Houghton le Springwatch - Part 2

And it's more Nature shots, as Spring well and truly kicks into gear once again. There's a few new shots in the bag, after one or two recent outings with young Mr Corr, aged 11. He's at that age when an interest in Nature, particularly Birds, takes a bit of a hold on these mild warm nights, so we head round the corner to Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve to check out the latest movements of a family of Mute Swans. These birds have been nesting for a month now, and the eggs were ready to hatch, so off we went. Some of the following photo's were taken at another nest site, at Herrington Park, opposite Penshaw Hill. Both clutches had six eggs in total and on arrival at both locations it was clear that the eggs had hatched as no swans were sitting - both were on the water, with their cygnets. Once again, a loaf of bread came in rather handy when coaxing the birds towards the camera - one shake of the bag and over they came. The parents were happy to feed on the bread, but the cygnets weren't interested at all. It was probably their first sighting of bread and they weren't too impressed. A few minutes in and the parents were off - back on water and out of reach for the bog standard lens holder that was me. Aye, but there was a nifty little 300mm telephoto job tucked away in camera bag - well equipped as always! So here they are, a selection of Nature shots, taken on the doorstep, and I'll be back with more at a later date, including Wren's and Blue Tits...

Cheers, 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

Houghton le Springwatch

I don't update my Natural Life galleries as much as I'd like to, mainly because I'm either photographing the Landscape or indulging in more Low-Light photography. Having said that, when the Spring arrives, and also during the summer season, I tend to swap priorities and nature photography suddenly gets the nod over everything else. I'm lucky enough to live near some decent countryside and some of it is within walking distance, so decent nature shots are never too far away. In Houghton le Spring we have Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve - formerly the site of Rye Hill open cast coal mine, part of the vast Durham coalfield, Rainton Meadows has now been restored as a wetland site and is the headquarters of Durham Wildlife Trust. Lakes and ponds have been constructed together with re-seeding of native vegetation and woodland planting to create a habitat for a rich variety of wildlife once thought to have been lost from the area. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded visiting the site since 1996 and sightings of the rare water vole have been registered in the ponds. Dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies are seen in abundance with occasional migrant species being spotted.

One area known locally as Joe’s Pond was once the site of an old clay pit. This area was named after Joe Wilson, a former employee of Nicholson’s Pit who leased the pond from the National Coal Board and personally carried out much of the early tree planting and island construction. A designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, the area attracts many birds including long-eared owls, mute swans, grebes and ducks, is a popular breeding site for newts, frogs and toads. The surrounding wildflower meadows host a wide variety of plants including several species of orchids. It is also home to roe deer and foxes. A couple of years ago Durham Wildlife Trust built a brick hide on the edge of the largest pond at Rainton Meadows, although it has been vandalised on a number of occasions by the local chav population. From here, me and my son Christopher checked out activity on the water. He'd been itching to try out his new binoculars and they certainly came in handy as we spotted a Great Crested Grebe on its nest. I managed to get quite close to it before attaching a 300mm lens to bring it even closer. The photograph is shown here. The bird sat for a while, with no concern about the daft lad with the camera. This was the first time I'd seen a Great Crested Grebe at the nest site. The male fetched food for its mate as it incubated the eggs, swimming to and from the nest at regular intervals.

We passed three Mute Swan nests on our walk around the meadows. Birds were sitting at each site, until one left its nest and walked towards us, covering at least thirty feet, after it probably noticed the bag of bread Chris was carrying. As he fed the swan I nipped off and quickly checked the contents of the nest, which had a full clutch of six eggs. They are due to hatch very soon, as the Hen has been sitting for a month now. I took a couple of photo's before leaving the nest site, which was in the same part of the reeds as the previous two years - obviously built by the same pair of Swans. The Cobb (male swan) was busy getting fed by people further round the pond, which was why it wasn't fighting me off, as in previous years. Mind you, as I photographed the nest it suddenly appeared from the reed bed, heading towards me at a fast rate. Time to do one! We left the area and made our way to the next pond on Rainton Meadows, one of five in total. The Hen (female swan) ate the rest of the bread before returning to its nest, where the Cobb was waiting for it and guarding the eggs during its absence. Our first Springwatch outing of 2012 ended at Herrington Country Park, opposite Penshaw Hill. We decided to check out the Mute Swans and discovered another three nests, plus three Cygnets that were only a couple of days old, at the very most. With a few Mute Swan nests 'On our doorstep' we'll be keeping tabs on them in the next couple of weeks, in the hope of some more photography, so keep checking my Blog for future updates. Until then...




