Since 1979...

"A lot of weather we've been having lately", said Oliver Hardy to the Sheriff''s wife in Way Out West, and I echo that sentiment. An inch (25mm) of rain has fallen during the past 24 hours, and a severe flood warning is again in place on the Dorset Stour. A local riverside park has been inundated three times in the past ten days as the waterway remains in flood, with some residents losing everything. It has worsened since the weekend, and a high spring tide just after noon exacerbated the situation. Several locals I speak to say it hasn't been this bad here since 1979.

The river is not tidal at this point, but all that water entering the local harbour forces the water to back-up, resulting in closed roads, sightseers, and TV crews aplenty. It rains heavily several times whilst I'm recording the event for posterity (photograph), and if the water levels rise above the arches of Iford Old Bridge in the background then the water has nowhere to go except back upstream, causing more mayhem.

An idea of just how much water is now flowing through the area can be judged in the top photo in this post, which is of the same bridge a month ago. It will take quite some time before river levels return to normal, as water is still draining into the Stour from hills and fields along the 55 miles that is still upstream.



24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/160 second at f/8. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 320



© 2014

Little chance, and getting worse...

Although there is seemingly no end in sight for the continual bad weather in the UK, at least the flood warning on the Dorset Stour has been lifted. That's as may be, but the flooding has already happened and likely to get worse as more rain arrives during the morning. This is unwelcome news to a local riverside home park, with more than 100 residents having been evacuated because of the rising river and little chance of them returning before Monday.

I had intended to walk the distance to make some photographs of the freshet, as the wind was still strong, but a lull in the conditions encourages me to ride instead. I arrive at the location - along with a fresh bout of rain - dodge two TV crews that are reporting at the scene - and get shooting. The floodwaters have dropped slightly since yesterday, and the earthwork defences are doing their job, but the actual river normally flows beyond the trees in the photograph, which illustrates the extent of the problem.



12-24mm f/4G AF-S Nikkor. 1/60 second at f/8. + 0.67 EV cpmpensation. ISO 640



© 2014

The unexpected...

There are several low spring tides this week, and although occurring frustratingly late in the afternoon I decide that I will make the attempt to photograph what amounts to a much larger beach. Hopefully nature will also play its part. I had the idea to use a 10 stop ND filter to create blur in both the sky and sea, but since nature refuses to perform today the shots are simply not working as I had hoped.

Once I open the files on the computer I see some potential in one or two exposures, but since there was no real colour amongst the clouds - and therefore the sea - I convert just one finished image to mono for inclusion on here. Having made what I consider to be the best job of the file, I casually click one of the last frames I shot before packing up and heading home, and it is immediately obvious that this photograph is far more successful.

The fact was the technique I had been employing was just not suited to the subject, and by the time I had framed a picture, and made anything up to a three minute exposure with the ND filter in place, it was clear that light levels were just too low for such a technique, so I removed it and took several  frames without. The sun had set some 40 minutes earlier, but there was still enough light in the sky to produce something quite beautiful.

Lucky me.



12-24mm f/4G AF-S Nikkor. 3 seconds at f/11. Tripod and remote release. Mirror lockup. ISO 200



© 2014

Sit...

The stormy weather continues, with the wind blowing and the rain, er... raining, but I am determined to mark the start of 2014 with some photography. On days like this I tend to head for the sea, and watch the few people who brave such conditions deal with with whatever nature throws at them. Dog walkers are a favourite subject at such times, as whilst their owners try to keep a respectful distance from the surf, their pets tend to do the opposite.

There are not many in evidence, today, and standing on the beach in the pouring rain is beginning to get the better of me as the light fades, but eventually my perseverance is rewarded and I get the shot. Keeping the front element of the lens free from raindrops is a constant battle, but I don't let it concern me unduly. I even add a grain effect to the finished image in Adobe Lightroom, which helps convey the grittiness of the afternoon.


12-24mm f/4G AF-S Nikkor. 1/800 second at f/4. - 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 800



© 2014

Watery, winter sun...

Not much to say to round the year off, to be honest, but the current series of storms to hit the UK in recent weeks have taken the afternoon off and I am able to do a bit of shooting before we slide kicking and screaming into the next year.

I'm at the beach with my camera by mid-afternoon; the sky a featureless grey; the tide falling. It all looks pretty hopeless but for the fact that the wind is brisk. This gives me hope, as I know from experience that the light can change quickly and suddenly as a result... and I am right. For a brief moment the clouds part and a watery, winter sun stabs through the gloom to create the image here. I like ephemeral moments like this, and the drama it creates, but you have to be quick or you miss it.

As I write I can hear the wind picking-up again outside, and the next weather front sweeps in from the south west. I make the mental note to check the clocks on my cameras.

