Night Tyne Photography

As promised, a couple of photographs from my brief outing to Newcastle Quayside. Following on from a visit to the Angel Of The North (Last blog entry), I headed over to the Quayside to try out my 24-105mm lens, which I hadn't tested on the Quayside to date, so I was itching to give it a first run out at this location, albeit a very brief one. It was literally a five minute stop, as I parked up in the Fish Market Car Park, next to the Swing Bridge, before setting up my gear and shooting down the river, towards the Tyne Bridge, Millennium Bridge & Baltic Arts Centre. It was getting late, so I made sharp and ran off two exposures, which were around the 5 second mark. There was cloud above, which is always a good addition to a night-time shot, as opposed to a flat sky with little or no detail in it. There was many a Geordie reveller on the Quayside, dodging from pub to pub, and there's plenty of choice in that department. It was rowdy, to say the least. Aye, been there...done that. Nowadays I'm focusing on Rivers and Bridges instead of getting rat-arsed and staggering home with a dirty kebab in my hands. Ahhh, those were the days!

But more of that another time. Here are the shots I took, only two, but very similar, although one is cropped to give an almost panoramic feel to it. Turns out the L-Series glass was more than capable...
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Speak soon.
AC

Enter The Angel

Two weeks ago I made another of my regular visits to the Angel Of The North, shortly before sunset. The Angel is an ideal stop off, especially when the plan involves a trip to Newcastle Quayside later in the evening, when timing is ideal for photographing at both locations. As the sun sets, and the photo's are in the bag, a fifteen minute car journey through Low Fell to Gateshead Quays is all it takes to pick off another photogenic 'Hot Spot' here in the 'Not so Grim North'. And that was the plan tonight, two into one, as I covered two popular locations in one night. Some nice colour in the sky, add in some nice to profiling, and Robert is your Father's Brother! Enter the Angel . . .

As the sun went down on the horizon there was a burst of colour in the sky. I photographed visitors as they walked back down the path towards the car park. Some interesting silhouettes (shots 3&4), and in particular, the elderly couple who stopped to take photographs of the colourful horizon (last shot, below). Very straightforward photography. All you need is a decent sunset and that burst of colour shortly afterwards. I got it tonight. The shots wouldn't be the same without people, as scale is all important here. It's a simple case of waiting for those unsuspecting folk to plonk themselves right into the frame, just where they appear best, as they pose for their own pictures, oblivious to the fact that they're also posing for mine  - A prime example is shown below (shot 2)... 

 

And that's about it, for now. Next I'll show you the shots I took an hour later, on Newcastle Quayside.

Until then, see ya later.

Ash

New Addition - Canon 17-40mm Lens (L Series)

Last week I added another lens to the arsenal, in the form of a Canon 'L Series' 17-40mm Ultra-Wide. This is my second 'L' purchase, following the 24-105mm lens that came with my Canon 5D MK2 body (Full frame upgrade). For anyone who is unfamiliar with L-Series, these are the 'Luxury' lenses in the Canon EF family line, and what a difference the results are, compared to the EF-S series that I was using alongside the now departed Canon 7D crop body. Naturally, the L-Series glass comes at a price, but they're worth every penny. So, what is the difference between EF (L-Series) and EF-S lenses, you may ask...

EF-S lenses are specifically designed for APS-C digital bodies and optimised for the fact that they have smaller sensor and mirror. EF-S lenses are marked with a white dot on the mount instead of red one that EF-glass has, and can be only used on EF-S compatible bodies (almost all of smaller-sensor Canon DSLRs, up to EOS 7D). Film and larger-sensor digital cameras (5D, 1D, 1Ds) take only EF lenses. If you have a camera with EF-S mount support (such as EOS 7D, 50D or 500D), you can use both EF and EF-S lenses. EF-S lenses are a slightly different format whereby the rear element sits closer to the lens, this is possible due to the smaller mirror with APS-C sensor. The distance from the back of the lens to the image plane is known as the back-focus distance, hence the S in EF-S standing for short back focus. Other manufacturers have lenses designed for smaller sensors with appropriately smaller image circles but they don't have a different back focus distance. Having the lens sit slightly closer does make it slightly easier to design wide angle lenses, however I've heard the reason Canon introduced EF-S lenses was so they could scale down existing lens designs as a base for the optical design to avoid having to start from scratch. It's often said you can't use EF-S lenses on a full frame body (such as the 5D, 1Ds) but this is not strictly true. Canon use a different shaped rear baffle to physically prevent you mounting as the mirror could hit the lens and cause damage. However this can be removed to allow mounting, and since the rear element moves when zooming there are positions that allow shooting. Vignetting is a problem as EF-S lenses project a smaller image circle, but again the image circle can get bigger while zooming so some focal lengths work ok.

