Category: Seascape

Stormy Seas – Competition successes!

By cpadmin

Stormy Seas – Competition successes! These three images have just received prizes in the same international competition. The theme of the competition was “Capture the Wind”. With storm Dennis which is here today, these images will resonate. The one with the hooked wave came 11th out of 500 and the other one came 74th out of 500. The wave rolling in came 200th out of 500!

The first image was captured at Ramsgate on the first Sunday of January 2018. The weather had been bad. I was fed up of being cooped up inside, I definitely needed to get out. The south coast was my destination. The sea along the beach at Ramsgate was foaming. In addition, when I got to the harbour around lunchtime there were some giant waves. Very dramatic!

The power of the sea, Ramsgate
The power of the sea

Broardstairs is the location for the second image. It’s not far from Ramsgate. People had parked cars on the quay whilst the tide was out and as it came in, the tide washed the cards. I have often wondered if the cars started after their soaking. Some daft folk were also dodging in and out of the spray.

Stormy seas
Washing the cars at Broadstairs!

The third image shows a wave at Dunbar in Scotland last year. It is one of a burst of seven images. It was windy and the wind was blowing against the spray and driving it back over the waves. I spent quite a few minutes capturing shots here.

Windy waves at Dunbar
Windy waves at Dunbar

Hope you like “Stormy Seas – Competition successes!” See images at the Compass Photography Website. WWW.Compassphotography.co.uk

Madeira magic three recent images

By cpadmin

Madeira magic, three images from last week’s visit to Madeira. Two images are at sunrise, which in October is mercifully late! One image shows the mirror like hotel pool with reflections of the palm trees and rails. Leading lines to the palm trees come from the rails.

  • Madeira magic
    Funchal Sunrise
  • Madeira magic
    Sunrise along the coast
  • Maeira magic
    Funchal from Pico dos barcelos

The second sunrise image was captured from the promenade below the hotel. The white building and the palm trees are silhouettes against the cloud and rising sun. The bonus in this image is the Cunard liner Queen Victoria creeping into Funchal harbour. I did not see the ship until I was looking at the images in the hotel room after breakfast.

The third image shows Funchal from one of the viewing points high above the town. You can get to Pico dos barcelos on a long and tortuous bus ride that has lots of nice views along the way. Images can be captured from the viewing point here around 360°. There its a lot to see here. Madeira magic, three images from last week’s visit to Madeira.

Use this link to see more about Madeira

Use this link to see images from our previous visit to Madeira

Images of the Kent seaside

By cpadmin

Images of the Kent seaside

On one of the hottest days of the year I captured some great images of the Kent seaside. The sun shone without a break as I travelled from Cape le Ferne in the east to Dungeness.

Capel le Ferne is white cliffs of Dover country. It has a great café on the top of the cliffs. The Lees at Folkestone looked almost tropical in the images captured from there. Sandygate roasted in the sun. Behind Waitrose at Hythe I found some welcome shade along the calmness of the Royal Military Canal. Dymchurch was busy and it was extremely hot driving the steam engines at the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway so I was told!).

The beach at Greatstone had lots of people on it and pebbles reflected in the sunlight. Dungeness looked as special as it always does, perhaps more so in the sun. A yacht passed by near to the shore and provided a nice opportunity to photograph it in the blue sea against the yellow pebbles.

View more of the images from this day by going to the Compass Photography Website

  • Images of the Kent seaside
    Sailing by at the tip of Dungeness
  • Images of the Kent seaside
    Patterns in the sand – Folkstone
  • Images of the Kent seaside
    Dungeness – The boardwalk looking back to the road
  • Images of the Kent seaside
    Welcome shade – Royal Military Canal at Hythe
  • Images of the Kent seaside
    Pulling out at RHDR

The Wild Atlantic Way

By cpadmin

The Wild Atlantic Way

The west coast of Eire is rightly christened The Wild Atlantic Way. The cliffs are spectacular and the scenery is beatiful. The waves roll relentlessly into crash against the rocks. There are some “famous” locations on the Wild Atlantic Way for photography, however, there are many other locations with great views and less tourists. Here you can enjoy the view and the sounds of the sea in peace and quiet, almost!

The Wild Atlantic Way
Near Bishop’s Island Loop Head Peninsular

This image was captured south of Killee on the cliffs of the Loop peninsular. Bishop’s island is seen on the left, approaching the land like and  aircraft carrier. The wide angle lens has “stretched” the sky, although it allows us to see much more of the coast. Winding steep single track roads got us to this vantage point, sometimes right on the cliff edge!

Equipment:

Sony SLT-A65, 8-16 mm lens,

F11 1/200 ISO 100

Our website has many more images to show you

Find out more about this area of Ireland

Rayleigh Mill Hall Exhibition

By cpadmin
Photographs at the Rayleigh Mill Hall Exhibition
The images on display

Rayleigh Mill Hall Exhibition. Mike is exhibiting photographs at The Mill Arts & Events Centre (Mill Hall, Bellingham Ln, Rayleigh, Essex UK SS6 7ED).

The images are on display until the 16th August. The theme of the images exhibited is landscapes from above. The images show landscapes and seascapes captured from a high vantage point. as there was space I have also put some other images in the display too.

The Rayleigh Mill Hall Exhibition is free to visit and is open from 0900 to 1630 Monday to Saturday. Why not have a wander down and have a cup of coffee in the café too! I will forgive friends in Liverpool, Australia and Hong Kong for not attending!