Happy New Year.



24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/8. ISO 200



© 2013

'twixt the waves...

Overnight strong winds and rain quickly give way to bright sunshine by mid morning, and having taken care of the day's business early on I decide it's time for some photography. Conditions seem about right for kite surfing, so I pack a long lens and set off for the beach for some action shots. All too often I have the wrong lenses with me when these people are zipping about 'twixt the waves, so this time I feel I have all bases covered. The only thing stopping me is the total absence of any kite surfers whatsoever. Well, the was one that had been out there, doing it, but he was now in the process of packing up and no use to me at all. Very unusual, for the conditions. Perhaps they are all still at work.

I eventually find three canopies bobbing around in the distance - each one denoting a surfer somewhere beneath - and I get some shots before the light goes. Not quite what I was hoping for, but better than drawing a blank.


300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor with TC-14EII converter.  1/640 second at f/6.3. ISO 640



© 2013

No bluebirds in sight...

Another splendid Christmas with Nic comes and goes (thank you, once again), as does the stormy weather the UK is currently experiencing, and it is only on Boxing Day that settled conditions make it realistic to spend an afternoon outdoors.

We decide on Samphire Hoe; a place created from the spoils of digging the channel tunnel (from England to France), and it is the famous White Cliffs of Dover that dominate the skyline in the photograph. As is traditional, many people emerge from the excess of the Yuletide season today in an attempt to burn-off all those extra calories (you wish), and the car park is almost full upon our arrival. Despite this, the area is large enough to absorb the multitudes effectively enough to keep them out of shot, and preserve the wild and desolate feel of the place.

Amongst other things that Nic gave me for Christmas, were two books; both featuring photographers known for their black and white images. Shadow and Light by Bill Brandt, and the other titled: Ansel Adams - 400 Photographs. Just the thing to stir those creative juices, and getting myself inspired during the long winter nights.


24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/800 second at f/5.6. ISO 320



© 2013

11/12/13...

The last of the consecutive dates of the century - you had yours a month ago, America - and I plan to shoot something to mark the occasion. I had planned to take a photograph at nine minutes past ten this morning, but that idea fizzled-out shortly after I woke, purely because I had no location in mind.

Instead, I set off to the river with a selection of lenses to see if anything suggested itself as a subject. I stopped at a pond that I used a year ago to take images of leaves, and made a number of exposures before deciding to move on and try my luck further upstream.

As I'm riding towards a local weir on the Dorset Stour I am inspired by an idea that comes out of nowhere; to photograph a heron with a long exposure. It had not, for one second, ever occurred to me that a strong ND filter would be of any use for wildlife shooting, but the possibilities of how it could be achieved soon became all to obvious to me. All I needed was the subject.

I am gladdened by the sight of said heron as I approach my chosen spot that runs adjacent to a golf course, and hope that it doesn't fly off the moment I arrive. It doesn't, but merely stands patiently awaiting its next meal. I have time to set up my tripod; frame; focus; note the exposure value and apply the filter factor to compensate for the loss of light; screw the filter on to the front of the lens and fire the shutter. Frankly, I can't believe my luck with it all; being able to get the images I had in mind within five minutes of my arrival.

The bird does move position several times, but I am able to reframe and shoot as it feeds, making a good many exposures to be sure I get what I'm after. The fact that a heron will stay motionless for long periods of time whilst it eyes-up its prey is the key factor for getting shots like these, as the slightest movement ruins the image. I am more than pleased with the purchase of the filter, and wish I had bought one a year ago when I first thought about it. So many missed photographs; so many to come.


300mm f/4D AF-S Nikkor. 2 seconds at f/8. ND 1000 filter. Tripod and remote release. Mirror lock up. ISO 400



© 2013

Having fun...

No doubt about it. This new filter is giving my photography a much needed boost and I'm having a lot of fun with it in the process. I never have been a big user of filters for photography, apart from the occasional grey graduated or polariser, but for this one I make the exception. I am hooked.


I am on a local beach during late afternoon, and the sea and sky are exactly what I wanted: calm and cloudless respectively. I make a number of long exposures as the sun dips to the horizon, but it is after it has disappeared altogether that I start to make the photographs I am here for.

I have always been struck by the colour contrasts of the sky and water once the sun has set, and I use this to great effect to produce a simple, yet striking, image.


24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 80 seconds at f/11. ND 1000 filter. Tripod and remote release. ISO 200



© 2013

Two bridges...

I'm going to have to watch myself with this new filter, as it might quickly become overdone. However, for the time being it will get as much use as I can put it to, so you will have to indulge me for a while yet.

All too often I bemoan the lack of good light when I want to shoot, but this filter has the opposite effect on me. I find myself hoping for grey, dull days and low light levels, so I can use long shutter speeds in the middle of the day, and not have to worry about stopping the lens down too much to help things along.

