Late light

As luck would have it, I was laid up with a virus when what was possibly the last storm of the winter rolled in over the weekend. To be honest I don't think I missed to much in the way of dramatic light, as it merely rained somewhat and the wind blew long and hard.

Today however, was different: the same strong winds, but with broken cloud. Things looked promising and I had recovered enough to venture out to make the most of it. The beach seemed the obvious place to do that.

I almost missed it as by mid afternoon thick cloud covered the sky once again, but having studied the weather satellite images earlier, I was confident of late light. It was just as the sun was setting that the break appeared, and at the same moment it started to rain. Under such conditions it's a struggle to keep the front element of the lens dry, but the few raindrops that did fall on it worked in my favour, creating the starburst effect.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - ⅔ EV compensation. ISO 2000



© 2019

The Owl and the Pussycat (and a Hungry Shark thrown in for good measure)

These murals are part of the coastal Selfie Wall Trail that runs along almost the entire beach front of Poole Bay; some 7 miles. 11 works in total, they have been created by seven artists, and they are intended to produce a colourful backdrop to take pictures of yourself.

The Owl and the Pussycat is the work of local resident Krishna Malla, while the Hungry Shark was painted by Owain Nicholls.

Top and middle: 24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 

1/250 second at f/8 and 1/100 second respectively. Matrix metering. ISO 50

Bottom: 12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/125 second at f/11. ISO 50

 © 2019

I'm calling it... It's Spring

I might be jumping the gun here, but if it looks like Spring; feels warm enough for Spring, then it's Spring as far as I'm concerned.

There are still three days before the the meteorological start of the season, but there is blossom on the trees; crocus are in full flower; bees are a-buzzin', and the daffodils are putting on a glorious display.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/8. Matrix metering. ISO 50



© 2019

0.0: the lowest of the low

My last planned beach shoot of the winter, and it coincides with the lowest tide possible: 0.0 on the UKHO graph.

By the time the next spring tides occur a month from now the sun will be setting inland, so until the autumn...



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/8. Matrix metering. Lee 0.6 grey grad. Tripod and remote release. ISO 50



© 2019

A moon by any other name...

Tonight's Supermoon is also the Snow Moon; so named because it occurs when there is snow on the ground in this month. Clearly this is not the case everywhere, but I am suddenly intrigued by the many names it has acquired.

Native Americans referred to it as the Hunger Moon, whilst others call it the Storm Moon. Whatever moniker you wish to attach to Earth's satellite, it appears it has taken a bit of a battering over the years.



300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. 1/200 second at f/5. Matrix metering. - 1⅔ stops EV compensation. Tripod and remote release. Mirror lock-up. ISO 100



© 2019

Seasonal burn-out

The days are noticeably longer; the weather milder; the sun is beginning to set along the shoreline of Poole Bay - and it's burn-out time for me.

It hasn't been the best winter, photographically, and I put it down to the lack of storms to churn-up the atmosphere. As a result skies - and conditions in general - have been bland. On top of that, I am growing tired of shooting by the sea for the time being.

So, time to move inland after this week. Spring is almost upon us in the northern hemisphere, and wildlife is beginning to look its best.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/8. Matrix metering. Lee 0.9 grey grad filter. ISO 50. Mono conversion and toning in Silver Efex Pro 2



© 2019

All square

It has been over 30 years since I actually used square format cameras, but when the subject suits I still crop to produce a square photograph.

A grey and wet day eventually gave way to an hours worth of sunshine, and although the light was welcome there wasn't much going on, sky-wise. All I really had to use was a stack of cloud stretching to the horizon, and growing ever more pink as the sun set.

Having moved up and down the beach trying to find something that works as a composition, I take a single shot from underneath the pier. On opening the files in Lightroom, I promptly dismiss the picture in favour of others that I think work better, and develop those instead.

