking like threads of silver wire soldered together, bubbles created with a blend of water, washing up liquid and glycerine create unique tabletop subjects.

After mixing 75 ml of water with the detergent at a ratio of 3:1 in an old darkroom measuring graduate, I added a tablespoon of glycerine to the concotion. The solution was then poured into an old lens cap, and air blown into it using a drinking straw; the glycerine being added to keep the bubbles stable long enough to make a composition.

Photographed side-on and lit from overhead by a single flash unit, I moved the light around until I got the look I was after.



105mm f/2.8 Sigma macro lens. 1/250 second at f/11. Manual flash at full power through a diffuser. Tripod and remote release. ISO 100



© 2020

Throop Mill Cottage

To most people in the UK, spring is happening largely unnoticed. The third week of the coronavirus lockdown is keeping people - for the most part - indoors whilst nature comes alive.

At the time of writing we are still permitted outdoor exercise, and I take mine in the form of bike riding, keeping as much as possible to the countryside to avoid human contact.



Olympus OM-D EM MKIII with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Pancake lens. 1/640 second at f/8. - ⅔ EV compensation. ISO 200



© 2020

Aircraft sanctuary

I haven't been out of the house since Sunday, and although not suffering from cabin fever per se, I need to get out for some fresh air. Adhering to government rules regarding coronavirus and exercise I opt to cycle somewhere, and choose a route that will go largely across country.

It's a perfect spring day with light winds, and the ride takes me past my local airport. I'm surprised at the number of commercial passenger aircraft parked up along the perimiter, all grounded because of travel restrictions. There are over 50 such aeroplanes, and although it's a pronvincial airport the runway is long enough to allow Boeing 747s to take sanctuary there.



Olympus OM-D EM Mk III with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Pancake lens. 1/1000 second at f/8. -1 stop EV compensation. ISO 200



© 2020