Landscape Photography with Roger Dean
The Thursday started badly with me being so tired as to sleep through the alarm clock. It would be the day when we have the best, deep frost with frozen sand and hoar frost on the marram grass (see here for an example of what a talented photographer can do with these conditions).
After everybody getting back for breakfast and told me how great the morning was (b*s) we ate, packed up and set off for Holy Island.
Our first port of call was the ‘inverted boat’ sheds and people were instantly drawn to the peeling paint on the boats. I was hoping to get a shot that represented the place though; something that summarised where I was. The obvious subject matter was the boat sheds and the castle but I was also drawn to the black tarpaulins that were used as a skin for the inverted boats. Despite being black, there were amazing textures within where the tarpaulin draped around the boat and was pinned to the wood underneath. After walking around two of the better looking boats-sheds, I noticed the similarity in shape of holy island and the outline of the top of the shed. After a couple of test shots on the 5D I set up my camera with the majority of the frame taken up by the boat but wth the island nestling in the background.
The sun was high and bright and I knew I wouldn’t get a good colour result (although I did try). I used Acros 100 in the end and the main shot is the result.
On the way back Joe had predicted “A band of clear sky opening up at the horizon that should coincide with the sun setting. Should give us a nice view over St Cuthberts…” The man is a meteoroligal fortune teller! I think I must have set a new record in the speed in which a large format camera can be set up.. Only five minutes between out of the van and first shot … AND it was focussed and exposed correctly (bloody lucky!).
The shot isn’t exactly a compositional masterpeice (there is only so much you can do given the subject) but I like it.. I’m still waiting for a final picture to come through which should have some nice side lighting of the sand and grasses.. At the end, just before we left, I spent a few moments trying to come up with an overblown sunset shot – David was comparing the view with Roger Dean’s YES album covers – and captured the shot shown below.. it won’t win any awards either but it’s a great reminder of a wonderful sunset..
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