However, it is during the deletion process that I finally take a longer look at this image, and see something coherent. It's the way the clouds echo the shape of the beams running along the underside of the pier decking that catch my eye. Using the square format tightened everything up.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/50 second at f/8. Matrix metering. Lee 0.6 grey grad filter. ISO 400



© 2019

In the name of exploration (for oil, to be exact)

For the past 12 days the drilling rig (above) has been situated 3.6 miles (6km) from the Dorset coast, in Poole Bay. Photogenic as it may be at night, there have been numerous objections to its presence- none more loudly than those from the Dorset Wildlife Trust.

They (and others) claim that the rig's operations will damage the prized environment of the seabed. The exploratory drilling is taking place within the Solent and Dorset Coast Protection Area. On top of this, the company drilling down 1,800 metres, are licensed to discharge up to 6,753 tonnes of chemical waste into the sea, including eight tonnes of biocide. This, alone, is enough to cause concern for numerous species of marine life that live and breed in the area; the short-snouted seahorse being feared to be particularly at risk

The whole set-up is expected to be gone by the end of the month, but bizarrely the company doing the tests have no plans to return to the site once the well is permanently capped.

Not unless they strike it rich, that is...




300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. 10 seconds at f/8. Matrix metering. Tripod and remote release. Mirror lock-up. ISO 50



© 2019

The best of what's left

At last! Something to stir up the atmosphere. This winter, stormy weather has been conspicuous by its absence. Storm Erik may well have come and gone, but what's left of it is producing skies worth photographing.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/50 second at f/8. Matrix metering. Lee 0.9 Grey grad filter. ISO 50



© 2019

Everyday stuff (and something a bit special...)

It's a bright day - with just the right amount of cloud - and I'm still putting the new camera body through its paces; getting to know how it reacts to given situations. I'm also doing something that I've not been able to do since my days of using film cameras: shooting at ISO 50. I miss using slow emulsions such as Kodachrome 25 and Fuji Velvia, but only for the fine grain and colours they produced. Now I've got got that option back.

Walking between the two piers of Poole Bay, I stop and photograph anything I like the look of. Most of it is run-of-the-mill stuff you normally wouldn't give a second glance to, but what really caught my eye was the painting - Fragments of Time - by Colombian artist Dario Vargas, on a wall in The Arches, Bournemouth seafront.

Lens: 24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. Matrix metering. ISO 50

Top: 1/200 second at f/11. - ⅔ EV compensation

Middle: 1/160 second at f/8

Bottom: 1/2000 second at f/2.8. - ⅔ EV compensation

© 2019

Set in stone

Grey skies and mist are ideal conditions for portrait photography, so I visit a local cemetery to spend an hour or so with some co-operative subjects.

I'm being a grown-up photographer, today, and shooting in manual mode using spot metering. For 99.9% of my photography I use Aperture Priority, since it is usually dept of field I want to control, but this afternoon I throw caution to the wind; use a fast lens wide open, and have some fun.

I'm also reckless with post processing, using a preset in the editing software to produce the final result.

Lens: 85mm f/1.4 AF Nikkor. Manual mode and spot metering. Preset in Silver Efex Pro 2.

Top: 1/100 second at f/1.4. ISO 64

Middle: 1/160 second at f/1.4. ISO 100

Bottom: 1/320 second at f/1.4. ISO 100

© 2019

Long misty days

The thermometer climbs above 0º Celsius for the first time in several days, and although it's somewhat milder, there are few people enjoying the sea air at low tide.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/8. Matrix metering. +⅓ EV compensation. Mono conversion in Silver Efex Pro 2. ISO 640



© 2019

Three trees

I'm a big fan of repeatedly returning to a location to shoot, especially if I think I can improve on previous efforts, or think I have not yet captured what I have in mind.

Whether or not I did this time (or ever will) I'm not sure, but I am making these three trees the subject of an ongoing project, just to find out.



24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/8. Matrix metering. ISO 100



© 2019

George Lane

A rainy day, and a walk through the Creative Quarter, Folkestone, is my idea of a good time with a camera. The steep and narrow cobbled streets give me the feeling of having travelled back in time.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/30 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - ⅓ EV compensation. Mono conversion in Silver Efex Pro 2. ISO 100



© 2019

In from the cold

It's a cold, crisp, winter's day, and I have architecture photography in mind. It's something I keep promising myself to take more seriously, and I've had enough of shooting seascapes for the time being.

