Leica M9P | alan frost photography

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.

Turf Fen Mill on the Norfolk Broads

The Norfolk Broads are a series of rivers and lakes (broads) most of which are navigable and together they form an area which has been called ‘Britain’s Magical Waterland’. The area is renowned for its big skies and windmills.

The drainage mill pictured in this post is Turf Fen Mill on the River Ant in Irstead and was taken from the river path at How Hill. Built in 1875 the mill ceased working in 1920, when cattle no longer grazed the marshes. Since 1976 the mill has been restored and maintained by the Norfolk Windmills Trust.

Agapanthus – simply beautiful

Agapanthus

In a break from my usual black and white photographs, I couldn’t resist posting this image of some flowers in our garden. I don’t profess to be a gardener but these plants are quite stunning and have given my wife and I a great deal of pleasure this year.

Agapanthus are an architectural plant originating from South Africa. These are growing in three pots on an area of decking immediately outside our living room. Without a great deal of care, they have produced forty stems, each about two to three feet long, topped with a ‘ball’ of intensely coloured flowers. They have such a long season of interest, from the moment the first stems start to appear, through to when their attractive seed heads form later in the year.

Simply beautiful and without question one of my favourite plants.

For those who are interested in the technical details, this photograph was taken with a Leica M9P and 35mm Summilux lens. It was shot at f2.0, 1/3000 sec at ISO 160. Cropped and with some processing in Lightroom, but the colours are just as the CCD sensor recorded them.

Tranquility at East Head

There are many subjects which I enjoy photographing but seascapes are a particular favourite of mine. There is something about a deserted beach at low tide when the wet sand reflects the clouds in the sky above. There is a sense of calm and tranquility in this image, even though this might quickly change, as circling rain clouds threaten to alter the scene.

Whilst black and white is my preferred style, I am beginning to find that the introduction of subtle colours adds another dimension to an image and this is certainly true of this shot. The almost painterly quality in the sky is lost without the combination of the blue and grey hues. A hint of ochre in the sand is also important to the overall feel and mood. This colour palette is I think rather pleasing and I hope you agree.

East Head is owned by The National Trust, so for more information about this rather beautiful location on the South Coast do click here.

Here are two more posts which also feature East Head –

Low tide at East Head

Gathering storm at East Head