January in Sidmouth

The day starts off with its usual grey, insipid cloak, this has been the norm for the year so far.
Deciding that the moors would not be a good idea after the recent rains, today’s venue is an early jaunt to Sidmouth.

The closer we get to our destination, the skies show a promise of clearing as sun lit clouds make a most welcome appearance.
Approaching the sea front, the wind is still keen to make its prescence known, but the sight of sun dappled waves lapping the pebbled shore and golden sun rays, reaching like fingers into the sea, is a sight I will never tire of.

Joined only by dog walkers and those looking for a newspaper to read with their breakfast and coffee, the beach is pretty deserted for now.

Watching the clouds float by, I decide to take a few long exposure shots, the waves on the breakwater, the clouds sailing across the sky….

As the tide ebbs, a chance to walk across the full length of the beach is too good to miss, a chance for the customary stone stacking, and foraging for images….

 

As usual, time has wings and flies so quickly, the beach fills with like minded folk, seeking to enjoy the rare visit of sunshine.
On winter days such as this, the light is not too harsh, the contrasts of the red rock against a blue sky is such a change from the monochrome cloud and rain we have endured throughout the last few weeks.

With such inspiring landscapes upon my doorstep, it is not hard to see why tourists flock from far and wide during the holiday season, but for me, the true beauty is to see these places in the quieter times, when we have a chance to stand and stare.

Rainy days

I woke this morning to the usual grey insipid skies so common for this time of year, but instead of merely supping copious amounts of caffeine and staying in, decided to take a walk into town with the idea of capturing some monochrome images of my home city.

Exeter is blessed with so many side streets and alleyways, perfect for light and reflections to show upon the slabs or cobbles.

 

For a Saturday morning, the streets were bereft of the shoppers that are likely to appear later in the day, I actually like the feeling of having the city to myself while I move from place to place in a world of my own.

A January outing

The festivities are well and truly over, January sees life return to a semblance of normality, for some, it is a month to hibernate away from the cold, damp weather, for me, it is an oppotunity to capture popular summer haunts in their winter clothing.

Cafes remain closed, their owners taking a well deserved break before the coming season, beaches bereft of sandcastles and brightly clad bathers.
The gentle solitude of a seaside town in winter has its own kind of beauty, it is a chance to capture a place in another mood, an opportunity to capture the things that can be missed as we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of those warmer days.

A recent visit to my home town of Salcombe for a couple of days, offered a chance to capture the town in its post Christmas lull….

Winter time often gives some wonderful lighting, the textures of the quay area caught my eye as the light fell uopn the walls and floor, equally, the long exposure taken at North sands gave a very pleasing end result.

Working with my self imposed square format perspective with my photos, has made an enjoyable hobby even more so, as I am seeing different ways to shoot everyday scenes.

Even the days I travel back from my visits to Salcombe are often photo opportunities, a quick trip to Slapton, capturing images between the rain showers ….

 

Back to the blog

The start of another year, the hope of keeping to new years resolutions.

No, I have not taken a membership to a gym, neither have I taken to pounding the roads by running myself into oblivion, instead, I will attempt (note I did not say promise) to keep more regular postings here with my various camera outings.

My recent self imposed challenge with just using a 50mm lens in 2017 was enjoyable, forcing the creative side to find the more unusual take on a subject, it is something I will continue doing throughout 2018

As well as my favourite fifty, I will be mainly shooting 35mm, essentially my two favourite focal lengths, but I will also be adopting the ‘square’ format to my armoury this year.

Over the festive period, I was reading articles on the various formats used in photography, the 6×6 ‘square’ was the one that piqued my interest.
Used in the past by the medium format photographers with their twin reflex cameras, I love the way this format frees the composition out of the constraints of the rules of the thirds.

As most modern cameras now allow the facility to change aspect ratios, with their advanced EVF’s it is possible to view the cropped frame within the viewfinder.

A recent trip to Avon Dam on Dartmoor was the first time I tried this, it was a little odd at first, not seeing the whole image in the usual 3:2 aspect ratio where it filled the entire screen / viewfinder.

I like the way the image fills the square, leaving no empty spaces at the edge, the eye is drawn immediately to the subject.
I particularly like the way that Black & white images suit this format.

It is going to be fun discovering the everyday, in a new perspective, and hopefully as much fun sharing the images in more regular blogs