Discovering Prawle Point and Gammon Head
In the blog this week I head out to Gammon Head and Prawle Point on the South West Coast Path in Devon to explore a new location and to try something I don’t do very often!
Exploring New Landscape Photography Locations
I have to admit that I think one of my weaknesses with my photography is allocating enough time to go out and find new locations. It's not that I've got any shortage of inspiration. My custom Google map is awash with locations not visited. It's just that I always seem to be short of time, so I think I tend to go to locations that I know to try and increase the chances of getting a good image.
Recently I have been trying to do a little more exploring as you might have seen in my Froward Point and My Photography is Not a Priority blog posts. However, sometimes the best way to find something new is to head out with someone. So when I met up with fellow local photographer Neil Burnell recently, I asked him to suggest a location that we could photograph. You may remember Neil's work from a recent episode of On My Bookshelf where I took a look at his rather excellent book, Seascapes. You can see that video here.
Great Gammon Head
Neil knows the south Devon coast extremely well and given the weather and tide conditions he suggested we try photographing around the Prawle Point area. I've visited Prawle Point a couple of times with the family so I knew of the coastline there, but I'd never taken the time to explore it properly so I was excited to see what I could discover.
Neil suggested I take a look at Gammon Head, so while he did some IR photography I took a walk along the South West Coast Path. My instinct was to get up high, but as I ascended Gammon Head, I noticed an interesting rocky outcrop (Ball Rock I believe) down on the waters edge. There was no path down to the waters edge, and while it wasn't very steep, the descent was made difficult due to the thick vegetation.
When I finally made it down there I realised how exposed and hidden this part of the coastline was. If I was to have an accident I would have no chance of been spotted by someone walking the main path and with no mobile phone signal, I wouldn't be able to call for help. I decided that if I visit this location again I wouldn't do so on my own.
All that said, I was down there now and it was time to take some photographs. The light was fading fast by this point so I had to work fast.
My gut feeling for shots at these types of locations is to go with a long exposure, but as you can see below, an exposure of just 0.5 seconds can produce pleasing results. The wider view of the sea looks a bit messy, but I really like the texture of the water around the rocks.
The Rocks at Gammon Head #1, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 24 mm, 0.5 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
Below is the same image but with a 6 stop IR ND filter from Lee. This has given me a 30-second exposure which has resulted in the image I originally had in mind. However, I'm a bit torn between this image and the version before it. Which one do you prefer?
The Rocks at Gammon Head #2, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 24 mm, 30 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and 6 Stop IR ND.
So while the first two images are pleasing enough, I wanted to fine-tune my composition. This is can be rather tricky when your down on a bit of coastline like this. Just stepping to right can mean a swim in the sea! I think I prefer the composition below as the furthest away rock now sits just above the horizon, rather than on it.
The Rocks at Gammon Head #3, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 24 mm, 30 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and 6 Stop IR ND.
Ideally, I would have liked for that furthest away rock to not only have separation from the horizon but from the mass of rock to its left. But as I mentioned earlier, that would have meant walking on water!
For the final composition at Gammon Head, I headed down as close to the waters edge as I could and decided to take a vertical image.
The Rocks at Gammon Head #4, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 27 mm, 30 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and 6 Stop IR ND.
I wouldn't normally publish so many similar images in the same blog post, but I wanted to share with you what I was doing and why. Hopefully, you found it interesting. Moving around a scene just a little can yield very different photographs.
Stars at Prawle Point
One of the other benefits of shooting with someone else is that you may find yourself photographing something a little different. As the sunset, the clouds started to clear so we decided to head up to the coastguard lookout at Prawle Point. Neil suggested this would make for an ideal location for some night sky photography.
I am in no way a night sky / astro photographer. I've done a bit of reading on the subject so I understand some of the basics around camera setup. I have even taken the odd night sky photograph, but nothing really serious. So capturing an image of this location in the dark was going to be a challenge. This challenge became even more obvious as I watched Neil set up his camera and take photographs like it was the middle of the day!
Anyway, I was having fun and I wasn't not going to let a thing like experience put me off having a go! So while the image below is not going to win any awards, I rather like it. I have to admit that there was a little luck involved in getting the shot. I couldn't really see very much, making focusing on anything difficult. I did have a head torch, but the beam wasn't strong enough to light the building, so I either guessed it or get Neil to use his head torch. Composition in the dark wasn't exactly easy either!
A Stary Night at Prawle Point Coastguard Lookout, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, 15 seconds at ISO 1600, f/14.
Every year I promise myself that this will be the year that I get into astrophotography. I find the night sky fascinating, and now that I've got a little extra motivation, maybe this is the time I follow through on my promise.
I really enjoyed my time at Prawle Point and Gammon Head. It was really good to explore somewhere new and to try out something a little different. I was glad I didn't just head out to somewhere I knew and played it safe!
So which of my Gammon Head shots do you prefer? Do you do any astrophotography? How much time to do you spend just exploring new locations? Let me know in the comments below.
Creating Coastal, Long Exposure, Panoramic Images with the Nikon D850
Have you ever taken a coastal, long exposure, panoramic image before? Well, that's just what I did in my latest video. Sometimes you need to see a scene a little differently to get inspired in a big way.
Getting Inspired
Over the years I've visited Froward Point on the south Devon coast a few times. Despite many attempts I've never really captured an image from that location that I'd really been happy with. In fact, I'd just about given up on it as a location.
However, after being inspired by the work of another local photographer, I thought Froward Point might be worth another visit. This time though, I would leave most of my gear behind, travel light, and wander along the coast path a bit more. Rather than go back to the same spot I always end up going to, I would see what other viewpoints there might be.
Sure enough, as I walked along the coast path I got to see a view of rocks near Froward Point in a totally new way! My creative brain got all excited by the new compositions that I could make photographs from. For me, the scene instantly said that this coastal image would be a long exposure, and would be best suited to the panoramic format. I even thought it would work best on a grey and overcast day.
With a clear vision of what I wanted to photograph, I just needed to return at the right time when I had the weather conditions were right and the tide was high. Here is what happened when I did finally return:
As you'll have seen this video was a bit longer than normal, but I wanted to take you through my thought process, how I set up the camera, and how I eventually captured then printed the final image.
So have you ever captured a coastal, long exposure, panoramic image before? What photography techniques have you combined before? Let me know in the comments below.
The Photographs
A Coastal Long Exposure Panorama - Froward Point, Devon: Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8 at 70 mm, 20 secs at f/11, ISO 64, Lee Filters Circular Polariser. 5 Image stitch.
On an Island - Froward Point, Devon: Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 at 58 mm, 105 secs at f/6.3, ISO 64, Lee Filters Circular Polariser. 5 Image stitch.
Islands in the Blue - Froward Point, Devon: Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 at 29 mm, 40 secs at f/11, ISO 64, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
Dawn with Danks - A Mini Adventure with Gareth Danks
In the blog this week I share with you vlog I made when fellow photographer and YouTuber, Gareth Danks paid me a visit. We headed down to the south Devon coast for a bit a coastal photography and a chat.
