The Wind Cries Mary*...

The blue sea is discoloured by pipe leakage as the dredger Shoalway (top left) pumps sand ashore onto Portman Ravine and Fisherman's Walk beaches, Poole Bay, Dorset. The material is then distributed by two bulldozers and an excavator to level the area. It is only 18 months since the operation was performed at this location and the beach didn't seem to need replenishment, but obviously others disagree. Perhaps it was because a significant amount of material was taken from this site for the second attempt to build the ill-fated - read: doesn't work -  Boscombe Surf Reef.

24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/11. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200


* The title of this post is an acknowledgement to Jimi Hendrix, who died 40 years ago today - arguably the best electric guitar player who ever lived.

© 2010

A change of mind...

The PS Waverley, the last seagoing paddle steamer in the world, is currently running its south coast excursions, and I always try to get some photographs during the season.
Today's image was shot at 6.40pm as the Waverley made an approach to tie-up at Bournemouth Pier, Dorset, but oddly this was as close as it came. For reasons best known to the captain the steamer then stopped; reversed back ou...er, went astern into open water and then headed east. I can only assume that there were no passengers wanting to disembark at this point.

24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/1000 second at f/5.6. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200

© 2010

The sun has got his hat on...

After the dismal summer weather of the past week or so - heavy rain and leaden skies - things have turned around over the bank holiday weekend and we have had some sunshine. Although it's not a case of too little, too late - it is always nice to have a bit of good light to work with - this weekend does in many ways mark the end of the summer holiday season in the UK.

Sunrise and sunset are now at more civilised times, so I don't have to be up in the middle of the night, or stay out too long, making more time for dinner (or breakfast). Having said that, the temperatures during the pre-dawn have an autumnal nip about them and there are already the signs of seasonal change. The horse chestnut tree leaves have been turning a rust colour for several weeks and the black-headed gulls are taking on their winter plumage (they loose the black head feathers).

Today's photograph was made shortly before the sun set over Poole Harbour, Dorset. Shooting directly into the light does cause exposure problems due to the brightness of the sun, so I add two neutral density graduated filters to the front of the lens to try and get the contrast under control. This runs the added risk of lens flare, so I wait until the sun's disc is partially obscured by a convenient cloud before shooting. Contrast is reduced and there is no flare.
Result!

24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/60 second at f/11. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200. 0.6 and 0.9 grey graduated filters.

© 2010

Rain stopped play...

The fourth and last day of the Bournemouth Air Festival 2010 and again it was marred by the weather. Apart from the unexpected arrival of the Breitling (where's my watch?) Wingwalkers opening the show there was precious little flying to follow. Although conditions were an improvement on yesterday - why, even the sun made a brief appearance for a few minutes - low cloud and several bouts of rain presented safety issues for flying jets. As a result there was no display by the Avro Vulcan or the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Red Arrows cancelled for the second day running.

There were several late displays before the weather closed in at 4.15pm - at which time an end was called to proceedings - including the Pitts Duo, one of which I include here, mainly because of its amusing registration.

It must be stressed that the organisers, pilots and ground crews did their level best to put on a show, but they were just defeated by the English weather.
Roll on next year.

300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with x1.4 TC.

1/1000 second at f/5.6. +0.67 EV compensation. ISO 400

© 2010

Grounded...

Day three of the Bournemouth Air Festival and there were no aircraft flying - the British weather being the culprit. With a cloud base of around 200/500 feet, plus a brisk wind and light rain, the Red Arrows were the first to cancel their 12.30 performance. Pilots stated that 1000 feet is the minimum cloud level for jets to fly safely. Only a solitary Lynx helicopter from the Black Cats managed to give a display before proceedings were called to a halt at 3.00pm.
Hopefully (and it does seem promising) the weather will improve somewhat for the last day tomorrow.

As a result I'm posting two images from the festival that I shot yesterday. The Breitling Wing Walkers are the worlds only formation wing walking team and performed last year (although under a different name). The top photograph shows an attempt for the girl wing walkers to touch hands, but the wind on the day was too strong to fly safely at close range and the endeavour failed. Apparently, the effort was successful the day before.
The bottom image shows one of the many poses taken up on each pass of the Breitling team (perhaps if I mention their name enough time they'll send me one of their watches. Yeah, right).

300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with x1.4 TC.

Top: 1/1600 second at f/4. +0.67 EV compensation. ISO 400.
Below: As above.

© 2010

Bournemouth Air Festival 2010...