EF (L-Series) is Canon's professional line (though used extensively by non-professionals) of EOS EF auto focus 35mm SLR and DSLR still camera lenses. Some say L stands for "Low Dispersion" - achieved by the UD lens elements found in these lenses. But, the true answer is probably the one in Canon's Lens Work III Book - "L" is for "Luxury". Watch the sidelines at the next professional sporting event you attend or watch on TV. Look for the identifying L-lens red stripe around the end of the photographers' camera lenses. These are the people who make a living with their equipment - and they frequently trust the Canon L Lens Series for their income. About their L lenses, Canon says "these lenses use special optical technologies [such as] Ultra-low Dispersion UD glass, Super Low Dispersion glass, Fluorite elements, and Aspherical elements to push the optical envelope."
OK so what does that mean - practically speaking? What you can get when you use Canon L lenses (if you do your part right) are amazing pictures. In fact, this amazement is said to cause a disease know as "L-Disease". Once caught, it is incurable.

After upgrading to the full frame 5D MK2 with 24-105MM lens, I couldn't wait to get started. If you trace back my blog entries you'll find many photographs that I've taken with my new kit. To the viewer there may seem little difference between the photographs on my blog from each camera, but there is a noticeable difference between the prints, especially at A2 (25x17 inches). Obviously, when you factor in the full-frame side of things, the upgrade has been a master stroke in my opinion, as it has opened up more capability, mainly the ability to get that much more subject onto a full frame sensor. As for my two lenses - the 24-105mm is my everyday 'Walk around' lens, which covers most aspects of my photography needs, whereas it doesn't quite cut the mustard up close, hence the need to go wider in that pursuit. That's where the 17-40mm glass makes an appearance. A popular misconception with some photographers is that Wide Angle lenses are to 'Get it all in'. I tend to disagree. Ultra-wide's are for getting yourself, and therefore the viewer, right smack into the middle of something. If you can't or won't get close, leave the Ultra-wide at home. These lenses have the ability to rub the viewer's nose in your subject. Properly used, Ultra-wide's grab your viewer and yank him into the middle of your situation, bringing the viewer into the photo, not for fitting a subject into a photo. Ultra-wide's require you to get very close and personal to anything you are shooting. Even a fraction of an inch (or cm) will make a massive difference in your composition, so you need to be very deliberate with your movement. If you use them properly, you should be rewarded with dynamic images. I find that regardless of which lens I use, and however many photos I make on a trip, the ones I like the most are always those made with a wide angle lens. My old 10-22mm Wide was a brilliant lens and gave me the experience I now carry forward. As the weather up North has been sh1te recently, I haven't had a decent chance to road test my new 17-40mm Wide, but rest assured it will put through its paces soon enough. Until then I'll twiddle my thumbs and plan my next outing. Lots of printing/framing to get through, which is ideal when the weather is poor. Indoors all the way, but not for long. Until then...

Ash

Littlehaven & The Labour Party

Welcome back, pop pickers!

At the tail end of April I was contacted by a Labour Party Organiser, representing the South Tyneside constituency on behalf of local MP, Emma Lewell-Buck. The enquiry, which came through my website, was in response to one of my photographs that was spotted on Google images. As a result, I allowed the image, Littlehaven Sunrise' to be reproduced on a By-Election flier that was 'Dropped' in 10,000 homes in South Tyneside on the morning of voting day. Labour came out on top!

