Welcome To Aerial Photography!

Hello again,

It's not often I get to introduce a totally different perspective to my photography, until now. This comes in the shape of my new toy - a DJI Phantom 3 Advanced Quadcopter, with an on board camera, which is capable of capturing 12 megapixel stills and amazing HD video footage. I looked at these toys last year, after seeing some amazing aerial photographs, but after quite a lot of research I canned the idea in favour of a new camera purchase. Fast forward another year and I found myself looking at drones once again, this time with more than a vested interest. It was time to take the plunge. I had to get my hands on one of these, not so much for the photography side of it, for video, surprisingly enough. Idea's were coming thick and fast, even before I parted with my money, so it was nice when I arrived home with a P3A and an excitement at what was around the corner, so to speak.

My first test flight was near Penshaw Monument, Sunderland. It was nerve racking, I have to confess. I'd read stories of fly aways and malfunctions, etc, so that thought was always going to creep in now and again, but all went well during my maiden 20 minute flight. I played safe and kept the aircraft within sight at all times, monitoring its position on my mobile phone, which was attached to the remote controller. Live video streaming is a brilliant thing and the DJI GO app was very simple and straightforward to use. I was well impressed with the stability of the aircraft, even at high altitude with a stiff breeze. Everything was in place and the tools were there at my disposal - all that remained was the job of pulling in some nice video and photographs. I got to grips with the intelligent flight mode, which allowed me to program the aircraft to fly in around an object in a perfect circle - auto pilot at its best. The first flight flew over (pun intentional) and it wasn't long before I brought the drone back to its home position, allowing it to hover at around 5 feet from the ground, before catching it with one hand and shutting down the props. Job done. Phew, it was back in one piece!

Here is a few shots of my maiden flight - the first of many ...

Cheers, Ash

Let There Be Light!

After a long absence, the lighting system at Penshaw Monument has returned in all it's glory...and more! For many years the Monument was lit up from dusk till dawn and it could be seen from many miles around, as it dominated the skyline and rightly placed itself highly in the ranks of North-East iconic Landmarks. To be fair, Penshaw Monument was always 'Up there' with the best of the rest in our region, but it was the idea of lighting it up that really propelled the icon to another level, showing it in it's best form - even better close up. Industrial strength halogen lights were initially installed and Sunderland Council met the cost, with the help of local tax payers of course (wink). Illuminating Penshaw Monument, a folly built in 1844 on Penshaw Hill between the districts of Washington and Houghton-le-Spring, was exactly what is deserved. Climbing the hill covers a distance in height of 446 feet, and although I've climbed those steps hundreds of times before, I'll probably do it all over again, although each climb seems to get that little bit tougher as the years pass. Although many a nice shot can be had from the foot of the hill, you simply can't visit without taking in the views from the top and inside the columns of the Monument. Although quite windy at times, it's well worth braving the elements to grab the visitor experience in full, so avoiding the climb isn't an option for me. Up I go.

Two years ago the original lighting was replaced with a hi-tech LED lighting system. The Philips Colour Reach lights cost in the region of £46,000 and once again Sunderland Council were dipping into their fully laden pockets to fund the project. No sooner were the lights in place and ready for the big switch on, when they mysteriously vanished. Aye, nimble fingered thieves decided to remove the lights and that was that. Standstill, for many months. A real pity and one that wasn't gonna deter Sunderland Council for too long, although admittedly it seemed to take an age before their contingency plan was up and running. And the plan was...well, a new set of lights of course. Security of the metal housing was beefed up somewhat to avoid a repeat performance, resulting in even more money down the drain, so here we were...ready to go once again. About time too.

The new lights will reduce energy costs by up to 80 per cent and save around £8,000 a year in running costs and will provide a softer white effect allowing the true colour of the monument to be seen. Altogether, 18 floodlights mounted within enclosures at the base of each pillar were installed. The floodlights can also be programmed to display colour changing light effects meaning special anniversaries or events such as football celebrations could be highlighted in colour on the monument.

