Bluebells in an English wood

It's a fine line between when the bluebells are at their best and the emerging foliage on the trees is just right to create a balance. In this instance I am a week or so too early, but it is still a glorious sight in King's Wood, Challock, Kent.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/200 second at f/7.1. Matrix metering. ISO 320



© 2016

Oaks

 

                                  Oak trees and clouds on an English spring day. Nothing more to add, really.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. Matrix metering.

Top: 1/160 second at f/8. ISO 160
Below: 1/200 second at f/5.6. ISO 320. Polariser.



© 2016

New beach

I've not been to the local beach for a couple of months, and was surprised to see that the work on the wooden groyne replacement was still ongoing. Started last November, I was under the impression that the carpenters and plant operators were making good progress, but apparently not. Well, not according to a beachfront worker I spoke to this afternoon. He reckoned they were "miles behind", although quite where he got his information is anyone's guess.

He may be right, though, as the beach replenishment team are chasing them along the beach not a quarter of a mile away. For this phase it is estimated that 126,000 cubic metres of sand will be pumped ashore through pipes and distributed by bulldozers.


24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/8. Matrix metering. ISO 160



© 2016

Daaahn to Margit

Margit, or Margate, on the North Kent coast is a seaside town sufferering from neglect. Nic and I pop along for the afternoon only to find that despite the looming Easter weekend there is little to entertain the visitor. From a photographic point of view there is a lot to shoot, but from the town's point of view it's for all the wrong reasons.

Dreamland - an amusement park - promising "A 1000 Smiles an Hour", looks like it will deliver anything but, and the tower block that dominates everything is a less-than-inspiring concrete relic of the 1960s. It was a drab day to be honest and it did start to rain, but I would guess that when the sun shines the resort would have its charm. Unfortunately it seems to have given up trying, which is a shame. However, one thing is for sure: we won't be going back there any time soon.


24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor.

Top: 1/200 second at f/8. Matrix metering. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200
Below: 1/500 second at f/5.6. Matrix metering. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200



© 2016

Hectic lunch hour

I enjoy the winter months for photography, but by the end of it I have had enought of the cold. Spring has the look more than the feel at the moment, so for the time being I am restricting myself to short sessions of shooting. Anyway, it's good discipline to set oneself a target to work to.

I give myself an hour to take photographs in a local office district, seeking out subjects that barely get a second glance - if at all - by the people who work there.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor
Top: 1/250 second at f/5.6.  - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200
Middle: 1/1000 second at f/2.8.  - 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 160
Bottom: 1/320 second at f/4.5.  - 1.3 EV compensation. ISO 320



© 2016 

On the wall

The street mural above - unveiled two days ago - is designed to get people involved in the creative side of things. Painted by grafftti artist Rick Walker, it was comissioned by the consumer initiative Get it Right From a Genuine Site. It measures 15 x 13 metres (49 x 43 feet), and is the third such artwork, the others being in Birmingham and Cardiff.

The astronaut at top right represents Bournemouth University's involvement with the National Centre for Computer Animation, and it's Oscar-winning visual effects work on the film Gravity. The two figures on the left are inspired by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, created by Robert Louis Stevenson who lived in the town from 1884-87, while world champion breakdance crew Second to None is represented in the yellow area.

In the centre is AFC Bournemouth's captain Tommy Elphick, no doubt there because of the football club's recent rise to the top flight league for the first time in its history.

Only a few yards away, in a back alley, is the above artwork painted onto a studio's sliding door. Not as involved as its neighbour, but equally striking nonetheless.



Top: 12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/8. Matrix metering. Polarising filter. ISO 400
Below. 24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/100 second at f/5.6. Matrix metering. ISO 200



© 2016

Okay, this is gettin' weird

Two buildings: One already in existence, the other still only an illustrator's rendition of something yet to come. I spotted the opportunity to line-up the board on the right with the structure on the left in the camera, and the image is not the result of jiggery-pokery in Photoshop. Let's face it, it would be a pretty poor attempt if that were the case, wouldn't it?