South Shields result -
Emma Lewell-Buck Labour 12,493
Richard Elvin Ukip 5,988
Karen Allen Conservative 2,857

Anyway, here is the electronic version of the flier (above). I received paper copies in the post shortly after the election, along with a nice cheque for allowing my photo to be reproduced. Another feather in the cap, eh.
And just a few days later I was at Littlehaven again, catching another sunrise, this time at 5.00am - a first. I usually capture sunrises during Winter months when I don't have to set my alarm clock too early. It proved to be a wise move as I got some great shots which I'll be uploading HERE, very soon. Until then...See ya.
Ash

Infinity Bridge, Stockton-On-Tees

Following my first visit to the Infinity Bridge back in January of this year, I was keen to revisit this location for more photography. My previous, and only visit, was at dusk, when I managed to grab some nice shots of the bridge when illuminated, but this time was a very different affair as I photographed at mid-day in bright sunshine. The River Tees was approaching high tide when I arrived filling a parking space on the South side of the water. And it was this side of the River Tees that I concentrated on, as I looked for decent vantage points to begin my work. Conditions were ideal as I wandered around, so it wasn't going to be a difficult task to get the photographs I was hoping for. There wasn't many people around during the half hour I spent at the Infinity Bridge, which was surprising considering the lovely weather. Maybe folk had opted to visit the more picturesque locations around Stockton, if there are any!

Not much else to say, to be honest, other than 'Here are the photographs'. And from there I headed East towards Redcar & Cleveland, to 'Paddy's Hole', which will be my next blog entry. There's stacks more photo's to come, so I'll catch up with those very soon. Cheers!
Ash

Durham Cathedral - Part 2 of 2

Following on from my last instalment, here is Part 2 of my Durham Cathedral blog for May 2013. Part 1 focused on a daytime visit to the Cathedral, but this time it's the low-light night shots that I bring you, captured from the same viewpoint. As an added extra, there's a few bonus shots of Durham Cathedral up close, as I ended my outing with a drive into the City where I parked up at Palace Green, directly in front of the Cathedral. It was a calm night with almost clear sky, give or take the odd scattering of cloud overhead. In fact, it was ideal for photography so all that remained was the task of pulling in some decent shots, again, beginning at the lofty viewpoint near the Botanical Gardens. As I set my gear up the sky had took on a dark blue hue, which can be seen in my first shot, a panoramic effort, where Penshaw Monument can be seen once again to the left of the frame, highlighted by the surrounding street lamps. Below the Monument is Durham Castle, illuminated and standing alongside the Cathedral, which is clearly the focal point and dominates the shot. My second shot, shown here, is a similar composition which I took approximately fifteen minutes later. The sky has taken on a different colour altogether here, and works just as effectively, although I prefer the first shot out of the two.

The last four shots were taken in the Cathedral grounds, as mentioned earlier, and by this time the sky was literally pitch black. As a backdrop to the warm tones in the stonework I think this works really well and blends in well with the shadows on the facade. I was running with 15 second exposures by this time, longer on other shots, just to compare the results before settling with a rigid shutter speed on my final few exposures. The moon shone above the Cathedral, so I included it to add a touch of atmosphere to the shots, which finished them off nicely. There must have been a hymn service in progress as quite a few visitors entered the Cathedral, then some half an hour later dozens of them left through the main door as I photographed from the pathway. I waited a while until the coast was clear then resumed. Another distraction came in the shape of a remote control Gyro- Copter! Bloody hell - what next! The guy controlling it seemed to getting plenty of attention from passers by and even flew the craft straight into my shot, as it rose to the top of the main tower before hovering in a static position. I went over and had a quick chat with him and he said the Copter had a built in camera which was filming the view below. His mobile phone was linked up to it and he was looking forward to reviewing the footage once he'd landed his toy. Not being that interested, I headed back to
my camera, which was stood a few feet away, then packed it away in my bag before 'Doing a runner.'

