High Force

Children playing in the sun at High Force waterfall, North Yorkshire.

Angus

A well cared-for angus yearling shelters from the cold winter in Wallhouses, Northumbria. If you open it full-size you can even see a tear in its eye. Aw.

War Memorial

Newcastle upon Tyne

Cemetery, Blyth

Newcastle

St. Mary's Lighthouse

Cullercoats

After yesterday's disappointment, I decided to try again this morning, this time in Cullercoats. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't on my side, and the sky was flat and grey, so no light at all. This black and white image was the best I could muster under the circumstances.

South Shields

This morning was my first trip out with the camera in months, due to a busy work life and a lack of energy for early summer mornings. I was very rusty, and it shows. These were the only three images I managed to rescue.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.8 : 24secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 1.2 ND : Lee Big Stopper

 

I'd picked an uninspiring spot along the South Shields coastline (I won't be going back), so I opted for some close-ups of the rocks instead. This kind of thing irritates me, as it gives no sense of place, but then I guess it's better than coming home empty-handed!

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.8 : 15secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad : Lee 1.2 ND : Lee Big Stopper

 

There's something I find extremely fascinating about wide-aperture long exposure, that I'd like to explore more. Long exposures are usually shot at very narrow aperture for maximum depth-of-field, and to increase the amount of time the shutter can be held open.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.8 : 25secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad : Lee 1.2 ND : Lee Big Stopper

 

I've been experimenting with extreme neutral density (11-stops) to get a reasonably long exposure time, yet with a very narrow depth-of-field, which leads to some interesting and unusual shots. I just need to get them looking good now :)

Click on any of the photos to see them full-size against black, and please do leave a comment below if you like the photos.

Collywell Bay, Seaton Sluice

I wasn't feeling well this morning, but I hadn't been out with my camera for a while, so felt compelled to get myself out. I couldn't be chewed to travel far, so I took a short trip back to Collywell Bay to see if there were any better viewpoints. The only radically different viewpoint I found was this little cave.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 133secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 1.2 ND

 

This was shot from the top of the cliff. At 50mm, my Zeiss lens flattens everything out, so St. Mary's Lighthouse was barely noticeable. I headed down onto the rocks to see if I could get closer, without getting the other half dozen photographers down there in my shot.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 45secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee Big Stopper

 

I managed to get down in time to catch the sun just above the lighthouse. It's difficult to get a good even exposure on a shot like this, even with the ND Grads. This was the least burnt-out version of the three I shot before the sun disappeared behind a cloud.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 39secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee Big Stopper

 

Closer still, the lighthouse looked better, but there was a distinct lack of foreground interest and what there was was hard to get in shot with a 50mm prime. I think it's about time I saved up to get myself a super-wide - perhaps an 18mm or 21mm.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 180secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee Big Stopper

 

I only got one run at this one, as the sea was swirling in around my ankles. Thankfully my new GoreTex Salomons lived up to their reputation and kept me dry, but my filters were getting sprayed, so I had to head home.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 100secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee Big Stopper

 

Warning: If you're planning on heading over to Collywell Bay, be seriously careful over at the Seaton Sluice end, as it's very slippery and there are tons of plunge-holes big enough for a grown man to disappear, and deep enough that it would be difficult to climb out of. The number of flower wreaths tied to fences on the way down serve as a grim warning! The New Hartley end isn't so treacherous.

Click on any of the photos to see them full-size against black, and please do leave a comment below if you like the photos.

Kielder Water

After the weather sent me a curve ball last weekend, I decided to try Kielder Water again this morning. The weather wasn't much better, but at least it wasn't pissing down!

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 0.5sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 Hard Grad

 

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 80sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 Hard Grad : Lee 0.9 ND

 

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 35sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 Hard Grad : Lee 0.9 ND

 

Click on any of the photos to see them full-size against black, and please do leave a comment below if you like the photos.

Collywell Bay, Seaton Sluice

I was missing the cold wetness of getting soaked to the bollocks in the North Sea, so I took a short drive across to Collywell Bay in Seaton Sluice this morning to shoot St. Mary's Lighthouse.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : 8sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 Hard Grad : Lee 0.9 ND

 

I was running late, and by the time I got there I didn't have time to change into my trusty waders, so I had to go down onto the rocks in my trainers. This wasn't too bad, but the tide was coming in fast, and with 5 minute exposures, the sea was sloshing around my ankles by the time I got some decent shots.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : 19sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 Hard Grad : Lee 0.9 ND

 

It wasn't until I'd been there for about 15 minutes that I realised I was sitting in some other photographer's shot! Really sorry, whoever you are; I hate it when people do that to me. I'm just a skinny wee fella, so hopefully I wasn't too much trouble to remove!

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : 311sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 Hard Grad : Lee 0.9 ND

 

Despite being out of practice with long exposures and becoming photoshop-fodder in someone else's picture, I came away with some okay shots. Nothing startling or new, but nice nonetheless, and hopefully something a little different from the usual shots we see of the lighthouse.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : 285sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 Hard Grad : Lee 0.9 ND

 

Click on any of the photos to see them full-size against black, and please do leave a comment below if you like the photos.