Cheers, Ash

North Yorkshire Coastal Route - Pt 4

Robin Hood's Bay

The final leg of my Coastal Tour of North Yorkshire was at Robin Hood's Bay, a small town, again with lots of history surrounding its past glory as a haven for fishermen. In the 18th century, Robin Hood's Bay was reportedly the busiest smuggling community on the Yorkshire coast. Its natural isolation, protected by marshy moorland on three sides, offered a natural aid to this well-organised business which, despite its dangers, must have paid better than fishing. Smuggling at sea was backed up by many on land who were willing to finance and transport contraband. Fisherfolk, farmers clergy and gentry alike were all involved. Fierce battles ensued between smugglers and excise men, both at sea and on land, and Bay wives were known to pour boiling water over excise men from bedroom windows in the narrow alleyways. Hiding places, bolt holes and secret passages abounded. It is said that a bale of silk could pass from the bottom of the village to the top without leaving the houses. The threat of the excise men was not the only danger to Bayfolk. In the late 18th century and early 19th century, the Press Gangs were feared and hated. Sailors and fishermen were supposed to be exempt but, in reality, rarely were. Once ‘pressed’, their chances of returning to their homes were not high. Village women would beat a drum to warn the men folk that the Press Gangs had arrived and it was not unusual for the Press Gang to be attacked and beaten off. The fishing industry reached its zenith in the mid 19th century and a thriving community existed in Bay. The townsfolk liked to amuse themselves in the winter and there were dances almost every evening. Church and chapel were well attended and funerals and weddings were occasions for a festival. Like other fishing villages, Bay had its own gansey pattern. From the early 19th century, Robin Hood’s Bay began to attract visitors from the outside and this has continued to the present day. 

Like the town centre of Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay has two parts to it - old and new, or relatively new. From the top of the hill the main road suddenly turns into a steep bank, flanked by houses and shops, which is where the Old Town begins. It is here that you get a taste of what Robin Hood's Bay is all about. Similar to the period buildings I found at Staithes, RHB is almost an extension of that town - both have a steep bank, taking you down towards the residential area, a 'Lost in time' world from days gone by. The character of the place is wholly untouched, which is something that has been deliberately done to avoid moving with the times, and thus losing its identity altogether. I've walked these streets many a time, often hoping to discover something new, something that has me lifting the camera once again, and quite often I find it. The Old Town is maze-like, and more often than not I'll find myself in no-mans land, before attempting to retrace my steps in the hope of getting back to familiarity. It's very easy to become absorbed in these surroundings, like walking a tight alleyway and wondering who walked here in years gone by - what did they look like, and where were they heading, and why? Fascinating.

Today was very much another typical day in the life of. Tourists here and there, on land on sand, and even in the water. The Bay is quite small, but when the tide retreats its rocky shore becomes a magnet for families engaging in rock pool searches. We joined in but there was little or nothing of interest, so we headed back towards the Bay Hotel, which is the starting point of the climb back up the steep bank. The ramp which joins the beach from the back foot caught my eye, with its cobbled stones that made for an interesting foreground, with the backdrop of the hotel as my focal point. The Bay Hotel struck me as one of those creepy style residences - which wouldn't look out of place on the set of 'A League Of Gentlemen'. Are you local? My second photograph gives you an indication of where I'm coming from - Landlords, Edward & Tubbs! Can I have a pint of lager and a gum shield, please Barmaid!!!