So, there it is folks, another blog entry behind me, with plenty more to come. So, as Saturday night is almost at a close, I bid thee farewell once again. Until of course, the next time...
Ta ta, Ash

 

Durham Cathedral - Part 1 of 2

Hello again!
We're now into the month of May and the weather seems to be making a turn for the better, although there remains a chill in the air. I made a recent visit to Durham to photograph the Cathedral from a high vantage point, similar to the one near the train station, but this time I was across the other side of the city. Not too far from the Botanical Gardens is a hill where access is granted via a public footpath, and from here the panoramic view across Durham City Centre is quite spectacular. I had this location in mind following a previous visit to Whinney Hill, another viewpoint up a height that I stumbled across last year. From Whinney Hill there is an excellent view of Durham Cathedral, with the huge round rose window facing you, but the daytime sun hits the west facing walls so I was obviously standing in the wrong place for photography. It was at that point I realised I needed to be elsewhere, so I looked around for the perfect spot, finding it quickly by sight, but needing to explore it in person to find out whether it was accessible. I jumped back into the car and headed through the streets towards my intended destination, which I found in a matter of a few minutes. The public footpath led me onto another hill from where I picked a spot to begin my photography. It was a fine day and the view had me raking about for my polarising filter. The blue sky and clouds were going to play a big part today. With the sun behind me this was an opportunity to grab some good shots, although the cold wind hampered things slightly and my tripod almost bit the dust on more than one occasion. At one point I had a heavy plastic police cone jammed up against one tripod leg, to prevent the whole thing toppling over, but it was as much use as a glass hammer. The wind was doing its best to put me off, which is why handheld photography was out of the question. I was never going to photograph the Cathedral from a distance, with a long lens, plus keep the camera steady in the wind, so the tripod saved the day in that respect.

A couple of dog walkers passed me. Other than that I had the place to myself, which isn't a bad thing. The wind was a bad enough distraction, let alone anything or anyone else. A dog did run over to check out my tripod however, having a sniff about the lower legs. I was half expecting it to cock its own leg and irrigate my 'Not Cheap' tripod, so my hiking boot was primed, ready to present a kick in the gonads at any given moment. Luckily for the K9, it thought against the idea and toddled off down the hill to reunite with its master. Time for me to crack on.

I ran off a few frames and headed back to the car, hands and face numb with cold. Ah well, who dares wins. The fair-weathered photographer only makes a fraction of good pictures, compared to one who goes the extra mile in all conditions to achieve that little bit more. Todays visit to Durham was more than worthwhile and I found myself a great spot for future reference. I could see Penshaw Monument in the distance so I added it to my composition. I never imagined I could have photographed both of these iconic landmarks together, but now I have (see shot 3, above) and they certainly sit together very well, despite being miles apart, geographically. My final shot (below) was composed with one thing in mind - Magazine cover!

And that's about it. Not a long blog entry by any standard, but this is only the first part of my Durham Cathedral entry for May. The second and final instalment will be here very soon, as I revisit the same spot for some night time photography. Watch this space...

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

Angel Of The North - Tutorial 2

Following a recent photography tutorial to a friend, at Gibson's Cave, we were out again with the camera's at another location closer to home. This time it was Gateshead's 'Angel Of The North', for some evening shots and another insight into shutter speed. The Gibson's Cave tutorial focused on slow shutter speeds, as we photographed a waterfall and wanted the desired milky effect of the water as it fell. The results of that visit can be viewed here. So it was shutter speed once again, but this time we were heading further up the scale with faster speeds in very bright sunlight. As the sun sets behind the Angel, our best hope was to grab some silhouette shots, with the setting sun in the background and hopefully a burst of colour after it had set. We fired off a few frames on the plot where the tree's had been felled, which offered us a position which was impossible to imagine just a few weeks ago. I explained to Billy that the inclusion of people in the shot was, in my opinion, quite important, as a sense of scale gives the image an extra dimension. Without people in the frame the image simply doesn't have the same impact, so it was a waiting game as we picked off the best visitors to include in our shots. It was quiet at first, with no-one showing up, so we improvised and added ourselves to each others shots, just to warm up, ready for those unsuspecting folk walking into our shots and not having a clue what was going on behind our lenses. My first shot shows Billy doing a spot of modelling, he he, as he does as he is told by his mentor and gets his arse into the picture. Metering off the brightest part of the sky I was running with a fast shutter speed of 500th of a second, in shutter speed priority. Seven frames per second and the job was done, as Billy walked up the hill towards the Angel. I was lucky to see some colour in the sky too, on the horizon, which made the shot. Abstract worked quite well with this one, as I zoomed in to clip one of the Angel's wings.