At the tail end of August 2015, I grabbed my first shots of Penshaw Monument and it's new lighting system. The transformation was a real eye-opener, especially when the landmark had been in complete darkness at night for many months. We had our icon back to its former glories and hopefully this time round it would remain that way. The original switch saw the Monument in it's previous colour, a warm yellow, which was looked prefect on the stonework, but was it wasn't long before the lights would be displayed in a totally different way. Colour cycles were performed at timed intervals, in multi-coloured displays. Sunderland Gay Pride weekend coincided with a rainbow effect display, which is shown here and by far being the most spectacular show to date.

The terrorist attacks in Paris during November 2015 marked a full week of respect by Sunderland Council as the Monument was lit in the colours of the Tricolor (French National Flag) to honour the many innocent lives that were lost. This attracted thousands of visitors to Penshaw Monument as another mark of respect during the week the blue, white and red colours were on display. Again, I made another short visit to the site to pay respect and join in with many others who took photographs.
So, in a nutshell, here is a small selection of shots that I captured during the four months I have briefly covered in this blog entry. More can be seen on my website at ashleycorr.com, so feel free to pop over to take a look. And there's more blog entries to come, as I catch up with a backlog of photographs from the last few months. Stay tuned...

AC

The Fog

Welcome back to my blog page, where more recent photo's lay in wait, along with a short write-up of how the photo's were made. Todays entry concentrates on a foggy morning two weeks ago and the amazing view from the top of Penshaw Hill, Sunderland. I was in two minds whether to make the short climb to the top, but after deliberating for a minute or two I decided I had nothing to lose by taking a look up top, just in case there was a chance of pulling in some good shots. A wise decision in the end and one that paid off well, not only as I managed to bag the shots, but also the views on offer were like nothing I'd ever seen before. A thick blanket of fog covered the landscape, with only a few outcrops of land exposed above it, plus the tops of pylons and wind turbines.

After a while the fog began to lift, then it dropped, changing within a matter of minutes. I had hoped to grab a shot of Penshaw Monument with the foggy landscape as a backdrop, but this proved quite difficult. The further I backed off to include the Monument in shot, I compromised the landscape below by losing it almost completely in the frame. I managed to pull in what I could under the circumstances, although I never quite captured that magical shot. Never mind - you can only do your best I suppose. The panoramic views across the landscape was immense. Here are a few shots from the foggy session on Penshaw Hill, including one of Mute Swans in flight. The big birds were constantly circling, seemingly confused and struggling to identify water to land on. Not a surprise as the fog made visibility very poor and all forms of water were temporarily out of bounds.

Back soon with some more star trails, Ash

View From A Hill

My first ever visit to the top of Penshaw Monument was well overdue. The last two Summers have presented an opportunity to climb the column steps of the Monument, but I never took advantage, for reasons unknown. Better late than never, so they say, as I paid the £5 National Trust fee to go to the top, for all of 15 minutes. As expected, the steps were very narrow and dimly lit, even with my supplied head torch. The climb was slow and seemed to last an age. Once at the top I was snapping away whilst the 15 minute timer ticked down to zero. Visibility was excellent and so was the weather. Plenty of blue sky and broken cloud - ideal. Only one side of the Monument had public access, facing South to West and in between. Great 180 degree panoramic views. With 15 minutes flying by in a whizz, I was soon making the descent to the column door, with camera tucked away inside my top to avoid a scratching on the stair walls. I took a few more shots next to the Monument before making my way down the hill.

As I was about to get back into the car I noticed some nice cloud formation away to my left, so I set off on foot, along the road towards the fields, in the hope of catching the clouds before they passed by the Monument. By the time I got to where I wanted to be I was out of breath. Shirt stuck to my back off the mid-afternoon sun. Here are a couple of the shot I took, before converting them to Black & White. I was quite pleased with the results. Back soon...

Ash

Black & White Icons

Hello again!
Continuing the Black & White theme...

I have a rather nice set of framed prints on offer at £45 each. One or two examples can be found on display at Clay's Garden Centre, Washington and also Penshaw Tea Rooms. Mounted in white and framed in black, each measures 20x16 inches and is part of an ever increasing set of 'North East Icons'. There are four available at present, with more additions planned for the very near future. I recently sold two to a customer in Lechlade, Gloucester, so it's nice to know my work is continues to be scattered around the UK and further afield. Here are the icons that are currently available. I will post photo's of the actual framed images during the next few days. Cheers!

