Potty

 Having taken a break from shots around Venice recently I have now run out of the star light/star trail images. Even though I shot several hundred separate photos because of the stacking process I only ended up with 8 or 9 final images which I hope you have enjoyed.

For today I have chosen something completely different and you might think a little odd. I was walking around a public garden in Venice when I noticed this row of pots lined up on a wall tucked away next to a greenhouse. I knew straight away that it would create a nice, simple image.

It will probably come as no surprise that my favourite of the two is the black and white one. I do like the warmth of the colours in the second shot but I think there are better shadows in the first image.

Anyway my next blog will be something of a landmark so I am going to have to try and do something special, be sure to look out for it... 

Hilbre Island at Night

 After just over two hours taking star trail images I decided to finish off the evening (it was actually well after midnight) with a few single shot images. The first was a 30/1s exposure with ISO 800, the others are all 15/1s exposures with ISO 1000

I have then adjusted the settings in lightroom to create the final images. In each case I have had to meticulously remove some annoying noise artefacts caused due to the sensor heating up during long exposures but the effort was worth it. The tide had come in while I was shooting and so in these images the surface of the sea has a nice milky smooth appearance as it reflects the light from North Wales and the wind farm on the horizon and Hilbre Island which sits at the mouth of the River Dee. The light from the Hilbre Lighthouse can also be seen reflected.

As these are single shots there is less colour and definition in the stars, and star clusters than I would get if I I had used my star tracker and stacked multiple images but I was not set up for that. I really like the effect that the long exposure has produced. It has given me some ideas of what I can try next time I get out after dark.

Star Bright

 So after a disappointing night Tuesday I went out again on Wednesday, but to a different location where there was less light pollution in the immediate vicinity and as the sky remained clear I was able to stay out longer.

I managed to get two light trails and a few individual shots (which I will come back to tomorrow).

For the first image I tried to get more of the sky in the shot as there was little in the way of foreground interest. For some reason (carelessness on my part) this was shot at 19mm rather than 17mm which would have been optimal. It was a 58 minute exposure cut short because the camera battery died and due to the added complication of the incoming tide which forced me off the beach and up onto the rocks.

It was quite an eerie sensation listening to the sea bubbling its way across the sand towards me, in near complete darkness. It was only in the last 10 minutes that I could see the water approaching and it was a stark reminder of how fast the tide comes in around here and the dangers of being out on the sand. That being said I was in a nice little bay and the tide at its height only just reached the spot where my tripod had been set up. By the time I had finished my other shots the sea had receded sufficiently that I could walk back on the sand rather than have to clamber over the rocks in the dark with all my equipment.

In the first image I have cleaned it up slightly by removing the light trails of two passing jets which cut across the scene and were a real distraction in the image.

By contrast in the second image (a 61.5 minute exposure shot this time at 17mm) I have left the many aircraft trails in, partly to show how difficult it is to get a clean image but also because with so many crisscrossing trails it looks quite cool. I may try to clean it up at some point that will mean excluding some individual shots from the composite image and that could amount to 9 or 10 minutes worth and could result in gaps in the star trails; we shall see.

As you can see in this image the tide was in and the long exposure has left us with a milky smooth sea. The reflection on the sea is also a composite reflection of the light from Venus over the course of one hour. Venus is the bright white object/line central in the image finishing just above the horizon (it also features in the first image and it should be obvious which one it is).

All in all I had a great time and had I not risked hypothermia I would have stayed out another hour or two. I really hope you enjoy these images and I hope to be able to get out and try some more star trails in future. 

Starlight

 

Last night there was the promise of a clear sky, no clouds and no moon so I nipped down to the beach to capture a circumpolar star trail image over the wind farm at Burbo Bank. 

I was delayed starting because on my first attempt I realised I had the wrong footplate for the tripod so I had to go home and start again.

All set up I wanted to get some of the lights from the wind turbine and the bright white line along the bottom is ship traffic in and out of the port of Liverpool which looks quite good. Next time, since there is nothing else in the foreground I think I would focus a little higher to get more of the stars and less beach.

Unfortunately the session was cut short by the arrival of cloud from the east, at least one hour earlier than expected, and with all the light pollution from Liverpool and along the coast there was little point continuing.