The third annual Bournemouth Air Festival, the largest of its kind in the UK - free and by the sea - got underway this week and today I visited the event with a camera. The weather was not the best for display flying and a cloud base of around 1000 feet forced all team displays to fly a reduced program.
Even the Red Arrows, making the first of three visits over the weekend, were forced to fly only eight aircraft instead of the usual nine because of a cockpit component failure.

However, individual aircraft were still able to deliver an entertaining performance for the crowds gathered along the coastline of Poole bay, including a Dutch F-16 Fighting Falcon (top), seen here in its familiar orange paint scheme, after-burner on, moisture condensing over the wings and dropping flares as it climbs.

The second photograph is of "Miss Demeanour", a Hawker Hunter British jet of the 1950s and 1960s, painted in an unusual colour scheme, making its first appearance at the festival.


300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor lens (VR off) with x1.4 TC.

Top: 1/3200 second at f/4. +0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400
Below: 1/1000 second at f/4.5. +0.67 EV compensation. ISO 400

© 2010

Air display season...

I had been planning this shoot for almost a year. It dawned on me last September that Ballard Down, which overlooks the town of Swanage, Dorset, would make an good vantage point to photograph the RAF Red Arrows display team during the town's Regatta and Carnival week.

On this occasion I want to use two lenses: a standard zoom and a long telephoto and opt to use two camera bodies instead of fumbling about changing lenses and missing shots - but it presents a problem...a weight problem. Not only that but the backpack I need to transport the chosen gear will prove too cumbersome when riding a bike, especially over rough ground and uphill (raising my centre of gravity and all that - causes balance problems, you see). I finally cobble two bags together, making a much more manageable rig, but it still weighs in at 18lbs (8.2 kg) - something you begin to notice during a twenty five mile round trip.

The Met Office weather forecast predicts "sunny intervals" but there is a good deal of grey cloud by the time I get into position. It doesn't look too promising, but the cloud breaks shortly before showtime and the Red Arrows do their stuff like no others.

Top: 24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/200 second at f/7.1. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200
Below: 300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor (VR off). 1/3200 second at f/6.3. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 320

© 2010

Two stops under...

Now that the British summer has settled into its true weather pattern: changeable - often cloudy with outbursts of rain - there is the opportunity to capture dramatic scenes at either end of the day.
Today's photograph was made at 5:21am before the sun had risen and to get a sharp image I have to press the camera against a makeshift jamb - in this instance a convenient flagpole.

Now, light levels at this time of day are low, and most camera metering systems will try to average-out a scene to give what it thinks is the best exposure, but this is not always the case. This is where the photographer steps in. Had I left the camera to its own devices I would have ended up with a rather bland image of Bournemouth Pier, albeit with a dramatic sky. So I switch to manual control and take a meter reading from the beach. This is the basis for my exposure, but I then modify it by setting the exposure compensation to give two stops less exposure than the meter reading. This produces an image far closer to what I saw at the time, not what the camera designers deem correct.

There is no such thing as "correct exposure", although for the majority of photography modern metering systems produce results far superior than your best guess. It's at either end of the day when the sun is below the horizon that the system needs the most help.

24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/15 second at f/8. ISO 640. - 2 stop EV compensation.

 © 2010

Tiny island...

This morning I decided to chance it: unable to draw any solid conclusions from weather satellite images, plus the fact that the sky was overcast before dawn, I set out on my bike - purely for the exercise if nothing else.
It's during the ride that the cloud begins to break up and the sun begins to shine, creating perfect light as I reach Poole Harbour, Dorset.

 At first there's nothing too inspiring to point a lens at, but with a little perseverance I find some reflections to work with and produce today's photograph, made just before 6am at the North Haven area of Sandbanks. It's intriguing how the grass on the small island survives as it does, considering it is submerged at high tide, though the fact that the harbour gets between six to eight tides a day perhaps plays a significant part.
Obviously hardy stuff.

12-24mm f/4G Nikkor. 1/125 second at f/11. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 640. 0.9 Grey Grad filter.

© 2010

July morning...

Over the past few weeks the weather has been more in keeping with the British summer: unsettled - and it is often the case that there are just a few minutes of good light around sunrise before the cloud rolls in for the best part of the day.
Today's example was photographed on Canford Cliffs beach, Dorset, at 5:22am, shortly before the sun broke the horizon, and is the result of two images blended together in Photoshop. Normally I would use a grey graduated filter to hold back the sky - having exposed for the foreground - but this time I used the technique of "bracketing".
This involves making several exposures in quick succession at different exposure values - in this case normal plus one stop over the meter reading. This allows for two parts of the scene to receive adequate exposure (in this instance sky and foreground) which then can be blended together using software.