Ash

1. Winter, Penshaw Mounument
2. Groyne Lighthouse, South Shields
3. Millennium Bridge, Gateshead Quays
4. River Tyne, Newcastle
5. Guardian Angel

Tyne-Tees Television (Parts 55-59)

Hello again.

It's time for another video upload of my photographs that have been shown on TV recently. Another five to add to the collection, which now stands at 59. They are as follows -

55. First Light, Littlehaven, South Shields
56. Midnight, Penshaw Monument
57. Littlehaven Sunrise, South Shields
58. Littlehaven Sunrise, South Shields (slideshow)
59. Millennium Bridge, Newcastle Quayside

So, here they are...
AC

Penshaw Monument At Night

I never tire of photographing Penshaw Monument. Whether it's Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter, during Rain, Wind, Snow or Shine, there's every chance I'll be there, looking through the viewfinder. And from dusk til dawn, it's more of the same, as I capture this landmark in a variety of conditions which are rarely the same. Of course, there are many angles to photograph from and it's always a good idea to cover each one at some point, which is something I've never done, strangely enough. The 'Back' of Penshaw Monument, which I will refer to as 'The opposite side of the steps', is an angle I rarely shoot from, although I still have a nice shot from the mid-eighties which was taken from a spot on the A123, near North Hylton, with Cox Green Golf Course in the foreground and a 'Patchwork quilt' of surrounding fields. But above all, the classic view from the bottom of the steps is still my favourite. Photographed to death, I'm sure, but at night this view is even better as the place comes alive with the illuminations. This batch of Penshaw Monument low-light shots is by far the best I've managed to date and I'm chuffed to bits with them. After an early evening visit to the Angel (see previous blog entry) with Billy, he went back home so I headed up Penshaw Hill on my own in search of some nice shots. I was up there in pitch darkness and there was no-one else around. Some of the halogen lights were out and columns were in shade, which wasn't good for making pictures, so done a 180 degree spin and photographed the light trails along the dual carriageway. The street lamp effect was very eye-catching, to say the least. Check it out below (last shot).

I headed round the front, near the steps, and took my first shot of the Monument, before rattling off a few more frames and taking the return journey down the steps. Standing on the roadside next to my car, I turned to look at the Monument and decided to grab a few more shots before buggering off home. It was from here that I pulled in some lovely shots, and with an eye for the killer shot I invited a simple tree to the show, and what a good idea it proved to be (first shot). With the tree almost still, I knew a long exposure was possible, as movement would kill the shot stone dead if the tree moved, causing unwanted blur in the exposure. Some young couple pulled up in a car, asking me if it was OK to park. I replied 'Aye Mate' and he duly dropped anchor. They seemed to sit for a while as I rattled off a few more frames. They were probably waiting for me to shift so they could indulge in some nocturnal frolics. I know that for sure, as I had done the very same thing on that stretch, quite a few moons ago. I left them to it. I got what I came for, so who was I to deny the young lad his slice of the cake! Well I
was gunning for the Kebab shop wasn't I, only cos' the Indian's was closed, he he. And I returned home with exactly that, along with the pre-requisite garlic and chilli sauce.

And so another blog entry comes to light, along with a brief insight to my younger day and the Lovers Lane, he he. Eeeeee, them were the days...

Ash

Tyne-Tees Television (Parts 50-54)

Welcome back to my BlogSpot!
I recently hit a milestone of 50 weather photographs of mine that have been shown on Tyne-Tees Television. I often go a while without sending any in, but I put that right recently by making more of an effort by emailing them one photo per week. I was fortunate that they showed every one, so here is my latest offerings below, on the embedded video player. The photographs are as follows...

1. Roker Pier (Lunchtime slot)
2. Seaham Pier (Evening slot, both same day)
3. Gibson's Cave, Teesdale
4. Penshaw Monument At Night

That's 54 to date, with more photo's ready to go. They must be getting rather sick of me, by now, he he. Check out my latest gallery update on ashleycorr.com. 8 new shots of Penshaw Monument at night - new blog entry coming soon!

