05 Dec 2009 | Coast, Dorset, Landscape | No comments added... »
A few weekends ago I met up with a few other brave souls on one very windy morning and ventured out to Durdle Door, the destination for many school geography day trips and tourists alike thanks to the unique geology and resulting shapes carved out of the rocks over thousands of years. If you perform a search you’ll find thousands of shots from this popular location so it is a bit of a challenge to avoid the cliches and come up with something a bit different…Personally I found it’s the bay the other side of the spit of land from ‘the door’ is on that’s much more interesting. A semi-circular cove protected by a bank of sharp rocks some 100m out, at the time huge waves were crashing over the tops of their dark peaks creating a big swell in the bay. Each wash up the shore was followed by long fingers as the surf was dragged back down the beach again, rather mesmeric if you watched it for too long! We stayed until the sun was too high and contrasty – and all our filters had become completely gummed up with salt spray and smears – I broke off from shooting the crashing waves and headed off for lunch with everyone. Later on we braved the waves yet again down at Portland Bill where I had been before, and how different it was. Being some way off the mainland the seas carried much more power in their waves, as deep waves slammed into the straight sided slabs of Portland Bill huge plumes of spray doused the entire headland in a fine – and sometimes heavy! – spray. One miscalculated wave almost soaked all my gear but thankfully it was still safe in the bag…though it filled my wellies somewhat!
Lessons learned this time: take a good cleaning cloth with you into the field and don’t underestimate the size of the wave approaching…
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20 Nov 2009 | Coast, Dorset, Landscape | 1 Comment »
I nipped down to the Dorset coast to see what’s what at Lyme Regis. The light was superb, the movement of the water was brilliant for what I wanted, the clouds were all lining up ready for the final bit of colour in the day…but the wind was unbelievably strong. The camera almost toppled over on the tripod a few times, between me frantically trying to wipe off the salt water from my filters – which incidentally I failed spectacularly at, succeeding in only smearing the salty residue round the filter to make a misty view – and trying to sort out a cable release that, well, kept releasing itself from the connection port… very helpful.
I tried a few into the sun, as it really was something spectacular but that was also where the spray was coming from so despite my best efforts, waiting for the right moment and so on, there was just too much spray. It was just in the air all around me, everything got a fine coating of salt. It reminded me of the sort of salt covering you might find on a cross-channel ferry where the decks glisten and the handrails seem sticky with the stuff, it builds up and seems never to dry. You couldn’t see it, or feel it (unless a big wave hit = soaking!) but my filter was steadily getting spattered by salty droplets and I noticed a fine build-up accumulating around the joins of my tripod. I gave up on the filter, I turned my back to the spray and sun and what you see is above ‘vanilla’, just the processed raw, smidge of burning in places but no filters. Included below show everything I didn’t bin. So, not an entire disaster but not the sort of conditions I was expecting!
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21 Oct 2009 | Coast, Dorset, Landscape | No comments added... »
I’ll be spreading out my Scotland posts, with luck between posts from Hong Kong whilst I’m there but this first punctuation is from a little closer to home. Given the previous post was more a [nicely] illustrated travelogue, without the time to sit, set up and compose photographs carefully, the following posts I plan to return to the expected form! After a seeming insurmountable bout of rain a clear day appeared, seizing the chance I headed to somewhere I’d not yet visited; Portland Bill where a lighthouse sits and this particular feature; the Puplit Rock. Although this looks like an interesting geological feature, it was in fact created by quarry workers in the 1870’s. Portland is the ‘almost an island’ bit of land at the south eastern end of Chesil Beach and directly to the south of Weymouth, connected to the mainland by a spindly causeway with a road across it, which is great – until they decide to have road works on it (!). I sat in a queue of traffic for ages watching the sun sink lower in the sky as I remained motionless with that sinking feeling I’d miss the light entirely. Finally I got through and arrived to find I was the only one around! It pays to go places out of the tourist season – the vast car park gives an indication of quite how busy it can get…
I almost ran out of time getting here to create this image though curiously it shows the importance of time and its relation to photography in creating quite different images to those seen by our eyes. The period the shutter opened for in this image, a 15 second exposure, has given the water a smooth and misty appearance around the rocks where all its movements over the time period have been captured and compressed into a single image. The lack of detail in the water contrasts with the rocks around which it flows. I dare say an image taken over just a fraction of a second would not elicit any great response yet extend the reality beyond the natural view and the results can be stunning. Obviously this is quite unlike how our real-time vision would see it and although no photoshoppery has occurred it is a simple demonstration of how a photographer, whilst not expressly telling them how to feel about an image, may certainly influence or guide what the viewer sees steering them towards sympathetic responses. The following images range in exposure length from a couple of seconds through to 30 or more…can you guess which?
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20 Oct 2009 | Coast, Landscape, Mountains, Scotland, Travel | No comments added... »
Lochan na h’Achlaise, Rannoch Moor, Scotland. With Stob Ghabhar and Clach Leathad in the distance, Black Mount to the right.
It could be argued only long journeys are worthwhile undertakings, certainly the lengths of which determine how much more we appreciate arriving at the intended destination. Nothing truer could be said about my voyage (mission!) to Scotland from the south west – though I write this on the eve of my trip to Hong Kong, despite a similar journey time length the distance covered is several times greater, isn’t modern travel great! I digress. After packing the car with everything required; necessary clothing, my trusty Canon cameras, an assortment of lenses, Macbook Pro and a somewhat sleepy dog – slotted somewhere under a bag of waterproofs and the Gitzo tripod – the wheels began rolling at 2am. I of course ensured I was surrounded by all manner of sugary goodness with a good air supply on hand to boot. To paraphrase an all time classic (and favourite of mine);
“It’s 562 miles to Scotland, we’ve got a full tank of gas, 3 packets of midget gems, it’s dark and my sunglasses are in here somewhere…”
“Hit it!”
