Durham By Night (Christmas, 2015)

It was the run up to Christmas 2015 and a ten minute drive from home to the historic city of Durham, also known as Land Of The Prince Bishops. Another night out with my new Sony a7s mirrorless camera and further hands on experience in low-light conditions. Up till this point the Sony had only been given a couple of outings - the last one being a notable cloud-out on the Northumberland coast at Dunstanburgh, searching for that elusive Aurora. The other occasion was a lot more nearer to home at the Copt Hill Barrow, Houghton le Spring, when big winds was the major factor in shutting up shop early. The Dunstanburgh outing was a testing affair too, as far as the camera goes. Very low light conditions pushed the Sony to it's limits and focus issues were a major factor, plus the battering winds didn't help matters, so I came away from that experience with the thought of 'keeping at it' as I was yet to see exactly what this camera was capable of.

So off to Durham it was. The riverside path near the Framwelgate Bridge was the first port of call, mainly due to the fact that I had parked nearby and it seemed an obvious starting point for tonight's photography trip. The first shot I pulled in can be seen above, at the edge of the River Wear, shooting across towards the lit castle, perched high on the river bank. The water level was as high as I'd ever seen it, threatening to breach the banks altogether, but for now I was safe in the knowledge that the riverside path was dry and accessible - for now! As the river was very high and flowing at a rate of knots, the noise from it was not to underestimated, so I kept a close eye on each step I took, not wanting to fall victim to an aggressive current. In recent times the river in Durham City Centre has mysteriously claimed the life of a handful of people, under darkness and still to this day remaining unexplained. I certainly didn't want to become another statistic, so I kept my wits about me. Setting aside the perils and pitfalls of the river in front of me, the scene was crying out to be photographed.
The almost full moon shone above Durham Castle and the sound of Christmas Carols could be heard nearby. A perfect setting at Christmas, with the ideal music to accompany it - all that was missing was the snow.

From there I made my was along the riverside path towards Durham Cathedral. As I looked across the river to my left my eyes were immediately drawn to the Lunar Halo surrounding the moon. Now, this I just had to photograph. A natural phenomena that I had only seen a handful of times previously, but this time I was fully equipped and ready to capture it with a camera. This would be my second and last shot along the riverside, as the path in front of me was flooded by the river and completely out of bounds. Ah well, not to complain, the night has started well and the Sony was pulling in sharp, colouful shots at ease. The manual focus peaking is a major feature on the a7s and it worked brilliantly, making my job far easier and almost effortless. All that needed to be done was to compose the shot and nailing the exposure, which was fairly straightforward. A walk over Framwelgate Bridge and up the bank took me past the shopping precinct and into the Market Square. It was quite busy, with groups of folk enjoying a pub crawl, as well as the last few shoppers before closing time. I ran off one or two long exposures, missing out the moving figures, so the Market Square actually looks quite desolate on this shot, despite the fact that the place was quite active. Then it was time for Fish & Chips at Bell's restaurant and takeaway. Possibly the best I've tasted, washed down with Coca-Cola. Very nice indeed.

And what better place to finish off than Durham Cathedral. Palace Green was deserted. The obvious viewpoints stood out, like the entrance to Durham Castle and its converging path towards the main gates, plus the main player which was the majestic Durham Cathedral . I turned the tables on my next shot, opting for reverse shooting with my back to the castle and facing the gates, with the Cathedral in the background. The olde worlde lamps gave the shot that extra bit of character and an almost Dickensian feel to the whole composition. This was a shot with a difference and one I hadn't previously 'seen', despite many visits down the years. Just across the way, back out the entrance to Durham Castle, was a small puddle, with a flat calm reflection. Here is the shot, which I like a lot, I must admit. Again, a different perspective on an iconic landmark.

It was an enjoyable photography outing in Durham, at night, at Christmas - a perfect setting.

Cheers, AC  

Star Trails - Something a bit different

Hello again!
Following on from my fairly recent Milky Way shots is another insight to my new found interest in Astro Photography. I've captured some recent star trail shots that I'd like to share here on my blog page, including one in particular that couldn't have been captured any closer to home! Contrary to popular belief, it's not always essential to escape the bright light pollution of a built up urban area to achieve half decent results. Of course, a dark clear sky is essential for the most effective star trail shots, but if the conditions are less than favourable, you can still have a dabble to discover what the camera throws back at you. In this blog entry you'll find a set of recent shots (all from 2014) that were shot under a clear dark sky, with millions of stars on show. I've also thrown another shot into the mix that demonstrates what effect you can pull in when clouds unexpectedly appear and blow across the frame. I almost abandoned this particular effort, but decided to roll with it just to see how the resulting image panned out, and even though I couldn't see the stars at one point, because of the clouds, I ran off an extra 40 exposures just for the hell of it.