Today, I choose two local bridges as a subject. Both span the Dorset Stour at Iford; are 80 yards (73 metres) apart, and situated roughly three miles upstream before the river meets the Dorset Avon. Both rivers then empty into Christchurch harbour, and finally the sea. The old bridge is downstream from its more modern counterpart, and is a Grade II listed building. Originally built on the site of the fording point of the river, it dates from 1784 and built from Purbeck stone. The newer bridge carries the A35, and was opened in 1932.



12-24mm f/4G AF-S Nikkor.

Top: 50 seconds at f/11
Below: 45 seconds at f/11

ISO 200. ND 1000 filter. Tripod and remote release.



© 2013

Afterglow after sunset...

The storm that hit the northern parts of the UK didn't make it as far south as the forecasters said it would, although there was widespread flooding in low-lying areas due to the high tides that coincided with the storm front. Although the waters were higher than the storm of 1953 - which claimed hundreds of lives through drowning - the improved sea defences (as a result of the disaster), did their job admirably.

It was not clear if travel was going to be a good idea for my return trip, today, but the high winds never materialised in the southern counties, and the drive back to Dorset was not in any way a risk.

The sky looked good once I arrived home, and having checked the tide tables (a low one was due for early evening), I decide that an hour or so of late afternoon photography would be a nice way to round-off a very pleasant stay with Nic. The predicted low tide will occur in darkness, so I know I won't get the full effect, but all the same I hold off from making photographs until the sun has set. Once again the 10 stop ND filter is being used to create long shutter speeds, which makes the most of the afterglow. It only lasts for a few minutes, but I feel that I have what I came for. Lucky me.


12-24mm f/4G AF-S Nikkor. 60 seconds at f/11. ND1000 filter. Tripod and remote release.



© 2013

This time, Oare next...

I'm spending the week in Kent with Nic; drinking tea; eating cake and taking photographs. The UK is forecast to have storm conditions in the next 24 hours or so, with severe risk of flooding due to a coincidental tide surge, so we make the most of it while we can.

It has been overcast all day, but the cloud is expected to break during late afternoon. So, before we visit Oare Marshes for a photo shoot, we visit nearby Faversham for some of the aforementioned tea and cake (we had coffee, but it doesn't quite have the same ring).

The weather does its stuff as forecast (well done, The Met Office), and we are treated to beautiful light and a spectacular sunset across the marsh. There is plenty to point a lens at on the marshes, and one of these days I will make more of the numerous wrecks that litter Oare creek (below), but as they are unaccessible on foot due to the mud flats it will have to wait until I am carrying much longer lenses and a tripod.

Maybe next time.

                                                                                

12-24mm f/4G AF-S Nikkor

Top: 1/250 second at f/8. + 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400

Below: 1/160 second at f/8. + 0.67 EV compensation. ISO 400

© 2013

The big stopper...

Every once in a while a photographer will add something to the arsenal of gadgets and lenses that takes image making to another level for him or her. It is almost a year to the day that I first thought about buying a "big stopper": a ND1000 neutral density filter and actually getting one. I'm glad I did.

Such filters are almost opaque, and they prevent 10 stops of light from getting through the lens and on to the sensor. Quite why anyone would want that might be a mystery to some. After all, it's all about the light, isn't it? Well, yes, but being able to control the amount to such a degree opens up all sorts of creative possibilities.
So, armed with this new gadget I set off to the local pier to learn how to use it.

It is a grey day - ideal for what I have in mind - although the leaden sky does break as soon as I arrive, but no matter. It will all add to the effect. It is very time consuming to shoot with such a device on the front of the lens since once it is attached nothing can be seen through the viewfinder, and I have to unscrew it every time I change composition. Still, no bad thing as it slows me down and allows me to work in a more thoughtful way. Of course, a tripod is a must with this type of shooting.

Everything has to be done in manual mode - from meter reading to focusing - then the necessary filter factor applied to get a good exposure. Despite all that light being prevented from getting into the lens I am still forced to stop down the lens much further than I would like, due to diffraction, but for today's purposes I will let it go.

For a first attempt I was rather pleased with the results, and coupled with my renewed interest in monochrome imaging it has opened up new horizons for my photography. Which, let's face it, can be no bad thing.


12-24mm f/4G AF-S Nikkor.

Top: 16 seconds at f/22. ISO 160
Right: 50 seconds at f/22. ISO 200

Manual focus and metering. Exposures timed by my watch. Tripod and remote release. Mirror lockup in bulb mode.



© 2013

Seasonal work...