Meeting Gareth Danks
I've been following Gareth Danks on YouTube for a while and we briefly met up at The Photography Show earlier this year. At the show, we discussed the idea of meeting up to do some photography but finding a date we could both do proved a little tricky.
As spring came around and the days got longer, the number of opportunities to get out with the camera also increased. So when Gareth announced he was going to be making a visit to Devon we thought it would be a great time to meet up. We agreed to shoot sunset on Thursday evening and then shoot sunrise the following day.
Our Adventures
The plan was set and the day soon came around. In the following videos, you can see exactly what we got up to.
The first and only video I made was of the Friday morning shoot at Dawlish Warren and Dawlish. You can see it here:
For an alternative take on the morning, check out Gareth's video from Friday morning:
And finally, if you want to see what we got up to on Thursday evening on Dartmoor, you can see Gareth's video here:
I hope you enjoyed all those videos. I think we both have a similar style when it comes to our vlogs so it was really easy to mix up the photography, shooting my video and appearing in his vlog. Though it was only a short meetup, it was a mini adventure to remember!
My Photographs
You will have seen my photographs from the Friday morning in the video, but as always I like to share them here on the blog as well.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16mm, f/13, 240 secs at ISO 64, Lee Filters circular polariser and 10 stop ProGlass IRND.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 20mm, f/11, 80 secs at ISO 64, Lee Filters circular polariser, 2 stop hard edge grad and 10 stop ProGlass IRND.
I do hope you also watched Gareth's video. It's really interesting to see how another photographer shoots the same scene at the same time. It was beneficial for me as watching Gareth setup his compositions got me to think about my own compositions.
Do you meet up with other photographers? Do you find yourself learning from them or trying something new out? Let me know in the comments below.
Something Old, Something New
In the blog this week I get something new from one of my favourite locations, Dawlish Warren beach on the south Devon coast. I also visit Teignmouth Pier and discover that good photographs don't have to be taken during the golden hours.
An Old Friend is a Best Friend
I have photographed the beach at Dawlish Warren a lot. It's probably my most visited location. Since I started this blog I've written about it several times and I'm made several videos for my YouTube channel there. You can read why I keep going back and watch my latest video from there in my blog article Shoot, Print, Surprise!
However, the more I photograph Dawlish Warren the better I get to know it. As my knowledge of the location increases, I need to think less about where I am, freeing up my brain to focus on the creative and composition aspects of my photography. Rather than repeat visits becoming boring they do in fact become more productive. An old friend is indeed a best friend.
Something Old, Something Special
The trip to Dawlish Warren for this blog article was actually postponed several times due to poor weather. It's not that you can't put the bad weather to good use. Just have a look at my articles on Bad Weather Photography and Let's All #EmbraceTheGrey. However, for this particular trip, the conditions needed to be a little more forgiving.
My father-in-law, who is a keen amateur photographer, had managed to score himself a day out with a professional photographer as part of a magazine feature. Fortunately for me, I was asked if I wanted to tag along. I could do my own thing at each location, but I would also have the added benefit of some good company.
After what felt like weeks of poor weather we finally got a break and we all met up at Dawlish Warren car park. The conditions looked good and we all felt very positive. In fact, it turned out to be one of the best mornings I've had at Dawlish Warren.
It was one of those mornings that you look forward to as a landscape photographer on the coast. We were treated to some beautiful morning light, calm winds and a gentle sea. It was one of those mornings where you think that if this is the only image I get today I'll be happy.
I took a number of images that morning using varying shutter speeds. Here a couple of my favourites.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 18mm, f/11, 3 seconds at ISO 64.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 32mm, f/11, 8 seconds at ISO 64.
You can see how my father-in-law got on with his photographs by checking out this months issue of Digital SLR Magazine (April 2018).
Something New
I'm not much of a daytime shooter. I much prefer dawn and dusk than midday. As we headed to Teignmouth to photograph the pier I had already decided that I probably wouldn't shoot it. I've only photographed Teignmouth pier once before and while I liked the location, it was at dawn when the light was better. I wasn't sure that shooting it during the day would suit my personal style.
When we got there about 11 am, it all looked a bit different than I had envisaged. The sky had a good coverage of clouds and the outgoing tide was leaving some nice white lines in the sand as the waves pulled back. So I thought stuff personal style and got the camera out!
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 19mm, f/11, 2 seconds at ISO 64.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 19mm, f/11, 2 seconds at ISO 64.
As it turned out I would have missed out on creating some pleasing images if I had just left my camera in its bag. Yes, I much prefer the light at dawn and dusk, but taking those images did show me that these aren't the only times I should be looking to take landscape images. It appears it wasn't just my father-in-law that was learning something new that day!
So what are your favourite times of day to shoot? Do you have a favourite local location? What location have you discovered recently? Let me know in the comments below.
The Best of the Rest
It was hard to pick just a couple of photographs to feature in this blog article. So rather than leave the other images out of the blog, here they are in a gallery. Enjoy!
Lee Filters Little Stopper vs 6 Stop ProGlass IRND
In this blog post, I look at the differences between Lee Filters Little Stopper and their 6 stop ProGlass IRND. They are both 6 stop neutral density filters so what are the differences and which one should you buy?
Lee Filters
I'll be upfront with you. Ever since I bought my first filter set in 2007 (when I had a Nikon D80), I've only ever bought filters from Lee Filters. When I first started looking for a filter system, everything I read said that Lee Filters were the best. Pricey, but the best.
Over the years I've built up a reasonable size collection of filters from Lee. Up until now the only filter I have replaced was the original circular polariser for the new, slightly thinner landscape circular polariser. I've never had to replace a filter because of a fault and I still use the filters that I originally bought in 2007. So if you are looking for a comparison to filters from other manufacturers, I'm afraid this isn't it.
Goodbye Little Stopper and Big Stopper
With all that said I have just sold both my Little Stopper (6 stop ND) and Big Stopper (10 stop ND). These are filters I have used a LOT. So did I not need them anymore or did I buy ND filters from a different manufacturer? Of course not! All I have done is simply replace them with 6 stop and 10 stop ProGlass IRND filters from Lee Filters.
Apart from being more expensive than their Stopper equivalents how do these ProGlass IRND filters differ? Should you sell your Stopper filters and replace them? Do you need both Stopper and ProGlass IRND filters? In the video below I aim to answer all those questions!
Hello ProGlass IRND
As you'll have seen in the video my conclusions about whether these new ProGlass IRND filters are a must buy aren't clear-cut. It's difficult to give a general conclusion as everyone's needs and budgets are different. The fact that the ProGlass IRND filters don't actually replace the Stopper range also adds a little complexity to the decision.
So all I can really do is talk about my own decision to sell my Stopper filters and buy the ProGlass IRND filters. For me, it has very much been money well spent. I particularly like the lack of colour cast and vignetting. While both these can be corrected or enhanced in post-processing, I much prefer seeing a more neutral/accurate representation of the scene on the back of the camera at the time of capture. I also like the fact that calculated exposure times are far more accurate.
So have you bought any of the new ProGlass IRND filters? Would you consider replacing your Stopper filters? Do you use something other than Lee Filters? Let me know in the comments below.
