Spring, and spring tide

It's Spring in the northern hemisphere (the vernal equinox was yesterday), and a spring tide - they have nothing to do with the season; they happen every month - at sunrise lures me to the beach. For the most part I try to avoid contrails in images, but this morning they add some much needed detail to the sky.

© 2026

The end of the beginning

British Summer Time has ended; Storm Benjamin has skimmed the south coast and moved east; the sky is clear and it's low tide at dawn. It's the combination of the last two that has me out well before first light, in search of a subject to photograph.

Finding a tide pool for a composition is one thing, but it staying pristine before it gets trampled on by dog walkers (and their dogs), and early morning exercise enthusiasts before the light is right, is another. 

Today I'm lucky.

© 2025

Nowhere has a place to tie-up

                  Early morning beach.

© 2025

L'heure bleue

There's no doubt in my mind that winter light is the best light for landscape photography, mainly because the sun remains low in the sky all day. It gives an extended 'golden hour', but there's a time that is often overlooked by many that can produce equally appealing images, and that is the blue hour. 

That time between twilight and sunrise/sunset; when photographers pack up and go home (or haven't arrived yet); that time when the landscape is only lit by the sky, will often produce something special.

© 2024

Ephemeral pareidolia

Walking the surf line on the beach has always fascinated me as a photographer, as you never know what you may find. On this bright morning I'm prowling the area with a macro lens, looking for interesting shapes washed up after some rough weather, but I have to work quickly as the tide is beginning to turn.

Here - and using a bit of imagination - I see a green-winged bird (top), and a horseman galloping across the sands. In both instances, and almost immediately after I fire the shutter, the seaweed images were washed away forever by the incoming waves.

© 2024.

 

Falling

Three weeks into winter, with 2 days until the solstice, and day and night time temperatures still hover around 11ºC. This makes pre-dawn starts all the more bearable, especially when walking, but I know the season has yet to bite.

The image of Branksome Chine beach was taken on a falling tide, 23 minutes after sunrise.

© 2023

What more can I say?

                                                                                           Low tide at sunset.

© 2022

Morning walk

Today's weather forecast told of heavily overcast skies, but an expeditious break in the thick cloud during a morning walk produced enough light to make things interesting. A falling tide over a beach reshaped by a recent storm produced ever-changing patterns, and I took photographs until the light had gone.

© 2021

Ripples in the sand

For most of the day I've been keeping a watchful eye on the weather system developing in the Western Approaches. What I'm seeing - via the Met Office satellite images - looks favourable, and experience leads me to believe I'm in with a good chance of something spectacular at sunset.

In the event there was little to write home about (let alone photograph), but what I did get made the ripples in the sand at low tide look more compelling.

© 2021

Right place, right time

                                                               The chance passing of a local pier at low tide.

© 2021

Come together

The cutting easterly winds of the past couple of days have dropped, and it feels nowhere near as cold. However, the air temperature still hovers at 0ºC. Thick loud has been present for most of the day, but I still decide to go for an afternoon beach walk as there are spring tides this week and I may get something useable.

As luck would have it, low tide and a welcome break in the clouds come together at the right moment on Bournemouth beach, and I get some pictures.

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

© 2021

Laying in wait

For the landscape photographer the bulk of the time spent when out shooting is waiting for something to happen; that moment of inspiration to fire the shutter and (hopefully) record the feel of what's happening in front of the camera.

Today I was confident of the right conditions at the right time. It was just a case of which frame to use.

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

© 2021

A bit of (good) luck never hurt anyone

An afternoon's stroll under an overcast winter's sky very quickly turned into something eminently photogenic. I hadn't expected anything like this, nor bothered to check tide tables before setting out, but just before the sun set over the Isle of Purbeck the clouds parted. The low tide was a bonus.

 

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/60 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - 0.7 EV compensation. 0.6 Lee grey grad. Monopod. ISO 200

© 2021

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

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

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

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

 

The best of what's left

Storm Ciara blew in and rolled out again over the weekend, with winds gusting up to 90mph in some parts of the country. Although there are those brave (reckless?) enough to take the gamble of shooting by the sea during such events, I decide it's more prudent to sit this one out.

Besides, I can often get better images photographing the aftermath when such episodes have blown themselves out, and without the risk.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/160 second at f/11. Matrix metering. ISO 200. Mono conversion - Silver Efex Pro 2



© 2020

Late arrival

The winter weather is all over the place, with (seemingly) alternating days of high and low pressure systems sweeping the country. Today, it's the latter and I spend most of the day in front of the computer, deleting and editing in unequal measure.

Taken earlier in the month, the above image of Boscombe Spa Village on the Dorset coast is a survivor of the delete key.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/125 second at f/11. Matrix metering. -1 stop EV compensation. ISO 50



© 2020