As boxing day comes to a close, we enter that weird twilight zone between Christmas and new year where we all lose track of what day it is, so on this particular boxing day (Tuesday?) that I take advantage of the first day of dry weather in a few days, very keen to commence the first of my ‘compact chronicle’ outings.
Armed with the Lumix LX7, a wander on a local shingle beach at low tide seems the ideal way to begin my latest photographic escapade.
After all the hype of the festive build up, this boxing day exudes a quiet lull after the storm feeling, the only sound, the crunch of shingle from my sturdy walking boots and the odd squawk of an attention seeking gull.
Normally I would pay attention to low shots of the boats stranded on the grey low tide sludge,instead I look to the smaller details of the shoreline, the macro mode of this little camera is just the tool for these compositions.
With the first of my chronicles under my belt, I am looking forward to the twists and turns that 2024 will bring.
With just a week or so to go before Christmas, even this curmudgeon is beginning to look forward to the ‘big day’, as it will mean spending time with family and a well earned few days off.
With this Saturday being the penultimate weekend, the shopping centres will be heaving, not my idea of a fun time but I have slowly but surely amassed my Christmas gifts so that operation ‘avoid the crowds’ can be deemed such a success that I was able to get out for another photo walk along the East Devon coast to Budleigh Salterton.
I had not expected the place to be as quiet as it was, most of those partaking in a sneaky seaside stroll walked without a care, with an aura of ‘yeah, I’m ready for Christmas’!
This Saturday was a day of grey overcast skies, with the occasional rays of light playing peek a boo through rare gaps in the cloud, one had to pay attention to capture these all too fleeting moments.
As I strolled along the beach, I began to think more about what direction this blog may go in the new year.
I had started blogging originally when I decided to shoot an entire year with my Fujifilm X100F, a project I really enjoyed, with a camera that I regrettably sold and is too much money second hand to even contemplate.
A second project with just 50mm over 50 days of photo walks soon followed and more recently most of my posts centre around my collection of old digicams and mirrorless cameras.
What started off as projects have become the norm for me, so I am thinking of starting a series of blogs focusing on those compact cameras that I love using so much, the working title is ‘The compact chronicles’ but I am open to other suggestions.
Alongside the ‘chronicles’ will be more blogs based around a lens that has become a firm favourite, the Panasonic Lumix 20mm F1.7, no working title for this yet but something like ‘twenty twenty vision’ is churning away on the cerebral back burner.
I still have a little time to finalise my ideas for 2024 but lets enjoy what is left of ’23 with a handful of shots from yesterday.
A mixture here from my Lumix LX5 and the Olympus EM10 MK3 with that 20mm.
After storm Ciarán finally abated leaving a trail of devastation in its wake last Thursday, I left a photographic trip to the seaside town of Teignmouth until Saturday, even then high winds and spring tides would make for possibly one of my most dramatic outings in some time.
The extent of the damage was considerable along the sea front, the pier battered and damaged, inner walled areas of the promenade pulverised by the sheer power of the waves intrusion onto land.
The tide was just on the ebb as I arrived in Teignmouth, but waves were still crashing into the sea wall and over into parking spaces closest to the sea, yet even then I was unprepared for the sheer volume of the roar and crash as the tail end of the storm did its worst.
For a few minutes I was glued to the spot as wave after wave thundered their way from sea to land, some incoming waves smothered by the outgoing ones, others combining forces for another assault onto the man made structures.
As I began my walk towards the ‘back beach’ I watched the waves crashing against the breakwater, where just a few shots in, I captured an explosion of sea water as it hit the wall, this was perhaps my shot of the day.
I have made this my desktop image on my PC monitor, I can still hear the thundering crash it made as it exploded with all its might, as did so many of the waves I was able to catch on this eventful day.
Careful to observe from distance, I spent the morning just watching where the biggest waves landed, positioning myself a good distance away from where they didn’t as I snapped frame after frame of the moody maelstrom as it unfolded before my eyes.
This is a trip that will stay in my memory for some time, reinforcing how beautiful and yet so destructive nature can be.
After a busy few weeks during the peak season, I am back to a Monday to Friday routine, seeing a welcome return to my visits to my home town of Salcombe.
While I am still focusing on my ‘squares’ project, the black and white theme was temporarily put on hold, as Saturday’s early outing rewarded me with some beautiful light and colours, so today saw the return to ‘normal service’
Today’s shoot was with the latest bargain buy, an Olympus EM10 mk III, with a 17mm F1.8 Olympus lens (35mm full frame equivalent).
This particular focal length is probably my favourite, certainly my most used after spending a year shooting with just a Fujifilm X100F just a couple of years ago, going back to it once more is like slipping into a comfy pair of well worn shoes.
Today’s outing is at Beesands, on the South Devon coast, a couple hours here before my return to Exeter for the start of another working week.