Comparison Photographs
Here are the images from the video should you wish to take a closer look.
60 Second exposure with the Little Stopper. Unprocessed.
60 Second exposure with the 6 Stop IRND. Unprocessed.
60 Second exposure with the Little Stopper. Processed
60 Second exposure with the 6 Stop IRND Processed.
Shoot, Print, Surprise!
In this blog I head to Dawlish Warren to shoot a video I'm calling Shoot, Print, Surprise! But what is the surprise? Well, you'll just have the watch the video to find out!
Back at Dawlish Warren
In my latest video, I headed to Dawlish Warren to shoot some dawn seascapes. For those of you who have been following my blog for a while now, you may well be wondering if that is the only location I've ever photographed! I admit it though, I do like going there to capture images.
There are two good reasons for this. Firstly, it's close to home for me. This means that during the winter months when my time is particularly short, it's nice and easy for me to get to. It also offers a variety of different compositions to suit different conditions. With 15 or so groynes of different styles, and long beach it works well with both high and low tides. So, you can virtually go there in any conditions and get an interesting image.
I've mapped out the 15 groynes in a custom google map. It's still a work in progress, but the custom map also has recent images of each groyne so you can see what they look like before you get there. You can view the map here, and you can see how to make your own map here.
Shoot, Print, Surprise!
So back to the topic of the video. Well, the title should give you a good idea of what the video is about. In the video, I head out to Dawlish Warren to capture some dawn seascape images and then I head home to print some of them off. But what is the surprise? Well, you'll just have to watch the video to find out!
Well, I do hope you enjoyed that video, and of course the surprise element. Did you enjoy the surprise? What are your thoughts on the surprise topic? Let me know in the comments below.
The Photographs
As always here are the photographs that were featured in the video.
Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 @ 34 mm, f/11, 57 seconds at ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser, ND grad and 3 stop IRND.
Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 @ 24 mm, f/11, 1.3 seconds at ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser, and ND grad.
Winter Solstice Adventure
In the blog this week I share with you the highs and lows of landscape photography as I head out on winter solstice to capture some images.
The Longest Shortest Day
Back in June of 2017, I headed out with the camera to create some landscape images on the summer solstice. You can see the images I created that day along with the video I made by clicking here.
I really enjoyed that day so I knew that when winter solstice came along in December I was going to spend the day out with the camera. Being the shortest day of the year it shouldn't have been nearly as tiring as the summer solstice.
Unfortunately when winter solstice did come around the weather was grey and overcast. I had checked the weather forecast the night before and had planned my locations to suit the weather. I'm all for "embracing the grey", but a full day might well be a challenge too far even for me!
As with summer solstice, I spent the day capturing images and filming my experiences. It was definitely a tough day. Maybe I was tired, maybe I was feeling challenged, but one thing is for sure, it sure did feel like a long day. However, saying all that I did have some great experiences, and if you watch all the video you'll see something special happen right at the end.
Enjoy!
A Winter Solstice Gallery
As always I do hope you enjoyed watching my adventures. I tried to make the most of the weather conditions and the images I took that day both reflect my varying moods and the conditions I had to work with.
You'll have seen these images in the video, but here they are again in case you want a closer look.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 19 mm, 180 seconds at ISO 64, f/11, Lee Filters circular polariser and Big Stopper.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 19 mm, 180 seconds at ISO 64, f/11, Lee Filters circular polariser, ND grad and Big Stopper.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 18 mm, 180 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters circular polariser, ND grad and Big Stopper.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 18 mm, 8 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters circular polariser, ND grad and Little Stopper.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 17 mm, 4.8 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters circular polariser, ND grad and Little Stopper.
Well, I do hope you enjoyed those images and my winter solstice video. Did you head out for winter solstice? Have you had days where landscape photography has been both a joy and a drag? Let me know in the comments below.
A Day Out in Dorset
In this blog post, I tell you about the day I spent photographing some of Dorset's finest coastal locations.
Dorset
Though Dorset is the county next door to where I live, I really don't spend enough time there photographing it. I do love to shoot The Cobb in Lyme Regis, and I have been known to photograph Colmer's Hill on the odd occasion, but I really should spend more time in Dorset exploring further afield.
So when my friends over at Dawn 2 Dusk Photography announced that they were running a special long exposure one day workshop in Dorset, I signed up immediately. It sounded so good that I even convinced my father-in-law to dust off his camera and join me.
I've written about the advantages of attending workshops before when I attended another Dawn 2 Dusk workshop in Glencoe earlier this year. This one would be no different. There would be some excellent tuition on hand, it would be well organised, there's always a great bunch of photographers to get to know, and we would, of course, visit some of Dorset's most iconic coastal locations.
West Lulworth
As the workshop wouldn't start until 9 am in Swanage, I thought I would try and make the most of the day by fitting in a nearby dawn shoot. As sunrise was relatively late on I couldn't be too far away from Swanage, so I decided to go West Lulworth and try my hand at shooting Lulworth Cove.
I will need to explore the cove in more detail if I'm to get the shot I'm looking for.
Upon arriving at West Lulworth it soon became apparent that shooting the cove in its entirety wasn't going to be as easy as I thought it might be. From my shooting location along the western edge of the cove, even with a 16mm lens, I wasn't able to find a spot from where I could get everything in that I wanted. Obviously, this would be a location that I would need to revisit when I had more time to explore.
I did find a nice composition down at the shoreline of the cove though. While I like the composition of the photo below, I think it lacks good light and a bit of colour from the rising sun. The sky was very clear that morning except the point where the sun was rising where there was a blanket of cloud. By the time the sun was rising above the cloud I really had to make a move to Swanage or I'd be late for the start of the workshop!
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 22mm, f/11, 25 secs at ISO 64, Lee Filters circular polariser.
Swanage
After the workshop briefing at 9 am, some witty banter, and some much-needed coffee, the workshop group headed out to photograph both the new pier and old pier at Swanage. Unfortunately, I was unable to make the most out of these locations. Though I got some excellent advice on how to shoot the old pier, I found the clear blue skies not to my taste and I didn't really get any images that I was happy with.
However, getting great images from every location isn't my goal, nor is it ever realistic. I did, however, leave happy knowing that I'd learnt something about composition (there's always something to learn about composition) and that I'd enjoyed meeting some new people.
We then moved down onto the beach where we had the opportunity to shoot some groynes, and banjo jetty (which I have shot before). On the advice of one of the instructors, I headed further down the beach to photograph one of the groyne markers beside a small river that fed into the sea. This was a good shout as I managed to get my first good image of the day. It would have been unlikely that I would have found this spot myself so this was another bonus of being on the workshop.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 17mm, f/11, 390 secs at ISO 64, Lee Filters Super Stopper.
Kimmeridge
We then all moved onto Kimmeridge where we had a quick picnic lunch and a bit more chat. I had visited Kimmeridge before on a workshop but it was the middle of the day with clear skies so I was really hoping that this visit would be different. There was some cloud in the distant sky and with sunset only a couple of hours away, I was hoping my luck would be in.
