Last weekend should have been a long one, away in Northumberland. But, for reasons I won’t go into our stay was cut short to one day, and a very early departure for home on day two. My hope was to go out early on day two and get some sunrise photos along the coast. but, sometimes life gets in the way.
So, all I have is ‘snaps’ taken on a dull day with my GM5 and the ever trusty 12-32 Panasonic lens.
The couple on the bench is my favourite. What were they talking about? Were they looking out to the horizon planning their future? How many other couples had sat on the bench and done the same thing? The empty bench to the left serving as a reminder that our time on earth is brief.
Looking ahead, the weather here is good. Time for some walks and bike rides. I’m trying to plan a return trip to Spurn Point too, and I want to write about the way I’m editing images at the moment, and why.
Another photographic trip to the coast. This time to Spurn Head in East Yorkshire, which in my mind was only an hour away as I thought it was just on the other side of Hull. It isn’t. Spurn Head is actually twice as far away as Hull, and a good couple of hours away down lots of windy roads. So, I wasn’t very popular for getting that one wrong. It was a beautiful sunny day, and unseasonably warm. Shorts, a t-shirt, and flip flops would have done (I’m not kidding).
I loved the light. I’m a fan of shooting into the sun. (GM5 Leica 15mm)
For those that don’t know (including me) Spurn Head is a nature reserve and ‘an iconic and constantly moving peninsula which curves between the North Sea and the Humber Estuary’. The main point of interest (for me) from a photography point of view was the lighthouse. Built in 1895, it has been guiding sailors around the East Yorkshire coastline for over 90 years, until it was decommissioned in 1985. It’s open to the public and you can take a tour around it (I didn’t).
The Spurn Point Lighthouse from the visitors centre (Lumix GM5. Panasonic 45-150)
A trip to the lighthouse will take some planning as it’s only accessible by foot on a three mile walk and you can only cross when the tide is out. It’s not somewhere you want to get stuck on a cold February night. So, finding a time when the tide is out that coincides with sunrise or sunset can be challenging. The BBC provide tide times here https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast-and-sea/tide-tables/3/171 The walk itself was hard at times. A lot of it is over sand, and it’s very soft sand. So, for some people a six mile walk might be tricky. As it’s a nature reserve dogs aren’t allowed. There is a stretch of sand further north up the coast where you can tale you r dogs though.
On to the photography bit. I took my new (to me) Lumix GM5. (Yes, I finally found one at a price I could afford and I’ll write about it next week). With that I took the worlds best lens, the Panasonic Leica 15mm and my Panasonic 45-150mm zoom (how do they make it so small?) I also took a 12-32, because it’s so small and a decent back up.
About half way point on the walk. Still a long way to go. (GM5 Leica 15mm)
As ever, the colour on the Leica 15mm is lovely. Not a lot of editing required, mostly just cropping. It’s such a good pairing with the GM camera because it has an aperture ring on the lens. Given the size of the cameras only allow for one dial (the GM5 is much better positioned) it means you can use that for shutter speed. I wish all lenses were like this.
There wasn’t really anything to use as a subject, but I couldn’t ignore the light on the grass. Maybe the light is the subject? (GM% Leica 15mm)
As I (finally) got closer to the lighthouse the sun had started to drop. I was worried about the lack of stabilisation in the camera, but the lens has it and the results were good despite the wind.I didn’t want to make the 3 mile return walk in the dark, it had been hard enough in the light. Then I started stressing that the tide might come in, even thought I’d checked it numerous times.
GM5 Leica 15mm
As I wondered around I’d wished I’d spent more time learning my way around the camera. I hadn’t had time though as I’d had eye injections earlier in the week, so seeing had been an issue. That said, I’m pleased with the images I got. The conditions were kind to me, and the Gm5 did really well considering the fading light.
My last, and favourite shot of the day. I got lucky with the sunset and the wind had died down. It could be summer. I did take another from down on the beach, but there was a lot of human rubbish on the beach. Sadly.
I wish I’d have spent a bit more time looking for an angle that cut out the auxiliary buildings. (GM5 Leica 15mm)
So, a bit of a slog. The very soft sand makes it hard work. Probably not somewhere I’d rush back to as it’s ruined by humans. There was so much rubbish that had been blown on to the reserve, or washed up. It was depressing to see such a wonderful place ruined by people (again). We really are killing our own home. A cancer on our home planet. Maybe I need to photograph that?
A quick snap from my phone I was walking back. Another phone snap. I liked the light and colours.
Shaun Madill Photography 