last nights storm

We had a storm a few nights back, well quite a few now and i dragged Chris out to New Brighton because i thought it would be a good idea to photograph the lighthouse during the storm. I wanted to try a night time/twilight photograph with a slow shutter speed to get the smooth action of the waves around the lighthouse. It rained and the wind howled and i found it very difficult keeping the camera, which was on a tripod, still. I only got a few shots in before it became too wild and we retreated back to the car. This is the best of the lot.
I also had a few mistakes and this is the one i liked the best.

Talacre Beach

As i mentioned in the previous post Chris and I like to get out at least once a week. On our recent adventures we went to Talacre beach.  If you look hard enough you can see the beach from West Kirby and the lighthouse at the Point of Ayr and i had made it a point to remember that the lighthouse was one i wanted to add to my collection. When we arrived in Talacre it was such a lovely day, the tide was just going out and after a tramp through some disgusting mud and wet sand we made it to the beach. Standing on the sand dunes and looking across to the lighthouse i could just see where i wanted to be to take my photographs but oh, someone was already there, lying right where i wanted to lie. Being told to ‘budge over’ by a strange female is not usually something that happens i’m sure but that’s what i said to Mike Hardisty and very kindly, he did! He even lent me his tarp to lie on while i took my photographs and while i was snapping away Chris was busy chatting to Mike, finding out if he was on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/deeferthedog or if he had a blog http://mikehardisty.wordpress.com/ I got some great shots and i think i am going to have to pay a return visit as i am sure there are so many other photographs waiting for me to take them.

 

http://bit.ly/Xzf590 This is a great site with information regarding the lighthouse which was originally built in 1777 and was bought by James McAllister in 1983. James has taken the time to restore the lighthouse and if you walk right up to it you can see a steel man sculpture right up at the top by the light.

 

Night photography?

Last night i got ‘itchy feet!’

I wondered how i would manage taking photos at night, in the dark. So, as Chris (my husband is @clawfish) was at work and i had said i would pick him up at 9pm, i decided to wander down to West Kirby early and while waiting go and take a few photos, in the dark!

I had spotted that the Wro restaurant had plenty of people in, so decided to go there first. I had an idea of what i wanted to accomplish so set up my camera on the tripod across from the restaurant. I figured that if i started with a 3 second exposure and work from there, bracketing the shots, then i would surely have something to work with as i had decided i wanted to have an HDR effect for this picture. So just as i am setting the shot dont a gaggle of giggling women just have to walk in, around, under and over my view point. Sorry’s all around as they click clicked across the road and finally i can take the shot. I wanted car lights in too so i waited, didnt have long, and took the shot. (There is the cereal killer thing again) I have processed the pictures now and have come out with a b/w and a colour HDR picture.

I then wandered down to Marine Lake as i had an idea for the promenade that i wanted to see, if, it would work.  As i walked down to the sea, well river Dee, i began to realise just how dark  it actually was. Im not one to get spooked easily but when i heard multiple young voices i began to wonder if i was doing the right thing, going into a dark place with my camera equipment, on my own.  But it was a group of supervised kids walking through West Kirby, once through the gaggle of gossiping kids i then walked to the water and immediately what comes to mind? Sharks and wasnt it a good job they dont come out on to the land but the image of jaws jumping out of the water and snatching me off the walk way wouldnt go and i wasnt anywhere near the water, such is my imagination.

I set up to take some timed exposure shots of the promenade down towards the sailing club on the water side of the lake, i started with a 3 second exposure and ended with a 30 second exposure, i bracketed the exposures and after processing i have ended up with these.

As it was really dark i found it quit difficult to focus the shots and processing them i know i have ended up with quite a lot of noise, that is something i need to figure out how to clean up but overall i feel pleased with what i have accomplished and i am definitely going to  be going out in the dark again, though next time i may just take Chris!