As it turned out we didn't get much in the way of action in the sky, but we did get some really nice spots of light on the rocky shore. I've always thought the rocky shore at Kimmeridge was interesting, but the addition of some interesting lighting really got me thinking about the possibilities at this location.
These are two of my favourite shots of the afternoon. I really like the composition, the textures and patterns on the rock, and just a hint of light from the setting sun. These could have been amazing shots if there had been some more interest in the sky. But let's face it, us landscape photographers are rarely completely happy with the conditions!
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 26mm, f/11, 90 secs at ISO 64, Lee Filters circular polariser and Big Stopper.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 21mm, f/13, 30 secs at ISO 64, Lee Filters circular polariser and Little Stopper.
Afterwards, we walked back along the beach to another really interesting spot. In this image you'll see how the rocky ledge creates a nice leading line through the image. It was late on when I took this image so there was very little in the way of light. However, I think with a good sky those pools of water could provide some really interesting reflections.
Overall both myself and my father-in-law had a great time. Though I struggled to create images that I was satisfied within the morning, the two images I created at Kimmeridge more than made up for it. I also picked up some useful compositional tips and, as always, I really enjoyed the social element of the workshop.
Anytime anyone asks me about workshops I always recommend Dawn 2 Dusk Photography, and attending their Dorset long exposure one day workshop is yet another reason why that recommendation remains.
So what are your favourite Dorset locations? Have you been on any workshops recently? Let me know in the comments below.
Snow on Belstone Common
In this blog post and video, I head up to Belstone Common on Dartmoor to catch the first snow of the winter.
Snow!
I think most landscape photographers like a bit of snow. It's rare to see here in the south west of England, so when it does come it can transform the winter landscape from dull and boring, to crisp and white. It can really change the look of a location and provide opportunities to shoot something a little different.
When my wife casually mentioned that snow was forecast my first reaction was for disbelief. It was November and probably a little early for snow. However, I'm not one to miss an opportunity so I checked the Will It Snow forecast and was happy to see that there was a 57% chance of snow on Dartmoor.
I got my thinking hat on and thought the higher up I went on Dartmoor, the greater the chance of snow there would be. I then remember Belstone Common, a location that I've photographed before. It's close to home, easy to access and importantly over 400m above sea level.
Despite the 50/50 odds on it snowing, I couldn't miss this potential opportunity, so I got my gear ready and made plans for an early start the next day.
You can see how I got on in my latest 5 Minute Photo Adventure video below:
The Images
Here are the images that I captured that you will have seen in the video.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 18mm, ISO 64, 3 seconds at f/13, Lee Filters 0.6 ND graduated filter.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 18mm, ISO 64, 1/5th second at f/13.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 18mm, ISO 64, 1/5th second at f/13, Lee Filters 0.6 ND graduated filter.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 19mm, ISO 64, 1/8th second at f/13, Lee Filters 0..6 ND graduated filter.
I hope you enjoyed the video and the images I captured. I certainly had fun up on Dartmoor that morning, despite the freezing temperatures. It really is mornings like that I look forward to. A lot of action, changing conditions, and plenty of opportunities to capture images.
So have you photographed any snowy scenes this winter? What is your favourite season to photograph? Let me know in the comments below.
Landscape Photography with the Mactrem AT64C Tripod
In the blog this week I take the Mactrem AT64C Carbon tripod on location to shoot some landscape images to see how it copes with real-world situations. Join me in my video review as I photograph long exposures at Dawlish Warren, use a long lens at Colmer's Hill, and take panoramic images from Pilsdon Pen. Finally, I give you my thoughts on this tripod. Is it worth buying?
Reviews On Location
When Mactrem reached out to me to review their AT64C carbon tripod I thought it would be a great excuse to go out and do some landscape photography. Not that I really need an excuse. I fairly well self-motivated when it comes to landscape photography!
For this review, I didn't want to just unbox the tripod and discuss the technical specs from the comfort of my home. That would be a bit boring wouldn't it? So I thought I would do my review a little differently. I would put the tripod to use in some real-world scenarios, capture some images and share my thoughts on both the photography and the tripod.
By doing this I would not only educate the viewer on the tripods performance on location but for anyone just interested in landscape photography there would be something there for them as well.
Reviewing to Mactrem AT64C Tripod
So regardless if you want to know more about this tripod or you just want to see me shoot some landscapes, I hope you enjoy this video:
I do hope you enjoyed this video and that you either found the review helpful or just liked the photography bit.
If you want to purchase one of these tripods then you can purchase one from Amazon.co.uk by clicking on this link here. Also, until 15th April 2018, if you enter the code UWSN5IQD at checkout, you will receive £15 off the price of the tripod.
So what tripod and head do you use? Would you like to see me do more product reviews on location like this one? Let me know in the comments below.
PS. Keep reading as below I'm going to share with you the images that I took at all the locations, along with some shots of me using the tripod.
Shooting into the Sun at The Cobb
In the blog this week I head off to The Cobb in Dorset to try out the new Lee Filters Reverse ND filter.
I Have a Confession
As a landscape photographer, I have to be prepared to shoot in a wide range of conditions. I like to think that I'm pretty adaptable and can deal with most things. However, there is one scenario that I have to admit to always trying to avoid.
The simple fact is that I don't like shooting straight into the sun. As my most common shooting times are dawn and dusk, this can be a problem at certain locations at certain times of the year. When the sun is just above the horizon at the start or the end of the day, it can be really tricky to control the exposure.
Many photographers get around this issue by bracketing their exposures, but I'm not one for spending much time on post-processing. So when Lee Filters announced they had released a Reverse ND Filter I thought this might be the perfect way help me control my exposures in those situations that I had previously avoided.
Some Bad News
A Super Stopper should not look like this.
Before I start to share with you my initial experiences with the reverse ND grad, I have some bad news about one of my other filters. I'm very sorry to report that Lee Filters Super Stopper has been shattered. The purchase of the reverse ND grad was my 11th Lee filter, so I decided that I would remove the Super Stopper from my filter pouch to make room for the reverse ND grad.
Unfortunately, the Super Stopper appears to have received a knock at some point and shattered. This is the first Lee filter I have lost due to damage. I'm not sure how this has happened. I keep all my filters in a Lee Filters pouch which is then kept in a heavily padded area of my bag. Still, something has happened and the Supper Stopper is no more.
RIP Super Stopper.
One of my Super Stopper images. It was featured in Outdoor Photography magazine (issue August 2017).
The Reverse ND Grad
Reverse ND on the left and standard ND grad on the right.
Some of you may be asking what on earth is a reverse ND grad. Perhaps the best way to tell you is to show you.
As you can see from the image above, a standard ND grad is darker at the top and gradually gets lighter the further down the filter you get. However, with the reverse ND grad, the darkest area starts in the middle of the filter, and it gradually gets lighter towards the top of the filter. This allows you to place the darkest area of the filter where you need it most, just above the horizon where the sun is.