I wasn't really expecting very much of the night so I am quite pleased with the above image which is a stack of 64 x 30 second exposures. I had to skip a couple of shots in the stack to remove the lights of a passing airplane which were very bright. Although I was hoping for much longer trails I think the overall effect is still pleasing.

The forecast says there should be clear skies tonight as well and so I will be out again, hopefully for a much longer shoot and from a slightly different vantage point  so look out for the next image in a day or two.

An Old Favourite

 Despite the miserable weather I headed out to Mere Sands Woods this morning for a couple of hours. I had a lovely time although it was pretty much useless for photography as the light was so poor and with the fast shutter speed needed to get sharp images of birds the ISO was also high so almost all of the shots are not useable due to the amount of noise. It didn't help that a large part of the reserve was closed off so some of the better hides were off limits.

Nevertheless I did manage to spot a fair selection of birds; a nesting pair of Canada Geese, Grey Lag Geese, Mallards, Tufted ducks, Moorhens, Coots, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Reed Buntings, Chiffchaff, Cormorants, Shovelers, Shelduck, a female mallard with a clutch of 5 beautiful ducklings, all manner of extremely noisy gulls, a song thrush, crows, jackdaws and a Jay which was being mobbed by blackbirds.

Despite this variety as I say most of the photos are not that great, in fact I didn't really bother to take that many shots. 

I could not resist however when it came to this robin which was pretty inquisitive and although the light was poor he came close enough for me to get a few fairly decent pics. So although they are a familiar sight I think that they will always raise a smile and so they are worthy of a share here. Enjoy...

Faro (that's lighthouse)

Here is another one of my experimental long exposure shots. The lighthouse is at the entrance to the marina by the Abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore. I was using a long  exposure and variable ND filter so I could smooth out the surface of the water, there was a fair breeze so the lagoon was a little choppy. As I clicked the shutter a small boat passed in front of the camera, initially I was annoyed but when I saw the resulting image I was actually quite pleased because the blur of movement and the swirling water have added a really nice effect.
 

On The Run

 

Living where I do it is fairly common to see people of all ages out running; morning and evening. There are lots of good places to go for a run, if that's what you are into. When in Venice I did wonder where people would go to stay fit. There was a small gym next to my hotel that had the usual equipment but with the canals and narrow streets it seemed unlikely that anyone would be out pounding the pavements throughout much of the city.

One afternoon however I spotted several people running along the Viale Vittorio Veneto, a path that has the lagoon on one side and three public parks. As I was seated looking out to sea I saw that the runners were doing circuits of the parks and covering quite some distance. I took a few photos of some of them but really the only decent shots were the first two above because he was running anti-clockwise and so I could photograph him running towards me with the landmarks of St Marks and San Zaccaria in the background. Often when I am doing this type of photography I try to be a little discreet however with this guy I was quite brazen, after all I could not hide what I was doing; I had a big white zoom lens pointing at him after all. On one of his passes he acknowledged me with a nod so I felt OK that I had not intruded too much.

For the third image I was taken by surprise, I was actually trying to photograph a man and his dog who was walking away from me along this incredibly narrow street, I had looked down to adjust the settings on my camera and as I looked up I saw this young woman hurtling towards me, and breathing hard as if she was being pursued by the hounds of hell. She had a really strained expression and she was sweating profusely. Unlike the runner in the previous shots she did not seem comfortable and she did not seem to be getting any pleasure from her exercise. I could see from further along the street that she was not being chased by anyone or anything and from her attire it was clear that she was purposefully exercising. As I often do when I see the pained expressions of folk out running I wondered why do people put themselves through this???

On a different note the final picture below is included as an amusing postscript. Here I was, walking through Venice when a man walks past wearing a jacket with PARIS printed across his back. It struck me as amusing and ironic so thought I would tag it on.

On Safari

 I recently shared a few similar images to the ones above but that was before I had a chance to edit them. I have only made very slight edits, mainly in terms of cropping the images where it was necessary and to make adjustments to the exposure.

I had watched a cormorant fishing and various other birds flying past but the black headed gull had clearly staked its claim over its territory in front of where I was sitting overlooking the lagoon. As another gull approached it would literally get into a flap and would noisily chase off any would be intruder. It was fun to watch and I thought the behaviour was quite strange too because at no point during the time I was watching did this bird catch anything to eat or pick at any scraps.

