Norfolk Holiday Sept 2018 pt 1 Brancaster and Wells

We are going on holiday for a week in the van,  were supposed to be going up to Scotland but the weather forecast was not looking good,  It appeared a storm was on its way and the Norfolk coast looked like the best option.      With the van we can just go in the best direction and move around easily.
Firstly on Saturday evening it is the Arley Hall firework champions event , so after I got home from work we drove down to watch the displays.  Here are a few images from the evening.
All canon 5dsr and 17 - 40L        shutter speeds between 1 and 3 seconds f8 - f10.

Sunday morning and we are leaving for Norfolk,  our first destination is going to be Brancaster , stopping at Deepdale Backpackers campsite for the night.   After a trouble free journey we are set up in the campsite.

Its early evening and we have walked down to the shore, a quick shot of this old barge on the marsh before we walk along to Brancaster Staithe .It looked a good subject but the light is just no good.

Having not managed to shoot a decent image at the previous location on the camera,  Brancaster is a much more interesting place, old and newish boats moored up and with the tide out interesting mud flats,  unfortunately its too windy to fly the drone but some long exposures on the 5dsr and Lee big stopper should produce something.

5dsr, 17-40 L   90 seconds, f14 

I cant find a decent location for sunset, as it is setting inland and I don't think it will be a good one.
                                    Back at the van half hour later and I was wrong!   Oopps

The following morning we have packed up and driven a couple miles down the road to Burnham Overy Staithe.    There is a Windmill only about ten minutes walk so we are going to take a look first.  Walking along the Staithe past these boats the weather is not looking good so far, but is supposed to be blue sky and sun!!

There is the Windmill ,  Tower Windmill its called, but the light is rubbish so not worth walking any further to get closer.   a selfi then ……..

And a long shot with 400mm lens, a b&w conversion still doesn't make it much better.   never mind!

                        Having walked back to the Staithe the sun has started breaking through .

                                 A nice walk along the marshes with the Terrible Twosome.

                                     The forecast was correct ,  warm sunny blue sky now .

            Back at the van , wine time for Jan ……………….

We have now driven down the coast to Wells-next-the-sea ,  time to give the Terrible Twosome a good run and swim .
                                                             They are Straight into the sea!

                                          Look at the size of this beach!   and huge Norfolk skies .

After a good run and swim, Chester is knackered, he doesn't like the heat and is sheltering in the shade of these beautiful beach huts.  I cannot believe how warm it is today!

                                    A couple of dslr images of these wonderful beach huts

Leaving Wells its a short drive to our campsite for the next 2 evenings near Sheringham.

and another great sunset missed !   Doh!

Trearddur Bay and South stack August 12 th 2018

This weekend Jan is taking the new van to Anglesey on Friday  morning to another temporary caravan and camping club site at Trearddur Bay, I will follow down in my car after work on Saturday evening with the terrible twosome.

So a couple of Jans images from a beautiful sunny Saturday...…….

       The small sheltered bay with all the boats,  which I had never seen before.  more of them later.

Jan has sent these pics while I'm in work , and the forecast for Sunday/Monday is not looking like this !

                                  Awww  the Terrible Twosome are not going to like this.

                                        Jan has crocheted these two mascot's for the van .

It is Saturday evening, and I have driven out to Anglesey ,  passing the bay I spot all the boats moored up, this will be a superb subject to get some images from the drone, if I get a break in the rain as its chucking it down now and not looking good for tomorrow unfortunately.

Sunday morning, and after pancakes in the van we have had to wait until after 4pm for the rain to stop ,  typical after yesterdays blue sunny day!      Anyhow we are walking down to the bay and hopefully I can get a couple of drone shots of the boats.

There they are, but  not looking as lovely as yesterday in the sun, but at least I can get airborne and without sun there is less chance of all the white boats blowing out in the images.

                                              Chester just doesn't like to sit still for a photo .

                                                        Jan has snapped me while flying

       Topdown over the boats,  amazing how they all line up facing the same direction with the tide.

                                                                     Vertorama , 7 frames

                                                               Landing ……………..

Time to walk back now, the forecast has changed and is looking very good tonight for sunset at South Stack lighthouse.   so we need to get back , eat and then drive down to the lighthouse before 8 oclock.

                    Back at the campsite ,  we have about an hour and half to get to South Stack.
                               We will take my car as its easier to get down the lanes quickly

Time to head out,  as we get nearer to Holyhead mountain we can see cloud sitting over the top, I hope it is above the cliffs at the lighthouse also, that would make for great images.
Having parked at the top car park , the weather conditions are looking fabulous, a bit windy but not a problem.   The sea mist is rising up the cliff side in front of us and going right up over the top, this should look great from the drone.   The bird nesting season has finished so its ok to fly here now.


I cant believe this, I have only two batteries left fully charged for the drone and I think I need double that number   Arghhhh    Guess I need to get an inverter for the van so I can charge them up.

After waiting about 15 minutes I have decided to use the first battery, just to get the nice light we have now, then save the last one for the actual sunset.   Straight up and out over the sea, the sea mist is swirling all around the mountain tops.  Fabulous light at the moment .

                                                             Up through the mist

                                                                 A 9 frame panorama .

Now I have flown out past the lighthouse to look back , looks like this will be the last light hitting the rocks as the sun is getting quite low now, its 8.15 now and  the cloud base above Holyhead mountain is turning colour slightly also.

Time to land now as battery is getting low, wish I had shot some video, it would have looked fabulous with the mist rising up over the cliffs... think I will wait to see what develops over the next half hour.

It is now almost 9 pm,   and I have taken off again as a bit of colour is appearing as the sun gets near the horizon. flying out past the lighthouse again, looking back towards the cliffs the cloud has increased and is sitting like a hat on the mountain top,   Amazing to see .

                                          A slightly different view from a 9 frame panorama .

Now as the colour has developed enough I have moved out to get the sunset colour and the lighthouse into a panorama.    this is my favourite image of the evening .  Unfortunately the cloud above has not coloured up tonight.

After landing and waiting a bit longer the colour has not increased , so one last short flight out past Ellins tower ,which is the white building on the cliff top  to catch this last image after sundown.

                                                 What a fabulous end to the weekend .

1st Trip in new van August 5 th

Today is the first trip in our new campervan, it is a Wildax Constellation3 , based on a Citroën relay van. It will take a bit of getting used to compared to the caravan, especially with the Terrible Twosome in a smaller space ,  but much more practical to use especially for short weekend trips.

       We are heading to Anglesey, to a temporary caravan and camping club site at Llgwy beach .
Not much setting up after we arrived, at least compared to the caravan.  make sure its level and the chairs are out , that's it :)

A walk down onto the beach to watch the sunset,  we are keeping the dogs on lead as we don't want them wet in the van overnight.

                 In the morning its warm and lovely blue sky , time to go for a walk on the beach.

                                   Quite a few large jellyfish have been left on the beach.

                                                                      Stupid Spanner!

This is the view looking towards Dulas bay, there is an old boat wreck there right around up in the estuary  that I want to photograph tonight.

                                                         Chester is relaxing  haha

                                                    Knackered after this mornings walks

                                                            Wine time …………

Time to go out to take some photos,   Jan is staying with the dogs while I go for a long walk to Dulas bay.       stopping off on the way to fly the drone out to Ynys Dulas which is just off the coast in the Bay.

Now I have walked around the headland ,through the trees onto the salt marsh,   the boat wreck is on the far side of the estuary.     Flying the drone over and shooting a series of shots to form a Vertorama.

                                                                Topdown over the wreck .

                The marshes look very different from above, this image is made up from 5 images.

Turning the drone around looking towards Lligwy, the low sun is creating superb shadows, with the salt marsh clearly visible at the bottom of this Vertorama.

                                              A closer view with fabulous light on the trees now .

                    I have now shot a 180 degree 21 frame panorama , showing the entire estuary.

Time to wait for sunset, but with no cloud it didn't happen.

the end of our first trip,   where to next ?   #vanlife