At The Cobb
I had been looking for the right location and waiting for the right conditions to try out my 4 stop reverse ND grad for a few weeks. Finally, an opportunity presented itself one morning at The Cobb in Lyme Regis, Dorset. I often wait for January time to visit The Cobb as this is the best time for the rising sun to illuminate the side of this stone pier. However, with clear skies forecast and the sun rising from the end of The Cobb I thought this would be the time to try my new filter.
The light was pretty flat at the start of the sunrise that morning. As I waited for the sun to pop over the horizon I spent a bit of time talking to the 3 other photographers that were also there that morning. As always, I very much enjoy having a chat to my fellow togs. One of those photographers was Anna Stowe. she has a wonderful portfolio of images and I would strongly recommend you follow her Facebook page.
When the sun did rise though I immediately added the 4 stop reverse ND grad to the polariser that was already on the camera. Here are some of the images I took:
The reverse ND grad did exactly the job I wanted it to do. As I took each image I was checking the histogram and was happy not to see any blown highlights. One thing I have noticed is that I did shoot those images at 28mm, which is tighter than the recommend 24mm or wider that Lee Filters say the filter should be used at. This is probably the reason I did spot much graduation towards the top of the image. I will need to remember this next time I use it.
Like a lot of my filters, the reverse ND grad won't be used all the time but it is still a filter that I am very happy to have in my bag. Finally, I can have confidence that when I shoot into the sun I can capture as much of the dynamic range of the seen in a single frame and instantly see results on the back of my camera.
So have you tried the reverse ND grad yet? What technique do you use when shooting into the sun? Let me know in the comments below.
On Location with the Nikon D850: Froward Point
In the blog this week I share with you my latest video on the Nikon D850. Watch I as I go on location to shoot some seascape images at Froward Point in Devon. I take you through my workflow on how I setup the camera and how I'm using some of the features of the D850. I then head home where I process, print and review the image.
Getting to Know the Nikon D850
Since getting my Nikon D850 I haven't been out to take photographs with it as much as I hoped I would. The bad weather at the moment always seems to know when I have time to go out with the camera. However, I was treated to an epic sunset up on Dartmoor the other day. I got some wonderful images and I'll be sharing them on my blog in the near future.
The Nikon D850 is performing very well and is delivering me some wonderful raw files full of dynamic range. I just wish I didn't have to convert them to DNG first....c'mon Adobe, update Lightroom, please! LR issues aside this is a great camera and so I wanted to do a follow up to my Nikon D850 Initial Impressions video. This video is my most popular video on YouTube to date and there seemed to be a real desire from people to know more about some of the capabilities of this camera.
So in this video, I take the Nikon D850 out to photograph seascape images at Froward Point in Devon. This time I take a closer look at my workflow and how I put some of the features of the Nikon D850 to work.
Froward Point
I've talked about Froward Point a couple of times on the blog and in my videos, but in case you don't know where it is, here it is on the map:
So onto the image itself. Unfortunately, I didn't get the light I was after but I'm still reasonably happy with the image I took.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 29mm, ISO 64, 180 secs at f/10. Lee Filters circular polariser and 3 stop medium edge ND grad.
While the image might not be one that goes in the portfolio it was, as always, good to get out with the camera. I'm still familiarising myself with the D850 so time with the camera at the moment is even more important. Overall though I only have positive things to say about the D850 and I'm looking forward to shooting even more with it.
So have you been to Froward Point? What new feature in the D850 interests you? Let me know in the comments below.
Summer Solstice in Devon
In this blog post, I share my Summer Solstice Landscape Photography in Devon video. Join me as I head to two classic Devon locations, Dawlish Warren beach and Dartmoor, and take images either end of the longest day.
Summer Solstice Plan
I'm always thinking about what my next YouTube video will be about. I keep all these ideas in a notebook so that when I'm looking for a fresh idea I have some inspiration. I was looking through the list the other day and I spotted something that I had added some time ago. The idea was relatively straightforward. On the day of the summer solstice, I would shoot one dawn photo and one sunset photo.
With sunrise on the day being around 5 am I needed to go somewhere local. I like to get to a location 1 hour before actual sunrise so wherever I was going to be I would need to be there for 4 am. Now, I like getting up in the morning as much as the next landscape photographer, but even I was going to struggle to get up that early in the morning!
So I looked at my custom Google locations map and spotted a favourite local location, Dawlish Warren beach. Sure I would still need to get up at 3:15 am, but the weather forecast was good and the sun would rise from a direction that would give me some good light (hopefully).
For the sunset location, I would also need to go somewhere local. I knew that when I returned from Dawlish Warren beach that I would still have the school run to do, then a full day of work, and then I had some family commitments. In all likelihood, it would be nearly 8 pm before I headed out. Even with sunset being around 9:30 pm, that didn't leave me a lot of time to get somewhere. To be honest, even if I was able to get out earlier I didn't want to have a big drive to do when I'd already been up since 3:15 am!
I'm really fortunate that I live near Dartmoor so this seemed like a great place to go. I was thinking about going to Bowerman's Nose, but as I had just recently shot a video there, I decided that a good option would be Emsworthy Tor. Though Dartmoor would be busy in the evening with people watching the summer solstice sunset, Emsworthy Tor is a little bit further off the beaten track so should be a little quieter. It's a classic Dartmoor location and if I were to get some good evening light I could be onto a winner.
So how did I get on? Let's take a look at the video:
As I said in the video you can take a look at the images (plus a couple of bonus ones) in a bit more detail below.
Dawlish Warren
5:12 am, Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35 f/4 @ 30mm, ISO 100, 4 seconds, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
5:41 am, Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35 f/4 @ 19mm, ISO 100, 30 seconds, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and Little Stopper.
Emsworth Tor
9:14 pm, Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35 f/4 @ 24mm, ISO 100, 0.8 seconds, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
9:22 pm, Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35 f/4 @ 18mm, ISO 100, 1 second, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
I hope you enjoyed watching the video and looking at the images. Did you go out for Summer Solstice to do some photography? What's the earliest you've ever got up in the morning to take a photo? What's the latest time you've seen the sunset? Let me know in the comments below.
Bedruthan Steps Photo Adventure
In the blog this week I share with you the story of my latest trip to Bedruthan Steps to photograph the coastal thrift. Not only will you see the images from that trip, but I also share with you my top tips for photographing Bedruthan Steps. And if that wasn't enough for you, I also share with you my latest 5 minute photo adventure video!
Why Shoot Bedruthan Steps
I have a great many locations on my custom Google map, many of which can be shot at any time of year. There are a few however that are best shot at particular times of the year. Bedruthan Steps on the north Cornish coast is one such location. It has plenty to offer the photographer with golden sand beaches (at low tide) and miles of dramatic Cornish coastline.
It's spring time though when Bedruthan Steps comes to life. Like many areas along the coast, springtime brings on the flowering of the thrift, a beautiful pink flower that likes to cling to the side of the coastal cliffs. If you can find a nice clump of thrift and you are lucky enough to get some great morning or evening light, you'll have everything you need to produce an amazing image.
While there a number of locations to shoot the thrift in Cornwall, my favourite place to shoot them is at Bedruthan Steps. There is nothing quite like seeing the thrift flowering all along those stunning coastal cliffs.
