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I have just launched a new gallery of images which I will be adding to over the coming weeks and months : an Infra-red Gallery.

I have bought a converted Nikon D70 and have been learning to use it whilst working on a project, Churches in the Landscape, which I will cover in further blogs.

The Nikon is converted to capture only infra-red images, so I can use it as normal to take images, but the processing is very different from that for normal RAW or JPG images.

By capturing infra-red light, the result is quite distinctive with green foliage showing up white, blue skies turn very dark blue or black and the overall style is monochromatic. The first sets of images will be black and white and focused on the Churches project, but different shots will be added over time.

I hope you enjoy the different style.

Dorset Landscape Photography
Spring Rapeseed





I spent a day out yesterday with a couple of fellow photographers, visiting some of the glorious rapeseed fields we have across West Dorset, so firstly, a big thank you to Tony Gill and Mia Lewis for their company and for sharing some of their favourite locations.

Mia is also an expert in infrared photography, so it was an opportunity to try out some infrared images of the multi-coloured landscape.

The day started with a clear blue skies with a few fluffy white clouds building and the fields were glowing in the early morning light. They looked stunning.

We headed up to the fields overlooking the Cerne Valley and spent a good few hours wandering round the fields there. A great spot with many fields out in full bloom and some wonderful landscapes going on across the valley.

The infrared turns the yellow rapeseed to white and the brown fields behind turn very monochromatic. Its a very different look and feel. I liked this composition due to its lines and patterns as well as the split toning of the image.

Infrared photography is something I've only recently started exploring, but I'm sure there will be more coming, especially in black and white.

Wiltshire Landscape Photography
Storms, Clouds & sun





Changeable is how I would describe the weather at the moment. I headed out this week to capture some specific images for a competition I am working on, only to find the weather, the light, the timing was not working.

Instead I decided to go visit some other locations across the region, but a bit further afield. As I headed out towards Salisbury I passed one of my favourite locations, a lone barn, standing in a field which this year was planted with rape, which was in flower. Set against the blue skies with some white fluffy clouds rolling through, it looked great and although I have captured similar shots before, I couldn't resist having another go.

As I was taking the shot, setting up, getting into the right position, I hadn't noticed the impending storm that was creeping up behind me and it was only the serious increase in wind speed that made me turn around, to the greeted by a hail storm bearing down on me.. I ran back to the car, just missing getting soaked.





Later in the day, with the storms building across the region, I was driving up to Stonehenge when I passed a field of rape, with a passing storm behind it. The combination of colours really worked for me and I stopped the car, jumped out and climbed a small hill to get the view. The rainbow was a real plus.

Unfortunately the storms over Stonehenge didn't work so well, there will be more to come from the day .....

Landscape Photography
So what is a landscape?





This is a question that has been posing all sorts of concerns for the members of my local club recently. Bridport Camera Club (www.bridportcameraclub.co.uk) has competitions throughout the year and it has come to light that not everyone has the same understanding.

For me, Landscape, is a generic term used to describe the view in front of view. It can of course include fields, hills & mountains, but the question seems to be what else can it include?

Wikipedia: Landscape Photography: Photographs typically capture the presence of nature and are often free of man-made obstructions.

Dictionary: a section or expanse of rural scenery, usually extensive, that can be seen from a single viewpoint. OR a picture representing natural inland or coastal scenery.

One of the big questions for me is : Can a landscape include buildings, or the sea/coast?

So for competitions such as 'Landscape Photographer of the Year' entries are accepted including just about anything, although they do sometimes add sub-categories (Urban View), but certainly buildings and the sea/coast are actively encouraged.

In a recent landscape competition I had an image rejected as it showed St Pauls Cathedral in its own City landscape and the judge decided it was not a true landscape. He wanted to see fields and flowers.

In an upcoming competition, 'Churches in the Landscape' again the rules have been stipulated that no urban/city landscapes are allowed. So the image above from Dartmoor's St. Michael de Rupe should fit the remit, but can you see the landscape? or enough of the landscape? or is it just a church on a hill?

So what do you think? Should the term landscape be sub-divided into urban, city, sea-scape, coastal etc. or should the judges be a bit more flexible in their interpretation? Let me know your thoughts and feelings and join in the discussion for The Shed.