My second shot is in Landscape mode, and again I went for scale, using a young girl who was photographing the sculpture from the approach path. This was actually taken before my first shot (above), and before the sun had set. Some nice cloud formation in this one, which was emphasised with a polarising filter - always a handy piece of kit to have tucked away in the bag. I deliberately under-exposed this shot to add that little bit of moody drama to it, and it seemed to work. Composition is all important, as usual, so get this aspect right and you're half way there. Billy took my advice on board and was quickly up and running on his own, pulling in some great shots.

My final shot of the Angel was taken the next day, from a viewpoint near the 'Angel View' pub, on the roadside towards Wrekenton. I was driving along this route and noticed an angle that I'd never seen before, so quickly pulled over and done the necessary. Something a bit different, with the countryside backdrop offering a different slant on my Angel photo's.

Plenty more photo's to come...
Until then, see ya.
Ash

Rainton Meadows - First Visit Of 2013

Hello again. The roaming Mackem Photographer returns with another dose of this highly addictive hobby that is Photography. My addiction has lasted over thirty years and shows no sign of relenting, so be prepared more of the same in 2013, as I bring to you my hobby in picture form. And already the new year is not so new, if you get my drift, as we rapidly head into Spring - It doesn't seem five minutes since it was Christmas. Yes, time does indeed fly, and time can pass you by in an instant, so it's very often a good thing to make the most of some situations which won't happen again. Of course, I'm talking about the hands on, day to day involvement with my family, and in particular my son, who is now 12 years old. When he's not out and about with his friends, or glued to his X-Box, he likes to spend some time with his 'Owld Man', whether it's footy practise up the park, weekend camping, or simply a visit to Rainton Meadows, he's always up for it. And it's Rainton Meadows that is the focus of today's blog entry, following our first visit of the year to the nature reserve. It's literally 'Round the corner', although his lazy Fatha insists on taking the car, he he. It was a fine day, perfect conditions for checking out the latest activity on the waters of Rainton Meadows, although there wasn't a great deal happening when we arrived. We got chatting to a couple of photographers in the main hide that overlooks the largest of the set of ponds. They were happy to see a youngster getting involved in this type of thing, and he was quick to let them know of his intention to hopefully make a career out of it. It was deja vu, in one respect, as I recall a similar thing that evolved around 12 years ago at the same location. I made regular visits to the meadows, and Joe's Pond, with my stepson, who was only 11 years old at the time, and also had an interest in nature, before the other side of life kicked in and slowly grew out of it. He enjoyed his time though, and we spent many a Summer evening watching the wildlife, before he discovered girls, computer games and The Simpsons! Despite this, he was adamant he would go on and make a career caring for animals, and is now studying towards this, with the RSPCA in Edinburgh. Chris is hoping to follow in Johnny's footsteps, and being determined as he is, he'll certainly give it everything.

So, here are a few photographs I took recently at Rainton Meadows, Houghton le Spring. At the bottom of this blog entry you'll see some shots I took a few years ago, when Chris was still in his buggy and Johnny was giving him a crash course on Birdlife! Aye, we went through many a loaf of bread, back then. But hey, priceless moments like this are to be cherished, even long after the event, and it's very satisfying to know that we had those times, and that we still have them today. You really can't put a price on these things. I don't understand parents who shy away from interaction with their own kids, then wonder why those kids want little to do with them once they're up and away. Ah well, you reap what you sow, in many respects. Funnily enough, Johnny and his girlfriend stayed with us for a week over Easter, during which time we caught up on things, and I admit to enjoying his company the most as we watched Newcastle United's demise in the Europa Cup to Benfica. With him being a NUFC die-hard, and his stepdad being a 'Red n White', I took great pleasure in watching him squirm as their Semi-Final hopes were dashed. He shared some bottles of Newcy Brown Ale with me as we watched the game, and believe me, I had to think long and hard before accepting Geordie Ale. A wonder I never choked! But as I write this latest blog entry, Sunderland and Newcastle are about to face each other in the Tyne-Wear Derby at St. James' Park. Oh dear, I don't like watching these games - too tense. Not for the feint-hearted. I predict a 2-1 victory for the Black Cats of Wearside, under the guidance of one Paolo Di Canio.