24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/100 second at f/11. Matrix metering. - 0.67 EV compensation. Polarising filter. ISO 160



© 2016

Close enough

Last week I heard a TV weather forecaster say that Spring officially starts on 1st March. Well, if you say so, but you only need to go outdoors and look around to see that nature is way ahead of you, Met Office. My local patch of daffodils is in full bloom, and that's good enough for me, and the warmth of the day supports it.



300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor. 1/3200 second at f/2.8. Matrix metering. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200. Monopod



© 2016 

A walk on the wild side

As far as I am concerned this is what the fisheye lens was designed for: shooting architecture. The serious photographer will demand as little lens distortion as possible and upright verticals. I, on the other hand, often enjoy a walk on the wild side.

The subject here is the pedestrian and cycle bridge that crosses the M20 motorway at Ashford, Kent.


10.5mm f/2.8 AF-S Fisheye Nikkor.

Top: 1/640 second at f/11. Matrix metering. - 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 160
Below: 1/400 second at f/11. Matrix metering. - 0.33 EV compensation.



© 2016

Much-Binding-In-The-Marsh

Using the title of a post-war British radio comedy series does to some extent hint at the difficulties Nic and I encountered in the mud of Romney Marsh, Kent. It has been three months since we first visited the Church of Thomas à Becket at Fairfield on a dull November afternoon, but today the light alone made the effort worthwhile.


 12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/400 second at f/8. Matrix metering. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 160



© 2016

No sky: big foreground

There is always the element of luck when shooting in an uncontrolled environment, and yesterday's shoot at the beach proved to be a wash out due to a lack of it. At the time of low tide the sky was almost cloudless, but it was a strong human presence that effectively put paid to achieving anything approaching the mood I was trying to create.

Today was a significant improvement. There was only one other person - another photographer - at my chosen location, but once again the sky wasn't happening. Instead, I went for a big foreground, using the ripples in the freshly exposed sand as the major part of the composition.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/8. Matrix metering. -1 stop EV compensation. IS0 160



© 2016

Almost there

Time is beginning to run out for this season's beach photography. It won't be too long now before the sun starts setting inland on Poole bay, plus Spring is just around the corner and my lens will be pointed elsewhere. Fortunately, I have three very low spring tides this week and, weather permitting, I intend to make the most of them. It's all those glorious reflections available, you see.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/160 second at f/8. Matrix metering. ISO 160. Monopod



© 2016

Number 9

As I write, storm what's-his-name (actually this one appears to be a her), continues to blow rather less than predicted along the South coast, although winds of 96mph were recorded at The Needles on the Isle of Wight during the night. This is the ninth tempest of the winter so far in the UK, and to my recollection it is only recently that they have been given names. Maybe it is an attempt to soften the blow in the realisation that such repetitive atmospheric turmoil was somewhat rarer, not so long ago.

Climate change, anybody?



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. Matrix metering. ISO 160.

Top: 1/500 at f/8. - 0.67 EV compensation
Below: 1/500 second at f/5.6



© 2016

Blues and reds

Storm Cuthbert (or whatever incomprehnsible name they gave to the last one), has blown itself out and for the moment we are back to brilliant sunshine.  It's not often that I shoot around mid-day, but today I wanted to use colour as my main subject. Admittedly, it's not the most fascinating object I have ever pointed my lens at, but the two hues opposite each other on the colour wheel make the image work.


24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/3200 second at f/3.5. Matrix metering. - 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 160



© 2016

Not gritty at all

The UK is expecting the remnants of the storm that caused so much havoc with snow in the USA over the weekend, but had I taken notice of the weather forecast I would never have got this shot. The urge to photograph something had me wandering the shore line of the local beaches, regardless of the thick cloud over head. After all, there were low spring tides today .

I had gritty black and white images in mind to suit the conditions, but when the sky parted during late afternoon I was blessed with glorious winter light.

12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/8. Matrix metering. + 1.33 EV compensation. ISO 160



© 2016

The third element

I have a few low tides to work with over the next couple of days, and I do prefer those stretches of pristine sand and reflections in tide pools to be person free. But there are times when a figure will make the shot as with the man with the metal detector, who became the third element of the scene and completed the diagonal line.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/11. Matrix metering  +0.33 EV compensation. ISO 160



© 2016

Still too early?