Inspired by the Olympus ‘Grainy film’ mode, I have developed some custom presets, some with less grain and contrast, others to emulate that gritty analogue vibe, Capture one being my editing suite of choice, that said, I do like the in camera output enough to use on some occasions.
I am really enjoying the challenge of the black and white format, learning to use the light and tonality to my advantage, looking for other shots when the light is not in an ideal place, I do feel that I am learning to ‘see’ in black and white the further I get into this project as my shot choices are becoming more selective.
In my last post, I mentioned that I had been awaiting delivery of my latest older camera acquisition, the original Sony RX100, so today’s musing is centered around my first shoot with this little compact.
The RX100 was first released in 2012 and while I did look at the reviews and various videos, it was not something I would consider at this time, I was too obsessed with seeking my holy grail of photography, ‘full frame’.
How times and mindsets change, the RX100 now fits well into my criteria for an older camera, I was looking forward to taking it out for its first shoot, to the East Devon seaside town, Budleigh Salterton.
Having only just picked the camera up from the Royal mail parcel collection office half an our previously, this was going to be very much shooting with an unfamiliar camera and customising on the hoof, rather than doing so in the comfort of home as I normally would.
Fortunately, the menus of the RX100 are laid out in a similar way to other Sony cameras, so I was not a total stranger to the settings so was able to get taking photos in no time.
If I am being honest, I was not sure how much I would like the RX100, one of my first dalliances into full frame was a Sony A7, of which the image quality was stellar but felt a very sterile experience to use, it was rarely the first camera I chose to shoot with for my own personal use but very reliable and capable for any paid work I was doing at that time.
The same cannot be said for the RX100, it is an absolute joy to use and will find a regular place on future outing for certain.
As I edge ever closer to completion of my current project, there is no doubt that I will contue to take just the 50mm lens on the regular outings, to keep the creativity it encourages honed.
However, the project has not just been about the lens, it has also been about my desire to quit from the upgrade race and enjoy camera gear that I would have liked a decade ago but simply could not justify the expense.
Just a few months ago, I had never entertained the idea of ever using a DSLR again, mirrorless cameras were king and of course they may well remain so for some time to come but I am one of those people that like using old gear, enter my Canon 5d MKII.
This camera body , along with the Canon 50mm F1.8 and my vintage 50mm pentacon 1.8 have been on some fabulous outings over the last few months, proving that I do not need to keep make huge dents in my finances to enjoy my trips.
So on day 40, it was a trip locally to Dawlish Warren, for some sea air and some shutter therapy, where my walk would start well before nine and finish before the Sunday day trippers arrived to enjoy their time at the beach.
Sunday was a day of threatening rain clouds alternating with sunny spells, perfect conditions for some good light with mood in the sky above.
With the tide just about on the ebb, my path was on the upper part of the beach where the softer sand slows the pace a little, giving the calf muscles a good work out over the course of the route.
I really enjoy these mornings on the beach, especially watching the ebbing tide reveal pristine sand as it recedes, it’s like natures etch a sketch, wiping the evidence of seabird or human footprints from its memory.
Anyway, enough words, here are the images from a stroll along the shore.
One of the many pleasures I get from my photography walks, is getting to photograph somewhere for the first time.
With the plethora of online resources available to us all, it is easy enough to research places, especially useful if it were for a working assignment but for my pleasure photography, I try to avoid ‘spoilers’, that way, I can see a new venue for the first time.
There is no doubt that somewhere along the line, I will find a well photographed landmark, the fun is finding such images for myself, maybe with the hope of seeing it from a more unusual aspect.
So day #38 finds me on a brief trip to Barmouth, situated on the west coast of Wales, it is a popular seaside destination, luckily for me, it is just before the peak holiday season but even in mid June, I am joined by a healthy number of other day trippers.
With postcard perfect blue skies and pristine, almond white sands, this town oozes charm and some stunning views, especially that of the impressive railway bridge and the Snowdonia national park for its backdrop.
As has become customary during my 50mm project, I create a multiple shot panorama, this time of my view from the walk along the breakwater, too good an opportunity to pass up.
A 12 image panorama of Barmouth harbour
Today’s visit is all too brief but there is a certainty that I will return for a longer exploration and a promise to myself that I will add the railway bridge walk to that itinerary, something I am already looking forward to.
It’s just after 04:15 as I head out this Saturday morning to capture another seaside sunrise, this time at Dawlish Warren.
As I make my way to the railway station, the dawn chorus has begun already, a male blackbird stands proudly atop a concrete pillar, preaching his avian chorus to anyone who listens, I do, his melodic overture is a pleasure to hear as a new day begins.
My walk to the station is rarely interrupted but for the occasional takeaway car making their last calls to hungry party goers, or taxi cabs ferrying the night club weary back home for a welcome slumber.