(more…)
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16 Sep 2009 | Coast, Devon, Landscape | No comments added... »
After being openly challenged by a friend who’s photographic talents I greatly admire I resolved to head out and see what I could do today… (more…)
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13 Aug 2009 | Coast, Dorset, Landscape | 1 Comment »
Occasionally the clouds clear away and the UK does get some blue skies. Hasn’t happened much this summer though! I was immediately drawn to the band of pink that fades to blue just across the horizon but for lack of any foreground interest (being a rather open and pebbled beach) I settled for the dynamic approach and shot the movement of the water and thus create some foreground for me. With a moderately high depth of field I was able to strike a nice balance and capture the movement of the water around the stationary rocks, creating white trails as it receded back into the surf. This was taken down on the Dorset coastline not far from Lyme Regis and proves once in a while a nice evenings do roll by…I’m just hoping for a little more consistency in the weather to make photographic trips that bit more reliable rather than merely ‘trips’! I’ve also just revised, and in the process of updating, my wedding package(s) to keep it all simple, I’m hoping to have it up in place in the next week or so.
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13 Jul 2009 | B&W, Coast, Dorset, Landscape, Long Exposure | 1 Comment »
Well, I’m finally getting down to posting everything that’s been going on in the recent weeks. Not a great deal in one way and some good in another…building works, removal/moving and general heavy lifting has been hampering my time online – no bad thing really but then I’ve not been posting as much recently…um, at all! So, to kick things off anew here’s one from just the other day taken down on the Dorset coastline just next to the dramatic rock formation of Durdle Door. Quite a remarkable feature that really must be seen if ever in the area, and just around the corner (in opposite directions) are Bat’s hole and the famous Lulworth Cove. Geography field-trips abound with geological changes between rock types to enable such interesting creations, and it’s all here in the UK folks. Honestly, there’s no need to travel around the globe to see amazing landscapes – there’s so much just down the road to be found. On another trip I found the highest point in Dorset…some way from where this image was taken but still, found it I did and climb up it too, all 100 or so meters(!) but the views are unprecedented…I will return on a brighter day to create some images…
On another note it occurred to me this image (above) whilst perhaps not my most amazing shot ever does allude towards the direction I feel I’m heading, or at least find personally more rewarding and what I find moves me in terms of subject and style. I shall see what more develops as I explore my own findings and feelings towards this and report back later…
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01 Jun 2009 | Coast, Hannah White, Landscape, OSTAR, Sailing | No comments added... »
And so the day came to leave the safety of Plymouth and set sail for Newport, Rhode Island, USA. After a quick farewell from close family it was down to business to get the boat prep’ed for the voyage – due to start only a matter of hours away. the Eerily quiet docks betrayed an air of nervous tension as final adjustments were made. The following images document the run up to and first part of Day 1 of the OSTAR as it leaves Plymouth. Although mainly focused on Hannah I was able to capture a few clear shots of the other competitors – between all the heavy traffic following the soloists out of the harbour. It is assumed that all sailors experience such a cocktail of emotions about the task ahead. I hope the continuation of these images sheds a little more light on those moments perhaps often overlooked and rarely captured from the outside…
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28 May 2009 | Coast, Hannah White, OSTAR, Sailing, Travel | 1 Comment »
Although the start for the OSTAR happened a few days ago, the images that follow were shot on Sunday 24th May 2009, the evening before Hannah set sail…
I turned up in Plymouth on the evening of Sunday 24th May, 2009, the day before the start of the Original Single Handed Trans-Atlantic Race (OSTAR). I found Hannah and all her supporters a little way down the deck sharing a drink ahead of the big day. All around the other sailors were finishing their last day preparations it was a scene of organised chaos, with sails being folded and packed, lots of arm wavings and shoutings (mostly Italian!) mingling into the soft clinks as the boats rolled softly in the harbour swell. Periodically I had to jump to one side as piles food, clothes and gallons and gallons of fresh water were ferried to and fro on bulging trolleys, plastic bottles squeaking as they trundle along the jetty. Take a closer peek and I’d often spot the odd home comfort for the long voyage ahead, but this was usually limited to a small teddy bear due to the need to save weight though!
This was the first time I was to see her boat up-close and ‘in the flesh’ and it’s an impressive sight. With large logos across the bow and stern it sat alongside its fellow competitors ready and waiting for the challenge ahead. I was lucky to get a quick tour of the boat too, that’s to say I peered into the surprisingly roomy cabin – Hannah’s home from home for the next few weeks. Inside, the control hub of navigation and communication equipment bleeped and pinged quietly letting you know all was working just right. Further up into the bows, spare sails and ropes were waiting for their turn, around the corner were a couple of rudimentary bunks…I wondered how long she’ll get to use those!
Before I knew it the crowds had dwindled and I was there alone on the jetty taking in all that’s happened in the last hour or so. Hannah is surrounded by some very experienced sailors, many of whom were there to wish her well but more importantly I know she’s not entirely alone out there right now. She’ll be steaming into Newport in no time!
[part ii: Crossing the Line, coming soon!]
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28 May 2009 | Coast, Hannah White, Lightroom Presets, OSTAR, Sailing, Travel | No comments added... »
Well, given we’re going with the nautical theme at the moment here’s a preset that might be useful for other boaty types out there! Here Hannah White is leaving Plymouth on her yacht PureSolo…next stop Newport,RI, USA. Sa you can see its quite a punchy preset, I find it works best when in conjunction with a polariser filter. I have used it for portraits as well, might need a little tweeking to suit though. (more…)
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