For anyone reading this, who has no concept of how star trails shots are achieved, the answer is a fairly straightforward one. As we look to the sky above and see the stars, they don't actually appear to be moving, even though they are. The North Star (Polaris) is constantly static, as is the South Star, and other stars rotate around it. So, if I take 50x 25 second exposures, continuously, then stack each shot on top of each other using photo software, each star will have moved slightly in each shot. The software basically tracks the movement of each star, resulting in a light trail effect, which is what you can see here. Obviously, the more shots you take, the bigger and better effect it will have on the end result. The shots shown here were captured over a period of around 60 minutes, apart from the garden shot which was a result of 130 minutes of shooting time. This was the easiest of all my 5 star trails efforts to date, as I simply programmed the camera and went back into the house to watch footy for a couple of hours. After the match I went back out to collect the images. Job done!


1. Angel Of The North (120 x 25 second exposures)
2. Groyne Lighthouse, South Shields (140 x 30 second exposures)
3. Our Back Garden, HLS (325 x 25 second exposures)
4. Souter Lighthouse, Marsden (120 x 30 second exposures)
5. Sycamore Gap, Hadrian's Wall (138 x 30 second exposures)

This type of photography requires at least two characteristics. Patience and perseverance. It's not too bad when you've got company and can have a bit of banter while the camera pulls in the shots. Time passes much quicker this way. When you're out on your own it's a different ball game however, even more so if you're in a very dark area late at night, away from home, and paranoia kicks in when you hear the trees rustling behind you, or an owl screeches over your shoulder and you almost shit yourself! And the one where you see a figure walking towards you in the distance and you wonder whether he's up to no good. You laugh about it afterwards, but it's not so funny at the time. Maybe I just nee to grow a bigger pair of balls, he he. Eeee eh, the things ya dee for a decent photograph!

And on that note I shall depart once again, hopefully returning with more photographs from God's Country. I wonder where I'll end up next time. Probably the coast. I feel another Seascape shot coming on. Hope it's not a false dawn. Ah well, we shall see...

Catch ya later, AC

My First Bash At The Milky Way

The Milky Way. What exactly is it, I hear you say. Well, good question, as I never knew the answer myself until very recently. Chocolate bar isn't the answer, by the way. Copied and pasted from the ever trusty Wikipedia -

The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our Solar System. Its name “milky” is derived from its appearance as a dim glowing band arching across the night sky in which the naked eye cannot distinguish individual stars. The term “Milky Way” is a translation of the Latin via lactea, from the Greek (galaxías kýklos, "milky circle"). From the Earth, the Milky Way appears as a band because its disk-shaped structure is viewed from within the Galaxy. Galileo Galilei first resolved the band of light into individual stars with his telescope in 1610. Up until the early 1920s, most astronomers thought that all of the stars in the universe were contained inside of the Milky Way. Observations definitively showed that the Milky Way is just one of many billions of galaxies.

I had seen one or two outstanding photographs of it on social media, which awakened a side to my photography that I never existed until that moment. Intrigue got the better of me, so I done some digging via the internet and decided I wanted to have a go at photographing the Milky Way. I hadn't even seen it before, let alone photograph it, but I knew that if I ever did catch sight of it with the naked eye, then there was every chance I could record it as a photograph. A perfect chance presented itself ten days ago, during a family holiday on the Isle Of Wight. A perfect Summer day ended with a clear sky, which is an ideal backdrop for Astro Photography, as cloud cover can ruin any attempt at photography. The Moon had set too, which was another major factor, as any light source (Pollution) can also detract from the shot. With everything on my side it was now a case of hunting for the Milky Way, which began with a midnight car journey along the Western edge of the island. There wasn't another car on the road, which wasn't a big surprise, as I drove further into the darkness. I decided to pull over and step out of the car, hoping to get my first sighting of the Milky Way. I switched the car headlamps off and it this point I was surrounded by pitch darkness. I looked across to my right, over the sea and across the horizon...and there it was, stretching high and arching across the sky and into the distance over the Chale landscape. It was a kind of Eureka moment, seeing the glowing band for the very first time, and it this point I realised it was 'Game On'.