Torrential rain during the morning gave way to clear skies by early afternoon, and although it remained misty along the coast it was surprisingly warm. A bit too early to be having thoughts about spring weather, but I am glad that cold snap has gone.

The lingering haze produced some beautiful light, and I deliberately over exposed to produce a more airy effect.




24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/200 second at f/8. Matrix metering. + 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 160



© 2016

Pointy bits

The ends of two steel-tipped wooden piles caught my eye on today's ramble with a camera. Stacked on the promenade awaiting use in the building of new groynes, each piece of Greenheart timber ranges from 10 to 13 metres (33 to 43 feet), in length. An idea of their size can be judged here.

The £44 million programme will take 17 years to complete, but during this current phase only 10 of the 53 groynes along the coastline are being replaced. Work is expected to be completed by the end of May, after which the public will be given back the use of the beach.


24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/4. Matrix metering. ISO 400



© 2016

Well, I like it

There are times when the natural effects of ageing and weathering could be interpreted as the work of an artist. The peeling paint on the beach hut is nothing more that; peeling paint, but the phenomnenon known as pareidolia sometimes makes us see something that isn't there.

In this case maybe it's just me, but I like the effect.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/400 second at f/5.6. Matrix metering. - 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 160. Polariser



© 2016

Bolts

It's always risky going out with just one lens to shoot with, particularly if that lens is a prime at an extreme focal length. It does make you work harder for images, but at the same time you are also hoping that you don't come across something that needs an optic that covers the other end of the scale.

Today I got away with it, using a fisheye more as a wide angle rather than looking for straight lines to bend all over the frame. The huge depth of field available allows me to get in really close and keep the rest of the scene sharp.



10.5mm f/2.8 AF Fisheye Nikkor . 1/80 second at f/11. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 160



© 2016

No equal

I mentioned architectural photography in my last post, and although I am not big on shooting buildings per se I do like to capture the smaller details. Weathering and decay fascinate me, and its effects often make good images, as with the numbers on a local beach hut.

It has become fashionable in recent years to have new furniture distressed, or musical instruments "reliced" artificially. In both instances (and at a premium price), it is done to give a well-used look and feel to something, but nothing equals the consequences of the passage of time.


24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/125 second at f/8. Matrix metering. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400



© 2016

Architecture

I really don't do enough architectural photography, and it's a shame because there are myriad things that can be the subject for my lens in my home town. Not just mine, of course, as everywhere has something of interest, no matter how large or small. You just need to look, and have the right light.

When I do tackle the theme I like to use a long lens for the job - the longer the better - especially if the building has repeating patterns. All that super-telephoto compression goes a long way in creating graphic images



300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. 1/800 second at f/8. IS0 250. Monopod



© 2016

Surfing girl

Winter has finally, and well and truly, got under way this week. It is cold with worse to come, say the weather people. One even went so far as to warn us that the current cold snap will "have teeth". Whilst there were few willing enough to brave the sudden drop in temperature at the seaside, there was one spirited soul determined to enjoy herself. I can only think those wet suits must work wonders in keeping you warm in such conditions.


300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. 1/160 second at f/4.5. Matrix metering. ISO 320. Monopod



© 2016

Soft Glow and Muted

Just because I use a camera as an instrument to create images, it doesn't necessarily mean everything I shoot needs to be delivered as an accurate representation. Manipulation has been going on almost since day one in photography, and occasionally a bit of experimentation will produce interesting results.

The stones on the beach at low tide was just a straightforward shot, but I converted the RAW file to mono and then tried various presets in Adobe Lightroom to see what I could come up with. The Soft Glow and Muted option pleased me the most for this subject.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/60 second at f/8. Matrix metering. IS0 200. Monopod



© 2016

Further out to sea

I do so like shooting after the sun has set, as everything takes on a different quality when lit only by reflected light. It also has the added bonus of having a deserted beach to work on, not including the two surfers retiring for the day.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/60 second at f/4. Matrix metering. ISO 200



© 2016

Can't keep away

In spite of yesterday's failings I once again find myself wandering the local beaches in search of photographs. It's raining. I am drawn to the distant crack in the clouds. There is something hypnotic about it all. I start thinking in short sentences.

