Remains of the day at Lowestoft

So, in stark contrast to yesterday, today was a much brighter but still windy day. My lens hood and filters survived and I've cleaned them all thoroughly ready to go again.
Bright light is not my preferred choice and the results from yesterday were so much more pleasing to me. Subdued light always yields a more painterly, mysterious atmosphere. Bright sunlight gives too much contrast that feels punchy and 'up' and doesn't give the quality or soulful feel I like from seascapes. Here's what I captured today:

Enforced 'half day' as lens hood and filters take a tumble

Well, it was looking like a good day. . . that was until £500 worth of Lee lens hood and filters took a tumble 'dans la mer' leaving me 'dans la merde' . . . One of the hazards of this sort of photography.... rescued then all but not even going to begin trying to clean them until rinsed under lots of fresh water..... minus sand.... Game over for today :(

Wet day on the Suffolk Coast

Went off to the Suffolk coast yesterday, really to 'recce' a few locations . . and every time I got out of the car it started to rain of course. However, took a few shots and the day turned out to be very fruitful. As you can see, I'm still in big stopper mode and loving it.
Really not sure about the black and white here, but will print it up to make a final decision. I'm trying to get together a selection of black and white images for an exhibition.
I was so pleased with these results that I thought I'd go back today, but hope for a little less rain.

  

The problem I had with the following shots was shielding the camera from the wind as well as the rain without getting into shot. The big wideangle Lee lens hood is huge and does a great job of catching the gusts. I had a few of the usual movements as the tripod sunk ever more into the sand as the waves washed around me, but I got there.

More Snow

I've been out and about again this afternoon, trying to catch some good light and something special. Slipped over in the process and my left wrist has taken the brunt of it. I think the ultimate shot has eluded once more, but captured some possible images:

I hope to be out again tomorrow, without sustaining any more injuries, so watch this space

Tico off piste in the powder

Had a great day in the snow today with little Ticolino . . . took a while to thaw him out afterwards though. This is what a good piece of glass will give you:

Results from Walberswick Old Pier

Well, this is what I got . . . need a little tweaking still - a couple of the horizontals are slightly off.
The Lee Big Stopper gives a blue cast as you may know but have decided to leave most of that in for these images . . . These are not all usable commercially for me, but I think I've captured the feel of the location as I felt it anyway. It was cold, windy and with some sleet falling and my tripod was buried into the sand in a foot of water, inches from the surface, so framing was not easy, especially as the 10 stopper was constantly in and out for re-framing, so some of these need cropping before I'll use them I think, but one of them will work for me. The location is difficult to frame as I'd like because of the proximity of the new concrete pier, which I was keen to exclude.
Loving the Big Stopper. . . . used in conjunction with 0.6 ND soft grad too.
Canon EOS 1DS MkII, EFL 17- 40mm  and EFL 70 - 200mm

Walbetswick

Welcome from a freezing cold beach in Suffolk.... will post the results later. Slight mishap and malfunctioning 'legs' today.... too cold for them!.... My tripod that is.

More from Benacre

Met this chap, Mike down at the driftwood today and he was kind enough to give me some local knowledge. He was scouring with his metal detector today but is also a keen photographer:

Mike, ''sweeping'

It was 'Big Stopper' day today . . . all kitted out with Lee Filters gear:

Wide angle hood, big stopper and 0.6 ND soft grad

This was one of the shots I got . . . decided to go 'Monochrome' . . I hope you like it.

Benacre . . .

Have come down to Benacre this morning. It's changed. Will post some photos later.

Meet Tico

For those of you who are not familiar with him, here's my little helper on shoots; Tico or little Ticolino as he's sometimes known. He's been my companion whilst in France and Italy and not unfamiliar with flying either. I'll dig out a photo of him at the controls of a DC3

Injured Digit

So, yesterday afternoon I headed up to Holkham for a New Year's day walk with little Tico (my Kerry Blue Terrier - photos to follow) and good friends Tony and Eileen . . . wonderful afternoon - then the most beautiful, battered haddock and chips with a glass of Adnams at The Lifeboat Inn, Thornham . . .
The trouble started when I arrived home. I was bursting for a pee and tried desperately to free Tico from his harness in the car before going indoors -  but the pressure was jusy too great. I had to abandon him and get to the toilet quick sharp! . .  Then, (never start a sentence with 'Then') in the extreme haste to undo my jeans, I trapped the left middle digit in the waistband. 'POP' and 'snap' it went - sharp agony for a brief moment, followed by a purple glow around the knuckle joint! . .  a numbness, but no more pain, just a dangly finger:

Dangly digit, with swelling

So, this afternoon I was off to A and E . . . It was X-rayed and this revealed a clean snap of the tendon. No bone pulled off with it, so a longer healing process - 6 to 8 weeks in this splint  :(    If that doesn't work, then I go under the knife.

All splinted up

I was in and out of A and E in 90 minutes, so top marks NHS! Thank you.

At least it's not my trigger finger  ;-)

I did eventually free Tico from his harness too!  :-)

Let's hope my guitar playing days aren't over or I'll be taking up the triangle.