I was back into the car in a flash and driving once again. It didn't take long to arrive at Blackgang Chine, an adventure park built into the hillside, overlooking the sea. I was here just a few hours earlier, mingling with hundreds of other families as the park went into full swing. In stark contrast the place was now desolate. I was stood at the entrance to the now closed park, where the statue of a giant towered over me. What a picture that would make, I thought to myself, with the giant in the foreground and the Milky Way as a backdrop. Adventure Land, it certainly was. I switched the car engine off, plus the headlamps, again rendering the area in pitch darkness, apart from the window light from the foyer, which offered at least some illumination. Out came the big torch, leading the way and proving a godsend in poor light. Paranoia kicked in once or twice as trees rustled, owls screeched and even a fox walked by at one point. Being alone in a strange place, in the early hours, in pitch darkness isn't for the faint hearted. But when you're presented with a sight like I was, you just kick into gear and get on with the task in hand. And that was the story for the next half hour, as I ran off a few frames, using my torch to help me focus the 17-40mm lens, which at first failed to lock on to anything due to poor light.

I was crapping myself to be honest. I was sure someone was lurking in the trees behind me. It's a wonder I never knocked me neck out judging by the amount of times I quickly turned my head to see what was making the noises behind me. The mind boggles as to what it was. Best not go there, eh. And not before long I packed my gear up and headed to the relative safety of my car, locking the doors as soon as I was sat on my arse. Job done. Great experience, despite the fear factor, which in hindsight, was all part of the fun. It was certainly a sight to behold though, and one I'd like to see again in the not too distant future. I do believe an addiction to Astro Photography has kicked in!
Looking forward to the next chapter already...

Back soon, Ash

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

Olympics 2012

Huge Olympic rings were lowered on to the Tyne Bridge recently as the North East prepared to welcome the Olympic Flame to the region. Constructed from aluminium, the massive overlapping circles measure 25m wide and 12m high, making them the largest set of metal Olympic Rings in the UK. St James’ Park, Newcastle played host to the London 2012 Olympic Football tournament where six matches were played at the stadium, including Brazil, tournament favourites to lift the gold medal in the men's football. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, I got my arse down there last week to photograph the Tyne Bridge before the Olympics finished and the rings were removed. I had hoped for a colourful sky to finish my photo's off nicely, but I wasn't in luck. After sunset, what little colour there was quickly burned out, leaving a rather flat backdrop, but what can ya do. I might persuade myself to return to the Forbidden City again, before the rings are ditched, in the hope of pulling in some better shots. I'll keep you posted on that one.

In the meantime, here are three shots for ya. There's a panoramic effort, along with a full shot of the Tyne Bride, plus a closer abstract version. Not much else to add to this swift blog entry, folks. I'm off to bed now - beauty sleep required. Without further ado...

Ash

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

Lumiere - Durham Light Show 2009

Following my attendance at last years light show in the centre of Durham City, I was looking forward to another spectacular in the shape of 'Lumiere'. It was at the same point in 2008 that 'Enlightenment' had taken place so it was time to see whether the 2009 offerings would eclipse that one.

(Copied and pasted from the 'Lumiere' website)
LUMIERE is a four-day festival that will brighten the historic city of Durham, bringing a sprinkle of winter magic to the North East. More than 50 artists will create a breathtaking series of installations, illuminations and performances using light. Lumiere will turn the city into a winter wonderland, transforming its stunning buildings, streets and riverbanks, with a nocturnal winter festival that will amaze residents and visitors alike. Prepare to be dazzled…
As in 2008, the event wasn't advertised very well and I only found out about it through a work colleague. Nevertheless, it was almost here and the batteries were fully charged as I had every intention of attending each of the four nights. Well, that didn't go to plan, as the strong winds and rain on the very first night kept me indoors. Never mind, there's always tomorrow.

Friday came around quick enough and I headed for Durham City straight from a days work on the busy production line at Nissan. I arrived at Durham Cathedral around 3.50pm and the area, including Palace Green, was very quiet. A few of the event staff were making final preparations in the build-up to the second night of the light show, with large projection equipment getting a final inspection before play time. I waited for the deep blue hue in the sky before taking my first shots of the night, in the grounds of Durham Cathedral. This particular light show, CROWN OF LIGHT, was quite spectacular, especially the images that were projected onto the Cathedral itself. They were almost surreal, but eerie at the same time. As the images were projected, the Cathedral bells chimed, with a few seconds between each chime. Yes, it had the desired effect. Quite spooky!