Cheating? No. Multiple exposures in photography are almost as old as photography itself. It is only in the last twenty years - since the advent of Adobe Photoshop - that the public in general have become aware of such techniques; techniques which were an integral part of darkroom working, but subsequently made easier and quicker with the use of computers.

I rest my case.

24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/400-1/200 second at f/8. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 640.

© 2010

Marquee peaks...

It has been almost two weeks since I've been out with a camera: my energies have been spent engaged in other activities - some more pressing than others - so it was a welcome change to be out before dawn, hell-bent on shootring something.
The weather has also been less than spectacular over the past week - a stark contrast to the mini-heatwave experienced by the UK last weekend - but today the winds have dropped and the rain clouds have dispersed.

The sixteen mile ride could well have proved fruitless but for the chance discovery of the marquees erected on Sandbanks beach, Dorset, for the Beach Volleyball Tournament over the next two days; part of the Sandbanks Beach Festival 2010.
Straight away I'm drawn to the play of light on the canvas and stop to make a number of images at 5:55am, using a super-telephoto lens to isolate specific elements of the scene.

300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/1600 second at f/4. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200.

© 2010

Summer field...

Now that we are past the solstice and summer is well established - we are even getting appropriate weather to support this - there is little to inspire me from a photographic point of view. There are several organised events in the coming months that are on my schedule, but unless there are unusual weather conditions in the offing I have no real reason to get out before dawn, or stay out late, until the end of summer/autumn comes around.

I will, however, continue to take a camera kit with me when out on my bike and will stop to make an image if I feel the need, just to record the passing seasons if nothing else (and give me something to post on this blog).
Although very much a token shot the photograph of an English oak in a wheat field at Hurn, Dorset, is a typical country scene at this time of year.

24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/100 second at f/11. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400. Polariser

© 2010

Warming up...

Temperatures are rising and a weekend heat wave is predicted for the UK. On the south coast the mercury rose to 24ºC (75ºF) today and is predicted to hit 30ºC by Sunday. This will create the inevitable stampede to the beaches.

Under clear blue skies of late afternoon I take a telephoto lens to the entrance of Poole Harbour, Dorset, specifically to photograph people enjoying the water. There are all the usual suspects; para-gliders, wind surfers, jet skiers and boaters of all kinds in general, so I'm not short of a subject. Although most jet skiers keep a good distance from the shore a rider occasionally comes close enough to get a decent image (below). Unfortunately, they do most of the "interesting" stuff much further out.

As well as numerous water enthusiasts getting the weekend off to a good start there are a good number of boats returning after a day at sea.The second photograph shows a private boat approaching the harbour entrance during early evening, with the affluent West Cliffs of nearby Bournemouth in the background.

300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor (VR off) with TC-14EII converter.

Top: 1/1200 second at f/6.3. - 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 200
Below: 1/2500 second at f/4.5. - 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 320
Monopod

© 2010

Run, rabbit, run...

This post, the 353rd, celebrates 4 years of blogging...and still free of advertising! Despite encouragement from various web sources my sentiments concur with that of George Orwell: Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket.

We will continue to remain bereft of such apparatus.

So, how to celebrate this anniversary? For the third consecutive day I ride into the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, in search of  photographic subjects. Quite by chance, during early evening, I come across a field on the edge of Studland Bay that has a number of wild rabbits present.

I've never tried to photograph rabbits before, but have glanced through a number of articles on the standard procedure: get down wind of them, keep low and remain very still - and be patient.
I decide to give it a go.
Of course, my arrival makes nearly all of them scatter into thick bracken, but applying the four advisory points proves to have its worth, and after fifteen minutes or so they re-emerge and continue feeding - which is when I make my shot.

300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. 1/800 second at f/5.6. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 640. Handheld.

© 2010

Cows coming home...

Around a year ago a trip to the Isle of Purbeck on a mountain bike would have been a major event: this evening I cycled the round trip of 28 miles (52 km) just for the fun of it. The ride culminated at the obelisk on Ballard Down, part of the Southern England Chalk Formation that runs down to the sea and forms Old Harry Rocks, a local landmark at Handfast Point (see June 27, 2009 post). The peace of the evening is only broken by the skylarks: there is no other human presence.