The lizard was one of several that I spotted in the hedge bordering the biennale gardens. This one had clearly found the perfect spot to soak up the afternoon sun. I was intrigued to note the texture and scaling on the tail was different to that on its body. I wondered whether this was due to it having grown back after shedding its tail in some previous conflict. Several of the other lizards I saw had similarly distinctive tails, so perhaps life for a lizard in Venice is full of hazard.

The egret was a real gem for me. I had been watching it sat on the railing of a pontoon about 20 metres away. I had imagined that if I tried to approach it to get a photo it would fly away and I did not want to disturb it. However, after some time I decided I would creep closer and see how it reacted, if appeared distressed I would leave it alone but if it remained calm I would take a few shots and then walk away. I could not believe my luck when it stayed settled, even when I was within about 4 metres from it. I am sure I could have got even closer had I wanted but it seemed neither fair nor necessary as I still managed to get some great shots.

Together

 It was a sunny afternoon and like many other people around the city I spent a few hours soaking up the sun and enjoying the views. I also captured a few shots of people taking it easy. 

I like the shots of people deep in conversation, in pictures 3 & 4 for example the speakers were becoming quite animated and their expressions make me wonder what had got them so worked up.

My favourite picture today however is the first one with the older couple carrying their shopping bag between them with a small dog stopped in their path; guarding the way ahead, or maybe hoping for a bit of a fuss? Turns out he was a bit of a scaredy cat and ran to hide under the nearest bench where its humans were sat in conversation.

Stark Contrast: Palace and Prison

 One of the genuine benefits of visiting a city like Venice in early spring is the relative absence of other tourists. It is a beautiful city with a fantastic heritage and it is no wonder that millions of people flock to see it. It is also no wonder that the locals, despite a dependency on the revenue from tourism find the hordes of people that swarm over the city during the summer months quite hard to bear.

By going in March it was possible to avoid the crowds and the queues and visiting the Doges Palace was so much more enjoyable as I was able to walk in without having to queue at all. I could also get lots of photos without having to wait ages for people to move out of the shot.

The interior of the palace was as grand as you would expect, it being the hub of the wealthiest and most powerful business and political centre in renaissance times. Rich wood panelling on the walls, marble floors, elaborate frescos, ornate staircases, archways and windows, and sculptures depicting opulence and plenty everywhere you look.

The palace was not so much a residence but a council chamber where the affairs of state were administered and justice meted out to those who would destabilise the empire. Locals were encouraged to denounce anyone who might pose a threat to stability (see the "letter box" in my last post).

After a court hearing in extravagant surroundings convicted prisoners were then taken across the Bridge of Sighs to the prison on the opposite side of the small canal. Conditions within the prison were dire and convicts would likely never see the light of day again.

The selection of images above highlight the stark contrast between palace and prison.

Something Interesting Around Every Corner

There literally is something of interest around every corner in Venice. Whether that is the silver bust of a horned being in a window next to a bridge, 

a staircase in a hidden courtyard, 

a slot where you can anonymously denounce your neighbour or colleague, 

a well in a secluded street, 

or the apparent absence of  building codes in renaissance Italy. 

 

Passing Time

 So here is a small selection of shots of people round and about the streets of the city or passing the time of day in cafés.

As always when people watching I try to imagine what each persons story is; is the girl in the first image waiting for someone or just enjoy a moment of calm on her own?

The couples who are in bars, what has brought them together? what are they talking about?

For the men who are on their phones, I wonder whether they are responding to important messages that have interrupted their day in the city or are they casually passing the time while a companion is in a shop nearby?

There are so many possibilities and it is so much fun creating narratives for complete strangers. Sometimes I keep them to myself or other times I will share them with whoever I am traveling with and maybe collaborate on expanding the story into a wild and ridiculous fantasy.  If you have never done this then take it from me it is a fun way to pass some time.

The last image in today's post was a reward for patience. I had been seated near the group of people (possibly students on a break from their studies) on the bench, I took a couple of photos but thought they were fairly uninteresting and I was just walking away when the young woman leant forward to connect with the young man closest to her. It was a tender moment and I was really pleased to be able to capture it.