Cheers, Ash

 

Tyne-Tees Television (Part 49)

As quick as the last batch of video clips were uploaded I've got another one to share (bottom of this blog entry), taken last Sunday (10th March) and shown on Tyne-Tees Television the following day. Another snow scene, captured at nearby Herrington Country Park during a blast of snowfall. From the main road I could see across the park to my right, noticing a group of blokes flying kites, so I made an instant decision that they would add to a good photo, with Penshaw Monument as a backdrop. I parked up soon after and headed across the far corner of the park to find a position to compose my shot, passing the kite flyer's as I went. The snowfall was full on in my face and visibility was very poor. I asked myself yet again what the hell I was up to in these mad conditions, but I've lost count of the times I've questioned my sanity and went on to grab 'The Shot', so onward I travelled. Reaching a good spot in the deserted park, I dropped my bag on the floor and unzipped it, removing the Star Of The Show, ready to get to work. I turned round to eye up what was on offer and their was a big fat nowt - visibility was no better than when I arrived and the Monument simply wasn't there. The snow had been off and on for the last hour, so I stood there like the classic tin of milk, waiting for the next lull. During this time I was numb with cold and covered in Snar from head to foot, which must have been a funny sight for any passers by, but today I lucky, there weren't any. Not hard to guess why. Atrocious conditions!

Within a few minutes the snowfall eased off and visibility improved massively. Hello Penshaw Monument, where were you? Time to get busy. The kite flyer's were having no more and packed their plastic away, so I grabbed my first shot as they headed back in single file to their nearby cars. Forget the kites, I still managed to make a decent picture. As I walked back to my car I fired off a few extra frames, catching some decent foreground in the shape of a crossroads (see photo 2). There was no colour to be had today, so black & white conversion was the way forward with this batch, and it worked quite well. Again, patience, perseverance and the odd 'Screw Loose' ruled the day. I was friggin 'Brass Monkey' but it was worth it. Shot one (top) was pulled in with a 70-300mm telephoto lens and the others with the L Series 24-105mm zoom, all attached to the Canon 5D Mk2 body, which is one hell of a piece of kit. Below is the video clip that was aired live on regional TV this week, plus you can can view it on the Tyne-Tees Weather site in High Definition if you wish, just scroll down to 'Monday 11 Mar 2013' - click here to view. Just below the video clip is the stand-alone photo, posted in the 'Sunday 10 Mar 2013' section. I have other Weather Photo's on the same site but you'll need to search for them in the archives.

And that's for now. I've got more new galleries opening up at ashleycorr.com very soon, including... 'Historic York' and 'Black & White 2' so look out for them. Late March will see me heading across the A66 to the Lake District, where I hope to bring back some top notch shots of the National Park. I'll be up on the fells once again, although I'm not sure which one yet. Spring and Summer will test me and the new camera out, so I'm looking forward to the challenge, plus there will be a big updates in my 'On Location' section as foreign travel is booked and I can't wait for that one. No clues as to what Country (or rather, Countries) - but I expect to bring back some great shots, so once again, stay tuned.

I'll be back soon with more photography. Thanks for visiting!
Ash

A Frosty Herrington Park

A couple of days ago I was up bright and early and heading towards 'The Barber Shop' in Shiney Row, a ten minute drive from home. Yes, the old mullet needed a trim and an early morning visit usually beats the queue's, so off I went. I chucked the camera bag into the boot of the car on the off-chance that I might get a couple of half decent shots in the nearby Herrington Country Park, especially as there was a covering of frost on the deck. After my short back and sides (and nowt off the top), I drove the short distance to the almost deserted park, in bright sunshine it has to be said. Cold it certainly was. Still getting to grips with the new camera, but coming along very nicely. Not much else to report, just some new photo's from my brief visit to Herrington Park. Without further ado...

Ash

Heavy snow here in County Durham this morning. The Mackem Photographer was roaming again, before the snow thawed. Bad conditions on the A1(M), but hey, who dares wins! Some nice snow scenes up next, folks. As always, stay tuned...

