Wave

The early morning start on the beach to photograph the 'Pink Moon' - also a Supermoon - quickly fizzled out as it began to set. I wanted some foreground interest to be included to give a sense of scale, but as the moon dropped towards the horizon it turned into an indistinct pale blur.

But instead of admitting defeat I scanned the shoreline in the hope of finding another subject to photograph, and noticed that breaking waves were catching the sun's rays. Initially shooting into the light I quickly decided nothing was working, but once I turned and had the sun to my back things started to get interesting.

 

300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor. 1/2000 second at f/2.8. Matrix metering. Monopod. ISO 100

© 2021

And there it was

Temperatures are at last near average, and today's ramble around a nearby headland eventually leads me to the Dorset Stour. I had been eyeing up the sky for quite a while during the walk, trying to find a suitable foreground subject to do it justice. 

Trees - both living and dead - farm buildings and hedgerows all have photographic potential, but fencing that borders pathways prevents me from getting into positions that would allow good compositions. Then I turn a corner and am presented with the scene above. 

24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/200 second at f/11. Matrix metering. - 0.33 EV compensation. Polarising filter. ISO 200

© 2021

East end(er)

It's quite liberating to occasionally cast technical accuracy to the wind when taking photographs, as here with the East wall of the local priory.

Deciding not to concern myself with correcting converging verticals - or even getting them upright - I turned the camera back and forth looking to produce shapes from both the highlights and shadows. Boosting contrast and applying liberal amounts of digital toning in post processing completed the picture.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/400 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - 0.3 EV compensation. ISO 100

© 2021

Snap out of it

Everything about Spring is being established by nature, apart from the weather. Sleet and snow are still being forecast for parts of the country, and an uncharacteristic cold snap is keeping temperatures in single figures.

300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor. 1/5000 second at f/2.8. Matrix metering. -0.3 EV compensation. ISO 100

© 2021

Sometimes

It may well be spring from both an astronomical and meteorological viewpoint, but today there's a northwesterly blowing that belies the season. The wind-chill factor is said to make it feels like it's 2ºC outside, and who am I to argue? It does!

It's not often that I use a super-telephoto just for landscape work, but the lens hasn't had any use over the winter months and it's time it had some exercise. 

 

300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor. 1/3200 at f/3.2.  Matrix metering. -0.7 EV compensation. Monopod. ISO 50

© 2021