W: www.theshedphotography.com
B: www.theshedphotography.blogspot.com

Dorset Landscape Photography
Churches in the Landscape





I am currently working on a project covering 'Churches in the Landscape' but it has to follow all sorts of rules. My question is for the next few posts, what is landscape?

The project is designed to be a black and white assignment, but you can choose to use monochrome infrared if you want. Infra red is something I have only just started getting into to, so I will post some of these over the coming weeks and months, but for now, I am sticking to the bigger question?

Can a landscape include the sea? or does that make it a seascape?

Can a landscape be an urban scene, or does it have to rolling fields, mountains and lakes?

It seems everyone has their own view. If you look through the Landscape Photographer of the Year book or exhibition, you will see a mix of landscapes, seascapes, mountains, water, rivers and much more.

My local club defines it as a land based photograph, and definitely NOT an urban scene or including water.... which they see as a seascape.

Wikipedia allows anything in a landscape ... confusing matters even more.

To help me get to the bottom of this I am going to be discussing it over the next week with my fellow photographers on The Shed Photography

W: www.theshedphotography.com
B: www.theshedphotography.blogspot.com

Follow the discussion, join in and let me know your views.

Dorset Landscape photography
Low tide towards Golden Cap





Another from the recent low Spring tides along the Jurassic Coastline. The view towards the iconic Golden Cap is taken from along the sweeping rocky shoreline of Seatown that gets uncovered at very low tides. At the far end of the beach a large area of rocks and boulders appears when the tide is very low.

The long exposure technique of using a 10-stop filter was used to turn the water into a mist and add some slight movement into the clouds.

Dorset Landscape Photography
Low tide on the Jurassic Coast





It was one of the lowest tides of the year recently so I went down to visit what is one of my favourite areas at low water, Hive Beach at Burton Bradstock. As many of you will know, I get down there regularly and love the cliffs, ledges, rocks and boulders that are uncovered at these low tides.

I wanted to try and get out into the water, so I setup the tripod and waited for the tide to come back in, filling in the space around the legs. It is amazing the power of the water and although the waves were only slight that day, the power was enough to know me off my balance on more than one occasion. Thank goodness for a sturdy tripod.

I went for a long exposure shot, mainly to get the water to calm into a mist amongst the rocks, but it also gave some nice movement to the clouds which were flying by.

Very bright sunshine didn't help the exposures or the contrast between the rocks, clouds and the cliffs, but I hope you enjoy the final image.

Dorset Landscape Photography
Black and white series





The first of a series of images I have been working on to offer something a little different. I have been asked recently to provide a number of images in black and white, but rather transform some of my existing ones into monochrome, I decided to get out and take some deliberately.

This is the first, taken at low Spring tide, where a number of rocks were uncovered that I have not seen before. These were only just uncovered at the lowest of tides, and many children were playing on them, getting soaked in the process.

I loved the way the water was swirling around them, forming patterns in the water and making the rocks glisten in the direct sunlight. It was early afternoon and the sun was shining brightly, so I used a polariser to try and reduce the glare, although it only partially helped.

More in this series to come.

Dorset Landscape Photography
Sunset across West Dorset





A glorious light developed this evening across the skies after the sun had set. I had left my original position, thinking that it was all over, but as I walked back to the car I was reminded that patience is key.

Dorset Landscape Photography
Another cliff fall at Burton Bradstock?



I went to check on the area around the recent cliff fall today as a few people had mentioned they felt more had come down.

I am not sure if there has been a second cliff fall, but it does seem that the rocks and boulders from the initial fall have been spread across the beach, towards the Hive Beach Café. Further erosion and damage has seems to have been done to the cliffs to the East of the original fall.

The erosion has uncovered a number of ledges and holes in the cliff and shows clearly the effects of coastal erosion, with the rocks crumbling in-between and around pillars, leaving gaping holes and climb-throughs exposed.

I spoke with Coast Watch today but they had no reports of any further falls from the cliff face, although they too had been investigating earlier in the day.

In any event, there is now more widespread rocks and boulders on the beach at Burton Bradstock, so please take extra care if visiting the site; keep away from the cliff edge and don't let your children climb all over the initial fall, especially near the cliffs.