It's Autumn Once Again

Last year I brought you a selection of Autumn shots in two parts - the first instalment was here and the follow up...here. Twelve months later and there's more of the same, following last weekends all day outing which took me to Penshaw Monument, Lumley Castle near Chester le Street, followed by a journey north into Northumberland, where I visited Warkworth, Alnwick and Bamburgh. It was a bright, sunny day throughout, so it was up to me to find those Autumn scenes and to capture them on memory card, so after a diesel top-up I was off and running. Historically, mid-October often throws up the best colours, although there's still plenty on display near the end of the month and even into the first few days of November. I'll say no more. Here are the results...

1. River Aln, Alnwick, Northumberland,
2. Lion Bridge & River Aln, Alnwick, Northumberland
3. Penshaw Monument, Houghton le Spring
4. Lion Bridge & River Aln, Alnwick, Northumberland
5. Lion Bridge & River Aln, Alnwick, Northumberland
6. Lumley Castle, Chester le Street

Back soon. Cheers!
Ash

 

Weekend Photographs

A mixed bag of photographs that were taken this weekend. I had a bit of spare time and took the opportunity to get out locally and visit some of my favourite locations. The first shot (shown below) was taken on Friday evening at Rainton Meadows, Houghton-le-Spring, and features a pair of Mute Swans at Sunset. The weather on Saturday afternoon was ideal so I paid a visit to Penshaw Monument, followed by Lumley Castle near Chester-le-Street. Then, just before Sunset I visited the Angel Of The North, where I managed to catch the last colours in the sky as the light began to fall.

Here are the results - click to enlarge.
Back soon,
Ash

Painting With Light - Part 1

Venue - Penshaw Monument, Tyne & Wear

As mentioned at the end of my last Blog entry, here are my latest shots which involve the art of Painting With Light. Very much an experimental exercise, this was my first attempt using very basic tools, such as string, an egg whisk and a small bag of wire wool. Naturally, a box of matches was needed, otherwise I'd still be at the location now, waiting for something to happen! In the run up to this experiment I'd visualised the finished shots, so a few days prior to the event I started putting the 'Ingredients' together in my head, so that when the day eventually arrived I was ready to put things into practise. First things first - I needed a location to carry out my little experiment, and not just any location - I wanted a backdrop that would compliment the drama that would unfold as I attempted to paint with light. One location that stood out in my mind immediately was Penshaw Monument, a place I know very well and which I visit very frequently. I've taken dozens of low-light shots at this location, although the walk up the steep hill doesn't get any easier when you're in your mid-forties. So Penshaw Monument it is - my location was decided on and it was now a simple case of waiting for a clear night sky and it would be 'All Systems Go'. An overcast or dull sky wouldn't offer my shots much colour, as opposed to clear skies giving a nice blue hue, so I checked the weather app on my phone and my preps were almost complete - Saturday 12th May was my night. All that remained was to gather a few bits and bobs to guarantee I wouldn't go up in a ball of flames, like a baseball cap, goggles and fire retardant clothes and gloves, which I had already 'Aquired'.

Saturday night arrived soon enough. Twenty years ago I would have spent most Saturday nights 'On the beer' yet here I was 'On the wool' - how times have changed, he he. I made my way up Penshaw Hill, noticing how ideal the conditions were - clear sky, with a slight breeze that became more than slight as I reached the top of the hill. Ideal for fire spreading quickly. Jesus - I sound like I'm ready to commit arson - Reeves Corner, Pt 2 !!! Just a lil' experiment folks, nowt ti' worry about about, knarr worra mean like? I had the place to myself, which was ideal - didn't want the local chavs coming over and saying 'Ere Mister, what ya deein like' before asking 'Giz a gan Mister, gan on - Giz a gan'. The tripod was in place and the 7D was hooked up, along with remote sensor on the hot shoe. I dialled in some settings to begin with, and tinkered with along the way before hitting the mark. Next the gear came out the bag and I stuffed a ball of wire wool into the egg whisk, which was attached to a piece of string. I lit the wool and it took hold immediately. I then fired the shutter remotely before spinning the contraption in my left hand. As expected, sparks were flying, but I was well covered up. I ran off a six second exposure to begin with, followed by another at 13 seconds. I was well chuffed with the results, shown here. The first shot (top) was a straightforward swing in a stationery position, but the second one was more complicated, as I was constantly on the move to create a 'Spiral' across the columns of Penshaw Monument. Painting with light - Part 1 - hope you like them as much as I did. Not a bad effort for a rookie 'Wool Burner'.