Once the sun gets under the cloud then it's a dead cert for striking images that only the most clumsy shooter can make a mess of. Next week we have low tides. Maybe more seascapes. Possibly a different location. More short sentences...


24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/8. Matrix metering. +1.67 EV compensation. ISO 200



© 2016

Déjà vu

It wasn't until I had post processed today's image that it dawned on me that I have taken this self same shot before. I freely admit that I return to the same locations time and time again, as each time I get something different, but now I realise I am beginning to repeat myself. In other words, gotten stale.

It's not a good feeling and I need to find something different, either with the subjects I shoot or techniques I use.

Think, man, think...



 300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - 0.33 EV compensation. IS0 160. Monopod



© 2016

Making hay

It's a nice, calm afternoon on the coast. It's warm in the sunshine, there is little to no wind, and the sea is flat. A far cry from last week. All is well with the world as the crews that are replacing the wooden groynes along the beaches make good progress in the fine weather.

Other than photographing them at work the only other distraction is the sky. Originally shot in portrait format, I decided the square crop suited the image better.


24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/4000 second at f/5.6. Matrix metering. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 160



© 2016

Saving the day

A black & white image might not be everyone's idea of how to present a sunset, but in this instance I feel it works better by just showing shape and form. All through the afternoon the sky looked promising for something spectacular when the time came, but in the event the colours were weak and washed out. I didn't have a monochrome treatment in mind at the time of shooting, but it did save the day.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/60 second at f/8. Matrix metering. +0.33 EV compensation. ISO 250. Monopod



© 2016

Thick and fast

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I don't know why I take any notice of the weather forecast. The seemingly perpetual rain has moved on and I am blessed with a series of fronts that sweep in from the Atlantic and along the English Channel. The stiff wind ensures that everything is kept moving, presenting an ever changing sky, and the photographic opportunities come thick and fast.

I had intended to sprawl in the mud and shoot the crocus that are now in flower in a local park, but as long as nature is delivering like it is then they will just have to wait.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/500 second at f/8. Matrix metering. ISO 160



© 2016

Sculpting light

The one place I like to be during stormy weather is beside the sea. I am not a big fan of being on it; or in it, but from a photographic perspective I love it. I doubt it could have rained any harder during mid-morning, but by early afternoon the storm front has passed and I was left with beautiful cloud formations to sculpt the light.


27-70mm f.2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/640 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 160



© 2016

Decisions, decisions

The first week of the new year and there are two kinds of weather that we have to contend with in the UK: Stormy and slightly less stormy. Today it is the latter, and people are out along the seafront making the most of the lull. The strong winds have dropped and the waves subsided, so this surfer on a local beach stands and waits, chewing over the idea as to whether or not it is a good idea to get involved. He eventually does. Good man.

However, it remains mild, and early signs of spring are evident in local parks, with daffodils well above ground although not yet in flower.




 70-200mm f/2.8D EX Apo Sigma lens. 1/160 at f/2.8. Matrix metering. ISO 160. Monopod



© 2016

Completing the circle

I always like to start and end each year with a photograph. It took 5 days to get going at the beginning of 2015 due to bad weather, but as the forecast was promising for the first half of the day I could at least round things off on time.

Taking pictures of what can be found on the surf line is a favourite activity of mine, and this piece of seaweed is an example of a picture waiting to happen. The beach was littered with large clumps of the stuff, washed up by Storm Frank, but it's the smaller bits that made for better composition.



24-70mm F/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/50 second at f/8. Matrix metering. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 160. Monopod



© 2015

Storm Frank is on its way

Storm Frank is on its way in. Like hurricanes, the powers that be have taken to naming bouts of bad weather. To my ears it sounds daft, but I guess it's one way of keeping track of the numerous winter storms that batter the UK, these days.