Outside the Bay Hotel were a few punters, sitting supping their ales. The smell of a nearby Fish n' Chip shop filled the sea air around us. Temptation crept up on your writer once again, as I fumbled in my pocket for cash of the paper variety, in the hope of sampling the fried scran once again. I must add that my previous blog entries from my 'North Yorkshire Coastal Route' include my indulgence with Fish n' Chips - well they were on previous days during our mini-break, so don't be thinking I necked 3 portions all in one day. I might be a greedy get now and again, but not on this particular weekend! A sandwich board, tucked away to one side of the road, directed us up a narrow back land towards the Fish n' Chip shop. Tiny it was, with people huddled inside, but how do you form a queue inside a sardine tin? A five minute wait and I was at the front of the queue - it was more Fish n' Chips. Well worth the money. The little fella visited the Chocolate Fountain instead and enjoyed a 'Kebab Style' fudge and strawberry covering, and covered he was! The missus picked away at my Fish Lot, although your writer saw off the Lion's share, he he.


And that closes the 'North Yorkshire' blog until another visit - maybe next year, who knows. The whole 'Weekender' was great, and a nice time was had, so I would recommend this stretch of coast to all who have an interest in a break by the sea. Of course, there's a lot more to the North Yorkshire Coast than what has been written here - this was just a taster of what was on offer. Why not check it out for yourself. And on that note I shall now contact the North Yorkshire Tourist Board, Accounts Payable, to claim my 20% commission! Maybe it will subsidise more Fish n' Chips!!!

Until the next time..
Ash

North Yorkshire Coastal Route - Pt 3

Whitby

Three miles from Sandsend lies the popular town of Whitby, a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the earliest English poet, lived. The fishing port emerged during the Middle Ages and developed important herring and whaling fleets, and was where Captain Cook learnt seamanship. Tourism started in Whitby in Georgian times and developed with the coming of the railway in 1839. Tourist interest is enhanced by its location surrounded by the high ground of the North York Moors national park and heritage coastline and by association with the horror novel Dracula. Jet and alum were mined locally, and Whitby jet, which was mined by the Romans and Victorians became fashionable during the 19th century. The abbey ruin at the top of the east cliff is the town's oldest and most prominent landmark with the swing bridge across the River Esk and the harbour sheltered by the grade II listed east and west piers being other significant features. Statues of James Cook and William Scoresby and a whalebone arch all point to a maritime heritage. The town also has a strong literary tradition and has featured in literary works, television and cinema; most famously in Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula.

I've lost count of the amount of times I've visited Whitby with the camera in tow. I tend not to have a plan in mind when photographing, preferring to 'Go with the flow' and to see where I end up on each particular day. I mean, one time I will opt to photograph up top, in and around the Abbey. Another time I may find myself in and among the shopping areas, in particular Sandgate (The Old Town), with its many old fashioned shop fronts relating to times gone by, such as Victorian Costume, Whitby Jet and Maritime, amongst others. Today I concentrated on the area known as West Cliff, which overlooks the whole of Whitby and offers excellent views across the Harbour and Piers, as well as Sandgate and the Abbey. BE WARNED - the food part of this Blog entry is coming shortly, so if you're hungry as you read this, I take no blame if you suddenly have the urge to dash out and buy Fish n' Chips. Well, come on . . . no visit to Whitby would be complete without your writer indulging in a Fish Lot, eh. So heed the warning folks - the scran bit is on the way, he he. But before I rabbit on about that I'll fill you in on the photographs I've uploaded here.

Four new photo's, taken at Whitby, North Yorkshire - April 2012.(Click image to enlarge)
1. River Esk, across Sandgate towards the Swing Bridge - taken on West Cliff.
2. The world famous Magpie Restaurant, with NO QUEUE, which must be a first!
3. River Esk, across Sandgate towards the Swing Bridge - taken at ground level.
4. Panoramic stitch - Whitby, from West Cliff.

