Dead Calm

 

                                                                                                                                                   

So yesterday I said I would be posting the last of my shots from my walk on the beach and that I would post multiple images, and that is what I have done...

I was a little surprised to see so many boats on the water at the marine lake because it was almost completely dead calm, with barely a breath of wind at all. Progress on the water was incredibly slow and by the time the first group of boats was coming back the crews were having to stand up in their boats and flap the sails back and forth in order to create enough momentum to get back to the jetty. I was really surprised then when a second group of boats went out as in the last image and they were standing up, flapping for all they were worth to get out onto the lake.

All the same I thought the colourful sails reflected in the still water of the lake made for some great images, I particularly like the first image with the three boats line astern with the sails tilted at different angles.

I really wanted to add a link to some music to go with todays post and I was trying to find something that fit with the sailing motif, however I didn't actually think what I observed and photographed could fairly be described as sailing (and I thought Sailing by Rod Stewart would be a bit cheesy) so I have gone a little outside the box on this one. The song is  "Nothing Is Easy" (click the link) by Jethro Tull, it is track 1 side 2 from the classic album Stand UP (1969). I think it is definitely worth a listen and I think both the album title and song title fit well with the images. Enjoy!

Light The Way

 

In the first of today's images you can see the lighthouse which stands at the end of Stanley Road in Hoylake, it overlooks Liverpool Bay, the Dee Estuary and the Royal Liverpool Golf Course. It is not an active lighthouse but is a replica of one of the four lighthouses that were built along the Wirral coastline to guide shipping into Liverpool (two were in Hoylake and two in Leasowe) none of which are  now active.

There is a small slipway onto the beach near Red Rocks which on a summer day (or any day for that matter) is a nice spot for a walk or to relax and enjoy the scenery. It is also a good spot on a clear night to observe, or even photograph the night sky, looking west out into the Irish Sea or south along the Dee estuary (although that direction does suffer with light pollution from the towns along the river's edge) there are so many stars to be seen..

The second image shows Hilbre Island, there is a small,  functioning lighthouse on the island but it is a simple white tower with a red LED beacon that can be seen up to 5 miles away.

The island has an interesting history and as a nature reserve it is designated a  Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Cut off by the high tide it is possible to walk across to the island when the tide goes out, to explore rock pools, observe the flocks of wading birds and watch the grey seals that live on a nearby sand bank and swim around the island. 

The island has been occupied on and off since the stone age, it has been a site of pilgrimage with a monastic cell established there between 1080 and 1550. The monks were responsible for maintaining a beacon for shipping and on the island in the late 1600's rock salt was produced on the island.

The two images were taken on the same day. The shot of Hilbre island was taken first and then a short while later as the weather conditions improved the second shot of the lighthouse and the reflections on the beach things appear so much brighter because of the low winter sun.

Starry Starry Night

 

So I have interrupted my intended series of "A Few Days in December" by posting these night sky images that I shot last night and really didn't want to put them off to a later date.

As you can see from the first image (taken using the night sight mode on my Pixel 6Pro) I had set my camera up on the beach using my Sky Watcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro star tracking mount. It really is a cool piece of kit that I am just getting to know.

There have been a couple of nights recently when we were promised clear skies and I have been desperate to get out to shoot the night sky. Last week there was very little moon but sadly too much cloud spoiled things and I couldn't get any good images, I just got very cold for nothing. Although every minute getting to know your kit is time well spent (that's me putting a positive spin on a failed trip).

Last night however the sky was clearer but the moon was more than half full and very bright so as well as the light pollution from Liverpool and Deeside I was up against excess light. Never mind, I am not making excuses and I didn't let that or the biting cold stop me.

In the first image you can see my camera mounted on the tripod and tracking mount pointed north west over Liverpool Bay, the lights along the bottom are from the Burbo Bank wind farm and in the distance you can just make out the shadow of the Pennines in Lancashire. More importantly you can make out a few bright stars, the bright one most central in the image is called "Vega" and top left there are a few from the constellation Cygnus, the bright star at the top is called "Deneb".

The second image is the shot that I captured it is an image comprised of 5 stacked photos using some software called Sequator which is fantastic and so easy to use. Each individual photo was a 2 minute exposure so using this process lots more light is picked up by the camera sensor and more distant objects that the naked eye cannot see become visible. Hence in this patch of sky which has the constellation of Cygnus we can see thousands of stars which are just not there in the first image, if you zoom in you will see what I mean. For reference the brightest star lower right in the second image is Vega. What you also can see in the second image is the range of colours of the different stars and galaxies which are not just white but reds, greens and purple. It really is a beautiful universe.