Bishop Auckland, County Durham

I had originally planned to drive up to Scremerston this morning, but slept in. So I decided to drive back down to Bishop Auckland and see if I could get some of the shots I hadn't been able to get last week due to the crappy weather.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : HDR : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4

 

The weather wasn't much better this week. The only shots I was anywhere near pleased with were the two from the bridge with the sky aflame. Although my HDR skills are improving, I'm still not completely comfortable with it as a technique. It somehow feels synthetic and unnatural.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : HDR : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4

 

The bridge gives a good vantage point, although you need a tall tripod to see over the anti-suicide fence. On the other side of the bridge (heading out of the town centre) is a small picnic area, which also has a good viewpoint.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : HDR : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4

 

At the picnic area, heading back to my car, I saw another photographer - a portly fellow - who couldn't even be bothered to get out of his car. He was leaning half in and half out of the door and using his big zoom to frame his shot. It made me feel all the more assured that the secret to great photography is getting out there and putting the effort in!

I was tempted to tell him that if he got his fat arse out of the car and walked 10m across the grass, there was a breathtaking viewpoint to be on the other side of the hill. I didn't though. Guess he'll never know what he missed.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : HDR : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4

 

I drove further along to Hamsterley in the hope of seeing the evergreen valley shrouded in mist, but was sorely disappointed. I'll try later in the year when the ground is frosty and the magic hour sun evaporates the dew.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : HDR : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4

 

Click on any of the photos to see them full-size against black, and please do leave a comment below if you like the photos.

Aruna Ratanagiri Monastery, Northumberland

I was eager to continue my experiments with inland photography, so I took a short drive up to Belsay this morning. I'd been that way numerous times on my motorbike, and figured that with the right light, it would be pretty breathtaking. I didn't know at the time that it would lead me to one of the most bizarre mornings I've ever experienced.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : 1/250 sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4

 

I passed a huge hill that offered the best possible vantage point looking east toward the coast, and turned into a side-road to see if I could get up there. The road led all the way to the top, where a farm - or at least what I thought was a farm - was situated with 360˚ views of the Northumbrian hills.

When I got out of the car, I was met by a friendly Dutchman by the name of Herman. At first I thought he might be the farmer, and that I was about to be kicked off his land - that was until he offered to make me some breakfast!

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 1/15 sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4

 

I politely declined, as I didn't have much time before magic hour and I wanted to explore the hillside for the best possible viewpoint, and went on my way.

With the sun tucked between the trees, my ND Grads weren't much use, so I took the opportunity to experiment with HDR. I've tried it in the past, and was never satisfied with the results, but I was determined to get it right. All of my wide landscape shots are HDR, albeit very subtle (I'm not a big fan of over-processed HDR).

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : 1/15 sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4

 

Further down the hill, I found a tiny broken-down play park, with some makeshift swings and a crooked old bridge. When I leaned against one of the supporting trees, it almost came down on top of me, as the whole thing was rotted and brittle.

What made this place all the more weird was the strange singing noise drifting down from the top of the hill on the wind. It was very slight, but I was sure it was definitely not my tinnitus, and in the dead silence of the morning was actually quite comforting.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : 1/40 sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4

 

When I returned to the car, Herman was waiting for me, and told me had a surprise for me. With a glint in his eye, he took me to what I thought was the farm building at the top of the hill, and invited me inside. It was in fact a working Buddhist monastery, and the singing I had heard on the hillside had been the monks.

Inside the monastery was a beautiful Buddhist temple that Herman told me he had helped to build some twenty years ago from the ruins of an old farm building. It sounds odd to say it, but the building filled me with an overwhelming sense of goodwill.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : 1/400 sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4

 

He made me a cup of tea, and told me that he and his wife travel across from Holland each year to spend four weeks looking after the monks. The monks apparently can't cook for themselves, nor do their own gardening (for fear of killing worms and other creatures), so they're somewhat dependant on kindly volunteers to help them get by.

It was a strange little place, and yet very tranquil. Herman and his wife were lovely people, and even the sheep were quite sociable. My only regret was that I didn't get a photograph of Herman, although I did get his email address to send him some of my pictures.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : 1/200 sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4

 

Click on any of the photos to see them full-size against black, and please do leave a comment below if you like the photos.

Plawsworth, County Durham

I decided to try something different this morning and took a trip down to Plawsworth in County Durham for some inland shots. I spied this weird tree with a ladder in it, and jumped the barbed-wire fence to get a better shot - such are the hazards of shooting with a 50mm prime!

The ladder was swinging slightly in the breeze, making a creaking sound that was pretty creepy in the dead silence of day break with only the rumble of a passing train for company.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : 1/1250 sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad

 

I'd been shooting wide landscapes on the roadside for about 20 minutes when I noticed this little fella about 3 inches from my lens!

