coast | alan frost photography

Posts tagged ‘coast’

A New Year, new plans and new ideas

At the beginning of any New Year, most of us will reflect on the year just gone and think about the year ahead. If you are fortunate you might be able to find some space to yourself in this crowded world in which to contemplate the past and consider the future. I for one have been giving some thought as to how my photography will evolve in 2017, but I will leave those ideas for another day.

This morning my wife and I, together with our cocker spaniel, took a walk along the beach at Wittering. It was a lovely sunny morning, cold but very refreshing. Although there were a number of people out and about I happened to spot this lone figure walking along the wet sand, head down, as he put one foot in front of the other – What does 2017 hold in store for this individual? What was going through his mind? I will never know but I hope he found the space and solitude to consider times past and is able to look forward to the future.

Wishing you all a Healthy, Happy and Peaceful New Year

If you are viewing this post on a small screen then I suggest you click on the image to view a larger version.

Colour of light on The Jurassic Coast

Clavell Tower at Kimmeridge Bay at the end of the day

The Jurassic Coast in Dorset is a World Heritage site, famous for its cliffs, beaches and fossils. Together they reveal the history of the earth over a period of 185 million years. Just jaw dropping. The area is also a rich source of photographic subjects and whilst it’s a challenge to take anything that hasn’t already been taken many times before, it’s no less appealing simply because of its popularity, particularly when the colour of the light is at its most favourable.

My wife and I have just returned from a short break in the area, staying at West Lane Cottage in Piddlehinton which is about 20 to 25 minutes drive from various parts of the coast. We chose to visit a number of different locations, mainly towards the end of the day and we were blessed with some fine weather and on one day in particular, a superb sunset.

By way of a change from my usual monochrome work, here are a selection of photographs captured on our trips to the coast.

Perhaps, just perhaps, maybe I should do a little more colour work in the future? Only time will tell.

Morning light on East Cliff near West Bay

Towards Golden Cap from West Bay

The cliffs at Hive Beach near Burton Bradstock

Looking east from Swyre as the sun starts to set

Sunset at Swyre – looking towards Golden Cap

Happisburgh Lighthouse on the Norfolk coast

Happisburgh Lighthouse

Happisburgh Lighthouse (pronounced ‘Haze-bruh’) is the oldest working light in East Anglia and the only one in Great Britain which is independently run and maintained through voluntary contributions. Built in 1790 and originally one of a pair, the lighthouse is 85ft tall and the lantern is 134ft above sea level. It overlooks the dramatic North Sea coastline which is constantly under threat from coastal erosion, and to this day threatens many seaside homes.

Interestingly the lighthouse was painted in bands in 1884 after the second lighthouse was demolished in the previous year. This was to distinguish the Happisburgh lighthouse from the tower at Winterton, a short distance along the coast.

Having enjoyed a good late afternoon walk along the beach, I drove from the car park back towards the centre of the village before turning into the lane which leads to the lighthouse. I was keen to see whether or not there was a good view with setting sun behind me. Standing proud on the hill, with the low angled sun light illuminating the field in the foreground, I was able to capture this image. I couldn’t have been more fortunate with the cloudscape, which provides a lovely backdrop to the main event.

The Dunes – requests for a mono conversion

A few weeks ago I posted this image of The Dunes at East Head in colour. You can view it here. I had a number of comments, for which I am always grateful. They all had one thing in common – they expressed a desire to see a black and white version. Well here it is and I am pleased with the result, so thanks everyone for the suggestion.

I guess my only disappointment is that it was taken using an iPhone – nothing wrong with camera phones these days but when I came to processing the photograph, I just wish I had been able to work on an 18MB RAW file from my Leica Monochrom. The flexibility, dynamic range and the depth of detail from a full frame file would have been a joy to have at my disposal.

When the forecast is right I shall return with the Leica but I always remember that any photograph is capturing a moment in time which will never be repeated – and that’s why this hobby has such an enduring interest, as no two photographs can ever be the same.

Beach Huts – the humble garden shed by the sea.

Beach Huts at Felpham

Beach huts are a common sight in many seaside resorts. They evolved from the wheeled bathing machines used by the Victorians to preserve their modesty. Often brightly coloured they take on various forms, but more often than not, they are quite simply the humble timber garden shed, sited on the seafront, in rows and rows, alongside their almost identical ‘brothers and sisters’. In some resorts they are owned and rented out by the local council; whereas others are privately owned and can command prices which are out of all proportion to their size, type of construction and their amenity. Location, location, location is the key phrase here.

The huts in the above shot are on a greensward adjoining the seafront in Felpham Village; a pretty area just to the east of Bognor Regis on the south coast.

Taken on a very different day, the picture below shows the beach huts on the other side of Bognor Regis at Aldwick.