Low tide Sunset

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

Poems from Pictures

Poems from pictures is a joint effort! My friend Stephen Kingsnorth has trawled through this website and written poems about twelve of the images. In each case Stephen selected the images that “moved” him to composition.

The image below, what Stephen has called “sunset cause” was captured in December 2016 as the light was fading. The scene is at Hanningfield Reservoir near in between Chelmsford and South Woodham Ferrers. I was conscious of trying to capture the sunset and the branch arching its bare arm across the image. I didn’t realise that there was also smoke from a bonfire in the image too.

Sunset Cause

Poems from pictures
Sunset over the fields at Hanningfield Reservoir, Essex

What is the subject of this frame?
You think me fool to entertain,
to frame such query in my lines –
and obvious the featured scene?
So most reply, the sunset glow,
the lustre burn of honey streak,
dividing space, cold soil, grey scud,
the dying embers of the day.

Is it soak colour, warmth in frost,
horizon caught before the drop,
that passing sense, brief moment frieze,
the tone unknown till shutter seized.
It could be survey, length of field,
once meadow then a pasture laid,
now grassland stretch green quilted patch,
the space to plan the hikers’ trip?

Perhaps high bubble vat of ore,
gross floating dross for skimming off,
or Bessemer of molten pig,
pork fat to draw, horse hooves for glue?
Then brittle bones in silhouette,
deep marrow, xylem buried, fed,
black twigs in contrast, sky, red gold,
fingers of promise, hibernate?

Some celebrate the frozen clock,
the capture of a hanging sun;
or land agent, a business deal,
developer, move flock to build.
The chemist, from his daily ground,
for poet, artist, sculptor, clouds;
but most wait winter into spring
the dormant life arise again.


© Stephen Kingsnorth 2020

More Poems from Pictures can be seen and read on the Compass Photography Website. Use this link to go there.

You can see more of Stephen’s other poems on his website by using this link

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The moon’s a balloon!

The moon’s a balloon! We not quite in these images. Sunday night saw a lovely clear sky and the moon was almost full. I took the opportunity to go to the bottom of the garden and point the camera at the moon. The results using the 600mm Tamron lens are really amazing. I have never tried to do this before, so I don’t know how much is due to the atmosphere being clear of jet trails and the gases that go with them. It is amazing to see the craters and marks left by the impacts of asteroids crashing into the moon.

For anyone with a long memory “The moon’s a balloon” was the title of the first part of David Niven’s autobiography.

It is a super moon tonight. The moon is supposed to be larger and offer better photographs and the weather people say that it may be clear. So here’s hoping! Have a look at the other images on our website.

See more of our images by visiting our website “https://www.compassphotography.co.uk/”

Won prizes with these images

Won prizes with these images. The Schoolroom at the chapel in Woodham Ferrers ran a Michaelmas Photography competition. The competition attracted over 100 entries. In addition it should be noted that it raised money for Mission Romania. Firstly, Mission Romania is a Salvation Army charity which delivers shoeboxes direct to children in Romania and Moldova. As well as providing shoeboxes, the charity is active in providing other support to these communities. So its worth supporting. Search for Mission Romania on Facebook and look at the great work that they do. Click this link

Five of my images won prizes and they are appended to the text here. Three images were in the “Best of Essex” category, whereas one was in “Flowers”, while the final one was in the “Sunrise/sunset” category. When entering images for a competition, you never know which ones the judges will select for prizes. Following previous times when I have agonised over the images I did a quick pick this time just before the entries closed. It seems to have worked!

There are lots more images on the Compass Photography Website. Click here

2020 Essex Landscapes Calendar

2020 Essex Landscapes Calendar

The 2020 Essex Landscapes calendar from Compass Photography is now available. Attached to this post is a copy of the front page of the calendar. Below the main image for each month is an appointments matrix . Normally, this matrix would have blank squares. This calendar has placed more images in those blank squares in each month’s appointments grid.

To have a look at the images included in the calendar access the Compass Photography website by using this link. Our website includes a slideshow of the pages.

Calendars cost £7.00 each. Postage and packing within the UK costs £1.50 each. Postage beyond the UK is charged at cost. You can pay by PayPal or bank transfer, cash or cheque (UK only)

Please contact Mike by email (compassmike@btinternet.com) or phone on 07973-294820 to get your copy of the 2020 Essex Landscapes Calendar

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex.

A boat trip up the creek at Mersea Island in Essex

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex. Yesterday Shru organised a boat trip for five photographers from the crabbing pier at Mersea in Essex. Five image from the boat trip are shown below.

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex
Calm waters and reflections as we leave the jetty

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex
Marker poles along the creek

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex
We have lift off

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex
Its so calm that the clouds clearly reflect in the water

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex
The moon shines over the creek

The water in the creek was classically calm as a millpond allowing astounding reflections as we passed the other boats. The trip was scheduled for sunset, however as you will see from the images the sunset exceeded our expectations. This was an open boat so the weather was also kind to us at the end of a warm October day. As we journeyed along the creek in the setting sun we passed a range of wildlife he sun set showing such glorious skies. It truly was a “Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex”.The images include:

°                     Reflections of the boats as we passed them

°                     A sunset featuring one of the marker poles

°                     A bird taking off in the golden waters

°                     A sunset with the waters so calm that the clouds are reflected in it

°                     The moon out as we journeyed back to the pier

Can certainly recommend Lady Grace Boat Trips 

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

Settings varying with the shots

 

 

Sunsets to die for – Tucepi in Croatia

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!