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. 

Star Light

 This is another first for me, but something I will definitely try again, especially now the nights are darker for longer. I just have to hope for more clear skies.

This is a circular star trail (the second image is cropped to remove some of the distracting foreground) taken in the Forest of Bowland last night.

It is a stacked image using 135 individual  30 second exposures so in all this is a 70 minute exposure  which I shot over a 2 hour 20 minute time period.

Next time I will use a shorter period between shots and use a higher number of images to hopefully create even smoother more complete trails.

In the cropped image I have adjusted the colour density a little to bring out some of the colours that we would normally not see.

Illuminations

 One of my aims when I was in Alsace recently was to capture some images of the pretty villages after dark. The historic half timbered houses with their varied colours are very photogenic. I have selected just a few images to share with you which I hope you will enjoy.

These are of the pretty town of Kaysersberg which is where I was staying.

World Heritage Night

Liverpool's waterfront is a world heritage site a status that is well deserved. Central to that are the Three Graces which are (from left to right) The Liver Building, The Cunard Building and The Port of Liverpool Building. I think they are really spectacular and look marvellous lit up at night. Liverpool is now a regular destination for major cruise lines and this would be the site that first greets visitors as they disembark for a tour of the city.

There is a debate about whether the heritage site status is a benefit to the city or not. On the one hand it is a recognition for the wonderful architecture and it helps to boost much needed tourism to the city. On the other hand it is argued that it creates a bar to innovation and development. I am sceptical about the second argument because if you draw back from the three graces you will see the development of hotels on one side and the new Liverpool Museum and Open Eye Gallery at Mann Island on the other all of which are great examples of stand out modern architecture. It may be that there is little room for further development along the waterfront but I think the new and the old combine really well.

Historic Docks

 

I know that by experimenting I will improve my photography so recently I have been practicing with long exposures and night time photography and I am enjoying the results, hopefully you are too. 

As well as extending the exposure times I have also tried using different settings for the white balance and if you compare the first image with one of the similar shots I posted yesterday you will be able to see the difference quite clearly.

In the second of today's pictures I am looking into the heart of the dock. At one time this would have been full of ships unloading and loading their cargoes and there would have been a real energy to the place. Now there is a maritime museum, the Tate Gallery, boutiques and bistros and the warehouses are now loft apartments and the only boats to moor here are pleasure craft.

If you look carefully in the second image you will see a couple of light traces on the water. These were caused by a group of kayakers who were exploring the docks after dark. I can imagine it is quite an experience to do that and although I was surprised to see them I wouldn't mind having a go at that myself.

Waterfront at Night

Having done some early evening long exposures at West Kirby marine lake the other day I thought it would be good to try some night time shots down at Liverpool's Albert Docks and the waterfront.

The third image is a 30 second exposure looking towards the Museum of Liverpool (the white building on the left) and Mann Island. The Liver Building is just visible in the centre.

West Kirby At Night

Just one picture for today's post and it is the last one from my Sunday evening visit to West Kirby marine lake. This was a 6 second exposure and I wanted to cut down the ripples and also highlight the illuminated edge of the pontoon. I like the reflection of the waterfront apartments too.

The lights on the horizon to the left are from shipping anchored out in Liverpool Bay waiting for the tide to turn before heading in to port to unload their cargoes from the far corners of the world.

London Nights

So as I said yesterday I am in London for the week and as this is a work trip I decided to leave my camera at home since there will be limited opportunity to do any serious photography. That being said I can't pass up the chance to get a few shots even if they're not the best on my somewhat limited phone's camera.

The second image is of the building where I am working this week, can you work out where it is?

The second is a panoramic shot taken from the Victoria Embankment. I like the colours of the winter evening sky and the lights reflected in the Thames.

By the time I leave work it is already dark so it is likely that the majority of pictures I will share this week will be night time images unless I get out a bit early and snap a few on my walk to... work (Leave a comment if you think you know where it is, and don't say London)