Salisbury Cathedral is my chosen subject. I've not been there for a few months, and the clear skies should give me the opportunity to do it justice, both inside and out. I shoot from all the usual angles before nipping inside for some arty interior photographs - and some respite from the coldness of the day.

What it must cost to heat a space such as this boggles the mind, but having made a donation for the upkeep of the building, I'm glad to be inside. To my disappointment the builders are in, and there is scaffolding up in many places, restricting movement to some areas.

Undeterred, I head for the Chapter House where one of only four surviving examples of Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter), is kept; I'll go and have a look at that. Photography of this ancient document -  dating from 1215 - is not allowed, but it didn't matter anyway as a copy has been substituted for the real thing whilst improvements are made to the room that houses it. I take some picture of the ceiling and stained glass windows, and head back into the cold.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/250 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - ⅔ EV compensation. ISO 640



© 2019

The Blue Hour

The fact that I'm awake at 4am is neither here nor there, but as the skies look clear from my window I plan a pre-dawn shoot at the beach.

The Golden Hour is well known to photographers, but the Blue Hour - less so. The blueness of the image is caused by the high colour temperature of the light (measured on the Kelvin scale), and it contrasts nicely with the warm hues of the approaching sunrise.



12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80second at f/8. Matrix metering. - ⅔ EV compensation. Lee 0.9 Grey Grad. Monopod. ISO 1000



© 2019

Wide and determined

It has been a frustrating few days, photography wise. Apart from missing the lunar eclipse early this morning due to cloud cover, I've been chafing at the bit to use the lenses that recently came back from the repair shop. On top of that, I bought a new camera body last week and haven't had a real chance to use it in anger. Today, I am determined to shoot, come what may.

Low tides during mid afternoon lure me to the beach, but once again I am struggling with light - or the lack of it. I do get a watery sun for a few minutes and I shoot a few watery images. However, it is good to get my wide lens back. It has been sorely missed.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/50 second at f/11. Matrix metering. +⅔ EV compensation. Mono conversion and selenium toning in Silver Efex Pro 2. ISO 100



© 2019

At last!

This particular groyne that protrudes into Poole Bay has me captivated. I know there's a shot in there somewhere, but numerous visits have failed to find it... until this afternoon.

The sun had set and the afterglow was at its strongest: I thought I had the shot in the can. Then this couple arrived to watch the event, and I knew I had it.



18-35mm f/3.5 - 4.5 ED Nikkor. 1/160 second at f/8. Matrix metering. - 0.33 EV compensation. ISO 200



© 2019

Getting better

It's 1º Celsius outside, and I'm off to the beach whilst it's still dark, hoping for a good sunrise. For the past week it has not been for the want of trying, but I am failing to find something colourful to photograph. Winter isn't the best time to look for radiant hues, but surely sunrise or sunset will give me what I want?

The answer is: possibly. The morning looked promising, weather wise, but ultimately the sky fails to deliver at the crucial moment. I make a number of photographs before the sun is up using long exposures, and call it a day.

At least it's better than all that grey cloud, though.



18-35mm f/3.5 - 4.5 ED Nikkor. 30 seconda at f/11. Matrix metering. x10 stop ND filter. Tripod and remote release. ISO 200




© 2019

Cyclist

Since the start of the year there has been little in the way of outdoor colour to lift the spirits during mid winter, and today's photograph illustrates that perfectly.

A high pressure system sits over the UK, but instead of the usual clear skies we have a large bank of stationary cloud. Calm conditions are the result, but there's little on offer other than grey. I'm beginning to head home empty-handed when I notice movement out of the corner of my eye, and grab this shot of a cyclist riding along the surf line at low tide.



24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Sigma lens. 1/80 second at f/5.6. Matrix metering. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 100



© 2019