But before the 50 mph winds arrive I am presented with the opportunity to shoot some good light on a local beach.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/8. Matrix metering. ISO 160



© 2015

The find of the day

Today's walk is at Dungeness, next to the nuclear power station. If a photographer fails to find a whole host of interesting stuff to shoot at this location then they may as well throw the towel in. On this visit, instead of concentrating on the obvious: fishing boats that are hauled up onto the shingle beach, I want to photograph buildings. Apart from the power station itself, the area is littered with small structures, either inhabited or abandoned; each one telling a story.

One such such place that we always visited for refreshments is the café adjacent to the railway station, but to our disappointment it is closed. Not being deterred by this setback, we repaired to the nearby pub: Britannia Inn. It turns out to be quite a find as it allows dogs in (which the café didn't), and they do a mean plate of chips as well as good tea/coffee.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/5.6. Spot metered from the building in manual mode. ISO 160.



© 2015

North Downs, Kent

I am spending the holiday weekend with Nic, and the post Christmas afternoon walk takes us along the North Downs, Kent. Although it is still very mild for the time of year the strong wind on top of the chalk ridge makes holding a camera steady something of a challenge.

Looking for a focal point, this lone silver birch against the setting sun fits the bill nicely.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/1250second at f/5.6.  Matrix metering. + 0.67 EV compensation. 0.9 Lee grey grad. ISO 400



© 2015

Luck of the draw

It is only for a few days of the year that the local piers stay open long enough to coincide with a sunset over the sea. Shutting at 4 pm during the winter months, it can be frustrating when an opportunity presents itself, but today I'm lucky.



12-24mm f/4G AF-S Nikkor. 1/200 second at f/8.  0.9 Lee grey grad. ISO 160. Monopod



© 2015

Behind the sun

It's the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, so it's all uphill 'til summer. The moment of the solstice occurred at 4:49 GMT from where I was standing, and although today's photograph was taken a couple of hours prior to that, the sun managed to put in a cameo appearance for a few minutes to celebrate.



20mm f/1.8D EX DG Sigma lens. 1/320 at f/8. ISO 100



© 2015

The party's over

I fail to see the appeal of a party on a wet and windswept pier in the middle of winter, but the detrius of the "knees-up" does provide a subject for my lens.



20mm f/1.8D EX DG Sigma lens. 1/60 second at f/1.8. Matrix metering. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400



© 2015

About time, too

Two days before the winter solstice for all us Northern Hemispherians (is that a word?), and temperatures touch 16ºC in Southern UK. A brisk breeze makes it feel a bit cooler, but considering it is almost mid-winter, cold it ain't.

On top of that the ever-present cloud bank that seemed to have parked itself over the country has gone, for the time being at least, and I get something to point a lens at.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/200 second at f/8. Matrix metering.  +1 stop EV compensation. 0.9 Lee ND grey grad. ISO 160. Monopod



© 2015

No change

Well into December and the temperatures still hover around 13ºC. I occasionally have windows open at home, and if this isn't evidence of climate change then I don't know what is. What is certain is the ever decreasing amount of daylight as the winter solstice approaches; the sun almost set at 3:30 in the afternoon on Hothfield Common, Kent.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/125 second at f/7.1.  Matrix metering. + 0.67 EV compensation. 0.9 Lee grey graduated filter. Monopod.



© 2015

Still at it

Although I always used to enjoy art classes at school I liked them all the more when the brief for the day's lesson was Abstract. Gleefully let loose to use any medium we saw fit, the results were often bizarre and disappointing, but I did have fun doing it.

It's something I still have an interest in, but these days I use a camera. Taken on a local beach during late afternoon, the image is a juxtaposition of buildings reflected in water, and ripples in the sand.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/50 second at f/8. Matrix metering. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 160. Monopod



© 2015

Bournemouth East Beach

For the first time in a long time we get some sun on the south coast, and although cloud does arrive during late afternoon it still produces some beautiful light.


24-70mm f/2.8 AF- S Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/5.6. Matrix metering. ISO 160



© 2015