Dorset Landscape Photography
Cliff Fall at Burton Beach pt 2





Over the next couple of days, still with the high/low Spring tides, I managed to capture the rockfall in different light, different times of day and with people clambering all over it.

The first was at sunrise the day after the fall, following on from the previous blog post, but this time I got my feet wet to capture the morning light hitting the rocks.

The other shots were from during the day, with low Spring tides around lunchtime, with people coming down to the beach to see it, climb on it, take bits home, look for fossils etc.

There seemed no end to the interest shown by many visitors, verging on stupidity, as they climbed the rock fall, right up to the cliff face, looking up at the cracks, wondering if there was more to come down! Amazing.

Dorset Landscape Photography
Cliff Fall at Burton Beach





Not a great day for photography, but I was in the right place at the right time.

A major cliff fall happened this lunchtime on Hive Beach, under the cliffs from the South West Coast Path. The Jurassic Coast is always falling into the sea, but today a major lump went.

Two passers by were feet away from it when it came down, which gave them quite a start, and as she was 6 months pregnant, it took a while to calm them again.

The following day I popped down again at sunrise, which coincided with high tide. It was a cold, slightly misty morning, with some lovely colour in the sky.

Dorset Landscape Photography
Sunrise over Broadoak





Following on from my previous blog post, the mists seemed to be quite think on the ground and I wanted to try a different viewpoint, so I moved around the valley and climbed to the top of Pilsden Pen.

By the time I got up there, the sun was up and heating up the valley, and the mists across the Marshwood Vale had all but gone. As I walked around the back of Pilsden Pen and looked out towards the North, the valleys out towards Broadoak, Crewkerne and Ham Hill were full of low lying mist, as far as the eye could see. On the far horizon, to the North East was a small hill poking out of the white sheet of mists, which I think was Ham Hill, but it was too far to get a good shot.

To the East, towards Broadoak, was a great valley and a few ridges on the hillsides, where the mists were swirling breaking up as it flowed over them. A wonderful atmosphere and very beautiful.

Dorset Landscape Photographer
Sunrise across the Marshwood Vale





Following on from the previous post, with the sun up, I focused across the Marshwood Vale, where the electricity pylons forge their way across the valley floor.

Named by some the 'Hand of Man', the pylons were initially hated when they were put in during the 60's as it was felt they ruined the landscape, but on a bright misty morning, they provide a great lead-in line across the beautiful, misty, valley.

The mists were not that thick on the ground, and the tree tops were poking out, providing a some great shapes and features.

Dorset Landscape Photography
Sunrise over the Dorset coast





It was a cold, misty morning on Friday, with the mists lying lightly in the valleys around Bridport, so I headed out to a hilltop overlooking the Marshwood Vale.

The vale was swathed in mist, with its pylons sticking out leading a path across the valley.

As the sun rose, it came up into a bank of cloud sitting on the horizon, forming a golden disc lighting up the coastline along Chesil Bank. The mists were hanging around the valleys down along the coast towards Weymouth & Portland.

The trees on top of Colmers Hill near Bridport and the valleys running down into Chideock make an interesting foreground.

Landscape Photography
Experiments in Black and White
St Clement Danes Church, London





I am working on a project at the moment covering black and white landscape photography, in particular, churches. Therefore I have been out & about looking for subject to fill this role.

Whilst investigating the subject, I came across a wonderful image from the great Ansel Adams of St Clement Danes Church from an interesting viewpoint, being attacked with a sickle. The location of St Clement Danes in relation to St Paul's got me thinking.

I had to gain authorisation from the buildings owners, but I wanted to get above the skyline, onto their roof, to get a perspective of St Clement Danes, across the London skyline, with St Paul's in the background. It took awhile but I managed to get the authorisation needed and visited London last week.

Unfortunate,y the weather was very grey, overcast and gloomy and I only had 15 minutes or so to grab the scope out the viewpoint and capture the shot.

I processed the image using Silver Efex Pro, which is fast becoming an industry standard for b/w images. I used the 'high structure' filter, along with some added grain and a vignette to take on the style of Ansel Adams.

And here is my take on his original picture:

Dorset Landscape Photographer
Dorset Groynes





A very Happy New Year to everyone out there and I hope 2012 bring you lots of inspiration for your pictures, painting or other forms of artwork.

