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 ...................

The Lakes , Torver and Banishead Quarry 3 rd/4 th Jan 2022

 A New Year, 2022   wonder what will happen with the dreaded Corvid this year.  Our first trip out in the van.  Booked into Church House Inn campsite at Torver on the banks of Coniston.

I have not really been around this area much so will be interesting couple of days .Arriving early afternoon there is just a few hours of daylight to take a walk down to Coniston .

The fells are covered in low cloud and feels like it could rain at any time, we are walking down the old railway track heading to Coniston Hall by the lake. 

There are sheep everywhere so keeping the terrible twosome on the leads.

                                       The Old Man is up there in the clag. previous walk HERE

Paddling in Coniston water, the weather is not very nice and its getting dark!  a fast walk back to the van needed now, it will be completely dark by the time we get back.

Back at the van and Ozzy is snuggling in, its forecast to be around minus 1 tonight and feels really cold already.

I have got up early to hopefully photograph the sunrise,   the van is covered in ice and the ground well frosted.   I am heading to Kelly Hall Tarn, which is about 15 minutes walk down the road on Torver common.  Arriving i can see a large tree has come down in last years storms, and the tarns surface is partially frozen.

As usual I have missed the best of the colour, only about 10 minutes ago it looked really nice!

                                    The frozen surface at least adds interest in the foreground.

The sun has now come up and is illuminating the fells , shooting from the opposite side from the previous images to get this one. 

Time to get the drone up,  a panorama image using the x7 telephoto lens on the Mavic 3 drone.  these mountains are about 3 miles away.

The early morning light is illuminating the ridge behind the tarn and the landscape into the distance, a great aerial view.

Now the view looking down Coniston water with the Langdales covered in snow. The light over the common is fabulous picking out all the contours in the shadows.

Turning the drone around to pick up this unusually green group of fields surrounded by stone walls.  on Ordnance survey maps it just says  "Delicars"  it certainly makes an impact in the image.

That is the end of the good light , it now looks bland and flat in comparison, so back to the van for pancakes before we head out again.

The plan is to head up to Banishead Quarry , a short walk up the main road and then up a track heading towards the Coniston fells.  It is a bit warmer now most of the frost has melted but the ground is quite hard.

                                           Snow up on the tops as the track heads upwards

The Coniston fells open out with I think, Buck Pike and Dow crag in front, the Old Man is further round to the right hidden from view.

                                                              Shooting the Torver Beck 

                                                        Terrible Twosome tied to the bridge.

After Reaching Torver Beck , there is a bridge over the water, just past this point I take this image

using a 6 stop nd filter to smooth out the water.  The quarry is a few hundred meters ahead.

               Drone time , its quite windy up here so will just take a couple images then move on.

                                                                  12 frame panorama 

                                                                          

                                                                            single frame 

Here is the quarry,  the sun is in the wrong direction to shoot any good images , it is fenced off but I believe there is a way down to stand under the waterfall somehow. one day I will try that when the sun is in a better angle.

 Best image of the waterfall shooting into the sun made it very difficult , 5dsr 100-400mm

                            Now for a couple Vertorama images , all 5 frames Mavic 3 

Time to head back now, passing this fallen tree. such a shame, and one of hundreds that came down in the last storm.

The end of first trip of the year ,............................... until the next 

Dorset Holiday p3 Durdle Door & Mupe Bay

Its a beautiful early sunny morning , I have left Jan and the Dogs in the van and walked down to the beach.   Its already really busy at the top but the beach is almost deserted .

                             Time to walk along this beach all the way to the end at Bat Head.

    I have been Experimenting with different exposure times to show the best water movement.

                                                                      1/4 sec  f14 iso 200

The bright sun is blowing out the highlights on the chalk , switching on "highlight tone priority" on the camera has helped but still having to keep an eye on the histogram to keep exposure in check.
I am standing balanced on a rock taking this image,  with water all around me every time a wave came around.   and yes I did get very wet feet!

                                                                  1/2 sec  f13  iso 200

                                                                       0.6 sec  f14 iso 200

              The patterns formed by  the wet sand make a good leading line through this image.

I have reached the end,   after siting in the sun for a while I make my way back along the beach.

The beach is getting really busy now,   up at the top there are hundreds of swifts and swallows ,I couldn't be sure which   but think swifts  .All circling around and periodically landing on the side of the cliffs in a small area.   fabulous to watch.

It is now late afternoon,  i have always wanted to walk to Mupe bay, which is in the military firing zone . the coastal path has always been closed when we have been here previously but it is open from 5 pm today , so we are on our way at last .
Lulworth cove looks beautiful as we walk around the shingle beach heading for the coastal path on the far side of the bay.

The path continues on this side of the bay.

We have reached the gate, and the open sign ,    its a lovely evening for a walk.

             Arrived at the location I wanted to see,   this would be a great spot for sunrise I guess.

                                  A couple of frames merged to get this image.

Time to start the long walk back now, Jan doesn't want to go any further.      As we get back to Lulworth the tide has come in and I'm not sure if we can actually walk all the way round the bay. Oooops   The alternative route is around and over the headland behind, that's a huge climb   Jan not happy!  
As it turns out there is just enough room to get all the way around the top of the pebble beach, Just!

                                                                  Look at the light now!

             Half way up the steep climb towards the camp site,  the view is always fabulous here.

                             Lovely sunset glow over towards Weymouth in the distance.

The end of a great day, tomorrow we are heading towards Corfe castle...…………….