Back on topic though...
Rainton Meadows will be revisited over the Spring and Summer months, so hopefully I'll be able to bring you a few nice Nature shots. I really should invest in some new glass, possibly a 400mm telephoto affair, but these things don't come cheap. I'll have to sell a few more photo's. Until then...

See ya next time, 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

 

Easter In The Lake District

Welcome back to my blog page, brought to you by the roaming Mackem Photographer!
The Easter weather in the North-East of England has been a bit of 'Hit and miss', with bright sunshine and broken cloud one day, followed by overcast skies and light showers the next. Then again, this is the North-East, where unpredictable weather is almost the norm, so we take what comes our way and duly plod on. I don't take a lot of notice of weather forecasts these days, even though I'm a regular viewer of the Tyne-Tees TV weather bulletins, to which I often contribute my own photo's. Although the forecasts are quite accurate they can also be inaccurate, even one day in advance, so I tend to go with the flow and adapt my photography to the changing weather conditions. In most cases you have to suck the proverbial lemon and make the most of what you've got, sun, rain, wind or snow. A typical example of this confronted me last Sunday, when I made the trip west to the Lake District National Park, during what was billed as 'Mostly sunny and occasional cloudy weather.' Well it was cloudy alright, make no mistake of that, but as for 'Mostly sunny', someone was surely having a laugh! The sun did show for a few minutes during the whole day, but that was all we got, so it was quite disappointing in that respect. Plan B has a timely habit of kicking in under circumstances like this, when a lack of colour has me eyeing up those potential moody shots, and what better place to be than the Lake District. Today's photo offerings are almost Black & White, give or take the odd carpet of green grass here and there. My first shot is by far the most colourful of the bunch - a classic Lake District scene, captured at the Keswick Launch, on the shoreline of Derwentwater. Taken shortly before lunch time, I was lucky the cold weather didn't attract tourists who fancied an open boat trip across the lake, so all of the rowing boats sat exactly where I had hoped, tethered to each other, ready to be photographed. Anyone that did take to the water was ferried across by a sheltered tourist boat, which can also be seen in my first shot, as it pulls in alongside the jetty. The backdrop of High Spy & Catbells, to the left, plus Causey Pike & Barrow to the right finish the shot off quite well. These are fells of the North-Western Region, topped by a sprinkling of snow, and definitely on my list of fells to climb in the Summer.

After my brief stop at Keswick Launch I headed to Buttermere, part of the Western Fell Region. It was still overcast when I arrived, some minutes later. I parked up near the Fish Inn and started my walk down to the Buttermere shoreline, and cold it certainly was. There was quite a few like-minded folk on the public footpath, braving the chill, en route to the waters edge and the view that greeted all. I could only imagine how much better this view would have been on a hot Summer's day, blue sky, broken cloud and all that comes with it. But once again, it was here and now so there was no time to dwell on what wasn't in the glass, but to be thankful for what was in it. Onward I went, round the lake from the Northern end and back again, in a mere two hours, which wasn't bad considering the amount of photo stops I chalked off. At the Southern End of Buttermere I reached one of the most popular photographic locations in the UK, the Sentinels, which are a row of tree's at the waters edge, sitting in front of two dominating fells, Haystacks & Green Gable. Another location that has to be top of my list for the Summer, but I will need to be awake early for this one as the sun comes up directly behind these two massive fells. To view a Google based image of exactly what I'm describing, 'Click here.' Ten minutes or so into my walk around the lake, I was immune to the cold, climatising quickly to the conditions that I was presented with, although I admit to being wrapped up well from head to toe (Be prepared). As Alfred Wainwright once said 'There is no such thing as bad waether in the Lake District, just unsuitable clothing.'