The third image is also comprised of five stacked images. It is facing south and although the stars are not quite as crisp in this image I really like the picture because the foreground adds context to the overall image. Also I think the stars are probably more recognisable to most people this being "Sirius" (the brightest star lower down in the centre) and the constellation of Orion with the three stars in a line forming Orion's belt and above that are Betelgeuse and Bellatrix. If you look closely you will see more than just three stars along the belt and the three stars below it are actually part of distant galaxies. As this was shot using a wide angle lens I couldn't get more detail of the distant objects but in the future that will be something I will want to explore more. For now I need to hone my skills and practice with the equipment and hope for clear skies.

Defences

 I managed to get out again today for a few hours and I got a couple of shots of some birds I have never photographed before which was quite exciting for me. However I have yet to sort through my pictures before I can share anything with you but be prepared they are going to be special.

So for today I am sharing two more images from my "trip" last week and here they are.

I think they are quite dramatic images of the sea defences at New Brighton, what do you think?

Lighthouse Exposed

 

I have had a much needed and even if I say it myself, a well earned day off work and I decided to get out for a couple of hours with my camera. I stayed fairly local just driving the few miles to New Brighton and even that seemed like quite an adventure in these peculiar times. The last time I actually left the house with my camera (in daylight at least) was 3rd January which was before the current lockdown restrictions were put in place and I have not been able to justify taking photographs as "essential" so my gear has been left idle for too long.

I actually wondered why I had bothered restricting myself because today there were a few other photographers out as well as a large number of people fishing from the shore and a model boat club having some kind of mini regatta. I guess if those activities can pass as essential or come under the umbrella of "exercise" then I felt pretty safe in my decision to go out today. 

Anyway I got a mixture of shots including landscape, seascape and wildlife and today I am sharing a few images of the lighthouse at Perch Rock.

Although it was dry and mild there was very little colour in the sky and so I decided to shoot mostly in black and white because I felt this would create more dramatic images, I have included one colour image for some balance.

I used a variable ND filter to use long exposures and flatten out the sea somewhat as the tide was coming in. I have used exposures of 2.5 seconds up to 6 seconds which as well as smoothing out the water has also added a little movement to the clouds. 

I am going to say that the first image and the third image are my favourites. I hope you like them too.

I will be sharing some more pictures over the next few days and now that I have been out once I am sure I will head out more often in the coming weeks and hopefully start to get some more nice images.

Waders On The Shore

 

One of the things I like about living where I do is the fact that I am so close to the sea and the abundance of wildlife that comes with that.

A walk along the shore line reveals a myriad of shells; cockles, mussels, razor clams, whelks, winkles and more. There are egg casings known as "mermaids purse" from skates, rays and dog fish, other egg cases and sometimes starfish or jelly fish left behind by the receding tide. Further out in the rock pools around Hilbre Island there is all manner of life including small fish, crabs, anemones, shrimp etc and beyond that on the sand bank out in the estuary there is a large colony of Grey Seals. All this diversity of wildlife is amazing but much of it goes unnoticed unless you are looking for it.

What cannot be so easily overlooked however is the vast array of waders and shore birds that live here or visit as migratory species. The rich food stocks draw in thousands of birds and as the tides come and go the shoreline is visited by Sandpipers, Oystercatchers, Dunlin, Knot, Plovers, Wagtails and Buntings and many more. Along the creeks you will often see Egrets and Herons too.

Even though I live so close I don't get to spend as much time enjoying and exploring as I would like and if nothing else in the year ahead I think I will try to make more time to explore what is almost literally on my doorstep. 

I look at posts on social media from friends in different parts of the world and often think that I would be spoilt for opportunities to see wonderful things if I lived in any of those places but I have so much close to home I need to make more time to see that. It doesn't stop me wanting to travel and explore further afield of course but I will try to look more closely at what is nearby.

So for today's offering I have chosen a few shots taken on a resent walk on the beach. I followed the tide out about half a mile to a spot where I could see a large flock of birds gathering. They appeared to be arriving in waves and then settling where they found a raised bank of sand. As I got closer the sound was incredible as thousands of birds were chattering to each other. Some were feeding, like the Sanderling in the first shot which was moving so fast through the shallow water, but others were settled with their heads tucked under their wings perhaps sleeping or just sheltering from the icy wind coming off the Irish Sea. In the second image you can see Sanderlings in the foreground while the out of focus background is comprised of a large flock of Common Sandpipers.

It is hard to describe how vast the flock was but every now and then a large group would lift off and then find a different spot to settle, as they took to the air there was a fantastic sound of thousands of wings beating in unison. It was quite an experience to be faced with a wall of wings and feathers. 

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.

Pontoon

Here are a few more shots of the marine lake after dark, these were long exposures to smooth out the ripples in the surface of the lake. It also brought out the detail in the sky and reflections that otherwise would have been missed.