The Clock is Ticking
The thrift flowers in spring but it may only be in its prime for a couple of weeks. This unfortunately isn't exactly the same time every year so knowing when to go isn't easy. Bedruthan Steps is a 1 hr 40 minute drive so I want to be reasonably assured of good conditions if I go. I would also need to the good conditions to match up with a free evening for photography!
However, time was ticking for me. I had started to see some spectacular shots of the thrift at Bedruthan Steps on Instagram so I was starting to panic that I was going to miss the best of the thrift this year. Luck had not been with me. When I had a free evening the weather was rubbish, and when the weather was forecast was good I didn't have free time. I was getting frustrated!
As mid May rolled round I came to the conclusion that I would have to go now or forget about for this year. So with a dubious Sunday evening forecast I decided to put caution to the wind and go for it regardless of the conditions.
A 5 Minute Photo Adventure
As I announced in my recent blog post for Daymark Tower, I've started a new series of videos that aim to give the viewer an introduction to a location and inspire them to photograph it. So for the 2nd of my 5 Minute Photo Adventure videos I've created this video of Bedruthan Steps which I filmed on my recent trip there:
I hope you enjoyed that video and that it has indeed inspired you to visit Bedruthan Steps. If you want to see the images from the video in a bit more detail you'll find them below.
So if that has inspired you to visit Bedruthan Steps, here are my 3 top tips to help you make the most of your visit:
Lenses - Take a wide angle lens for shooting the thrift, but also take a medium telephoto (like a 24-70mm) and shoot and isolate some of those rocky sea stacks.
Walk the Walk - Though there are a couple of great viewpoints just a short walk from the National Trust car park, you'll find so much more by walking along the coast path. So give yourself sometime to explore the area. The beach at Bedruthan Steps is also worth checking out, but only at low tide and you don't mind the steep descent.
Be Careful - It should go without saying, but do be careful on the cliffs, especially when photographing the thrift. It's all too easy to get very close to the edge in search of some nice thrift, and if it's windy up there you don't want to loose your balance.
Though I was keen to get to Bedruthan Steps to photograph the thrift, it is a location I will visit at anytime of year. The coast line is beautiful and spectacular there and given the right like it can make for some epic photographs.
So have you visit Bedruthan Steps? Have you photographed thrift before? Let me know in the comments below.
Beautiful Boscastle
In the blog this week I tell you about my most recent trip to Boscastle, show you the images I took, and share a few tips should you decide to visit this picturesque Cornish coastal village.In the blog this week I tell you about my most recent trip to Boscastle, show you the images I took, and share a few tips should you decide to visit this picturesque Cornish coastal village.
Classic Cornwall
Even if you aren't a photographer there is a lot to love about Boscastle. This picturesque little village in Cornwall is always busy with tourists enjoying the village, wondering along the harbour and ascending the surrounding hills for some fantastic views of the coastline. It has everything you would typically look for in a Cornish fishing village.
The things that make this village a popular tourist spot also make it popular for photographers. From happy mobile phone shooters to those who take their photography a little more seriously there is something for everyone to shoot.
The Photographers View
For me though, I go to shoot the harbour. The entrance of the harbour has dramatic cliffs on either side and the beautiful turquoise water snakes its way into the village to meet the River Valency. There are paths on both sides allowing you to walk the length of the harbour, but for those who have a little more puff in their lungs, there are paths leading up the hills. This is where I like to shoot from.
On this visit to Boscastle, I decided to take the path on the north side of the harbour. The view up there really allows the photographer to make the most of the S-shaped harbour entrance. With the sun setting in a westerly direction I was hoping that the last of the light would illuminate the hillside on the opposite bank with nice evening light. The weather forecast was looking good and with an incoming tide, I was optimistic.
Subtle Changes
After a short ascent to the top of Penally Hill, I just had to stop for a little while and admire the view. It's all too easy to get to your location, unpack your gear, and get shooting, but sometimes you need to pause and take in the scene. Though I have photographed this scene a couple of times now, each visit has been unique and I wanted to walk about a little to see how I might shoot it differently this time. I was hoping to see some Thrift flowering but unfortunately, there wasn't any. Well, you can have everything, can you?
After taking in the view I decided on two compositions, one vertical, one landscape. Both would include the S-shaped harbour entrance and the foreground rocky ledges, but I would shoot the landscape picture closer to sunset and include Meachard island in the composition.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 20mm, f/13, 30 secs, ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser, Lee Filters 0.6 ND Grad, 4:5 crop.
Though the light isn't fantastic in the above image I do like the composition. To get it right I had to make a number of minor adjustments. If I was too low down, the flow of the harbour water is cut off at the bottom of the frame and if I went too far to the left the curvy pier gets lost behind the foreground rocks. Too far to the right and the headland (Penally Point) on the north side is cut out of the frame and you lose the S shape of the harbour.
I also had a to take into account the foreground rocks which play an important part of leading the viewer out into the rest of the image. Overall, I had to make a lot of small tripod changes to get things just right.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 19mm, f/13, 56 secs, ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser, Lee Filters 0.0 ND Grad, 4:5 crop.
It was a similar story for the landscape orientation image above but as you can see I then had to take into account the placement of Meachard island. These aren't necessarily difficult compositions to get but you do need to pay attention to where everything is in the frame in order to get the most out this view.
Unfortunately, as you can see by the images, I didn't get the light I was looking for but I never come away from Boscastle feeling like it was a wasted trip. It's a lovely location and even in less than optimal weather conditions you can still get good images. It also makes you work at your composition skills as you try to get all the most interesting elements into your frame.
So if this blog has inspired you to visit Boscastle, here are my three top tips for shooting the view from Penally Hill.
Take a Polariser - The waters of the harbour are a beautiful turquoise colour and using a polariser will help you take the glare of the water and emphasise those colours.
Explore the Hill - There are a number of compositions to be had up on Penally Hill. Try shooting up into the harbour and village as well.
Thrift - If you can time your visit, try and go there when the Thrift is flowering. There isn't a lot of it up there, but adding it when it is can really add something to a composition.
If you want to see how I went about shooting these images, check out my latest 5 Minute Photo Adventure video on Boscastle.
I'm going to try and get back to Boscastle again soon. I've been a few times but never managed to truly capture in the way that I would like. I have a number of compositions I like from Penally Hill but so far I have always missed out on some great light. As with Colmer's Hill and Bowerman's Nose, I will just have to persevere until I get an image that meets my vision!
So have you photographed Boscastle before? What viewpoints do you shoot there? Let me know in the comments below.
Glencoe Adventure - Part 1, The Workshop
In this first of two special Glencoe blog posts I'll share with you my images and stories from the Dawn 2 Dusk Glencoe workshop that I attended recently. It was a fantastic few days of photography. Though the weather was typically Scottish at times, the variable conditions resulted in some awesome images.
The Importance of Adventure
I have talked about the importance of practising the art of photography on this blog a number of times. For me, and I expect this is the same for many photographers, most of this practice will take place in your own back yard. Not literally of course, but most of the time you are out with a camera it will be in your local area. For me, this is Devon with the occasional visit across the border to Cornwall or Dorset.