On my return to the Fish Inn, I popped in for a quick glass of Coke, to wet the owld whistle, before sitting my arse down in the car for a well deserved breather. I tucked into a bag of crisps to fill a hole, before leaving Buttermere and driving up Honister Pass to Keswick, then back onto the A66, homeward bound. Of course, the roaming Mackem Photographer needs his body fuel, so a pit-stop at Penrith saw me handing over £5.20 for a big portion of the finest Fish & Chips, washed down with Diet Coke. Now that was worth the wait. I had me little heart set on a Kebab, with hot chilli and garlic sauce, but I found a chip shop and got myself in. Just about to pull away with the goodies when I noticed a young couple walking out of a shop a few doors up the bank where I was parked. They had a carrier bag with those white polystyrene boxes in it, ya know, the ones you get KEBABS in.
As I drove away I looked towards the shop front and the sign above the front window said 'Turkish Kebab House' !!!!  Typical eh. These Fish & Chips better be good or else I'll not be a happy bunny. Ah well, I shoulda looked around first instead of jumping the gun. Anyway, the Fish Supper was very, very good, so it worked out well in the end. I've gone off Kebab's anyway (wink).

And that is all once again. Hope you like the latest batch of photo's. It was a good trip and despite the dull weather, the Lake District always has something to offer - it's photogenic all the way, rain, wind, snow or sun. It's there for the taking...
To view more photo's of my Buttermere visit, look out for a site update at www.ashleycorr.com.

Ash

Gibson's Cave, Middleton-In-Teesdale

A Tutorial.

A day without colour, a day without sky, and a day to forget in photography terms. Well, not quite. A miserable day with very a flat overcast sky killed any opportunity of some decent landscape photography, but these conditions are favourable when shooting waterfalls, so why not have a bash. I had an accomplice today, Mr Billy Short, latest member of the Canon Club, who was after an introductory crash course on his new hobby. So off we went, into the heart of Teesdale to a location known as Bowes Lees, home of the picturesque Gibson's Cave. On the road for just under an hour, before reaching our destination, we were greeted with a fair amount of snow, which was absent at home, but we were well prepared for the accompanying chill and wrapped up accordingly. Off we tootled, through the wooded area where we eventually found our first waterfall. Nothing special, in all honesty, but this offered a first opportunity to show Billy the ropes, so he set his gear up and I walked him through the necessary settings to achieve the shots he wanted. It was the classic 'Milky effect' waterfall that we were after, so as a starting point we set a shutter speed of 1/10th of a second, working slightly either side and cherry picking the best shot so we could determine which shutter speed we were going to run with for the rest of the session. We covered the broad range of camera settings, dialing in a preferred choice throughout, before composing and eventually tripping the slow shutter. Billy was more than happy with the results on his Canon 1100d, which was also pleasing from my point of view, so the first tutorial went carefully to plan. Mr Short was even happier when he saw his mentor fall flat on his arse in the slippery snow. I was up on my feet in no time, especially as his camera was primed and pointing squarely in my direction - we'll have no Facebook exposure here, Mr Bootleg (Long story). 

Gibson's Cave was adorned with icicles, many of which were at least 3 metres long. The waterfall, Summerhill Force,  took centre stage as usual, and who would deny its glory. As the sun shone briefly I was almost hit by icicles, melting and falling from the rocks above me. You got a real sense of danger when these things hit the floor nearby with a very noticeable racket, so I wasn't gonna 'Hang around' for long (pun intentional). We crossed the water to the other side of the cave, hoping to grab more shots from another angle, which we did. Billy was off an running by this time, getting to grips with his new toy and firing away as if he'd been at it for years. He pulled in some nice close-ups of the ice formations too. As the sun shone brightly it hampered our task somewhat, throwing far too much light into the camera, so we tinkered with a cheap set of ND filters (Screw on) to block some of that light out, which gave us our required shutter speed back. Thank you.
We photographed Gibson's Cave for a good 45 minutes or so before heading back to the car, stopping briefly so I could pull a falling icicle from my skull (shown here). And that was it, lesson over. Until the next one...