Across The Lake

 As I write this I am supposed to be in the New Forest, one of my absolute favourite places, for a well earned week away enjoying lots of walks and lots of photo opportunities. However, thanks to the Liverpool region going into Tier 3 lockdown I had to shelve my plans and find some other way to amuse myself.

Yesterday evening I went for a short walk along the waterfront at West Kirby and since there wasn't even the slightest breeze the surface of the marine lake was mirror calm. I didn't have my camera with me at the time so I determined that if the weather held I would pop back this evening to try some long exposure shots. Although there was a slight breeze creating the slightest movement in the water it was still nice and calm so I managed to get some pretty good images.

Here are a couple of shots looking across the lake to Hilbre Island.

In the first image I have used the small buoy to create a little foreground interest and I have adjusted the contrast to bring out the detail in the sky.

The next two images are the same shot but with different treatment. I do think it works well as a black and white image but I think I prefer the pastel tones in the colour image.

Coastal Defence

 Here is a shot from a little closer to home.

These are some of the sea defences along the shore near New Brighton. I think they make a really interesting subject and I have an idea for a different shot which, if the weather is kind tomorrow I might go and capture as the tide goes out. Who knows I might be lucky.

I am so lucky to be living so close to the sea, I love the sights, sounds and smells of the sea.

Symmetry

 

I think I may have posted a picture similar to this a while ago but while I was taking pictures for a quiz recently I visited this spot and thought this was an amazing shot.

It was a fairly overcast day and there is not much colour in the structure itself so I shot in black & white and I think the grey tones and the symmetry make for a very strong image.

Triple Knot

Here is one of the first wildlife shots with my new lens showing three knot. Looking at these birds you wouldn't think they are one of our most colourful waders but that's because they are still in their winter plumage which is fairly drab. Even so they are lovely birds and we are lucky here to have large flocks that perform wonderful synchronised flying displays as they swoop and turn over the sand as the tides ebb and flow.

A Moody Landscape

Today's blog finds me a little closer to home than my recent posts. After a grey and miserable start to the day the skies cleared and we were treated to a brilliant blue cloudless sky and so after lunch I headed down to the beach at Caldy looking across the Dee Estuary towards Flintshire (North Wales). 

Normally from here you can see North Wales just a few miles across the bay and often you can see the mountains of Snowdonia but today the light meant things were a bit different. You may just about make out the Flintshire hills on the horizon but only just and even then only as a faint smudge or shadow.

Because I was shooting into the strong sunshine I have used a Cokin P series graduated ND filter to ensure these shots are not washed out and as such I have not had to do any real changes in Lightroom. There is a slight vignetting on the third shot but all in all I think it adds to the image.

I had experimented with shooting these scenes in black and white and I think they looked really good but as much as I like black and white photography I think the colours in these shots are spot on as they emphasise the moodiness and sense of isolation in each view.

At Rest

Canon 24mm - 105mm 1:4 L

ISO100   75mm  f/22   1/125 sec

ISO 100  65mm  f/22   1/15 sec

Two more sunset on the beach images for today's post.  This is a different boat for tonight and I really like the colours in these pictures and the angle at which the boat is leaning against its mooring rope. As with yesterday the reflections are really cool and the colours are rich and warm.

Cool Evening Reflections

Canon 24mm - 105mm 1:4 L

ISO 100  47mm f/22  1/100 sec

ISO 100   47mm   f/22  1/50 sec

I have said many times how glad I am to live by the sea. One of the real bonuses is the fact that we get lots of wonderful sunsets and on a nice calm evening when the tide is out there are some great photo opportunities.

Recently I had gone for a walk along the seafront to Dovepoint and I spotted a number of photographers out on the beach and in the creeks photographing some of the boats that were at rest on the mud. I wasn't dressed to join them so I went back the following evening and spent a really rewarding hour up to my shins in stinky mud with my camera set up on a tripod to capture what I hoped would be decent images.

Here are the first two that I wanted to share and I have to say I am pretty happy with them. I love the light, I love the reflections and I love the overall composition. Let me know what you think in the comments or just like and share , I like to get feedback...

Seaweed and Sand

As well as spending some time watching and photographing the kite surfers on Saturday I also took a number of nice shots on the beach.

Today's post then is a selection of random images from the day, a couple of landscape images of the lifeguard station with dramatic skies and a distant view of North Wales.

The second image is all about colour and texture and I really like it.

The third picture is a bit of fun and represents a day at the beach really well.  This little dog was having such fun running around with his ball.  However when he realised that I was taking pictures of him he dropped the ball and ran over to bark at me, ignoring the pleas of his owner until I spoke to him saying he should fetch the ball, then he ran off. I am not that keen on dogs but this little fella made me smile.