I'll be at it again at a later date. It's quite addictive!
Cheers, Ash

Black & White Shots

I really need to revamp my Black & White Gallery at ashleycorr.com as it has been rather neglected over the last year or so. I used to set aside some time for mono conversions, but that appears to be a thing of the past for no particular reason, other than my photography interests lying elsewhere. Sometimes it's wise to have a break from specific areas of photography, then when you revisit it brings out that creativity again, which reflects in the results, and here I have one or two examples of what I am getting at. The first shot was taken outside York Minster on April 23rd, 2012. The weather wasn't anything special that day - the sky was overcast and there was little or no sunshine to be had, but that didn't deter this photographer, as I planned to convert any decent shots into Mono (black & white). I spent 90 minutes inside the Minster, grabbing a batch of photo's to complete my York Minster Gallery, which, for the record, are all colour images. Upon leaving the Minster, via the Gift Shop, I crossed the road towards the shops and stopped to take a photo which is shown here (image one). The reflection in a shop window caught my eye immediately and out came the camera once again. I used a 10-22mm wide angle lens to cram as much content as I could into the frame, plus the use of a CPL filter on the window next to me, which made the lettering more prominent, when rotated to suit. I later edited the image in Photoshop CS6, which is the latest 'All singing, all dancing' software from the Adobe stable (a class bit o' kit!). I altered the levels and grey tones to suit, before converting the image to HDR (High Dynamic Range), which always works a treat with ancient stonework, and I think I pushed this one to its limit and brought out the best in what was a fairly 'Flat' image to begin with.

My second Mono shot, shown here, is another one that got the HDR treatment. Taken at a location that I have visited so many times - it's Penshaw Monument, on the outskirts of Sunderland, Tyne & Wear. I remember this visit very well - a freezing cold February morning, and there I was attempting my first ever Sunrise shots from the top of Penshaw Hill. Another one to forget though, as the sun only showed for a matter of seconds before departing behind a bank of low cloud on the horizon. I made my way back down Penshaw Hill after this non-event and stopped half way to photograph from the steps, which were well frosty, almost having me flat on my arse a couple of times. The 10-22 wide was paying for itself once again as it put itself to good use, with the pathway and steps offering the perfect 'Lead-In Line' to the shot, with Penshaw Monument once again providing the focal point for another Black & White effort. HDR came into play again, with two bracketed images instead of the single RAW file I used on the Minster shot above, tone mapped and aligned to create what is shown here. I've got this one printed on Ilford Galerie Satin Paper (280 g/sm) and mounted in textured white board, then framed in black - I have to say...it's a winner!    

And just before I pop off for a bite to eat folks, I'd like to tell you I'll be back shortly with some more creative photo's that I recorded last night, with the help of some string, an egg whisk and a roll of wire wool. Strange, eh. You'll be surprised at the results though. Not long to wait...