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : 1/160 sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad

 

I see this landscape every time I travel down to London on the east coast mainline, and at dawn it's almost always shrouded in mist and looks amazing. I didn't know the area too well, so I just traced the railway line down from Newcastle to Durham, and took a wild guess at where the best shot might be, based on Google maps' satellite view. I didn't go far wrong, but it was difficult to find a good vantage point.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 1/5 sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad

 

No sign of the little bugger that built this, but he's not finished. Like most in the building trade, he's probably got his feet up somewhere with a cup of tea and a newspaper.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.4 : 1/80 sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad

 

All in all, a pretty good trip and something of a departure for me, being primarily a coastal photographer. I'll be heading down that way again soon to explore some of the back roads and trespass on some private land. Practice makes perfect.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 1/5 sec : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad

 

Click on any of the photos to see them full-size against black, and please do leave a comment below if you like the photos.

Whitburn III: Waves of Destiny

I took my first sunrise trip out since the winter this morning, mainly due to being extremely busy and too tired to get out of bed to catch the 4am sunrise. Now that we're in late summer, the sunrise is at 5:20am, which is far more reasonable, so I got up at 4:30am and headed over to Whitburn.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 275 secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad : Lee Big Stopper

 

I've been running down at Shouth Shields Whitburn regularly over the last couple of months, as part of my training regime in preparation for the Great North Run (please sponsor me) and had spotted this out-crop from the road.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 228secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee Big Stopper

 

There are nice little arches, tunnels and caves, if you can catch the tide at the right time, and it's relatively easy to get to. When I got down there, ther water was quite calm, which doesn't make for a particularly good long exposure shot.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 64 secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee Big Stopper

 

As ever, extremely long exposure pulled out a lovely green-blue from the sea that couldn't be seen with the naked eye, which more than made up for the lack of drama. Be careful if you venture down this way, as the rock formations make it really easy to become marooned as the tide comes in around and behind you!

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 191secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad : Lee Big Stopper

 

In my hurry to get out of the house, I totally forgot to take my waders, so I go a bit wet scrambling back to dry land!

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 40secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad : Lee Big Stopper

 

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 189secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad : Lee Big Stopper

 

Click on any of the photos to see them full-size against black, and please do leave a comment below if you like the photos.

Newbiggin by the Sea II: The Resoakening

I took a trip out to Newbiggin by the Sea this morning to test-drive my new waders (a birthday gift from my other half). I took full advantage of them, wading up to my knees to a good vantage point at the far south end of the village where I managed to get a few decent shots.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 261secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad : Lee 1.2 ND : Lee Big Stopper

 

It was also the first time out with my new camera bag: the Kata W-94. I was getting a little tired of my equipment being washed out to sea because I had to leave my bag on the rocks behind me, so I decided to try this waist-pack so that I could keep everything with me at all times.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 122secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee 1.2 ND : Lee Big Stopper

 

The bag is fantastic, and waterproof too. Lots of space and plenty of protection, and the build quality is just as good as Lowepro (which have served me well throughout the years). All in all, I was very impressed, despite the heavy price-tag.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 76secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee 1.2 ND : Lee Big Stopper

 

The south end of the beach at Newbiggin is far more photogenic than the north end towards Church Point, with some interesting rock formations. Try to catch it just after high tide, with the the tide heading out for the best shots, as it gets a bit sparse once the sea level drops.

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 12secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee 1.2 ND : Lee Big Stopper

 

Click on any of the photos to see them full-size against black, and please do leave a comment below if you like the photos.

Dunstanburgh Castle

Total waste of a journey up to Dunstanburgh Castle yesterday morning. Firstly, I was unaware that the castle itself was a 40 minute trek from the nearest car park, so I missed sunrise altogether and only just caught a glimpse of magic hour.

To make things worse, the tide was way out by the time I got to the North side of the castle so there were precious few of those famous black boulders in the surf for a good long exposure shot. I had to walk miles out to get a shot with even a few rocks in the water - this was the only one I got.

I also discovered that Dunstanburgh Castle is yet another of those uninspiring landmarks along our coastline that only really comes to life through an ultra-wide angle lens. I love the simplicity of my single 50mm prime setup, and really don't want to be buying more lenses, but sometimes it's difficult to create a dramatic image with such a pedestrian focal length!

EXIF: 50mm : f/16 : 122secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee 1.2 ND : Lee Big Stopper

 

The second of my disappointing shots from yesterday's trip to Dunstanburgh Castle. I was so uninspired by the castle itself, I decided to call it a day and home with only a single half-decent shot on the card, despite having woken at 4am specially to shoot it.

On my way back, I saw this submerged gate in a flooded field that looked quite interesting. There were no great compositions to be had, as the landscape around the pond was so awkward and cluttered (I would have liked to have isolated it) and most the of the viewpoints around it were cut off by the water - I need some waders!

The best I could do was to use my hard grad to black out the mound behind it, and make the most of those lovely magic hour highlights. Unfortunately the shot was pretty much ruined by the horrible flare right across the middle (which I couldn't see on the LCD at the time). Looks pretty interesting nonetheless.

EXIF: 50mm : f/1.8 : 8secs : Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 : Lee 0.9 ND Hard Grad : Lee 1.2 ND : Lee Big Stopper

 

Click on any of the photos to see them full-size against black, and please do leave a comment below if you like the photos.