While there are many benefits to shooting locally, such as time and familiarity, there is nothing quite like the challenge of pushing the boundaries of your photography by going on an adventure! Adventure means different things to different people, but for me, it's the excitement of travel, of meeting new people and of course photographing something new. All these elements can really push your photography in a way that you sometimes just can't get locally.
Though I have visited Glencoe a number of times and even grew up not far away, this will be my first time in the area as a dedicated photographer. So while the area might be familiar, the prospect of photographing it was exciting, to say the least. Well worth the 3 days off work (plus the weekend) and the 10 hours drive each way!
This week, in the first of two Glencoe blog posts, I will be sharing my memories, thoughts and photographs of the Dawn 2 Dusk Photography Glencoe photography workshop that I attended. Next week, in part 2, I will be sharing the images and video that I took with some of the extra time I had in Glencoe.
Why Workshops are Important
So why didn't I just spend all the time I had in Glencoe doing my own thing? Well, for me at least, workshops provide a number of unique benefits that I can't get by shooting on my own:
Practical and Artistic Development - Tuition is still a big part of my development as a landscape photographer and for the Glencoe workshop, I had access to two of the UK's leading landscape photographers, Ross Hoddinott and Adam Burton. Having access to this level of photographer not only helps with the artistic side of my photography but also with some of the more practical aspects of photography (read how later in the blog post).
Being Social - The life of a landscape photographer can be a solitary existence, especially if you favour early mornings like me. However, every now and again it's just good to be around like-minded individuals. Just by chatting during the day you can not only learn about how your photography looks to others, but also learn from their photography. At night, normally around the bar, it is a great chance to share those funny, odd, or disastrous trips out with the camera.
Local Knowledge - There is only so much planning and preparation you can do on the computer. In order to maximise time with the camera when you arrive at a new location, it's sometimes useful to have access to some local knowledge. For me, workshops provide me with an introduction to the photographic possibilities of an area and while I could do this myself I don't always have the extra time.
So now that we've talked about the importance of adventure and the value in workshops, let's get into the most important aspects of this adventure, the photographs!
Day 1: Castle Stalker
The 2.5-day workshop started with a briefing at our base of the Clachaig Inn just outside Glencoe village. Adam and Ross managed to suitably embarrass me by remembering my birthday with a chocolate cake and singing happy birthday! After the very sociable start of coffee and cake, we all headed down for a sunset shoot at Castle Stalker on Loch Linnhe.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8, @ 200mm, f/8, 1/60th second, ISO 100, Lee Filters ND Grad, 16:9 crop.
As you can see from the shot above, the descending sun illuminates the side of the castle rather nicely. I was hoping to get a similar shot to this with water surrounding the island, but as the tide came in the light became flat thanks to some heavy cloud where the sun was setting.
It was still a good start to the workshop and we all headed back to the hotel for some well-earned food and drinks.
Day 2: Lochan na Fola and Stob nan Cabar
As you might expect with a landscape photography workshop it was an early start to the 2nd day. Fortunately, the drive to our next location of Lochan na Fola wasn't far from our hotel so the alarm call wasn't too early.
When we arrived at Lochan na Fola the water was beautifully still giving us some wonderful reflections of Stob nan Cabar. Just as we setup though some cloud rolled in blocking the view of the mountain. As we waited I decided to try out my new drone the DJI Mavic Pro. The arrival of the drone caused a bit of excitement amongst the group as I demonstrated some of its capabilities. While I couldn't get find a gap in the cloud to fly a little higher, I did get the chance to grab a quick group shot.
We didn't have to wait to long for the cloud to clear though and all of sudden it was battle stations as we were presented with some truly epic scenes!
Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 18mm, f/11, 1/20th second, ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 26mm, f/11, 1/20th second, ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
I can't decide which of the two images above I like the most. Both of them greatly appeal to me with their near perfect reflections and frosty reeds in the chilly lochan. It would have been so easy just to go back to the hotel and have an early breakfast when the cloud came in, but everyone was glad they stuck it out.
Day 2: Lochan na h-Achlaise and Loch Ba
After a very successful morning and a big Scottish breakfast, we headed up to Lochan na h-Achlaise. Shooting around midday is always challenging though and coupled with the bright blue sky I did struggle a little bit to get some images.
However, by exploring along the shore line of Lochan na h-Achlaise I did find this interesting composition.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 @ 34mm, f/13, 30 seconds, ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and Big Stopper.
Exploring just a little further I found this scene just off the road at Loch Ba. This is a more pleasing image thanks to the horseshoe arrangement of the foreground rocks and the reflection of the mountain in the water.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 @ 40mm, f/13, 2.5 seconds, ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and Little Stopper.
I also had just enough time to try and capture a panorama of the area using my DJI Mavic Pro.
DJI Mavic Pro - 7 images stitched and processed in Lightroom.
Day 2: Blackrock Cottage
Blackrock Cottage is probably one of the most photographed locations on Glencoe, but it would have somehow seemed rude not to photograph it. After all, we were passing it on our way to get coffee from the cafe at the ski centre.
I rarely convert to black and white but in this case, the image seemed to work better without colour. The texture on the mountain (Buachaille Etive Mor) really stands out.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 62mm, f/11, 1/25th second, ISO 100.
Day 2: Glen Etive
Towards the end of day 2, we headed down the long and windy road of Glen Etive towards the head of Loch Etive. Here the stunning mountains reach right down into the sea loch and it's an ideal location for capturing the last light as it touches the tops of the mountains.
As I waited for the light I was still able to capture some striking images of the north east shore of Loch Etive.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 26mm, f/11, 198 seconds, ISO 100, Lee Filters Big Stopper, ND Grad and Circular Polariser.
As I've written on this blog before it's always important to see what is going on behind you. It appeared that the sun was shining on the mountains diretly behind me!
Nikon D750, Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 150mm, f/8, 1/5th second, ISO 100, Lee Filters Big ND Grad.
In my hurry to get to the head of the loch to capture last night on the mountains I completely missed another great composition. It wasn't until I was heading back to the car that I found a few of my fellow photographers shooting this interesting scene.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 19mm, f/11, 20 seconds, ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and ND Grad.
I had actually walked by this location in my hurry to get to the head of the loch. Perhaps I should have taken just a little more time to explore this area before settling into my chosen location.
Day 2 was certainly a busy one. Would day 3 be just as good?
Day 3: The Study
After the successes of day 2, the weather had a change of heart and went typically Scottish. Lots of low clouds, and lots of rain. Our initial plan was to do a pre-breakfast shoot of Buachaille Etive Mor. We would go down to the river Coupall to shoot the waterfalls with the mountain in the background. Only trouble was you couldn't see the mountain or anything really. Reluctantly we headed back for an early breakfast and discuss our next move.
With the weather forecast predicting a stop to the rain, our tutors suggested we shoot from The Study, a slightly elevated viewpoint with excellent views of the mountains (The Three Sisters). Sure enough, the rain stopped and we were back in business.