Ash 
www.ashleycorr.com

Penshaw Tea Rooms

Situated between Chester le Street and Sunderland, just off the the A183, lies one of the North East's most iconic landmarks - Penshaw Monument. To those of you who aren't familiar with the Monument click here, it'll save me the bother as I'm off out to collect an Indian takeaway shortly and time isn't on my side, he he. At the foot of Penshaw Hill is Penshaw Nursery & Tea Rooms, a place that has been exhibiting and selling my work for over two years. People flock here from far and wide, if not to buy the plants and shrubs, then probably to sample the fine food and drink that is on offer each day. Who knows, some folk might even make the journey just to admire the artistry on the walls, before digging deep and walking out with a piece of their own. Although one or two other artists exhibit their work in the Tea Rooms, I have established myself as a popular photographer, judging by the amount of sales that Tony and Robert (The owners) have made during the last two years. It all started off with an enquiry by myself, which led to my feet getting well and truly underneath their table, before going on to bigger and better things. Originally, half a dozen mounted prints were sold, then I hooked up a couple of A4 framed prints to test the water, and they sold. I then exhibited larger mounts and larger framed prints (A3), which followed suit. The trend continued well into my second year of involvement so expanded my product range to A2 framed prints, Canvas Prints and Postcards. The decision paid off handsomely as more of my work was ordered due to the sales of previous deliveries. The majority of orders by request are photographs of Penshaw Monument, although we have had success with other subjects, such as Angel Of The North, Durham Cathedral and various coastal scenes throughout the region. Penshaw Tea Rooms is now stocking a large range of my photography in a variety of formats, featuring lots of new scenes. There are approximately 20 framed prints in a variety of sizes and colours, 6 Canvas Prints, 30 Mounted Prints and a small selection of Postcards. No spare hooks to be at at the moment, but hopefully that will change soon, especially after the heavy volume of people that pass through the doors over the Easter period and beyond.

Why not get thee'sel owa and check it out!

AC

Another Close Encounter

Venus/Jupiter Conjunction (March 2012)

Well, as promised, here's my second batch of photo's of the recent terrestrial event, known as the Venus/Jupiter Conjunction. I was aware that this 'Meeting' of the planets was due to last only a couple of weeks, so I made every effort to get out there to strike while the iron was hot - this was my second and third attempt to photograph this optical illusion and once again I was presented with a clear night-time sky on both nights - perfect visibility for this kind of photography. My second outing took me on a short car journey to Gateshead, home of the Angel Of The North, where I was very hopeful of landing some good shots, as I usually shoot the sculpture when facing West, the same direction the conjunction appears to the viewer. On arrival I had the place to myself, apart from my 11 year old son who was 'Helping Dad' by posing in the frame, here and there, Lowepro bag weighing him down! (see picture 1). Once again, the inclusion of people offer a sense of scale to the shot, so if you've never visited the Angel you'll get a rough idea of its size when compared to the 'Extra's' in the frame. Mind you, it's a pain in the arse when folk start climbing onto the feet of the sculpture as this spoils the photograph and I usually rely on Photoshop to bail me out with the odd bit of brush work. Luckily this time round the group of youngsters didn't bother with climbing routine, so there was no need for me to run at them with an extended tripod, he he. Sensible Geordies they were - I never knew they existed!

So there I am, for a short time, probably ten minutes or so, pulling in a half dozen shots of the Angel with Venus and Jupiter lending themselves to the shots. As night fell rather quickly I was running with 30 second exposures. Any more loss of light and I was heading quickly towards Bulb Mode, a function that allows shutter speeds of beyond 30 seconds, which is the maximum speed when shooting in Manual mode (my preferred function mode for low-light photography). For the tech heads amongst you, I made these pictures with a Canon 7D, with an attached 10-22mm wide angle lens, fired remotely with the camera sat on Manfrotto legs. The unwritten rule applied - image recorded in RAW format, highest possible resolution and the lowest possible ISO setting of 100, to give crystal clear 'No Noise' clarity when printed out at A2 size (25x17 inches). Those remote control units are priceless! I got my hands on a piece of cheap Chinese rubbish via eBay, which actually does a brilliant job - it does as it says on the box (Yes folks, I do know the odd word or two of Chinese ya know...............................Chow Mein! Oh no, here I go again, turning the subject towards food once again! Sorry about that. Yes, the small hand-held transmitter communicates with a receiver that slides onto the camera hot shoe. With a range of 50 metres the transmitter triggers the shutter and Bob's yer Uncle. At a price of just eleven sheets ya can't get robbed. Camera shake is most definitely a thing of the past. God bless the Chinese!

And I wasn't done there. The very next night I was at it again. Penshaw Monument was the venue again, just like my first excursion to photograph the Venus/Jupiter Conjunction. This time there was another guest to the show - the Moon. Sitting close to the two planets, my luck was in and conditions were once again very favourable, so three planets make up my last batch of shots, shown here. Penshaw Monument - let's av it...

Ash