Uploads from Chris Hammerton, tagged long

Heavy ceiling

nobody@flickr.com (Chris Hammerton) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:13:07 -0800

View_on_black_here.

One last (for the time being at least) photo from Monknash beach. Taken on a showery day back in December.

Sparks

nobody@flickr.com (Chris Hammerton) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:37:55 -0800

Chris Hammerton posted a photo:

Please_see_large_on_black.

Another shot from last weekends afternoon at Monknash. I spent half of the afternoon lost in the play of light and water where the stream runs out over the rocky bay.

Any cronstructive criticism welcome.

Relaxation

nobody@flickr.com (Chris Hammerton) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:10:14 -0800

Chris Hammerton posted a photo:

Please_view_on_black.

This is the last photo I took yesterday evening at Monknash beach. About forty minutes after sunset the colour in the sky was beginning to fade, but was still quite attractive so I set about setting up this shot. A few test shots at ISO 1600 suggested an exposure time of two minutes forty seconds at ISO 100 to which I added about two thirds of a stop to take the exposure up to four minutes as the light continued to fade throughout. All that was left to do then was open the shutter by remote and sit back and relax for a few minutes with one eye on my stopwatch.

Slab of beach

nobody@flickr.com (Chris Hammerton) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:03:05 -0800

Chris Hammerton posted a photo:

Large_on_black_here.

One final photo from last Sunday evening at Rest Bay.

On the edge of the day

nobody@flickr.com (Chris Hammerton) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:59:04 -0800

Chris Hammerton posted a photo:

Please_view_on_black.

Another long exposure taken at dusk on Sunday at Rest Bay in Porthcawl. This photo was taken about ten minutes after the previous upload from the same evening as the light faded further and it's colour cooled.

A pea beneath the mattress

nobody@flickr.com (Chris Hammerton) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:26:00 -0800

Chris Hammerton posted a photo:

Better_on_black.

I was so taken with Monknash beach on my frst visit Friday afternoon that I took my girlfriend back the next day, lured by the promise of good food and ales at the Plough and Harrow just up the road (delicious faggotts incidentally and a rather tastey Pontypridd-brewed pale ale).

What I liked about this scene (taken just after sunset) was the soft light, pastel colour and soft formless clouds and water all being cut through by the rough slab of rock.

Nightfall

nobody@flickr.com (Chris Hammerton) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 04:25:50 -0800

Chris Hammerton posted a photo:

This is a photo which has been in the planning stages for well over six months. In order to take it I needed an evening where a full or near full moon coincided with a low tide and crucially a clear sky following a few days of heavy rain. Without rain for a few days this fall dries up totally as most of the water permeates the well jointed limestone that make up the cliffs and finds its way to the beach as groundwater below the soil surface. Last night was the first night I had a chance to go out with my camera while all of the conditions came together since I decided on the image I wanted. The strong moonlight was also of particular importance to give the water a bright white radiance against the gloomy cliffs.

I've deliberately developed the RAW file underexposed and undersaturated to enhance the impression of night, although I'm not sure whether I may have overdone the shadows a bit.

This may mark the final picture of this fall in the little series I've put together over about 18 months, although I would like one of the fall frozen on a Winter morning to round things off. The other 3 photos form almost the same viewpoint can be seen below. I would appreciate any thoughts on which 1 of the 4 pictures to lose in order to make a triptych. I'd like to keep the night shot as an end point so one of the other 3 please, unless you really can't stand this one.

P.S. sorry for yet another bad waterfall pun.

Oh and also please take a look at the larger version on charcoal background. Just click on the main image or press L on your keyboard.

Also large on black here

Pastel woods

nobody@flickr.com (Chris Hammerton) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:52:38 -0800

Chris Hammerton posted a photo:

Please_view_large_here.

I am still experimenting with panning during exposures to create different effects. This shot is virtually straight out of camera (just developed the RAW file and tweaked the levels), shutter speed 1/8 of a second, taken with the camera on the tripod and only allowed to move vertically with a polariser to enhance the late afternoon sunlight on the trees.
Most of the other shots I took the same afternoon were using a longer shutter speed (a second or two) and slower panning, but this faster shutter and much faster panning has given the sketch-like look I had hoped for.
From these experiments I have realised that as ever the quality of the light is the crucial element in dictating the success of the photograph and somewhat surprisingly careful composition is as important as ever, although a little more complex as where all of the elements in the frame will move to during the panning has to be taken into account when composing the shot. Incidentally on the subject of composition this photo is uncropped, although it took a few attempts to get the right amount of dark at the base of the nearest tree and to not cut the base of it's trunk out of the frame.

Any opinions and/or constructive criticism both very welcome.

Monknash shelves

nobody@flickr.com (Chris Hammerton) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:38:22 -0800

Chris Hammerton posted a photo:

Best_viewed_on_black_here.

Walking around the beach after sunset, between the crumbling cliffs, hemmed in by the tide I was looking for one last photo before I headed back up the wooded valley away from the coast. I noticed these three pebbles grouped together at the edge of the limestone pavement with the fresh water stream that runs down through the valley and across the beach to the sea flowing over them. The late evening soft pink glow of the sky made the rock below seem to glow itself and the round stones and blurred water seemed to me the perfect compliment to the soft light.

I would have liked to have spotted this scene earlier while the sun was still above the horizon and it's light was caught in the water making every drop sparkle. Although I'm not certain that this lighting would have suited the scene so well it would have been nice to compare and contrast the two lighting conditions. Maybe next time, although these pebbles will surely be long gone by then.

Day draining away

nobody@flickr.com (Chris Hammerton) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:51:34 -0800

Chris Hammerton posted a photo:

Please_have_a_look_here_on_black.

Sunset at Rest Bay, Porthcawl. Wet rocks and wooshy clouds.

Calm Ogmore

nobody@flickr.com (Chris Hammerton) — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:21:17 -0700

Chris Hammerton posted a photo:

On Black

Virtually no waves this evening. Just a gentle lapping which was complimented by the understated sunset.