With the daylight hours diminishing rapidly, and with more dim and dismal days than bright ones, weather wise, I am returning to some images shot over a year ago to give them the monochrome treatment. Hey, after all, image making is image making in my book, and if I can't be out with a camera then this is the next best thing.

At one time, darkroom work was considered a seasonal activity by many amateur shooters. It was looked upon as the norm to spend the summer months taking the shots and the winter ones being locked away with foul-smelling chemicals; hunched over an enlarger making contact prints, and making enlargements in the dim red glow of the safe light. Of course it is far easier to keep up with it all these days, but what better way to spend an afternoon creating at least something if I insist on staying indoors.

Top: Christurch priory, Dorset

Below: Autumn Gold

© 2013

Lightroom and mono conversions...

What I really like about modern photography -  and digital capture in particular - is the freedom of what I can do with the image once the shutter has been fired, and the ease of how I can achieve it. One thing that stands out is the ability to dodge and burn-in in colour (try doing that with wet prints); the ability to increase / decrease contrast or saturation locally within the image, or a whole host of treatments that can be applied to a digital file.

Of course, [ideally] all this has to be done so that the viewer is not consciously aware of any manipulation, but the real freedom comes with black and white photography, where the subject really is open to the interpretation of the photographer. Rather than an old fashioned approach, monochrome is more popular than ever, and I am having a great deal of fun watching online tutorials; learning new tricks and techniques, and rummaging through the archives for suitable images.

The photo of Boscombe pier was made yesterday afternoon, shortly before sunset.





24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/200 second at f/11. ISO 400. Monopod. Converted in Adobe Lightroom.



© 2013

Shooting instinctively...

It is a clear, crisp day bordering on winter, yet because of the sun reflecting off the sea it is still relatively mild; warm, even. I'm wandering the seafront, shooting seascape images exclusively, until I come across this scene. Instinctively raising the camera to my eye I fire off a single frame - the only one that is different from all the rest - and knew as I pressed the shutter button it would make a good black and white image.

What intrigued me, having opened the photograph on my computer for post processing, is the way the man's shadow seems to have a ghost-like quality about it; completely detached from its creator. To me, it makes the shot, and the original colour version does not have the same effect.


24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/4000 second at f/5.6. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 320



© 2013

Low tide; low sun...

An early start was considered for today since the sky was going to clear during the night, and I thought some dawn shots on the beach might be a good idea. However, it was something of a half-hearted attempt, in part because I was up late the night before watching TV, and partly because the temperatures were forecast to plummet as a result. In the event didn't happen, nor was it as cold as I expected.

It did stay bright all day though, and timing my visit with low tide, I once again go to the beach in the hope of something good. It really does depend on how far the tide drops as to what I get in the way of tide pools, and although it is not the lowest tide of the month I do find suitable reflections and textures to use in compositions.

There is something about winter sunsets that I like. Possibly because where I am it happens over the sea, but more likely that it happens so much earlier in the day, with the full evening yet to come. It's always such a rush in the summer months to get everything uploaded and edited if I stay out shooting late; recharging batteries when necessary; preparing for the next day - especially if I have an early session planned - as well as getting watered and fed. It may be colder, but this time of year is far more relaxed.


12-24mm f/4G AF-S Nikkor. 1/400 second at f/11. ISO 400



© 2013

One dog a-leaping...

It's a dull sort of day, weather-wise; no wind and very mild for the time of year, but there is a low tide and the sheen on the newly exposed sand attracts my attention, as ever. The only problem is that there is nothing else of interest to make a photograph, so I stand motionless for around 15 minutes near the water's edge in the hope that the sky will do something spectacular. It doesn't; it's not that sort of sky.

I am about to give up when a man exercising his dog comes along, hitting a tennis ball along the beach for it to chase, and I see my chance. I make two short bursts with the camera - the only opportunity I get - and hope for the best.



24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/2500 second at f/4. ISO 500



© 2013

Autumn skies...

First of all I would like to thank Nic, Spanner and Dave for their supportive comments on the previous post, and my photography in general. It is all too easy to get yourself in a rut, and this can often come about with the expectation to shoot something specific, yet not have that subject available.

I have, during the past few weeks, set my mind on  skies and seascapes as a subject, and although this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere is right up my alley, photographically speaking, it just wasn't happening on the Dorset coast.

Until today, that is. I leave it until late afternoon before I leave the house, and the constantly changing light looked promising so I visited the beach in hope. The reality was that all I had to do was wait and let nature perform, firing the shutter when inspired to do so.

I shall say no more.


27-70mm f/2.8G AF-S and 12-24mm f/4G AF-S Nikkor lenses.



© 2013

Boring...

There is no doubt about it: I'm bored with photography. Stuck in a rut and bored with it all.


















Some lens or other (a wide angle).



© 2013