And finally, Fish and Chips at the Magpie. There was a massive queue at the restaurant door, which is very common no matter which day you visit. Not being a patient soul when me belly is rumbling, I persuaded the other half to dodge the queue and join the much shorter one next door, at the Magpie takeaway. We didn't fancy waiting an hour in the queue, for the restaurant to open its doors to us, so common sense prevailed and it wasn't long before we were at the counter next door, placing our order. Mind you, the Magpie has an excellent reputation for its food, which often means paying a premium to get yer gob round it. Ah well, it's only money and ya can't take it with ya when your number is up, so we filled our boots and done the necessary. Fish n' Chips cost £6.70 each - aye, the robbin' bastards should have worn a mask - Dick Turpin did when he robbed folk! I nearly keeled owa when yon lassie clagged an extra pund on the bill for small tub o' Mushy Peas. When I hoyd salt 'n vinegar on me scran I half expected yon lassie to shout 'That'll be an extra ten bob, mister'. They like cash in the Magpie. But hey, all thoughts of robbery were put firmly to the back of my mind when I took my first bite of that battered cod fillet - it was the Bee's Knee's, mak nee mistake about that. Nee soggy batter, like they dish out at some of these cheap seaside chip shops, this was the Real McCoy and the fish was thick and white - neen o' this grey rubbish that the Pakistani chippy's knock out! Lush chips anarl, norra bit o' fat on them, so ah hoyd the lot down me neck and weshed it doon wi' the usual Coca-Cola. In culinary terms - it doesn't get much better than this, unless it's a full blown Indian meal wi' all the trimmings. Nee wonder The Magpie is number one - no complains from us.

And on that note, I shall bid thee farewell til the final part of my North Yorkshire Coast blog - Robin Hood's Bay.
Ash

DISCLAIMER - Should you now be rushing out to order Fish n' Chips, simply blame me and forward the bill to Ashley Corr Photography, where I shall promptly 'Return To Sender'. That is all.

North Yorkshire Coastal Route - Pt 2

Staithes to Sandsend

The short journey from Saltburn By The Sea to Staithes was approximately 9 miles, heading south by car along the North Yorkshire Coastal Route. The tiny fishing village of Staithes is a place I've visited on many occasions, mainly to photograph it from the many vantage points along its steep cliffs and hilltops. Exploring the many back streets is one thing, but it's not until you 'Get up top' that you see what Staithes is all about. From the dizzy heights of Cowbar Nab you are able to see right across the rooftops of picturesque Staithes - a sight that almost has you believing you've travelled back in time, judging by the old fashioned buildings that have deliberately been left untouched over decades (shot one). The place is oozing character - you only have to walk its streets to witness this. The powers that be must be hellbent on retaining Staithes' character so much so that planning permission for any building work must be considered very carefully. There's not a great deal in Staithes to attract the tourist to be honest, other than it's Olde Worlde existance and its photogenic attraction. Shops are very few and far between, there's a couple of pubs and the odd antique shop and art gallery. The Cod & Lobster is where you'll find a decent Real Ale, if you're that way inclined. No decent food on offer though - toastie's were as good as it got - no thanks missus, I'll give that one a rain check. On each occasion I've been to Staithes it's been blue skies all the way, but chilly also. Odd that - maybe it's like that most of the time. I have an uncanny habit of turning up when the tide is out - something that I'll have to put right next time as photographs from Cowbar Nab are much better when the tethered boats are floating on water, as opposed to sitting lopsided on dry harbour. I'll have to check the tide tables prior to my next showing.  

From Staithes we headed south through Loftus, eventually stopping off on Lythe Bank to photograph a stretch of great coastline from Sandsend, heading towards Whitby. Conditions were ideal - visibility was perfect as I photographed the coastline from Lythe Bank (shot two), next to the Church Of St Oswald. Some fine beach lay straight ahead of me, with its clean sands, so I spent a short while photographing it using a bog standard 18-135mm lens, followed by a 300mm Telephoto, to pull in the scene from afar.  This was to be our last stop before the 3 mile journey to our next port of call - Whitby. The weather was kind to us and it made for ideal photography conditions once again. Hang about and bring ya more photo's. The wait won't be too long (wink).

AC