Ash

Waves Of Discontent

Welcome back!
Seascapes come in various forms, from the calm to the stormy, the peaceful to the dramatic. And it's drama all the way in my latest batch of photographs which were captured locally, at Seaham Harbour in the County of Durham. Last Sunday was a right old windy affair, along with overcast skies and lack of colour all round. That combined was enough to leave with with little option other than to make it down to the coast in the hope of striking lucky with some big waves. JACKPOT !!!
Good decision - I'd never witnessed a sea like this one, as one massive wave after another rolled in, battering the sea walls and showing next to no mercy. Seaham Pier was up against it too, which is what I focused on for today's shoot, beginning my task from the top of a hill which overlooked Seaham Harbour. The steps to the summit were out of bounds, cordoned off with a barrier, which was less than imposing, so over I went, climbing the dozen or so steps until my vantage point was right in front of me. Naturally, in weather like this you get an accompaniment of chill, and boy was it cold. I was layered up, doing my prep work to a tee, well...not quite. Before leaving home I doubled up on fleeces, adding a body warmer for good measure. How about a wooly 'Bin Man' hat - yes, I'll have one of those too, plus warm hiking boots and 3 tog socks. Sorted? No way! I forget the gloves and paid a heavy price. Me little fingers were like icicles and I was in so much pain, I wasn't far off tears. Friggin' nightmare. But what to do, eh, other than grin and bare it. I wasn't gonna walk away from an opportunity like this.

I made my first few pictures from up top, before driving the car a short distance to the entrance of Seaham Pier, where I got the distinct impression I was getting a little bit too close to the action. The high North Sea to my left was frighteningly close to breaching the sea wall, it was that lively. The car was rocking to and fro, the winds doing their very best to intimidate. To my right, where I was now parked up, the Pier and lighthouse were both taking a battering from the incoming waves. This wasn't a happy sea and it wasn't taking prisoners in its state of discontent. Cars came and went, with occupants taking in the drama before heading off to safer ground. It was now time to take more shots, so I got out the car and almost got knocked off my feet with the full force of the wind that greeted me. I noticed the owld couple nearby, in the Morris Minor rust bucket, pointing towards me and laughing, but it was alright for them, they were safe and warm, they could laugh. I had a little chuckle to myself, ah well, I gave them summat to smile about. For a few minutes I stayed out there, opting to take the bad weather firmly on the chin, as the strong winds whipped up sand, straight into my eyes and mouth - not a pretty experience, to say the least. I imagined the owld folk behind me, laughing again, as I gave them better entertainment than 'Sunday At The Palladium' he he. As I
almost fell to my feet once again I turned my back on the wind and the seascape in front of me. From the corner of my eye I noticed owld Ernest & Elsie laughing their tits off at me, as I wrestled the elements, scoring nothing during the first three rounds. But hey, points were scored 'In camera' so I was consoled with that thought and fired off more frames to balance the boat, as it were. I was fighting my way back into the bout!

By this time my face and hands were in severe pain, chilled to a state of almost complete numbness, which I couldn't tolerate any longer, so I jumped back into my car. A safe haven, albeit temporarily, and with the added luxury of heaters. We take these things for granted usually, but what a godsend they were today, as they pumped out some much needed heat, making me look human once again. After recovering enough feeling in my hands I continued making pictures from inside the car, with a window lowered just enough to stick my lens out of. But with that came another snag - sand, sand and bloody more sand was thrown into the car through the five inch window drop, but I wasn't gonna miss capturing the scene in front of me, so I was more than happy for the interior to take one for the team. The Mrs can always hoover it up at a later date, he he. She'll kill me if she reads this. After ten minute or so there was, erm... quite a covering of sand along the dashboard, and the seats, and the floor. What a mess! Time to leave. Job done - I'd pulled in quite a bit of drama, a good slice of angry sea, all recorded on memory card, so off I drove. I made the decision there and then to get my freezing cold arse along the coast and into Gods Country, Sunderland, home of the devoted Mackem. It was destination Roker, for more big waves and the last drops of action before the tide turned. I parked up near Roker Hotel, up a height, along the seafront, shooting down towards the pier. The waves weren't as dramatic here, but enough to grab a couple of half-decent shots.

Enough was enough, as I waved (no pun intended) the white towel and made my way to Macdonalds, where hot coffee awaited. The 'mender' was well appreciated, and well needed, well deserved too. Soon I was back home, reviewing my 'Catch of the day' and being well pleased with the results. It may be some time before I witness another sea like this one. Until then, I think I'll play safe and stay at home, feet up in front of the fire. It's a much better place, trust me...

Ash

Photo's 1-5 > Seaham
6&7 > Roker