Sunlight at the end....

Another foray into the autumn trees before Winter kicks in properly...
Using 200mm lens to compress the foreground works really well here, along with the contrast between the dark foreground/sides and the lovely light in the centre

Canon 77D with 200mm lens, 0.5sec @ f13

Another misty sunrise!

Not getting bored of these yet!
I like the subtle colours in these misty shots. It's forcing me to edit images in a way I'm not used to.
I'm really pleased with the results and I think this one captures the mood perfectly.

Taken with Canon EOS 77D, 55-80 kit lens. f11

Cycling shots

Been out on the bike quite a bit recently, which has enabled me to experience some lovely misty mornings.
These shots are taken with my Google Pixel2, so not the best quality, but still managing to capture the scene nicely!

Another misty sunrise bust

Woke up to a nice misty (foggy?) morning. Some nice sun breaking through, but once I got out and about, the sun had gone. So some nice forest views, but no real light to give it that spark.

This image was taken with my Pixel2 and I've done some split toning to try to capture the coldness of the scene, with the autumnal colours still hanging on...Quite a nice scene, but not the best ever image.

Misty woods in Pirbright

My favourite shot ever (tbc!)

Half Term, Clocks went back and a clear night/frosty morning forecast.
I dragged the kids out at 0630 to find some mist and sun in the woods.
Although there was very little mist around, it was frosty, so I headed for Pirbright/Deepcut where the canal often kicks up autumn mist.
There wasn't much about, but a little walk into the ranges and we found this tree, bathed in light through the mist that had settled in the hollow. A beautiful sight and one I'm pleased to have captured. This is rapidly becoming my favourite shot I've ever taken!
The second shot is more of a standard sunrise through the trees shot, but I also like this one.

First light through the mist

Autumn sunrise. Combination of 2 images, with one stopped down to f22 to get the sunburst effect

Autumn Misty Mornings

Work/kids responsibilities have been preventing me from getting out for the Autumn sunrises recently. Orionid meteors where peaking last night and the forecast was for cloud all night and through the morning. I didn't go out overnight and didn't rush to get up and out early in the morning.
Morning brought a beautiful sunrise and mist over the ranges. I couldn't get out as early as I would have liked, so these are after the sun had risen a fair bit. Most of the mist had gone and the sky is a bit bright for my liking, but it was good to get some shots in the bag.

Brentmoor

Nature's barcode!

Brentmoor

Turf Hill

Turf Hill

Sunrise bust

It's been a while since I've been able to get up for sunrise (work, family commitments).
Today was forecast cold and clear after a night of rain. Good chance of some mist?
As it was, I was up and out half an hour before sunrise, but there was no mist in the valleys or down by the lake at Virginia Water. The sky was clear and cloudless. Lovely to look at, but no good for photography.
Oh well, another day.....

.... into Autumn 2019

My first Autumn shoot of the year. Up early to catch a little mist over the Ranges, Lightwater, Surrey.
Really keen to get some good shots here, as it's just a few minutes from home and doesn't require the stupidly early alarm call and drive.

Summer of Astrophotography

I managed to make it out a few times over the Summer, sometimes alone, sometimes with my ever-understanding family.
I've managed to get clear skies down on the South Coast of the UK and also a lovely night shoot on the Surrey Hills. This is the first time I've tried to capture the Milky Way from so close to home. I was worried the light pollution from the South Coast towns of Portsmouth and Southampton would kill any chance of seeing the MW, but the images turned out OK.

Milky Way over Birling Gap, Sussex. Foreground lit only by the moonlight from behind me

Milky Way over Birling Gap, Sussex. Foreground lit only by the moonlight from behind me

Perseid meteors over Surrey

A Lyrid meteor from earlier in the Summer over Lightwater, Surrey

Milky Way over Hope Gap, Sussex (Not pictured- family standing behind me, enjoying the peaceful night and watching shooting stars)

Milky Way over Holmbury Hill, Surrey

Milky Way over Holmbury Hill, Surrey (Not pictured- family huddled on the bench the other side of the monument!)

Perseids 2019

I've never (intentionally) captured a meteor storm on camera before. Maybe the odd single streak by accident as part of a star trail sequence.
The weather in the UK never seems to cooperate with astronomical events, but for the peak of the Perseids storm overnight on 12/13 August, it looked like the sky would be clear once the moon had set at around 0230.
I had a window of an hour or so before astronomical twighlight started and luckily the cloud broke and I had a clear(ish), warm(ish) night to enjoy the show.

I wanted some interesting foreground, so decided on the Victoria Monument on Chobham Common.
Luckily there were no "dog walkers" or other undesirables in the car park at 2am, so I setup and waited.
I saw around 20 meteors in the hour I was watching and managed to capture 5 on the camera, which I have consolidated into a single image. A bit of Lightroom work was also required to get rid of the light pollution from London, Heathrow and the M25/M3, which are all very close.
Technically, this isn't a great image, but I'm very proud of the content and even got the image published on the cnet website!

https://www.cnet.com/pictures/see-the-perseid-meteor-shower-make-a-celestial-scene-worldwide/4/

Multiple (5) image composite of Perseids meteors over a 1 hour period. 10mm Sigma lens, 20sec @f4.0 ISO1600

Back problems

May, June and July saw me laid up with back problems, so very little chance to get out and take pictures.
Spinal surgery in July and a quick recovery mean I'm back on it now!

Family Holiday in Cornwall

10 days in Cornwall in July/August for a family holiday. Weather was great, with a couple of nice sunsets. It's hard to not get the camera out when you see the sun dipping down over the rockpools and beaches of North Cornwall.
Happy with this collection, though no stunners in there.

Liam watching the sunset over Little Fistral

Watching the storm roll in. Pentire Head

Pentire sunset

Little Fistral flow 

Evening surf

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