West Wittering | alan frost photography

Posts tagged ‘West Wittering’

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.

The Dunes – East Head, West Sussex

I have said it before, and I’ll say it again, but East Head on the West Sussex coast must be one of my favourite places. I am so fortunate to live nearby and I try not to take it for granted, which would be a very easy thing to do.

Strangely I rarely visit this location specifically to take photographs, as it is really dog walking territory. As a result most of my images taken here are opportunistic, and are often captured on my iPhone. This shot is just such an example. The clouds were wonderful and the sun lit the dunes in the foreground. The sands were rippled from the wind and luckily were pure; not a paw print in sight! The grasses too were bending in the wind and a lone figure below the patch of blue sky completes the scene. How lucky I am to have such a beautiful place on my doorstep.

East Head – At the end of the day

At the end of last week I met up with a few fellow photographers at East Head down in West Wittering. It’s a place I seem to be visiting on quite a regular basis at the moment, although I am more likely to be there in the morning walking the dog, as opposed to the end of the day.

I had already decided that the lighting conditions would probably suit some colour work and not black and white. I could always convert to mono later if I wanted to do so. I am so used to ‘seeing’ in black and white that taking images in colour and processing them later does throw up some new challenges for me, and there are plenty of times when I feel I am having to learn a whole new set of skills. Composition, overall tone and texture are still important but colour balance and how colours work with each other, is very different to monochrome.

So here are four images taken that evening. Given that when I arrived it was pouring with rain, I consider myself fortunate to have come back home with anything at all! The four of us had a lot of fun and we will have all photographed this location in a different way. The day ended up in an excellent pub with food and drink and a commitment to repeat a most enjoyable evening somewhere else in the not too distant future. Can’t wait!

Do click on any of the images to view a larger version which will open in a new window.

Protection – Sand dunes at East Head

Protection

I seem to have spent a fair amount of time down at East Head in West Wittering recently. The sand dunes and large areas of beach when combined with ‘big’ skies provide me with so many scenes to photograph. The low light at the end the day is a great time to be there; more so, if a weather front is just passing through. In this image the last rays of sunlight are illuminating the old and rickety dunes fence, one of the last of its type at East Head. There are now more metal posts and wires which are far less attractive from a photographer’s point of view.

These sand fences are put in place to protect the dunes from erosion by reducing wind speed across the sand surface and encourage foredune deposition. They also help to control public access, but for me they quite simply provide some excellent foreground interest in a photograph which is always going to be enhanced by a dramatic sky.

I read a quote by Ansel Adams the other day which read. “Sometimes I do get to places just when God is ready to have somebody click the shutter”. I think this might just have been one of those occassions.

Do click on the image itself to view a larger version.

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