After spending most of my first night in the vacinity of the cathedral I decided to cover different parts of the 'Lumiere' trail on my second night, Saturday 14th November. This time I was down on the banks of the River Wear and what a lovely view it was. From a vantage point on the riverside, opposite Durham Cathedral, I was greeted by an array of colours that were being projected across the water by strong laser beams. At this point the lights which were illuminating the cathedral itself had been switched off, making photography a big ask when struggling to focus on the focal point itself. The light across the water was very bright, yet across the top of the frame, where I wanted it most, it was almost non-existant. Auto focus wasn't playing so it was manual all the way to get what I wanted. I got there eventually!

After bagging a few more shots I headed back along the riverside towards the nearby Prebends Bridge. It was here that I set up stall, on some steps at the waters edge. This location is where you get a great view of the Cathedral and it's often the position many photographers take up to grab those picture postcard images. I spent a good 20 minutes here, pulling in some nice shots as the pinky-purple colours were at their most prominent in the sky.
Time was pushing on so I quickly made my way across Prebends Bridge and up the incline towards the Cathedral and Palace Green. A quick detour took me through the Cathedral grounds, passing NINE MEN DRAWING along the way. Next stop was the Cloisters, one of my favourite parts of Durham Cathedral. It was here that the 'Lumiere' trail presented visitors with DUNE, an eerie interactive work that whispers and lights up as you walk through it. My last port of call tonight was WINTER GARDEN, a collection of tropical flowers which bloom in winter from beneath Elvet Bridge. Well, not flowers as such, but long flourescent tubes in a variety of colours - quite eye-catching too. Mind you, I nearly didn't make it. After leaving the Cloisters and making my way through Durham Cathedral I was met by the sight of thousands of people at the front, watching the light show from Palace Green. The queue to gain access to the Cathedral was unreal. Some folk obviously don't mind waiting, and waiting, and waiting! The wait was all down to CHORUS, huge pendulums that mesmerise the viewer with light and sound. Well, that was that...my second night on the 'Lumiere' trail had reached its end. Time to head home and put the owld feet up, whilst guzzling a lager or two.

The following night, Sunday 15th November, was the last night of 'Lumiere'. Although I hadn't visited all of the artworks, there was only one or two of the main players that I hadn't recorded and it was time to put that right. My weekend parking ticket got me started once again on the banks of the River Wear, this time at Framwellgate Bridge where I photographed STARRY NIGHTS and FLUX after a brief visit to the Market Place. It was here where a living portrait of the city was projected onto its buildings. This diplay was known as A PLACE FOR FOR THE PEOPLE.
Moving on once again...the view along the waters edge near Framwellgate Bridge was one of the best of the whole trail, taking in Durham Castle, Durham Cathedral and the bustling Framwellgate Bridge in the foreground. A huge inflatable star was perched high on the castle parapet, which finished off my shots with that little something extra. Mind you, I set my kit up next to the 'InShanghai' chinese buffet and I was beginning to wish I hadn't. Oh dear, the smell was making me very hungry. A quick peep in the window didn't help. Seeing the huge selection of food with steam rising from it only added to my hunger. I was beginning to get sidetracked folks! Aye, me belly was telling me to pack me gear up and get me'sel in there but I held off, against all the odds. I fired off a dozen or so frames as the light show started on Framwellgate Bridge. Glancing over to my right I noticed a rather portly chap tucking into a large plate of barbeque spare ribs in the restaurant. I remember thinking to myself 'The lucky beggar', as I chewed on my Wrigley's Extra that had as much taste as a bloody ice cube! I felt like walking over to the window where he ate to press my face against it...he he he...but thought against it in the end. My thoughts of envy, as he tucked into another fat rib, quickly turned to frustration as I thought to myself... 'Ere pal, I hope you choke on the bloody thing' !!!! (Only jokin' folks...ahem...).
Well, that was the end of 'Lumiere' for me. Back to the car and off home. It was nice to get more event coverage under my belt in the form of low-light photography. The conditions are always a challenge but the results can quite often be very spectacular!
Until the next time,
Ash

St Ives, Conwall

St Ives is the most famous of Cornish holiday towns. It was only 15 minutes drive from our base in Hayle, so I made a few visits to photograph it during the day and night. The harbour and beach are by far the most photogenic areas of St Ives and and they proved very popular during my visits. Along the promenade there were the usual gift shops, pubs and restaurants as well as art galleries. The photograph above was taken shortly after sunset as I overlooked St Ives from a nice vantage point. It was a lovely summers night, no breeze, very little noise, just right for some night-time photography before heading back to the car. Job done.

Ash