View more of Compass Photography Group’s images at our website 

Use this link to see the Mill Hall website

Sunsets to die for – Tucepi in Croatia

By cpadmin

Sunsets from Tucepi

Sunsets to die for. We saw some excellent sunsets on a recent trip to Tucepi (pronounced “Toochepi”) in Croatia. Only one of the fourteen nights we were there did not have a glorious sunset.

Sunsets to die for
The sun hidden in the tree

Sunsets to die for
Boats, trees and Brac

Sunsets to die for
Open water just showing Brac

Sunsets to die for
Pine trees and Brac in the background

Sunsets to die for
Brac in the background

Sunsets to die for
Two trees in the sunset

Tucepi is on the Adriatic coast of Croatia and looks across to the island of Hvar. Images included here also include the island of Brac in the background. There is a long promenade at Tucepi, with pine trees on the edge of the shingle beach boarding the sea. A number of the trees are captured in the sunset images together with boats and people walking out to photograph the nightly spectacle. The water was also incredibly calm. We assumed that this was because the shore was in the lee of the islands. A lovely warm place to holiday!

Equipment: Sony SLT-A65V, Tamron 16-300mm, with differing settings depending upon the light!

A view from the high life!

By cpadmin

A view from the high life!

A view from the high life! These three images captured not quite from the top of a mountain near Tucepi in Croatia show excellent views.

 

A view from the high life!
Shrouded in mist

A view from the high life!
A road on the edge

A view from the high life!
Looking down at sea level

Climbing mountain roads (some glorified tracks) we reached several viewing points high up the mountain. Technically we were not in the Biokovo nature park, however we were right next door to it. Two images show the mountain road where we were, one shows us momentarily shrouded in cloud which came and went. The other is where the road almost appears to go off the end of the mountain. The road reminded us of the roads along the Almafi coast. Fortunately, we did not experience the Italian drivers overtaking on blind bends. The third image show the coast road below us, the glorious colours of the sea

Image of the week. Circular Symmetry – Dungeness

By cpadmin

Circular Symmetry – Dungeness

Circular Symmetry – Dungeness
From the top of Dungeness Lighthouse

Circular Symmetry – Dungeness, two images attached. This is one of my favourite images. It is composed to reflect the symmetrical nature of the view from the external balcony at Dungeness lighthouse. The lighthouse itself is of course “round” and surrounded by a circular wall. Paths lead to and from the circular 19th century keepers building at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. A pair of 20th century bungalows were later built for the keepers. They and the attendant outhouses are equally placed on both sides at symmetrical angles from the centre of the older circular accommodation building. The chimney pots on the older building are almost equidistant from its centre which has a small glass atrium.

The manmade elements of the image form smooth textures which contrast with the puckered texture of the tufty grass. Built in 1901 and first lit in 1904 this is the 6th of seven Dungeness lighthouses. The climb to the top is well worth the view as the second image shows. The terminus of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway forms added attraction on site. Click link to railway.

Circular Symmetry - Dungeness
Wide angle view from the top of the lighthouse

Equipment: Sony SLT-A65V, Tamron 16-300mm (Round house shot)

Settings: F7.1 1/500 ISO 100

 

Equipment: Sony SLT-A65V, Sigma 8-16mm (Distance shot)

Settings: F7.1 1/800 ISO 100

Lonely Boat Thorpe Bay

By cpadmin

A lonely boat at Thorpe Bay 

Lonely boat Thorpe Bay

Lonely Boat Thorpe Bay

Lonely Boat Thorpe Bay. This is a very soft focus shot with very light hints of colour. When Shru captured this image the sky was very cloudy with breaks of blue. The sun came through every now and then.  The suns rays bring a sense of drama on the what looks like a solitary scene.  The tide is on the turn and as it returns the sun glistens in the distance. At this point the Thames Estuary is nearly at its widest. Because the horizon is unobstructed we can see that the cargo ships that busy themselves travelling up and down the river are absent from this shot.

Thorpe Bay is around 4 miles to the east of Southend on Sea. Thorpe Bay was originally simply known as “Thorpe”. However with the arrival of the railway it was renamed Thorpe Bay, after the railway station. The station had been given the name to indicate that it was a seaside settlement. Here, you will find beach huts, sandy area and water activities without the hubbub of fair ground and the slot machines.

The majority of Thorpe Bay consists of residential properties, mainly built in the 1920, arranged in a grid pattern.

 

Canon EOS 7D Mark II EF70-300mm IS USM

F9 1/6400ss ISO 2500

Let’s cool off at the beach!

By cpadmin

Let’s cool off at the beach! May be even have a dip? 

Let's cool off at the beach
Let’s cool off at the beach!

Let’s cool off at the beach! This is the beach at Kingsgate bay in Kent last week. On Monday lunchtime the beach is empty. We would all rather be there than sweltering at work or in our homes.

The chalk-white line of the cliffs leads our eye to the sea arch. It’s not as famous as the one at Durdle Door. The image shows a reflection of the sea arch in the gentle waters as low tide approaches. Sets of footprints in the sand come and go towards the arch.

Walkers can go through the arch at low tide and, as I did, walk along to the next bay, Botany Bay (no not that one). Then you can walk back along the cliffs to the Captain Digby for a long cool drink! The chalk shows the battering it has received from the sea over the millennia and the holes excavated by mankind. On a summer’s day this is a lovely place to go. For more information on Kingsgate Bay follow this link

Equipment: Sony SLT-A65V, Tamron 16-300mm

Settings: F7 1/800 ISO 100