Bridge over gentle waters

12th November 2018 By cpadmin

Bridge over gentle waters

Bridge over gentle waters shows a bucolic scene on a summer morning at Papermill Lock. Its always worth a trip to Little Baddow.

Here Shru was treated to bright sunshine. The sun was already rather warm at ten in the morning and the water had a slight ripple from a gentle breeze. Shru’s shot captures the reflections of the side of the bridge and the surrounding greenery. There are different shades of greenery from the bright green of the bank to the dark green on show of the more mature bushes.

This lock is one of several on the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, connecting Chelmsford with the sea via the Blackwater Estuary. The navigation therefore became a fundamental freight artery freight in the 19^th century . Today there are riverboat cruises and a family run tea rooms for lazy summer days. Therefore today Papermill Lock is a great place to go and enjoy the outdoors.

Settings

Canon EOS 7D Mark II EF-S 18-135mm IS STM

F11 1/60 ISO 100

Glorious sunset at Mersea in Essex.

21st October 2018 By cpadmin

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.

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

Autumn Colours at Danbury Lakes

17th October 201817th October 2018 By cpadmin

Autumn Colours at Danbury Lakes

Five images of the autumn colours at Danbury Lakes are shown with this post. Three are from this year and two from earlier years. Information about the images is at the bottom of the post.

About the images

I was lucky with the squirrel, who posed nicely for a second on the end of a piece of stone. His tail curves round nicely and you can even see his whiskers! This year the lake has not yet reached the colours of the attached image. When I was at Danbury last week the waterfowl were also cutting up the surface so the reflections were not as nice either.

Along one of the banks there is a fascinating tree where it appears that the trunk has turned back into the water. The reflections of the tree and the banking are clear, however the movement in the water makes them a zigzag.

Two images from inside the woods follow, where the green canopy is still there, with a carpet of fallen leaves. One image has the dry stream bed running across it.

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

Settings vary with the image

Flamingo reflections

16th October 201816th October 2018 By cpadmin

Flamingo reflections

Flamingo reflections is a peaceful scene captured in the shade of the trees in the central pond of Colchester Zoo. Standing on one leg makes the reflection in the green water even better. One of the birds has breached the surface of the water with its beak causing a ripple effect. The ripple effect partially spoils the reflection, however it creates its own point of interest as it cascades outwards.

Dead branches in the dull green water create leading lines for the eye to follow . The green water contrasts with the pale pink flamingos. The water also reflects the foliage above it.

The zoo lies on sixty acres and is a firm favourite with families in Essex. Click here to see more of Colchester Zoo.

Canon EOS 7D Mark II EF-S 18-135mm IS STM

F5.6 1/30 ISO 100

Autumn Colours at Marks Hall

5th October 2018 By cpadmin

Autumn Colours at Marks Hall, Essex

Autumn Colours at Marks Hall. The calm water in the upper lake at Marks Hall facilitates these lovely reflections on this autumn day in October 2017.

Equipment: Sony SLT-A65V, Tamron 16-300mm Settings: F8 1/100 ISO 320

A dust cloud provided unusual weather that day. This made the sun go bright orange in the afternoon, like a sunset (see additional image below). The backdrop to this image is the colour of the trees. The leaves have just started to “turn” golden. This occurs as the plant cuts off the sap to its extremities to cope with winter.

Vibrant colours

The white pampas grass and the fiery red bush next to it create vibrant contrasts to the greenery above. They add the same vibrance with their reflections in the green coloured water. These reflections draw the eye into the water to the three arches which form the overflow to control the level of the lake. The arches and the brickwork alongside them reflect perfectly in the water. The vertical lines of the weeping willow also appear in the water.

The bushes on the path frame the image. As the dust cloud crosses the sun in different densities, changing the colour of the sun as it passes

Lurking in the bushes!

Lurking in the bushes on the long side of the lake was the only way to get the image as I wanted! It uses the power of the superzoom lens to bring the main features of the image nearer.

A sunset in mid afternoon!

I captured this image at 14:22 in the afternoon, according to the camera. Effectively we have a sunset in mid afternoon!

Equipment: Sony SLT-A65V, Tamron 16-300mm, Settings: F8 1/200 ISO 125

Night lights – Sydney Australia

22nd September 20184th September 2018 By cpadmin

Sydney at night from the Opera House

Night lights – Sydney Australia. Captured under the lea of Sydney Opera House, this image has been cropped to portrait from landscape. The crop to portrait is important for two reasons. Firstly, it cut out a dark uninteresting area of harbour water. Secondly, the effect of the lamps and tall buildings is heightened and they are emphasised by the portrait format.

The view looks back toward the city from the promontory where the opera house is. It shows the tall offices and hotels, their lights and the smoky red coloured light pollution hanging over the city. A quick rain shower had cleared the quayside of people. Everyone had dived under the Opera House overhang to shelter. I nipped out with the tripod, camera and remote set up to capture the shot. Until I returned to the UK I didn’t realise what a nice shot this was.

Reflections and leading lines

The glowing orbs of the sentinel pavement lights form a line leading the eye back towards the city. The rain on the pavement additionally allows a glistening reflection of the lights to form another leading line. This complements the “dash-dash” line formed by the paving slabs.

This was a December night and one of my first attempts at night time photography. In the UK it would have been cold then. However, even with the rain a jumper was all you needed down under at that time of the year.

I have a version of this image as a 20” x 30” canvas and it looks great!

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

Settings: F3.5 1/15 ISO 1600

Visit to Hever Castle home of Anne Boleyn

1st September 2018 By cpadmin

Visit to Hever Castle the home of Anne Boleyn

Visit to Hever Castle home of Anne Boleyn. Shru visited the childhood home of Anne Boleyn during the tulip season on a bright still day.

Two moats

Captured from the outer moat of the castle, this shot shows the topiary reflected in the outer moat. Hever castle has two moats and two drawbridges. The water in the foreground sweeps the eye in and the viewers’ attention is led over the first wooden bridge. We are then lead and onto the castle forecourt and over the drawbridge, where the draw chains are visible. Eventually we arrive at the caste door where the portcullis is ready to drop on us!

A green image

There is lots of “green” in Shru’s early spring image, provided by the topiary, the bushes and the climbers. There are soft clouds overhead which highlight the stern crenelated yellow brickwork of the castle itself. The topiary designed by the gardeners also brings softness and humour.

This was a great visit that I would recommend it to you.

Equipment

Canon EOS 7D Mark II EF-S 18-135mm IS STM

F5.6 1/200 ISO 100

Lonely Boat Thorpe Bay

29th July 2018 By cpadmin

A lonely boat at 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!

16th July 201816th July 2018 By cpadmin

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

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

Glistening waters at the height of summer

3rd July 2018 By cpadmin

Glistening waters at the height of summer at Burnham on Crouch

Glistening waters at the height of summer – Burnham on Crouch

Glistening waters at the height of summer, in Burnham on Crouch, Essex. A picture postcard image for sure. This image was captured from the waterfront in August last year on a really hot day at Burnham. Two of us went looking for nice images and whilst we were in Burnham we saw another photographer friend doing the same.

When it’s almost 30 degrees again this afternoon the water looks so inviting and I thought people might enjoy an image of water. O for an outdoor pool to splash in! The sun is making the water sparkle, the sky is reflecting in the water and making it an attractive blue. How nice it would be to sail off in one of the boats! We can but dream.

The direction that the boats are facing tells us that the tide is on its way out. If we were there today, the lines of the boat would be twanging against the masts and making that sound so typical of the waterside and seaside.

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

Settings: F9 1/640 ISO 100

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Bridge over gentle waters