I don't often shoot panoramas but this viewpoint seemed like the ideal location to do so. Fortunately, Adam Burton was on hand to give me some excellent tuition on how to setup the tripod correctly and the best way to rotate the camera. Taking my new found knowledge I managed to capture this image of The Three Sisters.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm, f/11, 1/100th second, 10 vertical images stiched and processed in Lightroom CC.
I then decided to opt for a much tighter composition giving me one of my favourite images from the workshop.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 90mm, f/11, 1/40th second, ISO 100, Lee Filters ND Grad.
Day 3: Stob Dearg and the River Coupall
There is no doubt that this location has been photographed a lot. However, that doesn't make it any less worth shooting. There are always new compositions to be had, different weather conditions to manage and personal style to put into an image.
The key element for this location is a visible Stob Dearg (Buachaille Etive Mor), something that was missing that afternoon. This made my decision a couple of days earlier not to photograph this very scene because "I'll be back in a couple of days", even more heartbreaking.
However, with probably an unjustified amount of optimism, I put on my wellington boots, got into the river and set up my shot. All I needed was for the cloud to clear from the mountain. So I waited, and waited, and waited. It came so very close to being completely clear, but as the sky darkened I knew it wasn't going to happen.
Though you can't see the whole of the mountain in this image, I still like the end result.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 19mm, f/13, 0.8 seconds, ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and 0.3 ND Grad.
Though it had been a challenging day with the weather, it was still a successful day out with the camera.
Workshop Summary
At the start of this blog post, I mentioned the three things that I look for on a workshop; personal development as a photographer, social interaction, and local knowledge.
There is no doubt that my artistic eye has developed a little bit more and that I'm now better prepared to shoot panoramas. I also got to spend a couple of days with a great group of people who shared my passion for landscape photography. We all shared some great stories in the bar! And finally, thanks to some excellent planning and local knowledge, the weather and conditions rarely caused a problem with the flexible itinerary.
I've come away with some great images and some even better memories, so it was definitely worth a few days off work and a very long drive!
In Part 2...
In part 2 of my Glencoe Adventure blog post, I will tell you about the images I took during the spare 24 hrs I had before the workshop started, including a video of my very early and snowy ascent of Beinn a'Chrulaiste!
Storms, Sunset and Start Point
In this blog post I tell you about how a passing storm at Start Point in Devon forced me back to my car but in the end it added a new dramatic element to my composition.
Favourite Location, New Viewpoint
In my video Top 5 Locations in Devon to Shoot Landscape Photography I took you to Start Point on the south Devon coast. I've shot there numerous times and thanks to the coastal weather I've come away with a wide variety of images. All my visits to Start Point do have one thing in common, they have been shot at dawn and all, roughly speaking, from the same viewpoint.
Just recently though I was inspired to shoot Start Point from a slightly different location. I've written about the power of inspiration on this blog before and how important it is to my development as a photography. However, it was a post by one of my favourite local photographers Matt Davis on Instagram that showed me a viewpoint that I hadn't considered before. It was still clearly Start Point, but you could see more of the rugged coastline and it was ideal for shooting at sunset. I had a plan!
Incoming!
It's about 1hr 15m drive from home to Start Point and while it's not that far as the crow flies, it does involve the navigation of a few of the smaller country roads that Devon has to offer so it often feels like a longer drive. With the weather forecast predicting cloud at different heights I felt the drive would be worth it for a great sunset and some drama in the sky.
Watching the storm approach from the west.
I arrived at the Start Point car park, got my bag, and headed down to the view point. As I looked west and out to sea I could see a very large rain shower coming my way. I knew from the forecast there might be the odd bit of rain but this looked a little more than just a shower. I stuck to my location, kept my camera in the bag, and waited. Firstly the wind picked up, then the rain started, and then the rain got very heavy!
Determined not to be put off though I decided to shelter on the other side of the ridge that runs down to Start Point lighthouse. It was a lot less windy by still wet. I got my phone out and checked my favourite rain app, Rain Today. All I could see over my location was a big, dark blue blob, indicating heavy rainfall. the good news was that it was only forecast to last 30 minutes, and once it had passed I would still have 30 minutes before sunset.
So I did the sensible thing and went back to the car, had a cup of coffee and ate some chocolate.
Run Julian, Run!
As I sat in my car drinking my coffee I could see what was going on in most directions. To the east, the direction the storm was going, it was looking very dark. To the west, it wasn't really looking much better. I was beginning to think I might not even take a single frame. Then the thunder and lightning started and it was at that point I was very happy to have made the decision to wait it out in the car.
Spectacular conditions immediately after the storm had passed. I had to be quick just to grab this shot with the phone.
As forecast, I could eventually start to see a break in the cloud to the west. I waited to the rain had stopped and then I grabbed my stuff and went for it again. As soon as I got outside I spotted a double rainbow out to sea. It looked spectacular. Photographers often say you get some of the most dramatic conditions for photography just after a storm and from what I could see this was certainly the case.
I knew these conditions wouldn't last too long so I instinctively grabbed my phone and grabbed a shot. I then got to work getting my DSLR out and all the associated gear. As I feared, by the time I actually got all setup the best of the action had gone. Not to worry, I still had time to get back to my original viewpoint and shoot the lighthouse and dark sky, but I would have to run. Which isn't that easy with the amount of gear I had and the muddy ground but if I didn't get there in time I would only regret it.
Drama Everywhere
I got to my view point and frantically got to work getting my shot ready. There was still plenty of drama going on. The sky was still dark and brooding, and the rugged cliffs along Start Point were getting pounded by the sea. Over to my right (to the west) the clouds were breaking and the low sun was producing some lovely colours. That particular bit of action was still just out of frame, so while I had a long exposure running I grabbed a quick panorama with my mobile phone.
I managed to grab this quick panoramic using my Nexus 6p phone. It's not perfect but it shows the scene as it was.
I kept shooting, varying my compositions slightly but the break in the cloud was just too far over to make for an interesting composition. In hindsight, I probably should have shot a panorama with the DSLR, but there was a lot going on and I didn't have much daylight left. However, I was still very happy with the moody shots I was getting like this one.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 40mm, f/11, 129 seconds, ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser, Lee Filters Little Stopper.
I Must Be Mad
I have to admit that when the rain really started to chuck it down and I went back to the car to wait it out, I did question my sanity. It was looking like it was going to be one of those days where not only do I not get a decent image, but I don't even get the camera out of the bag. However, having read so many times about how some of the best images were captured right after a storm I decided to hold out. And I'm so glad I did.
Perhaps the only thing I should have done would be to have left the car when I had started to see the sky clear, and not when the rain had stopped. This would have given me a bit more time to get back to my location and start shooting immediately after the storm had passed. However, given that I still wouldn't have been able to get a break in cloud or light from the setting sun into my scene I was pretty happy with the results.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 27mm, f/9, 60 seconds, ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser, Lee Filters Little Stopper.
Have you ever stayed out in horrible weather only to be treated for your perseverance? Do you sometimes think that landscape photographers are a little mad? Let me know in the comments.