Monday 13 May 2019

Last Milky Way of the spring?

Keen to get a Milky Way shot in before the light nights and last night was super-clear, with half a moon to the North-West. Could be ideal, so I headed for Seaford.
Plan was to shoot the MW over the Coastguard Cottages, then get some beach shots before returning to the cottages for the sunrise.
There were other people in the car park, so I headed off to Cuckmere River, then Birling Gap, then Belle Tout Lighthouse where there were no people (except one photographer at the lighthouse, who I figure heard/saw me, as he kept sweeping his torch in my direction.
Managed to escape unseen, with no awkward 3am encounters!
Happy with the results, all done using stacking with Sequator.

Got an hour of sleep in the car, then headed back to the Coastguard Cottages to catch the sunrise. Very pleasant! Then a couple of hours drive and back home for work/school dropoff at 0730. Quite a night.





Birling Gap Milky Way
8x stacked 25sec @ f4.0 ISO3200

Birling Gap Milky Way
8x stacked 25sec @ f4.0 ISO3200
Cuckmere River Milky Way
8x stacked 25sec @ f4.0 ISO3200







4 shot pano
3 shot exposure bracketed
Belle Tout lighthouse
8 x 25sec @ f4.0 ISO3200, Stacked in Sequator


Sunday 5 May 2019

Bluebells in Wiltshire

A VERY early start with the family (4am) to catch sunrise (and hopefully some mist) down in West Woods, Wiltshire.
Not a locations I've been to before, so it's always risky arriving in the dark. However, thanks to some pre-trip research, we found the bluebells easily (they are hard to miss).
Didn't quite get the mist I was after, but the flowers here are stunning and the rising sun gave a lovely ethereal effect to some of the images. The sky clouded over about an hour after sunrise, so I was very pleased to have got the best of the day.
Headed off to Avebury and Adams grave after, but no pics from that as it was grey...

A rare albino English bluebell




Wednesday 1 May 2019

Bluebells in the Surrey Hills

Headed to White Down to a well-known Bluebell site in search of the elusive misty/sun rays bluebell shot.
First visit was mid-morning, with nice dappled sunlight through the canopy.
Second day was a dawn raid, in hope of some mist and sun. Plenty of mist around in the valleys, but alas, none in the woods, and no sun due to the low cloud/mist.
Still quite pleased with the results although not got the hero shot I've after just yet.

Day 1. Dappled sunlight through the trees.
Processed with a little Orton Effect

Day 2. Processed with a little Orton Effect

Day 2. Something a bit different, zooming in from 18mm to 50mm on a 2sec exposure