In just a few weeks, even the five AM train will not be early enough for those summer seaside sunrises but that is a concern for then, not now.
The train glides out of Exeter St. David’s station on time, I will be at my destination in twenty minutes and with darkness already lifting, I can see a little colour beginning to form in the sky above.
Mine is just the third stop of the train’s journey to Paignton, Dawlish Warren station is just a stone’s throw from here, the local arcades, cafe’s and fairground rides lie dormant for now, in just a few hours, it will be a thriving mini town, as day trippers and tourists from the local camp sites look to entertain family members, young and old.
The beauty of the new day has begun already, bright orange and dark blue skies are all I need to get the camera out for the first shot of the day, a simple composition of nearby benches in silhouette.
First image of the day
It is a fabulous start but I am keen to find a few more shots before the sun begins its rapid ascent, with the tide making its way in, I look to find some reflections in the calm water as a contrast to the rippled patterns in the exposed sand and a couple images from the path above the beach, using the picket fence as foreground interest.
Once the sun appears above the horizon, these beautiful shades will be lost all too soon, all the more reason to just sit and enjoy the rest of this brief show with a well earned cuppa from my generously sized thermos flask.
With mission sunrise achieved, I will make my way along the footpath to Starcross and Cockwood, joining the estuary trail as far as Topsham, where I will catch a ferry and enjoy a well deserved refreshment.
The next set of images are just a handful of those I took along one of my favourite hikes, a good ten miles allowing for my numerous ‘off piste’ ambles along the way in the search for more photos.
After Saturday morning’s sunny start to the Mayday bank holiday, Sunday reverted to the more traditional British bank holiday fare of grey skies and intermittent rain.
Unperturbed, a hastily planned trip to the East Devon coast was to be my destination for today’s outing, more precisely, Budleigh Salterton.
After the recent Easter holidays, the tourist season has begun, the beach huts that line various locations along the beach are now out of winter storage, most are still padlocked shut but the odd one or two are cosy wooden havens from which to watch the waves, for those that have brought a bite to eat and hot drinks.
This Mayday bank holiday is probably the least busy of the spring bank holidays, closely sandwiched as it is, between Easter and Whitsun, there is no half term holiday to extend the week.
There is rain in the air, as I embark on another seaside foray, the sky above just a few shades of grey with little character, perfect for those monochrome edits I like.
For today’s outing, I am using the native Canon lens (50mm F1.8), a lens I am coming to know inside out, one of the side benefits of using a particular lens for a length of time, many of today’s images will be shot between f1.8 & F2 and rarely above F5.6, just because that slight softness will suit today’s conditions.
My meander from one end of the beach to the other will take just over an hour, as I thread my way between the small fishing boats along the shore, snapping the array of lobster and crab pots that await their next use.
It may not have been the brightest day but any seaside exploration is a more than pleasant way to enjoy a Sunday.
As my working week edge closer to Fridays, plans begin to take shape for my weekend photo walks, as I perused the weather forecast, Saturday was looking good for another sunrise.
It’s 4am on Saturday when the alarm sounds, an hour later than my normal work day alarm but I am already awake, supping the first brew of the day and getting ready to head out for my 5am train.
As usual, I arrive at the station with more than enough time to spare, I could never be one of those people that leave appointments or meetings until the very last moment,I have never enjoyed trying to make up time, preferring to ease myself more sedately into my day!
My train will take around 25 minutes to get to today’s destination, Teignmouth, sunrise will be just 15 minutes after my arrival, enough time to pick my spot to watch the new day dawn.
Finding my place on the shoreline, the dawn light show has begun already, skies of blue and orange, reflected into the sea, a truly beautiful start to my morning.
It is not long before the sun appears from below the horizon, its vibrant orange orb adding more fiery hues to the sky.
I make my way further along the sea front, I would like to capture a scene of the pier as the sun rises above, I am not prepared for the scene that unfolds as apparently out of nowhere, a flock of herring gulls are above the pier and appear to surround the sun…..
As much as I enjoy capturing these scenes, I feel that sometimes I miss opportunities to just observe, caught up in the moment as I am with my photography, today I make the time to just sit and watch while enjoying my second cuppa of the day from my flask… and then a third.
From here, I walk towards Teignmouth’s ‘back beach’, admiring the golden glow cast on the scene before me, where I meet Claire, a Teignmouth local who takes time every day to clear the beach of litter, in rain, wind or shine.
I admire the work and dedication of people such as Claire and others, who strive on a daily basis to clear up the debris of the idle, when did some lose the notion that we should leave a place how we would wish to find it?
By the time I have finished my beach side amble, it is just after 8am, I head back to the station for the next train and begin to look forward to the full English I promised myself a few hours before.
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