Dawn Light (April 2018)

Only by chance was I up early enough to capture the mist and dawn light in Penryn Harbour. There was a window of about ten minutes before the early morning conditions disappeared and the day started:

I was particularly attracted to the light coming through the windows of a small boat but it was hard to capture this and avoid the yacht masts running through the middle of the composition. May be this is one occasion where the conditions trump the finer points of composition:

In this image the yacht has been deliberately position in the centre of the frame. I think this works as a composition due the off-centre reflection of the sun:

Penryn (April 2018)

Making a change from the landlocked East Midlands, we headed for the coast in Cornwall and a part of the country that we know well and really enjoy. It was also an opportunity to catch up with some familiar photographic locations.

The first of these was the abandoned Andvari in Penryn harbour which lists to one side having slipped off its wooden supports. It also looks like the boat has been stripped on its metal including the port holes and its anchor.

I did photograph this boat a couple of years ago and liked the colours and textures of the peeling paint on the wooden hull. And, as it was near to our accommodation, I thought I would give it another go:

This is a shot from May 2016 which provides some context to the images above:

Quayside in Falmouth - Part 3

The first selection in this final part of the quayside series is boats and ropes. I didn't feel that I could this finish a series without including some photographs of the boats around the harbour.

The challenge when photographing boats is deciding how much of the structure to include in the frame. Sometimes it is only necessary to suggest the presence of a boat. This can add a depth to the composition as the picture is built around lines and shapes rather than a simple portrait of a boat. In these circumstances less can be more.

For example, this small panel includes images with varying amounts boat in the frame from one composition that excludes the boats altogether through to one that shows a boat in the wider context of the harbour. Each image has merits but my favourite is the first image due to the repeated shape of the ropes and their reflections.

In my favourite image the placement of the boats is governed by two key points. The first point is  where the middle rope enters the water and the reflection starts and the second is where the closet rope reflection meets with the corner of the frame. On this occasion, I think the impact of the composition would have reduced by including too much of the boats.

This final selection of the series is a bit of a catch all. They are individual images that didn't fit with any of themes covered in the series but are part of the summer walks along the quayside in Falmouth. Included are some reflections, rust abstracts, some metal structures around the quay and an abstract of the harbour wall:

Quayside in Falmouth - Part 2

Moored at the quayside in Falmouth are row of expensive looking yachts. Occasionally these make interesting subjects but, more often than not, I look for the abstract patterns created by the masts reflected in the water.

The best time for this type of shot is high tide with a gentle movement in the water. The reflected masts then break down into squiggles with the odd patch of colour. I generally choose a shutter speed that freezes the movement, perhaps 100th or 125th of a second, and simply alter the focal length and the aspect ratio to create the compositions.

The results on the back of the camera can be a bit underwhelming and flat at first look but this is easily corrected in post processing.....in fact, an auto adjustment often does the trick.

The key to the above compositions is the way the water moves. If there is a stronger current or more wind the effect is lost or the photographic outcomes are different. These are some other examples of quayside reflection taken in different conditions during the summer.

Quayside in Falmouth - Part 1

Whilst I am piecing together my series of autumn photographs taken along the Southwell Trail, this post  looks back to the summer and a selection of images taken around the quayside in Falmouth.

The quay is one of my favourite places to potter with a compact camera.There is so much detail to capture, different shapes and colours, and many reflections - it never really disappoints.

As the photographs were taken over a couple of months there are too many to load in one post so I will group them together in a number of themes starting with some bad weather reflections in the old harbour:

Also on the old harbour walls, were these mooring rings, chains and rusting iron bars. I particularly like the contrast of the rusty colours with the yellow lichen stonework: