Anglesey Jan 11th 2022

 Today I want to experiment with some long exposure photography with a  Freewell nd1000 filter on my New Mavic 3 drone which  is supposed to be so stable that 8 second exposures are possible! 

This should be very interesting experimenting with different exposure times  ,  I have Ozzy with me and will head to Trearddur bay first on the island of Anglesey.   Parking next to a small bay I have clambered out onto the rocks and flown the drone just out over the semi submerged rocks out in the bay. the wind is a bit gusty but should be a perfect test with the nd filter.   The 10 stop nd filter works exactly the same as on the dslr big camera, blocking light to increase the exposure time to hopefully show wave movement in the image.  Although there is not much of a swell as the sea is very calm but there are sufficient waves swirling around the rocks for this experiment.

Here are two images, these show good movement that I wanted,  amazingly about 3/4 of the images I shot were sharp!   

 8 seconds f2.8  iso 100

                                                                 3.2 seconds f2.8 iso100 

Now heading to South Stack lighthouse to have a look around that area.   Since Ozzy is with me a walk up and over Holyhead mountain seems a good idea.

                                          He has found water already!   lol

Up and over the top of Holyhead Mountain we eventually get a view of the Holyhead Breakwater in the distance.

A bit closer now , and will carry on walking close enough to safely fly the drone out to try the long exposure technique on the sea, which may not actually make much difference as the sea is so calm anyhow. 

The drone is up flying with the nd filter on, experimenting with different iso and apperture values the histogram is not really showing the differences and when i check the images in the app after the flight, they all look overexposed, even though there were no highlight warnings on the histogram,  very odd!

This is three frames merged into a Vertorama . I don't think the long exposure time made much difference in reality, but its a good test.  Using higher iso values seems to be trial and error, needing to check each image in the app to see how the exposure is.

                                                    6 seconds  f5  iso 200.

Now time to head back to the car and drive down to Newborough for sunset at Llandwyn island.   It is about an hour until sunset, and the walk along the beach takes about 20 minutes.  This will be good for Ozzy anyhow. 

Sitting down on the rocks near the island I have taken a couple images with the low setting sun illuminating the dunes , Ozzy is fetching the ball constantly as i throw it down the beach.

                     Always love the long shadows in the last 3/4 hour before sunset.

Looking back from the island , the sun is getting quite low now so will not be long before any colour may develop. But it appears most of the cloud has left the area now ,  so i just hope to get some of the last good light illuminating the rocks and lighthouse.

                                                             Happy Spanner!

           It is now time to go out and see if any light will be on the lighthouse. There is a glimmer of colour on the horizon above the Snowdonia mountains.

                                             Multi frame panorama 

                  This is what i wanted, the last of the light illuminating the lighthouse.

This is the best of the colour that developed, 5 frames manually shot and merged in photoshop using layer masks.

                       Time for the long walk back along the beach to the car now

                       That's the last ball throw Ozzy , off to the chippy now . 

The end of a great day on Anglesey ...................

Cornwall Mevagissey , Porthcurno, Lands End and Botallack

I am at  Mevagissey to get a couple of aerial images , its unfortunately dull,cloudy with a stiff breeze this afternoon but will endeavour to get a few shots.   having walked around the harbour up on to the big grassy area on the right of the next image, I flew the drone out to take this 9 frame panorama.

                      Topdown image of the rocks below the cliff.  and Yes it looks like a lobster !

                     Another 9 frame panorama just showing the cliffs just in front of me.

                   Time for a walk around the harbour now, always enjoy walking around here.

Lovely colours on the rocks, and the wind has dropped right down now so may be able to get the drone up again over the outer harbour.

Having walked right out to the end of the harbour wall, I set the drone up but there was too much interference from all the iron work so its a no go.   maybe I can find a spot to fly from high up above on the headland.  Climbing up the steps onto the lookout directly over the breakwater I have got a clear area to fly from.

                                                               7 frame Vertorama
                                                               merged in lightroom

                      Just caught a boat coming into the harbour, pity the light is rubbish today.

Tomorrow morning we are going down towards Porthcurno, the forecast is looking fabulous.

Its a hot sunny morning, and we have tried to park at the Minack Theatre car park, but they would not let us in unless we were going to see a performance!!!     Driving around the headland down very narrow lane we have parked near  Porthchapel , but dogs are not allowed on the beach  ,so its a nice walk around the coastline this morning, then Lands end later.

Glorious beach, clear blue sky no good for photography but great for walking along this stunning coastline.

                            Mollster wants to go swimming, Arghhhh    Noooooo  not allowed!

We have walked around to the Theatre but can not actually see any of it, its all below the cliffs, Porthcurno beach looks amazing in the sun, but way too busy.

We are now at Lands End, Really warm  but getting very windy so no drone today by looks of it.   walking around and down to the point first, the Terrible Twosome want to get to the water    haha

I have walked around to get an image of the arch, pity there is no cloud as a plain blue sky is no good

                                                                  Poor Chester   haha

                                                             Mollster wants Ice crème also!

                                                    You just have to take a pic of this :)

The one location that I really want to visit this holiday is the engine house at  Botallack , so that is where we are heading for sunset, but first Sennen cove for chippy dinner .
This is the first time we have visited, its really beautiful and fairly quiet .

                                                               Tiny little fishing harbour

We have arrived at Botallack for sunset, clear skies and windy, no what I wanted .   but should at least get some nice light on the engine houses.    now walking along the cliff tops for a look around...

                          Chester doesn't seem to be impressed with this location   haha

                  Jan is going to leave me to the photography, book reading in the car my guess :)

                               The Engine houses on the cliff side, a perfect sunset location.

                           Now to climb down to a decent level to shoot from,  and its steep   lol
Sunset is in about 35 minutes, time to find a safe low ledge to get a couple of good compositions.   the wind is blowing straight off the sea, making long exposures a little harder to get sharp images.  I am hanging my camera bag on the tripod hook to add stability.  no drone flying again tonight unfortunately.


                  Looking behind me the cliffs are starting to warm up with the low setting sun.

                                                            The Crowns Engine Houses

                 5dsr, 17-40L       90 seconds , f14 , iso 100  little stopper and 0.6 soft nd grad filter

                                        Beautiful light on the grass and rocks behind me .

                                                                   8 seconds , f14

    The light is really nice now on the rocks and grasses in front of me, and still enough on the cliffs around the buildings perched on the rocks.

                                       8 seconds , f14     little stopper and 0.9 soft nd grad

                 One last image , nice glow in the sky now,   pity no clouds that would have lit up.

Cornwall Holiday pt4 Sat Nav Incident, Polperro & Holywell Sunset

After it rained all night and early this morning we have had a lie in ,  the forecast is looking great for the south Cornwall coast , so a quick look on my phone ( almost out of data!!!!! )    Polperro is a village i have always wanted to visit so this is our destination , Now usually i search on maps for the car park and get the postcode , but as i didn't want to use up any more data i just typed "Polperro" into the cars sat nav.   easy   right?    Well Nooooooo      When we got near , i had a feeling something was wrong , But as i had just passed a sign saying "Village centre"  i didn't think anything more about it........ Until going down a steep narrow road to a point where we wouldn't Fit between the side walls!!!!!!!!!!    Bollocks and all other words .. Ffffff         luckily we where stuck right next to a small cottages drive , Jan directed me, as i attempted a 60 point turn.......... Yes carry on she said..............scrape...............  Bump.........  Arggggggg    thought you said ok????????         Ooops

After this bad start to the day , it can only get better , and it did :)     Polperro is Stunning!!!!!!!!!!!!

                  The forecast was correct , blue sky everywhere here now and its really warm .

 

 I am regretting not bringing my camera , but these phone pics look ok :)

 Just found a Tiger moth ,    i initially thought it was a cream spot tiger, but looking in books they show it is a Scarlet tiger moth :)      since i have never seen either it is a new species for me :)

 
                                   Panorama from the top of the hill overlooking the village

                                                                       Posing time :D

 Back in the village and we are heading to the other side .........  Pity the tide is out , would look much nicer at high tide .

                                                                Shell house :)

                                  Flowers on the walls really make a difference , Beautiful :)

                                                               Lovely narrow streets.

                                  This is the road the sat nav wanted to bring us down!!!!!!!!
                                                             Looks a bit narrow  lol

                                                       A Memorial at the top of the hill .

                                                    Its time to head to the chippy now
                                                            Nice view to sit and eat :)

Time to leave now , a nice walk up to the car park, and a long drive back ,  whats the chance of a good sunset tonight i am thinking.

                           I have made it down to the beach  , but think i am a little late!
               Jan has stayed back at the van with the Holywell Horrors and a bottle of wine!  
  Its blowing a gale with big waves.  Using the big stopper for long exposures might be a little difficult.     but i will try.

       Looks like i have missed the best colour yet again :(     but its still looking very dramatic :)

                                                               "Gull Rock" Sunset

                                                           49 seconds , f16 , iso 400

                                                        48 seconds, f16 , iso 400

                                                                  "Calm before the Storm"          

                                                                      0.6 sec , f18 , iso100

       A slightly shorter 0.3 sec exposure to give slightly different wave motion. there are some really big waves crashing in now as its almost high tide.

                  the "Blue hour" after sundown , long exposure -   251 seconds, f16 ,iso 400

                                                  The end of a great day in Cornwall :)