Category: photography

Low tide Sunset

By cpadmin

Low tide sunset is one of a collection of image capture on the river crouch at the Hullbridge Crossing, South Woodham Ferrers side. The setting sun was a strong orange globe and offered possibilities. The brown mud tempered by enthusiasm. High tide would have offered much more photogenic opportunities, nevertheless we were where we were! This image shows the sun reflected in the pink finger of water which is extending to the shore from the centre of the river. While the sun is setting people are walking on the river bank. Their reflections also appear in the water. The chocolate coloured mud is also turning golden under the setting sun.

Low tide sunset
Reflections in the water at low tide on the River Crouch

Following other attempts, the position of the camera has moved to capture the globe reflected in the water. This shows the challenge of capturing images of a sunset at low tide. The position at high tide is different. Reflections are frequently offered from different positions. It is undoubtedly worth noting that a wet suit would be required to get an image from this position at high tide! So perhaps not! This image does show the pink water, which like a finger is lengthening as the water returns.

Six more images captured at this time can be seen on the Compass Photography website. Use this link to see them

RHS Hyde Hall after the snow

By cpadmin

Snow fell in Essex for the first time in several years, these images show RHS Hyde Hall after the snow. This had meant that local photographers have been short of recently captured local snowy images. Captured on two different visits the images show different aspects of the gardens in the cold conditions.

RHS Hyde Hall after the snow
RHS Hyde Hall after the snow
RHS Hyde Hall after the snow

The first image looks from the winter garden across the grass to Clover Hill. Our eye follows the tracks of an earlier visitor across the grass. The shadows tell us that winter daylight will soon be ending. Secondly, we have an image captured from the middle of the winter garden, note the cornus in the foreground. The eye follows the path as it winds this way and that up the slope to the hilltop garden.

Without doubt the red and orange of the Cornus Sanguinea midwinter fire stands out against the snow and the bright blue sky in image three. It was great to be at RHS Hyde Hall after the snow, however it was freezing cold. More images from this shoot at Hyde Hall can be found in the latest images section of the Compass Photography Website. These include inquisitive robins, lens ball images and snow blown over a frozen lake.

You can also look up the RHS Hyde Hall website from here

Frozen pond on a freezing day

By cpadmin
Frozen pond freezing day
Frozen pond on a freezing day

Frozen pond on a freezing day is the third image of the same pond I have published. Captured at 0900 on a very cold morning this image offers little comfort. Two previous images of the same pond have been published, however this one is darker and more foreboding. The sky is overcast and it is snowing. There is more snow on the ground in this image. Snow lies on the arms of the large tree.

There is a distinct wintery image to this picture of the pond. The tree does reflect in the ice, however they are much less striking and dull. Bare branches of the bushes frame this image as they reach out to the pond. Moving around the pond to capture the image was a treacherous venture. I have been asked where this photogenic pond is. It is at the rear of Blackwood Chine in South Woodham Ferrers in Essex CM3 5FZ. Top Barn Lane is what this stretch was called originally.

Snow is on the ground and the forecast leads us to expect more later. The plan is to make the most of the snow. We get it so rarely these days, however there is always the concern of safety. More snowy images will be published on the Compass Photography Website Latest Images – Compass Photography Group

Pond in the snow

By cpadmin
Pond in the snow
Snowy pond

Here we see the pond in the snow. This image captures the same pond from the same vantage point as the post of a few days ago. Snow, that local rarity, fell as the image is captured. It made the image less sharp and a little blurry in parts, however reflections of the tree are still visible in the water. Getting to the vantage point was a little more tricky though. Under foot the ground was muddy and slippery. Still you have to suffer for your art! This image was captured in the late morning yesterday, however the pond was frozen over this morning. The resulting image is much darker and not as attractive this one of the pond in the snow. The clouds are heavy and create a sense of foreboding.

There is a complete covering of snow on the ground today and it is so recent that there are no footprints in it. There is a covering of snow on the arms of the large tree today.

This image has a gentle sprinkling of snow on the bare bushes and snow in the air too. The falling snowflakes can best be picked off against the brown area on the trunk. Its such a rarity to have snow that I am going to go around and about to capture more images of snow later. Have a look for these over the next few days at Latest Images – Compass Photography Group

Reflections in the Pond

By cpadmin
Water in the pond
After all of the rain the pond is full of water

There are reflections in the pond! You may be scratching your head thinking why is this remarkable. Bear with me. This pond is very near to our house. Unsubstantiated legend has it that the pond was created in the dim and distant past when builders dug the Essex clay to make bricks. No one really knows if that is true. A neighbour who was present in the 1980s when the present houses were built said that the pond always used to be full. He said that “things” were dumped in the pond during the building process. When they were finishing off the builders pumped the pond dry and took the stuff away.

The pond is normally dry now days. When we get a lot of rain the water will accumulate. Recently, there has been enough rain to please Noah, so the level of water is high. There is more than two feet of water in the centre. One day last week the sun was out and I managed to capture an image of the water and the reflection of the tree in the water. There is just enough space to capture the spreading arms of the bare tree in the area of the water.

Last year a pair of ducks came quite regularly to take residence and its hoped that they will visit again this year.

This image is in the “latest images” section of the Compass Photography Website. Click here to take a look at them

Clements Green Creek SWF

By cpadmin

Clements Green Creek SWF is in South Woodham Ferrers in the County of Essex. The tidal River Crouch fills and empties from the Creek twice a day. At high or low tide there is either a wide expanse of water of a wide expanse of mud. When the water is high and calm like a mill pond it is possible to see reflections from the clouds. One of the images below shows that.