One of the many features of the coastline along Dorset's amazing Jurassic Coast are the wonderful groynes. There are so many different shapes and sizes that we almost pass them by without a second thought.

As a Dorset based landscape & seascape photographer, I am always looking for something a little different to photograph. Dorset has many great artists and photographers and there is an amazing variety of subjects to cover here.

Whilst out just before Christmas taking a few shots at low tide, I came across this one, which has a natural curve to it. The weather conditions were murky rather than dramatic, so I got out the Lee Big Stopper, the ND110, and settled in for a few minutes.

I liked the composition here as the sweep in the groyne leads into the outer cardinal marker. The long exposure flattened the water, provided some movement in the clouds, but kept all of the tones quite muted and subdued.

Hope you like it.

Dorset Wildlife Photography
Blue Shark found on Hive Beach



On Boxing Day a Blue Shark was found washed up on the beach at Burton Bradstock. Unfortunately it was already dead and could not be saved.

I was lucky enough to be around when the shark was spotted, and grabbed my camera and ran to the beach. I was one of the first on the scene and managed to take a few shots. The staff of the Hive Beach Cafe were on the scene, who subsequently reported the shark to the National Trust and spoke to the local press.

The shark had been seen 3 days earlier, in West Bay, when a local woman, Jeanette Longley, walking on the beach, saw the shark and wrestled with it to try and get it back into the deeper water. It appeared at the time that it was trying to beach itself.

When I saw the shark on Boxing Day, no one knew of its earlier sighting and we were confused as to why it had died. The only clue was a sac that was hanging from its abdomen and it had possibly recently given birth which may have caused trauma to the animal.

I logged the pictures with the local press and a regional news agency and the story has now received coverage by the Daily Mail, Mirror, Daily Star and tonight was shown on ITV local news.

A link to the Daily Mail article can be found here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2082714/The-moment-fearless-gran-wrestles-shark-Dorset-beach.html

Dorset Landscape Photography
Winter Solstice over Hive Beach





Today was the Winter Solstice. The shortest day of the year. Sunrise this morning was dull and cloudy and at the end of the afternoon, there were still many clouds around and the sky still looked a little dull.

As I looked out at sunset to see what was happening, the sky was slowly clearing of its low lying cloud leaving the higher cloud exposed. The sun was setting behind some low level clouds on the horizon and I decided to wait and see what happened.

As the minutes went by the clouds behind me started to show some colour and as the time ticked on the colour rolled across the sky towards the horizon.

The colours were magnificent and the sky held its colour for over an hour, always changing with the clouds rolling across it. This was from about 20 minutes after sunset and is pretty much straight from the camera. The colours don't need any saturating or enhancement of any kind. It was a glorious sunset.

Happy Christmas to everyone out there. Thanks for your kind comments over recent months and I hope you take some great images over the holidays! See you in 2012.

Somerset Landscape Photography
The Somerset Levels





I have been wanting to get out to the levels on a misty morning for a long time. Every time I have tried to get there before, something has come up.

A few weeks ago I decided to book myself into a local hotel, so no excuses and prayed for a good cold night and a great layer of mist. My aim was to go Barrow Mump and photograph the levels from there.

I was therefore disappointed to get up yesterday morning, drive out to the Mump only to see no mist at all. It had been a cold night and I was surprised to see it so clear. I decided to climb up the hill anyway just to get a feel for the place and the views from the top.

Once up there, I spotted a wisp of mist, off in the distance, out towards Glastonbury so I got back in the car and headed over to the Tor, the mists growing as I headed East. Not knowing the area too well, by the time I got there, parked up and climbed the hill (and its a BIG hill), the sun was up and I was hoping I hadn't missed it.

The mists around the Tor were wonderful. Some of the best I have ever experienced and there were many others up there to take in the view and welcome in such a glorious day.

The mists were rolling across the valleys, constantly moving and changing the effect it had on the landscape. Trees would appear and disappear, buildings come and go and with the sun up, shadows, outlines, shapes and textures were all constantly changing.

It was a magical morning. One that makes you feel very fortunate to have seen it and hopefully to have captured it to share with the rest of you. I hope you the enjoy this series of shots, simply named 'Trees in Mist'.