The photograph below is of a herd of meandering cows, and was taken during my descent of Ballard Down. The chalk cliffs of both Alum and Scratchell's Bay, Isle of Wight - some 15 miles (28km) distant -  are at the top of the image and are a continuation of the same chalk ridge mentioned above.

Once at Handfast Point I stop to photograph the nest of a Herring Gull, perched on a ledge of the vertical cliff face, shown here with one of the chicks beginning to test its wings in preparation of its first flight. The young birds are superbly marked (there are two), blending well with their surroundings. Even the parent bird was, at first, difficult to spot against the chalk cliffs.

300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor lens.

Top: 1/1000 second at f/8. ISO 400

Below: 1/400 second at f/8. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 640. Monopod

© 2010

Solstice dawn...

Keeping a close eye on weather satellite images is one thing, but a visual inspection of the dawn sky at 3:30am confirms that I'm going to get the light I want for this morning's shoot. Today is the summer solstice.
The word derives from the latin: "sol" - sun, and "sistere"- to cause to stand still - and the event is traditionally recognised as the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere.

I had a primary and secondary location in mind for photography before setting out, but opt for the latter on a hunch at the last minute and head for the Dorset Stour on my MTB. What the weather forecast didn't tell me was the formation of localised mist along the river banks; an added bonus for a touch more atmosphere.
The sun rose at 4:54am, but because of the distant tree line it was not visible for several minutes: the photograph of an oak tree at Throop was made at 5:15am. I had to work quickly as the light changes rapidly at this time of day, but local knowledge and experience enable me to get a number of useable images.
By 5:40am the sun had become too bright to manage and the shoot was over.

24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/400 second at f/8. ISO 400.

© 2010

Avoid clichés...

like the plague - it may well be something to bear in mind from a creative point of view, but I think most photographers have been guilty of the cliché at some time or other. I just don't care.
In fact it's difficult to resist as summer gets into full swing in the UK, and poppies are now rife on the edges of most cultivated farmland. They are, to say the least, somewhat photogenic, with the red flower being a subtractive primary colour and the green of the fields being its secondary, complementary colour. Red is, in itself, an effective device from a photographic point of view, as its wavelength is at the long end of the visible spectrum and focuses slightly behind the retina in the eye. This makes the brain work harder to interpret the hue and is thus more stimulating to the viewer.

This example, photographed during early morning at Hurn, Dorset, is the culmination of a 4:20am start and a twenty mile bike ride. A fresh breeze was blowing at the time, forcing me to shoot wide open to achieve a shutter speed fast enough to freeze any movement.

300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/4000 second at f/4. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400.

© 2010

Ugly ducklings...

Today I found the time to spend the afternoon on, or around, the banks of the Dorset Stour, and it is there that I photograph the swan family in the picture. I hadn't planned on seeking out any particular wildlife, but couldn't resist the opportunity when it arose.

Danish author Hans Christian Andersen possibly had it all wrong when he penned his literary fairy tale, although at this stage of the cygnet's development they can seen a tad ungainly.

It's just a matter of time.

300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/3200 second at f/8. - 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 640

© 2010

The Matthew...

Following up a tip-off I made an early morning visit to Poole Quay, Dorset, to photograph the Matthew, a full size replica of the ship John Cabot sailed in over 500 years ago. The design is based on archaeological data and period illustrations since no original plans are known to exist. It took shipwrights two years to build her. Usually based in Bristol, she has been berthed in Poole for the past few days due to a pump failure.

The ship does have a number of modern advantages not found in ships of the day, such as radar, GPS and an engine. Compared to ocean-going ships of today the Matthew strikes me as being tiny for such an application, but its size - as were all ships of the period - is restricted by the keel length, which had to be a single piece of straight hard wood.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor.  1/250 second at f/11. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200

© 2010

Worth the wait...

As the summer solstice draws near I have to be out earlier and earlier to catch the dawn light, and today I set off at 4:55am to visit the swan family that I have been observing during the past month or so.

The five cygnets, hatched on 24th May, are growing at an alarming rate - necessary in nature to increase their chance of survival - but are still small enough to fit under mother's wing for protection. Four nestled in this fashion for over an hour, presumably sleeping, while one climbed onto its mother's back. In a bid to get into a comfortable position its head briefly appeared, producing this image.

300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor. 1/500 second at f/7.1. ISO 640. Monopod

© 2010