A gentle breeze leads the clouds across the face of the water. High water and wind can make for some turbulence Low tide brings a huge expanse of dark brown chocolate coloured mud into view. It brings lots of bird to peck in the mud for food and as they do this they make whistling noises. The mud looks like a pancake rolled out by a rolling pin. At low tide a trickle of water progresses round the narrow channel and down the estuary to the sea. The second image shows the chocolate brown mud at low tide.

More images captured recently at Clements Green Creek SWF are shown in the “latest images” gallery on our Compass Photography website. Clements Green Creek – Compass Photography Group

  • Clements Green Creek - Low tide
    Mud looking banks with a brown chocolate pancake texture
  • Clements Green Creek SWF
    Clouds reflect in the water at high tide

Bright day at Hadleigh Castle

By cpadmin

Bright day at Hadleigh Castle. Hadleigh Castle in Essex is an English Heritage property near Southend. English Heritage’s website describes it as “The romantic ruins of a royal castle overlooking the Essex marshes”. Hadleigh was begun in about 1215 by Hubert de Burgh, but extensively refortified by Edward III during the Hundred Years War, becoming a favourite residence of the ageing king John. See more on the English Heritage website

  • Falling over
    The falling tower at Hadleigh Castle
  • Hadleigh Castle
    The Norman Tower at Hadleigh Castle

My visit to Hadleigh Castle in Essex took place in the week before Christmas 2020. It was a week day and there were not too many people about. A selfish thought but it was good for capturing images. The website also tells us that In 1215 King John gave this area of land, known as the manor of Hadleigh, along with many other gifts, to Hubert de Burgh, his chief minister. The castle is a ruin. Two towers are still visible, one of them leaning precariously. The other one is upright and it is possible to go inside it.

The bright day at Hadleigh Castle provided some magnificent views from the castle and its surroundings. Looking up the Thames the Great Cranes at Tilbury are visible. Looking down the Thames, the pier at Southend is visible. A bracing walk along the grass offers lots of opportunities to capture interesting images.

This post shows two of the many images captured. Go to the Compass Photography Website www.compassphotography.co.uk to see more images captured that day

Candles and a nativity

By cpadmin

Candles and a nativity. The black metal frame of a candle lit nativity scene was a Christmas present in 2019. It contains a nightlight holder and the light from that holder shines over the manger/crib. To light the scene further I have used a larger multi-coloured candle. The rainbow colours of this candle light the whole area around the nativity scene. The wall behind the candles also takes on a different glow, depending upon how dark it is.

Candle lit nativity
Lens ball nativity
Candle lit nativity

Early one evening the candle produced a purple glow, subsequently the glow became more orange and red.

The whole process has been one of experimentation. I have had the nativity scene with and without electric light, with and without a lens ball. The lens ball has been moved backwards and forwards.  A freezer in our extension was a convenient place to capture these images. However its white lid caused unwanted reflections. Towels and other material enabled me to avoid the reflections in the candles and a nativity images.

The Compass Photography Group Website has lots more of our images captured all over the world. Take a look at the site www.compassphotography.co.uk

Multi-coloured candle through lens ball

By cpadmin

Multi-coloured candle through lens ball

These images show a multi-coloured candle shot through a lens ball in the dark. The candle was originally most of the colours of the rainbow. Over the last two years of intermittent use it is burning down. The head of the candle has formed a bowl which houses liquid wax. The image you see is the work of two evenings playing with different settings. By that I mean different camera settings of course. Additionally I was also moving the lens ball and the candle around, standing them on different bases and trying different amounts of light. I tried the lens ball close to the candle and then at a distance. Getting the candle sharp whilst shooting through the lens ball was also a challenge.

  • Multi-coloured candle through lens ball
    The original image with the candle defying gravity
  • Multi-coloured candle through lens ball
    The final image cut to square with the ball spun round and

Once I had a decent image in Lightroom, the candle is still defying gravity and burning upside down. I therefore put the image through Photoshop and spun the centre part of the image with the ball round 180 degrees.

Then back to Lightroom to cut it to square. I hope that you like the multi-coloured candle through lens ball. The original image as shot through the lens ball is also included to show the differences between that shot and the final one. More attempts to follow!

Use this link to look at more of our images https://www.compassphotography.co.uk/

Autumnal Rettendon

By cpadmin

To capture some images of autumnal Rettendon I paid a visit to the churchyard at All Saints. I had been tipped off by someone who knew, that the colours in Church Chase were nice. Before the rain came I nipped up yesterday with my camera. The churchyard and its bushes and trees offer a number of photogenic opportunities. I particularly like how the high branches of some of the bushes arch over the images to “frame” them. These images are on our website on the “Autumn in Rettendon” page. Click here to go there

This post shows three images. There are more images of Autumnal Rettendon on our website. https://www.compassphotography.co.uk/autumn-in-rettendon/

  • autumnal rettendon
    This older image has the lovely arch of the tree framing the image, looking down to the new A130. The corner of the fence and the gravestones add interest
  • autumnal rettendon
    The afternoon sun catches the warm colour of the brickwork on this house and the shade and sunlight make a dappled effect upon the ground where the leaves add colour
  • autumnal rettendon
    Leaves falling in Church Chase on bin day!

The views looking west from the churchyard are quite nice. Hedges on both sides of the A130 hide both the road and its traffic. The hedges are turning gold too. Most of the industrial buildings are hidden in the trees.